Crenshaw File No. 2 Compiled from the papers of Jack Grantham, and retrieved from the waste basket of historians. <<>> John Granger The following was found in Calendar Of State Papers Of Virginia, by Henning, page 21, and was among the papers assembled for the year 1688. This concerns the division of Blisland Parish and creation of the new Parish of St. Peters from the territory and corpus of Blisland Parish. The John Granger and wife of St Peters Parish are probably parents of Thomas Granger of St Peters Parish. The same parish register shows a Thomas Cranshaw and a son, also named Thomas Cranshaw. Other authorities on Virginia speech and names do indicate that Granger and Cranshaw (sometimes shown as Gransha) are used interchangeably and the man John Granger may be John Cranshaw. There is no doubt that Cranshaw named his oldest son John and, thus may have named him after his father. Other than Thomas and a man named Isaac (or Isod) Cranshaw there does not seem to be anyone else in the parish to be kinsmen of John Granger. For naming patters see Rutman's, A Place In Time, Explicatus. September 1st 1688 "Proceedings of Vestry, concerning the dividing line between the parish of Blisland and St Peter's. September 12th 1688 "John Womack vs Jno. Granger and wife--action for slander September 25th 1688 "Relating to controversy growing out of boundary line between Blisland and St Peter's Parishes." Take note that a man named John Granger, son of Nicholas and Jane Granger appears a generation prior to this (born 1661) in the records of Accomack, on the Eastern Shore. If he is the same man mentioned in the Vestry record, he would have been age 27 at the time. An entry which may be found in The Register Of St Peter's Parish, New Kent and James City Counties, Virginia 1684-1786, p. 345: "Thomas son to Thomas Cranshaw bap't: ye 25 of Desem' 169-" The year of the baptism of the infant Thomas is obscure as are most year date entries in the old register book, however those entries which are legible make the most likely year of the baptism to have been 1692, but there is no certainty about it. The introduction to Vestry Book of St Peter's Parish, published in 1937, page xvi, states that St Peters "suffered a considerable loss of territory and inhabitants," about this time in colonial life and gives as the reason for this the fact that-- "In 1691, by the Act establishing King and Queen County, the General Assembly cut off from it all that part of its territory lying north-east of the Pamunkey and annexed it to St John's parish (established in 1680 or later), thus making St John's Parish include the whole of Pamunkey Neck; i.e., the present King William County and the other counties lying between the Mattaponi and the north fork (North Anna River) of the Pamunkey." It appears that Thomas Crenshaw's appearance at the baptismal font of St Peters was a strong indication that he dwelt on the south shore of the Pamunkey River at that time, and was not one of those living in Pamunkey Neck since the Neck property has always been thought of as being north of the Pamunkey River. The Vestry Book, page xvi, in commenting on the origin of St Peters, states: "At the time of its establishment St Peter's Parish was bounded on the north-east by the ridge between the Pamunkey and the Mattaponi rivers, on the south-east by John's (or Jack's) Creek (north of the Pamunkey) and by a line beginning at Cap't Basset's Landing Creek (south of the Pamunkey) and on the south-west by the ridge between the Pamunkey and Chickahominy Rivers. There was no boundary established on the north-west side, the parish extending in that direction, theoretically speaking, indefinitely, while practically speaking it extended only as far as to the farthest point of settlement. Later, when in 1704 St Peter's Parish was itself divided, the upper (or north-western) portion being established as St Paul's Parish, the dividing line between the two parishes (Matadequin Creek), which in 1720 became also the dividing line between New Kent and the newly created County of Hanover, became St Peter's north-west boundary line." This quotation shows that the Thomas Crenshaw, in order to claim St Peter's as his parish had to live no farther north than the hills which ran down the center of Pamunkey Neck, in other words Thomas had to live near the Pamunkey River. The Vestry Book, page xix, shows that