Thomas DURHAM, Sr.

Bef 1661 - Bef 1715  (< 53 years)

• Name	Thomas DURHAM
  Suffix	Sr.
  Birth	Bef 6 Mar 1661
  Christening	6 Mar 1661
  Gender	Male
  Will	4 Aug 1711	North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, VA
  Death	Bef Feb 1715	North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, VA
  Probate	1 Jun 1715	Richmond County, VA
  Burial	North Farnham Episcopal Church Cemetery, Farnham, Richmond County, VA [?]
  Notes	(1) Article posted by Roberta Estes to her blog, DNAeXplained - Genetic Genealogy <https://dna-explained.com/>, on May 20, 2017: We know nothing about Thomas Durham's early life, except it's unlikely that he was born on the Northern Neck of Virginia. In 1652, in Northumberland County, part of which ultimately became Richmond County, all men had to sign an oath of loyalty, and there is no Durham name among the signers. . . . We don't know where Thomas Durham came from, but we do know that the first record that includes Thomas is found in the Farnham Parish church register with the birth of his daughter, Mary, to Thomas and Dorothy Durham on June 5, 1686. Additional births attributed to Thomas and Dorothy were for son, Thomas on June 17, 1690 and son John on November 23, 1698. These records suggest that Thomas was already married to Dorothy who has been reported to be related to the Smoots by sometime in 1685, if not earlier. . . . If you sign on to Ancestry or any other site and look at trees, you'll find the persistent rumor that Thomas Durham is the son of Governor Henry Thomas Durham who had a son, Thomas, born about 1634. Unfortunately, there is not one shred of evidence to connect the two. Several trees also have the Governor passing away in 1694 in North Farnham Parish in Richmond County. I can assuredly tell you that there are absolutely NO records to corroborate this information. . . . While we know quite a bit about the life of Thomas Durham from 1686 on, we know absolutely nothing about his life before that time. Was he perhaps an indentured servant, fulfilling his obligation before he could marry? He certainly did not come to the Northern Neck with any money, because he did not purchase land until 21 years after his presence is the area is first known. He never owned slaves which was very common for plantation owners, although he did have at least two indentured servants - one of which gave him two grandchildren. Thomas Durham Sr. remains, in very large part, a mystery. (2) Message posted by genealogy.com user to the Durham Genealogy Forum on December 13, 1998: Sorry, guys, LDS records notwithstanding, Thomas DURHAM 1661/1715 of Richmond Co. VA married to Dorothy ??? is NOT the son of Gov. Henry DURHAM of Bermuda. I bought that story too, but couldn't prove it was the same Thomas. Finally I wrote Bermuda Archives, and received an abstract of a lawsuit filed in Bermuda in 1734 that definitely proved that the Thomas who was born to Gov. Hunt [?] lived and died in Bermuda where he had a son "Richard Durham of Sandys tribe marriner Eldest son and heir of Thomas Durham Late of the same Gent: dec'd, who was the son of Henry Durham, Esq. "The suit was in regard to property in Bermuda lately in the possession of Judith DURHAM, Henry's wife. I would love to know also who the parents of our Thomas of Virginia were, but they weren't Henry and Judith Hunt DURHAM of Bermuda. I will say there is an outside chance there could be a collateral relationship, since the father of Henry DURHAM of Bermuda also named Thomas had other sons, who also may have had a son named Thomas, and of course there was trading, etc. between Bermuda and Virginia during that time, of which scant records were kept. Incidentally, since these are our ancestors also, Jim, I'd be really pleased to hear from you about clues you have for the possible family for Dorothy and her sisters. (3) Darden, Newton Jasper, "Darden Family History," Washington, DC: 1953, Edited, Revised and Enlarged by Leroy W. Tilton, 1957, pp. 117-118: Thomas Durham and his wife Dorothy, parents of Mrs. Mary Dodson, lived in North Farnham in Richmond Co. and had at least the following ch. . . : Mary Durham, b. June 5, 1686; Thomas Durham, b. June 27, 1690; and John DURHAM, b. Nov. 23, 1698. The will of Thomas Durham was dated Aug. 4, 1711, and witnessed by Joan Searles, Arthur Kay, and Miles Walters. It was proved June 1, 1715, in Richmond Co. Previously, about Feb. 1714, the widow had married Jeremiah Greenham. The will mentions wife Dorothy, son Thomas and Mary, his wife, son John, daughter Mary Dodson, and grandson Thomas Dodson. Daughter Mary Dodson received 2000 pounds of tobacco. . . . (4) www.findagrave.com: Thomas Durham Birth: 1660, Farnham, Richmond County, Virginia, USA Death: May 30, 1715, Farnham, Richmond County, Virginia, USA My 9th Great Grandfather Son of Henry Thomas Durham & Judith Hunt Married Dorothy Smute/Smoot in 1681 at North Farnham, Richmond, Virginia To this union 4 children were born: John 1684 Mary 1686-1715 Thomas John 1690-1735 John 1698-1722 [Note by compiler: The compiler has not found a record of the birth or christening of the John DURHAM who was purportedly born in 1684.] Actually burial location is unknown, but it seems likely they would be buried in this cemetery Family links: Spouse: Dorothy Smute/Smoot Durham (1663 - 1714); Children: Mary Durham Dodson (1686 - 1740) Burial: North Farnham Episcopal Church Cemetery, Farnham, Richmond County, Virginia, USA Created by: Rochelle C Record added: Feb 01, 2015 Find A Grave Memorial# 142098660
  Person ID	I42629	Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
  Last Modified	17 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family	Dorothy GILBERT[?],   b. 7 Apr 1663, North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, VA d. Aft 9 Feb 1725 (Age > 62 years)
  Marriage	Bef 5 Jun 1686
  Children	1. Mary DURHAM,   b. Bef 5 Jun 1686, North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, VA d. 1 Jan 1715 (Age > 28 years)   2. Thomas DURHAM, Jr.,   b. Bef 27 Jun 1690, North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, VA   3. John DURHAM,   b. Bef 23 Nov 1698, North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, VA
  Family ID	F18361	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	17 Apr 2024