Christopher Branch

Christopher Branch, Sr.

Biography

Find A Grave Memorial ID # 115319744

Jamestowne Society Qualifying Ancestor # A1010

Christopher Branch, Sr. was born 02 Sep 1598 in Greater London, England, the only son of Lionel Branch (1566-1605) and his wife, Valentia Sparke.

Mary Addie, daughter of Francis Addie a husbandman of Darton, Yorkshire, England was married at St. Peter's, Westcheap, London, in the city of London by virtue of a marriage license from the Bishop of London on 02 Sept 1619, to Christopher Branch. (See attached copy of their marriage document). Christopher’s notice of his intent to marry Mary Addie, was posted at St. Peter’s Westcheap, London in 1619.

The children of Christopher and Mary (Addie) Branch were:

• 1) Thomas Branch b. May 1624 Henrico Co., VA, d. 1694, m. Elizabeth (Gough?)
• 2) William Branch b 1626 at "Kingsland". The first husband of Jane "Hatcher", daughter of William and Mary (__?__) Hatcher.
• 3) Christopher Branch. born about 1628 at "Kingsland". His wife is reported to have been Sarah Almond.

Mary died in 1630 and was buried at "Kingsland", her husband's plantation, in a now unidentifiable grave site.

Christopher Sr. died in 1682 and was buried at "Kingsland", his plantation, in the Branch Family Cemetery in a now unidentifiable grave site.

Christopher Branch, Sr.'s lineage is proven to Charlemagne through King William I (the Conqueror) and his descendants qualify for membership in the "Jamestowne Society" and the "Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America".

Census of 1624-25--There were 680 free people and 457 white servants, and 23 Negroes. Of the freemen 25 left descendants in well-know families which can be traced to the present day. Eight of the servants were ancestors of Virginia families of the same standing. Among the freemen referred to one of these was Christopher Branch, 1620. The father and grandfather of Christopher are styled "gentleman", but his great grandfather was a prosperous merchant of Abington.

From http://www.genealogy.com/users/s/t/a/Michelle-M-Stanga/FILE/0049pag...

Christopher4 Branch (Lionel3, William2, Richard1) was born in Kent, England September 2, 1602. Christopher died 1681 in Henrico County, Virginia, at 78 years of age.

He married Mary Altie (Addie) in St. Peter's Church, London, England, September 2, 1619. Mary was born in Yorkshire, England 1600. Mary was the daughter of Francis Addie. Mary died before 1630 in Virginia. Mary became the mother of Thomas Branch in Henrico County, Virginia, about 1623.

Christopher became the father of Thomas Branch in Henrico County, Virginia, about 1623. Christopher and his wife Mary came to Virginia in March 1620 on the ship "London Merchant" of 300 tons burden, dispatched from Trelburyhope by the Virginia Company with 200 colonists aboard. They settled first at Arrowhattocks on the north side of the James River in Henrico County, moving later to Kingsmead on the south side of the river in what is now known as Chesterfield County. He was a planter. His will was read February 20, 1681 in Henrico County, Virginia.

Christopher was a member of the House of Burgesses from Henrico County in 1629.

Christopher Branch and Mary Altie (Addie) had the following children:

child 9 i. Christopher5 Branch. Christopher died 1665.

child + 10 ii. Thomas Branch was born about 1623.

Christopher Branch married Mary Addie on September 2, 1619, at St. Peter's, Westcheap, London, England.

Will

Will of Christopher Branch l

Notes taken from letter of John Ravilious, researcher.

In the name of God, Amen; the twentieth of June 1678, I, Christopher Branch of Kingsland in the County of Henrico, being in yeares & memory, praises be to God, doe make this my last will and testament as followeth:

Item: I give unto my sonne Thomas Branch my great Copper Caetell and a Book called Ursinis Catucis, ) and I doe confirme the two hundred and forty acres of land that I have given him by deed of gift formerly. Item: I give to my granson Christopher Branch all the land betweene the River and the long slash, beginning at procters Creeke mouth, and run upward on the river to the pine tree that parts my land and my sonne Thomas, and from procter Creek at the lower end of the long slash on the inside of the slash running upward to my sonne Thomases land, unto him and his heirs males forever, provided that he shall help to build for his Brother Samuel a house of four lengths of boards, every length to be five foot, with the help of the Negroe and Joab, if they live till Samuell be of ability to help and to seat it, and to help him clear a corne field sufficiently fenced to keep out hoggs and cattle.

Item: I give unto my gransonne Samuel Branch, all the land that lyes between the long slash and the bottome called by the name of Jackes bottome, beginning at proctors creek and running upwards to my sonne Thomases land, to him and his heirs forever provided that he with the help of Christopher and the Negroe and Jobe, if it please God they live doe build Benjamin one house of four lengths of boards, every length to be five foot long, and clear and fense him a corne field as much as they doe for Samuel, with his help when he shall be able to seat it.

