Another Proposed History of
Nathaniel Tatum - "the immigrant"
I have Nathaniel Tatom b. ca. 1604 and d. 1687. He m. Ann or Mary Underwood. They
had 5 children: Sarah, Samuel, Nathaniel, Mary and Elizabeth. Nathaniel was the son
of Samuel Tatom and Ann(?) Wainwright. They came to Virginia by way of Bermuda for which a
part of the Island was named Tatom ...(something), I forget. Nathaniel(1604) also m. (?)
and had 1) John(and/or)Isaac, and 2) James.
ref: Notes from material obtained from Farris Neal Tatom, Sulpher Springs, TX, Nov. 1996.
Nathaniel Tatom probably came with his parents, Samuel and Ann Wainwright Tatom, to the
Bermuda Islands before 1619; and in 1619, he went to Virginia when he was sixteen years
old and settled at Sherley Hundred. According to the Virginia census taken 23
January 1624, Nathaniel Tatom was listed as being 20 years and living at Sherley Hudred in
Charles City County. In 1638 he was granted 100 acres in Charles City County for bringing
in his wife, Ann, and daughter, Mary. In addition to being a chirurgeon (physician),
Nathaniel was a mariner. He, therefore, made frequent trips between Virginia and Bermuda;
and he probably married in Bermuda and left his family there until 1638 when he felt that
he was established enough to bring his family into Virginia. This was a rather common
procatice, since there was much conflict between the English settlers and the Native
Americans. In 1639 Nathaniel Tatom was made a tobacco inspector for Charles City County,
and in 1641 he bought 500 more acres in that county from Thomas Causey. On 11 September
1646, Nathaniel Tatom was in Bermuda where he made an agreement with a mariner from
Barbados; and he referred to himself as Nathaniel Tatom, mariner. At some point, Nathaniel
Tatom's first wife, Ann, must have died, for Nathaniel listed Mary as his wife in his will
in 1686. A divorce was unlikely, for one was difficult to obtain at that time. Although
the records are scarce, it seems likely that Ann Tatom died in Virginia; and Nathaniel
married for his second wife, Mary Underwood in Bermuda, since she is listed in the
"Genealogical Notes from Bermuda" as a possible wife of Nathaniel Tatom.
Nathaniel continued to hold land in Virginia, and he probably left at least three
sons in Virginia: Isaac, John and James Tatom. As early as 1658 and 1660, Isaac, John, and
James Tatom appear in the records of Charles City and Surry Counties, Virginia (Surry is
located next to Charles City County). In these documents, they often spelled their name
Tatem as did their relatives in Bermuda. Although the spelling varied in Bermuda, it seems
that the most consistent spelling was Tatem. In 1659 Nathaniel Tatom was a church officer
in Warwick Tribe, Bermuda; and this would mean that he was adhering to the teachings of
the Church of England and was not involved in any of the dissenting groups such as the
Quakers. His mother's family, the Wainwrights, were most sympathetic to the teachings of
the Quakers. On 28 November 1662, Nathaniel Tatom issued a statement of apology to Henry
Ward for having wrongfully accused him; and on 18 October 1678, Nathaniel Tatom leased
some land from Edmund Underwood. In this document Nathaniel Tatom was referred to as
Captain Nathaniel Tatom, chirurgeon (physician). This is most likely the same Nathaniel
Tatom, Elder who deeded a parcel of land to his grandson, Nathaniel Tatom, of Henrico
County, Virginia (next to Charles City County) on 27 January 1675; this information not
only appeareed in the colonial Virginia records but also is listed in "Genealogical
Notes form Bermuda". Nathaniel Tatom, the grandson, was probably the son of John
Tatom who had recently died (1673). Nathaniel Tatom who was growing old wanted to dispose
of some of his property in Virginia. Captain Nathaniel Tatom, chirurgeon, died between 14
November 1686 and the date his will was proved, 26 October 1687. He made out his will on
14 November 1686; and he named Mary Tatom, his wife, exicutrix, and his cousin, Benjamin
Wainwright, executor. Benjamin Wainwright was probably the nephew of Ann Wainwright
Tatom. Because Captain Nathaniel Tatom owned at least one ship, he was most likely
traveling a great deal between Virginia and Bermuda; and this explains his appearance in
records in both Virginia and Bermuda. He was also trading with the Bahama Islands. Perhaps
he had already made a property settlement with his children and grandchildren in Virginia;
and this explains why Captain Nathaniel Tatom, mariner and chirurgeon, named only his
three children and his second wife in Bermuda in his will of 1686. One must be aware that
wills do not necessarily name all of the children on an individual. Most likely, Captain
Nathaniel Tatom was the progenitor of all the Tatoms of Tatums in southern Virginia and
northern North Carolina who fought in the American Revolution.
ref: (hotten, pp. 170, 209; Greer, p.321;Nugent, pp. 93, 94, 116, 128, 281, 289; Mercer,
vol.28, pp.33-35; Surry County, Virginia Records, 1652-1684; Charles City County, Virginia
Court Orders, 1658-1674; Tatum, pp. 16-22; Spurling, pp. 14-15)
------------
A Nathaniell Tatum is listed in "The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1776" as
one of the names of boys and wenches that were appointed to go to Virginia, 27 Feb. 1619.
It is not known if this was the same Nathaniel Tatom as listed here.