a structure known as the Upper Church was built in 1690 and it was located on the Pamunkey River in what is now Hanover County, "...about three miles east of the present village of Old Church." Virginia Historical Magazine, Volume 31, (1923) page 215ff, contains the Quit Rent Rolls for New Kent County in 1704, which county lay entirely south of the Pamunkey and York Rivers at that time. This tax list is headed, "A rent [tax] roll of the lands held of her Majesty in the Parish of St Peters & St Pauls, Anno 1774." There is no listing for Granger, however there is shown: "Granchaw [Crenshaw], Tho..........480 acres" The bracketed name of Crenshaw was supplied by the editors of Virginia Historical Magazine, no doubt familiar with the casual spelling of the Crenshaw name all through colonial history. There is no evidence of a purchase by Thomas Crenshaw of this or any land south of the Pamunkey River. It is generally accepted by historians that possession of land, with no evidence of its purchase, means that the title holder obtained the property by inheritance. This assumption of inheritance by Thomas Crenshaw must be held until proved otherwise. Land in New Kent County in 1704 was land in St Peter's Parish. It should be pointed out that Thomas Crenshaw could have been taxed for this land in 1704, but lived elsewhere. Also it shows that Thomas, if he inherited it, was the eldest son in his family. This land would have been the ferry landing on the south shore of the Pamunkey. Also in the year 1704 a Quit Rent Roll (tax list) of King William County lists: "Cranshaw, Thomas..........150 acres" Thus it appears from ancient tax records that Thomas Crenshaw was in possession of, and taxed for, at least two pieces of property in 1704. South of the Pamunkey he held 480 acres, probably inherited, and north of the Pamunkey he held 150 acres. This is the type of arrangement which would be expected of a ferryman whose enterprise consisted of Pamunkey River operations. The Journal of the House of Burgesses offers proof that Thomas was a ferry owner and operator at just this spot near the place the Pamunkey ceased and the York River began. There is evidence of the purchase by Thomas Crenshaw of the 150 acres on the north bank of the Pamunkey. This document was discovered in 1957 at the Public Record Office in London. Thomas had purchased the 150 acres from John Langston, sometime Burgess from Pamunkey Neck, and lately punished for his participation in Bacon's Rebellion. Langston and others had made a questionable purchase of land from the Queen of the Pamunkey Indians, the history of which is explained elsewhere. See English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, compiled by Louis des Cognets, Jr. (1958. Cognets was the one who also discovered the long-lost tax records of King William County (1704). John Granger, whose presence was noticed by the Vestry and by the Burgesses in 1688, was not mentioned on the tax roll of 1704. If this man was the same man shown as born (1 Sept 1620) in the Parish of Titsey, Surreyshire, England, then he would have been in his sixties when he and his wife's slander charges were the concern of the vestry in 1688. Furthermore he would have been age 79 when the General Assembly sought to secure the title of Thomas Crenshaw for the 150 acres north of the Pamunkey. John Granger, or Gransha, may have died about this time and his 490 acres passed to his eldest son. If not dead, John Granger may have been unable to carry on his own enterprise and thus ceded to his son the wherewithal to establish a ferry. Take notice that page xvi, Vestry Book, quoted above, mentions Captain Basset. This man is shown in the records to have the land adjoining Crenshaw on the east side. Basset's wife was the sister of Martha Washington. The Bassett name appears in early records and the family many have been in that area as early as John Granger or even prior to that time. Dr Harris in his book on these people describes Basset as possessing property next to Langston who sold the 150 acres of his 600 to Thomas Crenshaw. Because of Harris' positioning of Basset we know the location of the 150 acres of Thomas Crenshaw. Dr Malcolm H. Harris authored Old Kent County, Some Account Of The Planters, Plantations & Places in New Kent Co.. The research of Dr. Harris determined that in 1720, the parish of St Johns was divided by a line