Item: I give unto my gransonne Benjamin Branch all the land that lyes between Jackes bottome and proctor Creek and running upwards to my sonne Thomases land, to him and his heirs Males forever.

It is my will that Christopher doe give unto Samuell and Benjamin six locus posts and two elm oasts when they shall build them their dwelling houses if they can find none of their own ground.

It is my will that if any of these Christopher, Samuell and or Benjamine, doe dye before they come to the age of one-antwenty years they their land shall return to the next Brother and the goods that they shall have out of my estate after my decease.

It is my will, that after my deceasem my sonne Thomas shall pay unto Christopher the rent that shall be due unto his Mattie for his two hundred and forty acres of land when it shall be demanded, likewise Mr. Gower, Samuell and Benjamine when they shall seat their land.

It is my will that neither Samuel nor Benjamine go off the plantacon but they are to live with Christopher and to have housing and ground and to worke together till they be able to seate their owne land, unless they be willing to goe of themselves.

It is my will that my part of Jobes labour soe long as he hath to serve shall goe to maintainee Samuel, Benjamin and Sarah, and that the halfe of the Negores labr goe to maintaine them.

It is my will that the cart way not be stopt up nor altered that now is to goe into the Woods for timber or for Fire Woode, ut to have a Clear passage.

It is my will that William and John Branch shall have liberty to fish or fowle in the creeks or swamp. If Christopher shall refuse to help build and clear for Samuel or Benjamine as I have set down in this my will, then he shall pay six hundred pounds of tobacco to each of them; and if Samuel shal refuse to help Benjamine to built and clear, as I have set downe in this my will, then he shall pay to Benjamine six hundred pounds of tobacco.

Item: I give unto Thomas Jefferson one hogshead of tobaccoe of four hundred pounds wieght, whome I make with my gransonne Christopher Branch my full and sole Exetrs of this my last will and testament, and I desire them to see my will performed.

My debts and legacies being paid and burial discharged, all the rest of my estate I give unto my gransonne Christopher Branch, and Benjamin and Sarah and Mary Branch, the Wife of Thomas Jefferson to be equally divided among them.

Witnesse my hand and seale the year above written.

Signed, Christopher Branch

Sealed with red wax.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gloriawes...

Sources:

• 1) "Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5" by John Frederick Dorman, Vol. I, 4th Ed., 2004, pp7, 366-425.
• 2) "Acts of the General Assembly Jan 6 1639/40", William & Mary Quarterly (series 2) Vol. 4, pp 16-35.
• 3) Henrico County, Virginia Deeds 1677-1705, Compiled by Benjamin B. Weisiger III, Richmond, VA, 1986.
• 4) "Cavaliers and Pioneers" Vol. 1 by Nell Marion Nugent, 1983, p549.
• 5) "Branch of Abingdon" by James Branch Cabell, 1911, pp75-84.
• 6) "Branchiana" by James Branch Cabell, 1907, pp107-110.
• 7) "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635" by Martha W. McCartney, 2007, pp153-154.
• 8) "Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography", Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Vol. 5, 1915, pp1055-57.
• 9) "Virginia Vital Records" Indexed by Judith McGhan, 1984, p9.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Branch
• http://www.martinosworld.com/Genealogy/Blankenship-Family-Tree.htm#...
• PHASE III INVESTIGATIONS AND HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE SPRING HILL PLANTATION CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VIRGINIA PDF. Page 7-1 BRANCH FAMILY OWNERSHIP (1631-1814) Anglo ownership of the land on which the Spring Hill house is located can be traced back as far as the early seventeenth century when it was part of several land grants issued to Christopher Branch (b.1598 d.1681). Christopher Branch was born in London in 1598 and first came to Virginia in 1619 aboard the vessel London Merchant (Cabell 1907: 26). By the first census of Virginia in 1623 he and his wife Mary were residing in Henrico and by 1625 they were reportedly living on the “College Land,” a large area adjacent to the City of Henricus that had been set aside for the first educational institution in the colony but abandoned and opened for public settlement following the Indian Massacre of 1622 (Cabell 1907: 26). Christopher Branch ( -1681) By 1634, Branch was residing at “Arrowhattocks,” an area located up the James River from the former City of Henricus and College Land. …
• https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Branch?iframe=yresults Haplogroup I1 - probable descendants of George Branch, IOW, VA, b abt 1630
• https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Branch?iframe=yresults Haplogroup R1b1a1a2 (R-M269) - probable descendants of Christopher Branch, Sr, Henrico Co., VA