Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of John Garnett

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Descendants of John Garnett

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN¹ GARNETT was born Unknown, and died Bet. 1704 - 1709 in Kingston Parrish, Gloucester Co., Virginia.

Notes for JOHN GARNETT:
Garnett is an Anglo-Saxon name that appears in England with William the Conqueror. The Garnetts are believed to be of Norman-French origin, and the name is said to be diminutive of Garin or Guerin. The Garnetts of France were said to be a "once powerful family". Their name has been linked to the history of the British Isles. Four branches of the family appeared in England: at Kirby Lonsdale, at Casterton in Lancashire, at Eaglescliffe in Westmoreland and at Ottley in Yorkshire. The Garnetts were among the earliest immigrants to Virginia. (Mary Lucetta Waggener and/ or Lottie Halberstadt, and William Garnett Chisholm)

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This John Garnett seems to be the earliest Garnett ancestor of mine, that I can firmly link to. There are two separate theories about him, that I have discarded, given the available evidence. The first is that he immigrated from England to Virginia in about 1680. This seems unlikely, because there is a record of him having purchased 180 acres of land in Gloucester County, Virginia, on June 15, 1676. This record is recorded as part of a grant in 1683, for transporting 2 persons to the colony. These records seem to indicate that during this time period (1675-1680), John was fairly well established in the colony. There is a record, taken from an "Index of Early Garnetts in America." which lists a John Garnett landing in Virginia in 1650. (This is the only entry for a John Garnett landing in Virginia in the 1600's). It is possible that this is the same John, although he would have had to be either very young when he immigrated, or fairly old when he had children.

The second theory is that he is the son of a John Garnett, who was the son of Thomas Garnett, born in about 1585 in England, immigrating to the Virginia Colony in about 1610 on the ship the "Swan". This theory apparently originated in 1937, by professional genealogist by the name of Mr. Robert A. Stewart of Richmond. The biggest problem with this theory is that there is no evidence that this Thomas Garnett actually even had a son. There is record of Thomas purchasing some land near the land of a John Garnett in 1635. It is speculated that this is the son of Thomas, but if this John was born after the Muster of 1624 (which he is not listed on), he would be less than 11 years old. Given the dates and locations in which these individuals lived, it is possible that this Thomas did have a son named John, and that he was the father of this John, but there is insufficient evidence to verify this. Since so many of the records in this area were destroyed, apparently during he Civil War, and the fact that so many of these Garnett's had the same first names, this problem may never be solved.

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From "Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666" Abstracted and Indexed by Nell Marion Nugent, Virginia Land Office, Volume 1:

***** page 202; "Capt. Ichiell (Ishiell) Linch, 600 acs. upon S. side of Rappa. Riv., standing upon a small gutt dividing this from land of George Moseley. 14 Sept. 1650, p. 262. Due for his personal adventure &
Blanch his wife & trans. of 10 pers: Blanch Grigg, Jane Garrett, John Roberts, Thomas Westwood, John Coope, Henry Bentley, George Peirce, William Bira, John Gurnett (or Garnett)."

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The date of birth of this John Garnett is also given as about 1648, but I have not seen any information on which this date is based. The fact is, it appears to be unknown when and where this John Garnett was born. What is known about him is based on the following records:

******* On the date of April 16, 1683, Governor Thomas Lord Culpepper issued a grant to John Garnett of 260 acres of land, lying on the south side of Garden Creek in Gloucester County, between the lands of John Smither and John Digges; 180 acres of which had been purchased by him of Humphrey Coy on June 15, 1676, and the remaining 80 acres being due him for the transportation at his own cost into the colony of two persons, Elizabeth Tindal and Thomas Combs (Grant Book 7, p. 239).

****** In a deed dated September 7, 1692 in the Essex County Order Book (page 84), in which a John Baker of Kingston Parish in the County of Gloucester, conveys to John Garnett, "planter," of the same parish and county, 600 acres of land. The land is described as "part of a tract commonly called Button's Range containing 3650 acres formerly granted to Thomas Button by patent dated July 19, 1666, bounded..... to a small branch of Occupacon; ... thence to a small branch of Gilson's... in the Parish of Littonburne in the County of Essex, lately called by name of Rappahannock County, on south side of Rappahannock River, about 5 miles back in the woods as by the above Button's Patent doth appear." The deed was for consideration of 9000 pounds tobacco in casks. It was admitted into record on November 10, 1692 (Page 201) and indicates a bond was given by John Baker to John Garnett in the sum of 18,000 pounds tobacco for performance of the covenants of the deed.

