USA > Virginia > Encyclopedia of Virginia biography, Volume I > Part 40
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Randolph, Richard, son of Richard Ran- do'ph of "Curls Neck," Henrico county, was justice of the peace, and burgess for Henrico in 1766-1769, 1770-1772, and signer of the associations of 1769 and 1772. He married Anne, daughter of David Meade, of Nansemond. He left issue. He was brother of John Randolph, father of John Randolph, of "Roanoke."
Randolph, Thomas, son of William Ran- dolph and Mary Isham, of "Turkey Island," was born about 1683, justice of Henrico in 1713, burgess in 1720-1722. He married Judith Fleming of New Kent county. He
settled at "Tuckahoe," in Goochland county set off from Henrico in 1727.
Randolph, William, born in 1651, died April II, III; was son of Richard Ran- dolph, a royalist, and Elizabeth Ryland, his wife. His family was an ancient one in Northamptonshire, England. He came to Virginia about 1673, succeeded his uncle Henry Randolph as clerk of Henrico county iu 1673, and held the office until 1683; bur- gess 1685 to 1699, and in 1703, 1704-1705 and 1710; attorney general 1696; speaker of the house of burgesses 1698. He married Mary, daughter of Henry Isham, of Ber- muda Hundred, on James river, and had issue : William, the councillor, who married Elizabeth Beverley; Thomas, of "Tucka- hoe:" Isham, of "Dungeness;" Sir John; Richard, of "Curls ;" Elizabeth, who married Richard Bland; Mary, married William Stith; Edward, a sea captain; Henry, died unmarried.
Randolph, William, son of Thomas Ran- dolph, of "Tuckahoe," was born in 1712, burgess for Goochland in the assembly of [742-1747, but died in 1745 and was suc- ceeded by George Carrington. He married Maria Judith, daughter of Mann Page, of "Rosewell" Gloucester county.
Randolph, William, of "Wilton," Henrico county, was son of William and Elizabeth (Beverley) Randolph of "Turkey Island," was burgess for Henrico in 1758-1761 : mar- ried Anne, daughter of Benjamin Harrison, of Berkeley, and died in 1761.
Ransone, Captain James, son of Peter Ransone, resided on the North river, and represented Gloucester county (now Math- ews) in the house of burgesses from 1692
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to 1700. He left three sons George, Robert and Peter.
Ransone, Peter, father of Captain James Ransone, settled in Elizabeth City county, which he represented in the house of bur- gesses in 1652. The same year he patented lands on Mobjack Bay in the present Mathews county. He had issue three sons James (q. v.), George and William.
Ravenscroft, Samuel, came to Boston from England in 1679, and served in the military of Massachusetts with the title of captain. He was a member of the church of England, and on June 15, 1686, took steps, with others, to found King's Chapel in Boston and was later one of its wardens. He owned a sloop, which traded to Vir- ginia. He was a friend of Governor Andros and when that official was seized and im- prisoned by the Boston authorities, the same fate befell Captain Ravenscroft. He was released, and came to Virginia about the time (1692) when Andros became gov- ernor of that colony. He married Dyonisia, daughter of Captain Thomas Savage, and died about 1695. His widow married (sec- ondly) Thomas Hadley, superintendent of the building of the capitol in Williamsburg (1705).
Ravenscroft, Thomas, son of Captain Samuel Ravenscroft, was born in Boston June 29, 1688; came to Virginia with his father in 1692. He was sheriff of James City county in 1722, but in 1723 removed to Prince George county, where he pur- chased a tract of land on James river origin- ally patented by Captain Samuel Maycox, killed by the Indians in the massacre of 1622. He was a burgess for Prince George
in the assembly of 1727-1734, and in that of 1734-1740, dying in the year 1736. He was father of John Ravenscroft, a justice of Prince George county. John Stark Ravens- croft, first bishop of North Carolina, was his great-grandson.
Read, Clement, was born in King and Queen county in 1707, was educated to the law, qualified as an attorney in Goochland and Brunswick in 1733. In February, 1746, he became the first clerk of the new county of Lunenburg, which position he held for seventeen years ; burgess for that county in the assemblies of 1748-1749, 1752-1755, 1758 -1761 and 1761-1763 ; also county lieutenant, presiding magistrate, member of the ves- try. He died January 2, 1763, and was bur- ied at his seat called "Bushy Forest" in the present county of Charlotte.
Read, Clement, Jr., son of Colonel Clem- ent Read (q. v.), succeeded his father as burgess for Lunenburg in 1763 and contin- ued a burgess till the session of May, 1765. when he accepted the office of coroner. He was, however, burgess for the new county of Charlotte in October, 1765, and in 1766- 1768.