from "Arnolds...towards Crenshaw's ferry on the Pamunkey." It is not known if this ferry was the same operated by Thomas in 1704, but is assumed to be so and operated by one of his sons, possibly John or Joseph. ------------------- An Illumination On The Land Patent of 1667 From a paper of William Crenshaw Niesen (1989) carrying the title Research of Patent of 1667. "Since writing the original text, I have researched the patent of 1667 through the Valentine Museum, the Virginia State Library and Archives, and a certified genealogist for Accomack County. The reference of the family historians to the arrival of a Crenshaw in America is from a footnote on page 2251 of The Valentine Papers. 'The earliest mention of the name Crenshaw so far discovered is as follows: Thomas and Ed. Crenshaw as headrights in a patent issued 9 Oct 1667, to William Wickman for land in Accomack County.' (Register of the land office Patent Book VI, p. 82). "The staff of the Valentine Museum searched the original manuscript and found no further reference to this patent. Correspondence with the Virginia State Library and Archives referred to a patent recorded in Nugents, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume II, page 24: 'William Hickman, 1000a Accomack Co., at Arcadia, 9 Oct 1667, p. 82. Bounded on E. by land of George Watson &c. Transportation of 20 persons: Jno. Morton, Hen. Henly, Jno. Winston, James Bullen, Susan Hooper, Thomas Freake, Thomas Trenchard, George Fulford, Robert Napfield, Thomas Baynard, George Gray, Robert Tider, Robert Foresque, Edw. Tremain, Richard Cabell (or Caball), Tho. Carter, Jno. Tanner, Robt. Walker, George Howard, Jonathan Sparke.' "With this information and the confusion between Wickman and Hickman, I wrote Ms. Mary Frances Carey, a certified genealogist, in New Church, Virginia. Ms. Carey checked five sources of Accomack County records without finding a reliable tie back to the Crenshaws of that period. She stated that she was absolutely positive the 1667 grant in Accomack County was to William Hickman, not Wickman. Hickman descendants live in the area to this day. Headrights Thomas Trenchard and Edward Tremain could have been read as Thomas and Edward Crenshaw. "Based on these findings, the staff of the Virginia State Library and Archives examined the original patent book and found: 'The names of the headrights to be unclear. One could make an equal case for the names Trenchard and Tremain as abstracted by Nugent or as Crenchard and Cremain. The original book is very faint, and it is difficult to read the names.' "The attached photocopy of the patent proves the point. In any event, Thomas Crenshaw probably arrived in Virginia as a headright in the late 1600's, worked off his indenture, and obtained a grant for land in 1701." (Note: Later information from the London Record office shows no headright grant to Thomas Crenshaw and his only patent was the action of the House of Burgess to clear title to the 150a which Thomas had purchased from Langston. Langston's land was never headright land). <<<<>>>> Des Cognets Find in The London Record Office English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, compiled by Louis des Cognets, Jr.(1958). p. 57 ff "By the committee. For examining claims to land in Pamunkey Neck, and on the south side of Blackwater Swamp, and to consider of the most proper means to settle the northern & southern bounds of Virginia. June 1699. "The Queen of the Pamunkey Indians together with the great men belonging to the said nation setting forth that, by several orders of the General Court there was granted unto them a considerable quantity of land lying in Pamunkey Neck, which thy have a long time possessed and enjoyed..." p. 58 ff "And whereas several parcels of land... were leased for ninety nine years to several persons viz...John Langston six hundred acres of land...Cornelius Dabney, six or seven hundred acres...Richard Yarborough, a tract, the quantity of which not mentioned...Thomas Carr 150a purchased of Peter Adams and 400a purchased of James Turner, Deceased and quit rents always paid...Andrew McAllister 100a by the same title (i.e. from Richard Yarborough)...James Dabney, George Dabney, Dorothy Dabney & Sarah Dabney, devisees of Cornelius Dabney, Deceased 700a to which is added of Low Land thereto adjoining 150a...Thomas Crenshaw 150a purchased of Mr. John Langston...