This land transfer indicates that John Garnett had been one of the lucky ones to survive a very difficult period in the history of the Virginia colony and had become one of the most prosperous planters of this early era.

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****** In the Quit Rent Roll (Tax Rolls) of Gloucester County taken in 1704, John Garnet(t) is listed as owning 250 acres.

Although the land John had purchased in 1692 was in Essex County, it appears that he kept the land in Gloucester County and perhaps remained there until his death. Since the 250 acres in Gloucester County that he paid taxes on in 1704, seems to correspond closely to the 260 acres he was granted in 1683, it seems logical to presume that this is the same piece of land, and that he lived on it until his death. Apparently the 600 acres in Essex County was purchased solely for the purpose of dividing it up and giving to his four children.

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****** In a deed dated June 8, 1709, recorded in the Essex County Deed Book, #13, pg. 225, the grantor, Thomas Garnett of St. Annes Parish, Essex, planter, is described as "one of the sons and devisees of John Garnett, late of the Parish of Kingston, in the County of Gloucester, within the Colony aforesaid, Dec'd.". In consideration of 3,500 pounds of tobacco Thomas Garnett conveys unto John Foster 50 acres of land on the south side of the Rappahannock River, being part of a tract of 600 acres (mentioned in the record above) purchased by John Garnett, deceased, from John Baker, lying on the Rappahannock River near Moseley's Quarter, and more particularly the said Thomas Garnett's share of the 150 acres which John Garnett had by his last will, dated November 12, 1703, given to his son, Anthony Garnett, who having died before he attained the age of twenty-one years his share did then by right being to the surviving children of the said John Garnett, of which the share of Thomas was the 50 acres therein conveyed. The deed was witnessed by Salvator Muscoe and William Taylor.

Although his will is mentioned in this deed, the record of the will itself has apparently been lost. It appears that John died sometime between 1704, when he paid taxes on the 250 acres, and 1709, when this deed was dated.

John Garnett appears to have had four children: John, Thomas, Anthony (who died young), and another, probably a daughter and whose name is not known. This is based on the fact that the 600 acre parcel was apparently divided into 4 parcels of 150 acres each, and the fact that the 150 acre portion given to the deceased son Anthony, was apparently divided into 3 parcels of 50 acres. Son John apparently sold his 50 acre parcel on February 9, 1712, to the same William Taylor who witnessed the above deed from 1709 (Essex Co. Deed & Wills Book #14 , pg. 109).

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I have been working on a theory that the unknown daughter was named Elizabeth and that she married Herbert Waggener of Essex County in about 1700 and they spend the rest of their lives in South Farnham Parish in Essex County. I have been told by a couple of different researchers that they had some kind of proof of this relationship, but when I asked them for it they were unable ot locate it. I feel that I need ot locate a little more evidence. Herbert is listed on the Quit Rent Rolls (Taxes) for 1715 in Essex County with 200 acres. This would be the same amount of property that the daughter of John Garnett would have received from her father (150 acres + 50 acres). The Waggener and Garnett families are definately connected about 75 years later in Culpeper County, and there is one record in about 1740 in Spotsylvania County, in which a Waggener is a witness on a Garnett deed.

Children of JOHN GARNETT are:

2.	i.	THOMAS² GARNETT, b. Abt. 1675, Gloucester Co., Virginia; d. Abt. 1743, Essex Co., Virginia.
3.	ii.	JOHN GARNETT, JR., b. Abt. 1671, Kingston Parrish, Gloucester Co., Virginia; d. Abt. 1713, Gloucester Co., Virginia.
	iii.	ANTHONY GARNETT, b. Bet. 1682 - 1688, Gloucester Co., Virginia; d. Bet. 1703 - 1709, Gloucester Co., Virginia.
	iv.	UNKNOWN GARNETT, d. Unknown.

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