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Page 98 of 432

Descendants of Alan Eppes

Generation No. 5

5. COL. FRANCIS⁵ EPPES (JOHN⁴, ALAN³, JOHN², ALAN¹) was born May 1597 in Ashford, Kent England, and died in Charles City Co. VA. He married MARIE PAWLETT.

Notes for COL. FRANCIS EPPES:
Francis Epes, son of John Epes of Ashford, Co. Kent, Eng, and his wife Thomazine Bankes, was baptized, 15 May 1597, according to the register of the Parish Church of Ashford; though his birth date is not given, it must have been shortly before his baptism. He came to Virginia before 1625, in which year he represented Charles City Co. in the General Assembly. He was at first an Ensign, then Captain, and later Lieutenant-Col. of Militia of that county. In 1635 he was granted 1700 acres of land (with renewal in 1638) in that part of Charles City Co. which then lay south of the James River, later Prince George, and in 1653 he received a further grant of 280 acres adjoining the larger grant , these grants being given for the transportation of a number of individuals into the Colony, including his three sons. In 1637, under Harvey's second administration, he was named one of four person's resident in Virginia and fit to be called to the Council there." He was probably soon after made a member of the Council and continued to be until he death about 1658.

It does not appear in extant Virginia records that Col. Epes returned to England at any time, except that the large number of head rights
transported by him to Virginia would seem to have been sent from England under his personal direction. News of his father's death late in 1627 would have reached him a few weeks later. Though he was still in Virginia in March, 1628, when he was appointed to the "Commission for a monthly Court in the Upper Parts," it seems probable that he went to England some time in that year, partly for the purpose of collecting his inheritance under his father's will and partly for the purpose of gathering the company or immigrants who came to Virginia shortly after as his head rights.

There is an entry in the register of the Church of St. Olave,in Hart Street, London, which says that, on 8 Sept 1630, Thomas son of Francis Eps and wife Marie, was born. This Francis Eps may have been a different person from the one under consideration , but the entry is significant from the fact that in a deposition of 1665 Thomas Epes of Virginia, son of Col. Francis Epes gives his age as 35 years, making his birth-year 1630, the same as Thomas Epes registered at St. Olave's. In the land patent granted Cap. Francis Epes (as he then was), for the transportation of sundry persons, including his sons John, Francis and Thomas. It is stated that all of them came over in a Spanish frigate in 1629. This is a date which conflicts with the fact that Thomas, born in 1630 , was brought to Virginia as one of his father's head rights. He must have come from England in order to qualify. His brothers may have been born in Virginia, and probably were, but could be counted as head rights by going to England and returning to Virginia. Since the deposition of Francis says he was born in 1628, it must have been in Virginia where his father was then living.

It is a surmise, but seems logical, that the broad statement that "all of them came over in a Spanish frigate in 1629," means that Captain
Francis Epes and his immediate family, who followed a year or so later. There is no reference to Captain Epes in Virginia records so far
discovered from March 1628, when he was appointed a Commissioner of Justice in "the Upper Parts," until 1631, when he was appointed a
Commissioner for the counties of Charles City and Henrico, giving an interval of two years or more which he could have spent profitably in
England in organizing his expedition of immigrants. If it was essential for him to accompany this group, he could have left his wife and small children in England and returned to them after seeing his head rights safely landed in Virginia. Besides the work entailed by the organization of the expedition, we can imagine that Cap. Epes found other work to do in London. As a person familiar with conditions in Virginia, so recently taken over by the Regal Government from the London Company, under which he had first served, his knowledge of conditions in the newly settled country would have been useful to Colonial officials living in London and would have found himself frequently in consultation with them. From the will of Cap. Thomas Pawlett, dated 12 Jan 1643/44, we know that Francis Epes' wife accompanied him to Virginia. Capt. Pawlett bequeather his lands to his brother, the second Lord Pawlett; to Captain Epes, one of the overseers of his will, he gave his drum; to Mrs. Epes, he gave his Bible and twenty shillings for a ring; and to their son Francis, who was
his godson, he gave some silver plate.

The virile characteristics of Francis Epes, energetic, courageous Kentish man, were transmitted to his two older sons, who in their
generation, filled places in their communities similar to the position he had hewed out for himself in the primitive colonial life of early
Virginia with its sparse population, the difficulties of obtaining food and other necessaries of life, and constant danger from unfriendly
Indians. The third son, Thomas, was living in 1665, as we know by his deposition, but we have no later information about him.

