A backward glance into our family history with Mary Elizabeth Anderson Lumpkin. Beginning her story with a little history of the area in which she lived, King and Queen County, Virginia.
For several decades, the present-day King William County was part of King and Queen County.
The history of King William County dates back to the earliest days of the English settlement of the New World.
Prior to the colonial period. The present-day King William County and the surrounding regions were parts of the Powhatan Confederacy, which encompassed much of eastern Virginia and included about 30 Algonquian tribes.
At the time of the English arrival, the Confederacy was led by Wahunsonacock, also known as “Powhatan”.
Powhatan is probably known best for his daughter, Pocahontas, who, in 1614, married Englishman John Rolfe.
This marriage helped to secure peace between the Powhatan Confederacy and the English colonists.
The region changed many times, as new counties were carved out from the old.
For instance, In 1607, the English established the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown.
Then, In 1608, Captain John Smith’s explorations brought him to the Powhatan town of Cinquoteck, or Paumenkee Town.
Some 45 years later in 1653, John West was awarded a land patent of 3,000 acres at this site which he named “West Point”. This area was once the site of Cinquoteck, a Native American village of the local Mattaponi, an Algonquian-speaking tribe affiliated with the Powhatan Confederacy.
Some years later, In 1701, the General Assembly passed an act which called for the creation of a new county from a portion of King and Queen county. The act became effective on 11 April 1702, establishing King William County as the 24th county in Virginia; being named for King William III, king of England 1689-1702.
A backward glance into our family history with Mary Elizabeth Anderson Lumpkin. Our ancestor, Mary Elizabeth Anderson was born about 1702 in King and Queen County, Virginia to Captain Comfort Isaac Anderson of Scotland and Martha Bell of Ireland.
In 1722, she married Dr. Robert Thomas Lumpkin. It is believed that they had 10 children.
Mary Elizabeth Anderson, a pioneer of the time, died on December 5, 1784, in Pittsylvania, Virginia, having lived a long life of 82 years.
King William County Courthouse was built about 1725. The 1-room, T-shaped, hipped-roof structure likely replaced the original wooden frame courthouse structure. The historic building is not only the county’s oldest public building, but is purportedly the oldest public building in use in Virginia and the oldest courthouse of English foundation in continuous use in the United States.
It is one of only three surviving Virginia courthouses – the others being Charles City County and Hanover County, Virginia.
The building is considered one of the finest examples of early colonial brickwork and courthouse design.
To find out more about this ancestor go to Mary Elizabeth Anderson
GENEALOGY DISCLOSURE:
Although I’ve been involove in research for many years and have helped with several family history books, I do not consider myself a Genealogy expert. I am also not a professional genealogist, so, whatever you find here is probably worth about the same as what you’re paying for it.
On another note, while this site was created to help others with their family search, we do invite family historians to use it (even Northerners) if you find it helpful.
Afterall, our ancestors are from all walks of life… not just the South.
*NOTE: Remember, this section of the website is for the purpose of sharing information that I have found.
It is NOT to be thought of or used as a TRUE RESOURCE due to some descrepancies that I also found.
As with many Family History and Local History Books…You should verify the info before accepting it as a fact.
Discover where you came from. Get to know who you are! Know your roots! [Link to Ancestry.com]
Don’t forget to track your dead! You might not be able to visit each cemetery or graveyard personally, but Findagrave.com is a great source of information.
Another tip…Don’t forget to organize your information and add it to FamilySearch.org. This allows you to carry your info wherever you go.
Now, go have some fun and enjoy yourself, because family history really is fun, exciting, detective work.
And it can be filled with great blessings too!