Early Palmers of Virginia
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When one attempts to classify the Palmers of America into distinct lines and prove their relationship, either before coming to this country or afterward, he has a proposition on his hands that is impossible of solution, simply because the old records are incomplete and because of the impossibility of one individual, even with able assistants, to examine in detail all that is of record regarding them. The fact that so little has been done to connect the Palmers of America with their earlier ancestors of Europe is a matter of great surprise to one who searches for such information. This is not so strange, however, when one learns that over three hundred years ago there were more than 60 different and distinct families of Palmers in England and that many Palmers have been coming from England to America ever since colonial days.
Naturally all immigration of the earlier days was along the eastern shores from Maine to Georgia. Consequently our investigations for colonial ancestors have been confined to this section of the United States. Palmers are found very early in all of the colonies and many left no descendants. In New England there are at least 12 colonial ancestors who left descendants, in the Middle Atlantic States, at least seven and in the Southern States, also at least seven. As time progressed there has been general intermingling of descendants, not only along the original seaboard, but also in later settled parts of our country.
The first permanent English settlement in America was made at Jamestown, VA in 1607. From this settlement grew the great state of Virginia and from this state went forth in another one hundred to one hundred fifty years, immigrants to settle the vast territory in the west and south.
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The eastern part of Virginia is divided into five large peninsulas of most fertile land by the James, York, Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers and Chesapeake bay and Hamden Roads. It was on these necks that the early immigrants settled. These streams served as means of communication between the different parts of Virginia before the advent of highways, canals and railroads.
In genealogical searching for Virginia ancestors we find it most difficult indeed due to the destruction of old county records and it is impossible, in many cases, to arrive at any conclusive proof of ancestry. It is only by comparative evidence and by methods of deduction that many of these early families can be connected. There are certain clues, such as family names, geographical locations, church connections and bits of family history that have been handed down from generation to generation, that can be used by the genealogist in arriving at a reasonable accurate conclusion as to the early Virginia families.
The records in the counties of Kent, James City, Gloucester, Charles City, King and Queen and King William have been practically destroyed. Because of this, it may never be possible to trace the connection of some of the Palmer families that existed early in these counties. With this explanation we have attempted to assemble into distinct families such of these early Palmers who were found in Virginia. We believe that we have arrived at a reasonably accurate conclusion as to these families. The land patents are in the office of the Register of the Land Office in Richmond and begin with the year 1623.
These patents serve as the chief source of information covering the early inhabitants and their locations.
©2001 ~ 2004 by Sue Palmer-Elliott