Langley Family of Norfolk Co., VA

Page Updated 26 Jun 2005

I doubted for years that this family was related to ours from New Jersey, unless back in England. Early suppositions that James Langley/Langley of Norfolk Co., VA, was the father of a William who was the father of our William Longley (Revolutionary soldier) of Loudoun Co., VA, were disproven.

Then, thanks to the late Joanne McFadden of Baltimore, MD, & Hedgesville, WV, we believe our earliest provable ancestor Joseph Langley/Longley, Sr., of NJ was related to her Benjamin Longley of Baltimore, MD. And matching DNA from their descendants proved they had a common ancestor 250-400 years ago.

Now there is a third matching Langley! The three families are:

1. Joseph Langley/Longley, Sr., of Hunterdon Co., NJ, married by 1732 to Mary Campbell, who came from Monmouth Co., NJ. Their son Joseph Jr. and his son William Longley (Revolutionary soldier) were in Loudoun Co., VA, by 1764. Joseph Sr. was apparently the son of Thomas Langley of Gloucester Co., NJ, and Frances Woodward, and moved from Gloucester Co. to Hunterdon Co. Thomas Langley was apparently the son of John Langley who died 1699 in Gloucester Co., NJ, leaving widow Susannah to sell the land he bought in 1687. No record to prove his children is found.

2. Benjamin Longley of Baltimore, MD, was born by 1719, since he was surely an adult in 1740 when he paid a debt to an estate. He could have been the brother of Joseph Langley/Longley, Sr., son of Thomas Langley of Gloucester Co., NJ, son of John Langley of Gloucester Co. who died 1699.

Robert Langley was the earliest Langley found in the Baltimore Co., MD, area. Robert patented "Langley's Habitation" on 30 Aug 1659 and died before 5 Apr 1687 when "John Langley, son and heir apparent of Robert Langley, late of Baltimore, decd.," sold 'Langley's Habitation.' Let us assume Robert was born abt 1625.

As John Langley was not mentioned further in the Baltimore records, I suggest he was the John Langley who died in Gloucester Co., NJ, in 1699.

3. William Langley of Lower Norfolk Co., VA, patented land in 1653. He apparently was born in Virginia, because he was not listed as a transportee on anyone else's land patent (colonists got 50 acres for themselves and 50 acres for each additional person they transported to VA). Many of his descendants are known.

The earliest Langley record I've found in Virginia was of a William Langley who in 1622 gave testimony in a lawsuit in Town Chancery Court (what town? the twelve original Virginia shires were created in 1634) between Sir Edwin Sandys, two owners of the ship Falcon, and a merchant named Cuthbert Gray. Perhaps Falcon was the ship William sailed on from England.

The common mode of transportation in the 1600s was by water. Horses and roads were few. It was fairly easy to go by boat from the coasts of Norfolk Co., VA, Gloucester Co., NJ, and Baltimore, MD. We know the related Chew family (whose daughter Mary married Thomas Langley of Gloucester Co., NJ) moved from New Kent Co., VA, to Long Island, NY, and from there to Gloucester Co., NJ.

As a working hypothesis ~~ William Langley, a colonist or a visitor in VA in 1622, could have been the father of both William Sr. who received the 1653 patent in Lower Norfolk Co. in 1653, and of Robert Langley of Baltimore, MD, by 1659. I know of no documentary evidence to support this, but DNA does not lie!

The three exactly matching Y-chromosome DNA were:

1. Alvis Longley of San Saba, Texas, descendant of Joseph Longley, Sr. > Joseph Jr. > William C. > Joseph > Campbell > Alexander Campbell > Leon > Alvis Longley

2. Christopher Longley of St. Paul, Minnesota, descendant of Benjamin Longley > William > George > Benjamin Franklin > George Washington > Charles Franklin > Robert William > Christopher Longley

3. James David Langley of San Diego, CA, descendant of Moses

HYPOTHESIS

Let's look at the Lower Norfolk Co., VA, family:

In Nell M. Nugent's CAVALIERS & PIONEERS, ABSTRACTS OF VIRGINIA LAND PATENTS, James Langley was granted a patent in 1730. William Langley, Sr. who got a VA Patent in Norfolk Co. 16 Apr 1653, and again on 9 Apr 1675 in Lower Norfolk. On 22 Nov 1682, William Langley, son & heir of William Langley, Sr. "Granted sd. Langley decd 16 Apr 1653," in Lower Norfolk.

On 25 Apr 1701 Thomas Langley received two patents in Norfolk, and on 17 Apr 1701 another for transporting persons. In 1730 James and Thomas Langley received patents, James Langley the transporter (maybe the boys had been away to school). Again, James transported persons on 10 Jan 1748/9, and 22 Aug 1755. On 5 Feb 1755, Jeremiah and Lemuel Langley received patents in Norfolk. In 1759 Moses Langley, and in 1761 Thomas got patents.

The Huguenot, published by The Huguenot Society: Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia, Vallejo, CA

No. 16, 1951-1953, p. 152-153 James THELABALL, A French Huguenot, born in France was in Virginia as early as 1635, as he imported Alex Massie in 1637. He was spoken of at the time as "a rich and prominent French emigrant." He imported 19 persons in 1651. He married Elizabeth MASON, the daughter of FRANCIS MASON, who was in VA by 1613. He was church warden of Lower Norfolk Co., VA, Elizabeth River Parish in 1659. His naturalization papers were taken out, and recorded in the court house in Portsmouth, VA. His will dated 1692, was proved Sept. 15th 1693 in Lower Norfolk. In this will he named the following children: Lemuel, Francis, James Jr., Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret. The site of Norfolk City Park is his old plantation. Margaret THELABALL, b. ca 1640, Norfolk Co., VA; d. aft 1718, Norfolk Co., VA; mar. ca 1656, William LANGLEY Jr. (1640-1715 or 1718). Ch: Wm., Nathan, James, Abraham, Jacob, Jeremiah, Mary, Joyce, Elizabeth. Elizabeth LANGLEY, b. ca 1665, Norfolk Co., VA, d. 1718, Prince George Co., VA; mar. ca 1682, George IVEY (1660-1718). Ch: Henry, George, Gilbert, Adam, Elizabeth, Susan. [continues with Ivey descendants]. No. 27 (1975-1977), pp. 142-145. Goes into more detail, but to abstract and continue children of Margaret Thelaball and William LANGLEY: William LANGLEY III mar. Sarah _____. Their children included Joseph, William, Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Signa Langley. Their daughter Elizabeth LANGLEY mar. Isaac TALBOT of Norfolk Co. 14 Jan 1755 and had two daughters: Elizabeth and Ann TALBOT, and son Kader TALBOT, who was born ca 1760 in Norfolk Co. and died there Feb 1818, left a will. The rest is about descendants of Kader TALBOT.

LANGLEY/LONGLEY Family of NJ, MD, VA

LONGLEY Family

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