Of Francis Epes' wife, we know no more than we learn in the will of Captain Thomas Pawlett, unless we conclude that she was Marie, wife of Francis Eps, whose son Thomas's birth was registered in 1630 in the Church of St . Olave, London. Even that gives little additional information. There is no evidence that there were other children of this marriage than those named at head rights, since individuals of whom we have knowledge in the third generation can easily be accounted for as children of the two eldest sons of Francis Epes. There may have been daughters (whose family name would have been lost in marriage) of whom we can learn nothing about without records.

The mortality rate was high in those early days of Virginia, as it was elsewhere, even in England, and it seems reasonable to conclude that only two of the children of Francis Epes left children to continue the name.

The Church of St. Olave, in Harts Street on the east side of Mark Lane and near the Tower of London, is interesting as having survived the Great Fire of 1666.

The picturesque interior contains a number of curious old tombs, including those of Samuel Pepys (died 1703) and his wife. The skulls over the gate of the churchyard in Seething Lane are said to commemorate thew fact that many persons who died of the plague in 1665 are buried here, but this tradition is not supported by the burials-register of the church.

Tradition says Francis Epes came to Virginia in the ship Hopewell, which name he gave to his plantation on the south bank of the James River. Hotten gives sailings of the Hopewell in 1622, 1623 and 1624, but does not list Francis Epes among the passengers. However, Hotten's Lists are admittedly incomplete.

Maude Pirtle Taylor Notes:
Lt. Col. Francis Eppes, died 1656. Said to have been of an armorial family; from England to Prince George Co., VA 1625; patented 1700 acres in Charles City Co., 1635; received head rights for transportation of himself, 3 sons and 30 servants; settled on lands at junction of James and Appomattox Rivers still held by family; commr., 1632; burgess, 4 terms; justice for Charles City Co., VA., 1639-1645; Capt and Lt. Col . Virginia troops; member Royal Council, 1652; m. in England. (Ref : Compendium of Am. Genealogy, Vol VII p. 849).

Ref. Compendium of American Genealogy, VOL VII p. 101

Francis Eppes see above

John (d. 1680) of Charles City, Co., VA m. Mary

Daniel (probably son of John)

Daniel (1672-1753, of Surry Co., VA, m. Mary 1676-1755

Edward d. 1780, of Sussex Co., VA.; m. ca 1738 Mary Anderson b. ca 1721;

James 8, m Mary, dau of Geo. Jordan of Surry Co. VA

Anne b. 1743 m Thomas Gibbons 1734-1809 or Charles Parish, York Co. , VA and Hawkins Co., TN see Vol. VI

Elizabeth b 1774, Maj James Chisholm 1774- 1835 Capt Elijah6)

Mary Ann 1795-1853, m 1810 John Johnson 1790-1852

Lavinia Johnson, m. John D. Thomas; Paris, Lamar Co. TX

Mattie Thomas, m. Travis C. Henderson

Fanny Henderson, m. Geo. A. Russ, Jan 8 1903 at Austin TX

The above is copy of records of Mrs. Fanny Henderson Russ, of Eureka Springs, AR

These notes were copied from the work of Patrick Anderson, via internet:

Notes for Francis Eppes:
Francis came to Virginia with two brothers, William and Peter before 1625. He was a burgess from Charles City County in the assembly of 05/10/1625. Member of the Virginia Council in 1637. His original patent was at City Point, Virginia called Appomattox Manor. Is now a National Park, the ranger can be reached as RangerTB@aol.com.

Francis Eppes
08/26/1635 1700 acres Charles City County
On the Appomattox River.

Bibliography

"Francis Eppes, His Ancestors and Descendants", Eva Turner Clark

"Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia 1607-1625", Annie Lash Jester and Martha Woodroof Hiden, Order of the First Families of Virginia, 1607-1620, 1956.

"Ancestors and Descendants of Francis Epes I of Virginia", Volume One, Edited by, John Frederick Dorman, Society of the Descendants of Francis Epes I of Virginia, 1992.

More About COL. FRANCIS EPPES:
Fact 6: May 15, 1597, Ashford, Eng, Kent Co., Eng

Notes for MARIE PAWLETT:
It is theory that Marie Pawlett was the wife of Francis Epes.

Children of FRANCIS EPPES and MARIE PAWLETT are:

6.	i.	FRANCIS⁶ EPPES, b. 1628; d. 1678.
	ii.	THOMAS EPPES, b. September 08, 1630.
7.	iii.	JOHN EPPES, b. Abt. 1626; d. Abt. 1679.