Read, Isaac, son of Clement Read (q. v.), was burgess for Charlotte county, succeed- ing his brother Clement in the assemblies of May, 1769 and 1769-1771, and later was a member of the conventions of August, 1774, and March and July, 1775, by which last body he was appointed lieutenant-colo- nel of the Fourth Virginia Regiment. Dur- ing the war he died from exposure, and was buried in Philadelphia.
Reynolds, Charles, is said to have lived ir Isle of Wight, for which he was a bur-
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gess in 1652. But the name was more likely Christopher Reynolds who came in 1622 and died in Isle of Wight county in 1654, leav- ing wife Elizabeth, and children Christo- pher, John, Richard, Abbasha, Elizabeth and Jane.
Revell, Randall, a wine cooper, was a member of the Maryland general assembly in 1638, and in 1658 was a burgess for Nor- thampton county, Virginia. His descend- ants were prominent on the eastern shore.
Richards, Richard, was a burgess for "Captain Perry's downward to Hogg Island" in February and September, 1632, and for James City county in 1641.
Richardson, John, was a burgess for Princess Anne county in 1692-1693.
Richardson, Richard, was burgess for New Kent county in 1727-1734, but in 1732 he accepted the office of sheriff and re- signed. He was father of John Richardson, of New Kent.
Ricketts, James, one of the justices of Elizabeth City county in 1712 and other years, was burgess for the county in 1720- 1722, and in 1723. He died about 1726. He married Jane Wilson, daughter of Colonel William Wilson, and widow of Nicholas Curle. She married (thirdly) Meritt Sweeney.
Riddick (Reddick), James, a burgess for Nansemond county in 1715, 1718, 1720-1722. Probably father of Lemuel Riddick (q. v.).
Riddick (Reddick), Lemuel, burgess for Nansemond county from 1736 to 1775 and member of the convention of March 20, 1775. He was probably father of Willis Riddick.
Riddick (Reddick), Willis, burgess for Nansemond county from 1756 to 1775 and member of the convention of March 20, 1775.
Ridley, Peter, was burgess for James City county in February, 1645, and Novem- ber, 1645.
Ring, Joseph, lived at "Ringfield" for- merly patented by Captain Robert Felgate in York county on Felgate's Creek. He was & prominent justice of York county, and in 1691, one of the feoffees of Yorktown. He was recommended to the authorities in England by the governor as a suitable man for membership in the council. He died February 26, 1703, aged fifty-seven, and the house in which he lived is still standing. In the garden is his tombstone, bearing his coat-of-arms.
Rind, William, was an apprentice of Jonas Green of Annapolis. He was invited in 1766 to Williamsburg by the leading Virginia patriots to set up an opposition paper, the "Gazette" then published in Williamsburg being too much under government control. On November 7, 1766, he was elected public printer. He died August 19, 1773, and his paper was continued two years by his widow Clementina. In 1775, John Pinck- ney was editor of the paper.
Roane, Charles, immigrant, was son of Robert Roane, gentleman, of Chaldon, Surrey county, England, who died about 1676. He came to Virginia before 1672 and had numerous grants of land in Petsworth parish, Gloucester county, and other places in Virginia. During Bacon's rebellion he suffered much from the rebels on account of his sympathy with Governor Berkeley.
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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
Roane, William, son of William Roane, cf Essex county, by his wife Sarah Upshaw, was a descendant of Charles Roane and was burgess for Essex in 1769, 1770-1772, 1772- 1774, and qualified as King's deputy attor- ney in 1768. He was a member of the Essex county committee in 1774, and was colonel of the Essex militia in 1777. He married Elizabeth Ball, daughter of Colonel Spencer Ball, and was father of Judge Spencer Roane. of the Supreme Court of Appeals.
Robertson, Archibald, son of William Robertson, merchant and baillie of Edin- burgh and brother of Arthur Robertson, chamberlain of Glasgow, 1760, migrated to Virginia in 1746 and settled in Prince George county. He married Elizabeth daughter of John Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Foythress, his wife. One of his sons was John Robertson, deputy commissary gen- eral of Virginia in 1781, and another was William Robertson, clerk of the council and father of Lieutenant-Governor Wyndham Robertson.
Robertson, Moses, a minister of the Es- tablished Church, who came to Virginia in 1729, and had charge of a parish in Lower Norfolk county. He married Sus- anna Thruston, daughter of Dr. Edward Thruston. From 1743 till his death in 1752 he was minister of St. Stephen's parish, Northumberland county. He left three sons Moses, Francis and John Wil- loughby Robertson.
Robertson, William, came to Virginia about 1700. He was a lawyer and served for many years as clerk of the council of Virginia. He died in 1739, leaving an only daughter Elizabeth, who married John Lid- cierdale, a merchant of Williamsburg.
