John WILKINS\Bridget CRAFT (MRIN:112)

The following narrative was taken from information gathered by Marguerite Wilkins Mapp Knee...a direct descendant of John Wilkins who grew up on a farm called "White Hall" near Machipongo, Virginia in Northampton County.

"We think John Wilkins was born in Breconshire, Wales. His family might have lived in Brecknock Castle for generations. We do know that he came to America when he was about 20 years old and sailed on a ship named " Marigold" to Jamestown, Virginia. His parents were wealthy so it is safely assumed that he paid for his own passage to America. Three months after his arrival in Virginia he paid for the passage of Bridget Croft sailed on the "Warwick" which left England in August of 1621 and met him in America and became his first wife.

John was shown on the Muster roles of the Easter Shore of Virginia in 1624/25. His initial land purchase was in September of 1636 in the Upper County of New Norfolk. His land consisted of over 1300 acres along the Nansemond River. In 1637 he was granted 500 acres in Accomack County joining the land of Obedience Robbins.

The first three years of his life in Virginia are unknown. The first report that mentions his name was a report that he was killed in an Indian massacre in 1622 at Bennet' Plantation near Smithfield, Virginia. The Indians killed, scalped, burned and looted leaving over 50 settlers dead and the settlement destroyed. In spite of horrendous odds, John and Bridget managed to slip out of the settlement during the attack and escape in a dugout canoe. They traveled for weeks down the James River and across the Chesapeake Bay and ended up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. They landed in what is now known as the King's Creek Area. Here the Indians were friendly and helpful and this convinced John that this was a good place to settle.

By the time John was twenty-six years old, records show that he had amassed a good sum of money. He was a planter and had one of the first farms on the Eastern Shore. The records show that soon after settling on the Eastern Shore he had seven barrels of corn, one gun, and a house. He and his wife Bridget had settled on some of the most desirable land. The Wilkins' tract of land was located next to land owned by the Secretary to the Governor of Virginia which became the center of local government.

In spite of being illiterate, records show that John Wilkins went to England and Holland at least three times on business trips. He acted as agent for two or three Eastern Shore tobacco growers. Records indicate that he first went in 1633 and again in 1636. The voyage would take approximately two months each way. Sometime in 1643 he went to Holland. For unknown reasons he did not sell the tobacco in Holland but went instead to Frankfurt, Germany where the tobacco did sell. On his return trip he visited England, perhaps to see his family. In 1645 he returned to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

After 1633 the records often mention John Wilkins. He first became a member of the Commissioners of Accomack County. He did this until 1650 when he died. In the early records he is mentioned being involved in the sale of cattle, tobacco and in other business transactions.

Bridget Wilkins was called into court for having an affair with another man but no action was taken because she died before her punishment could be given. It was also reported that she beat her female indentured servants . The punishment for this at that time was dunking stool for women. Because Bridget was wealthy she was fined instead of being publicly humiliated in the dunking stool.

In 1633 John was elected to the House of Burgesses. He was elected again in 1641. He was also elected to the first vestry in the county in 11635. This vestry established Hungars Parish. Over the years numerous Wilkins family members have served on this vestry and many relatives are buried in historic Hungars Church in Northampton County.

After Bridget's death, John married Ann Baldwin. When John died he owned 2400 acres of land. Over 1300 acres are in the present day city of Suffolk, Virginia and the remainder were in Northampton County.

Ann Wilkins was married four times. Her first husband may have been a Baldwin. Then she married John Wilkins who died in 1650. Her next husband was the Reverend Thomas Higby who died in 1655. Again Ann married to Henry Voss. He died in 1662. She remained a widow for 28 years until she died in 1690 She was over 70 years old when she died.

From a book titled, Adventurers of Purse and Person.

John Wilkins came to Virginia in the "Marigold," May 1618 and his 1) wife Bridget Craft came in the "Warwick" which left England in August 1618.

He was listed in the Muster of the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1624/5. John was aged 26, and Bridget aged 20. He was deposed 16 May 1636 and said he was age 40.

His first Patent was 09 September 1636 in the Upper County of New Norfolk. The 1300 acres along the Nansemond River fell into Nansemond County, 1642. He later sailed to England in 1637, and to Amsterdam and Hamburg in 1649.

In 1637 he was granted 500 acres in Accomack County joining the land of Obedience Robbins. He was elected to the Vestry of Hungars Parish in 1635 and served as a Burgess from Accomack in 1633 and 1642. He was a comissioner of Accomack until his death. His will was dated 23 December 1649 and was probated 28 January1650/1. He left his estate to his wife Anne who married 2) the Reverend Thomas Higby, minister of Hungars Parish, and 3) Henry Voss.

Adventurers of Purse and Person
1987
Page 676, 677.