Robins, John, son of John Robins, who died on his voyage to Virginia, settled about 1630 in Elizabeth City county, with his servants. He patented several tracts of land - one of them in 1642 being for 2,000 acres, in Gloucester county, on which he resided the last years of his life, and which is still known as Robins' Neck ; burgess for Eliza- beth City in 1646 and 1649, and a justice for that county in 1652.
Robinson, Colonel Beverley, son of John Robinson, president of the Virginia coun- cil, was born in Virginia in 1723, and is. stated to have gone to New York in 1745 as captain of an independent company from Virginia. He is also stated to have served under Wolfe at the capture of Quebec, in 1759. He married an heiress, Susanna, daughter of Frederick Phillipse, of Phillipse Manor, New York. At the time of the revo- lution he raised the Royal American Regi- ment of Tories, and was appointed its colo- nel. At the conclusion of the war he went to New Brunswick and thence to England. where he resided at Thornsbury, near Bath. He died there in 1793.
Robinson, Christopher, son of Colonel Christopher Robinson, of Middlesex county. Virginia, and nephew of Bishop John Rob- inson of London, was born in 1681 ; ma- triculated at William and Mary College, and was member of the house of burgesses in 1705-1706, 1710-1712, 1712-1714, and died February 20, 1727. He married, in 1703, Judith, daughter of Colonel Christopher Wormeley, and widow of William Bever- ley.
Robinson, Henry, son of John Robinson, president of the council, was born in Mid- dlesex county April 7, 1718. He settled in
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Hanover county and represented that county in the house of burgesses in 1752- 1755 and 1756-1758. He married Molly, daughter of Colonel Thomas Waring, of "Goldsberry," Essex county, Virginia. He died before September 21, 1756.
Robinson, John, son of John Robinson, president of the council, was born Febru- ary 3, 1704. He studied at William and Mary College, and after graduation was probably for many years the most influential man in Virginia. He resided in King and Queen county upon the Mattaponi river where his residence was known as "Mt. Pleasant." He was a member of the house of burgesses for King and Queen county from 1736 to 1765 and speaker of the house from 1738 to 1765, and treasurer during the same period. As a presiding officer he was compared to Richard Onslow, speaker of the house of commons. As treasurer he ably administered the financial affairs of the col- ony, but was too free in lending out the colony's money. On his death in 1765, it was found that he owed the public £100,761 7S. 5d. It seems certain, however, that he ex- pected to return this sum from the payments of the creditors or from his own estate. In the end this was indeed done, and the public suffered no loss. He died May 11, 1766. He married three times (first) Mary Storey, (second) Lucy Moore and (third) Susanna Chilton, daughter of Colonel John Chilton, of. Williamsburg. His only known de- scendants are those by his daughter Susan of the last marriage, who married Robert Nelson, of "Malvern Hill."
Robinson, Mrs. Mary, daughter of Wil- liam Ramsey, of London, grocer, and niece
of Sir Thomas Ramsey, lord mayor of Lon- clon, married (first) John Wanton, of Lon- don, gentleman, and (second) John Robin- son, chief searcher of the customs in Lon- don. Through her will dated February 13, 1617, and proved September 26, 1618, she gave money to many friends and charities.
Among her benefactions was one of £200 to found a church in Smythe's Hundred in Vir- ginia. Snuythe's Hundred (afterward Southampton Hundred) was a great tract of land extending from Weyanoke on James river to the Chickahominy river. In 1619 a person unknown gave to the Virginia Company a communion service for this church. This cup and paten bearing the date of 1617-1618 are now in the custody of St. John's Church, Hampton. They are the cldest pieces of church silver which have come down from the colonial period in the United States.
Robinson, Peter, son of Christopher Rob- inson, brother of Commissary William Rob- inson lived in King William county, was born March 1, 1718, studied at Oriel Col- lege, Oxford, was a member of the house of burgesses for King William from 1758 to 1761. His wife was Sarah Lister, whom he married in 1750. He died in 1765, leaving issue Christopher, Peter, Judith, Lucy, Sarah which last married Benjamin Gry- mes, of Orange.
Robinson, Colonel Tully, son of Captain William Robinson, a magistrate of Lower Norfolk county. He was born August 31, 1658, was magistrate and colonel of militia in Accomac county and died November 12, 1683. His tombstone describes him as loyal to his prince, and a firm believer in the
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church of England. His daughter Scar- burgh married John Wise, ancestor of Henry A. Wise.
Robinson, William, was a nephew of Maximilian Robinson, of Redcriff, mar- iner, (who had formerly lived and owned considerable land in Virginia), came to Virginia about 1695 and settled on an estate later known as "Bunker Hill." He was high sheriff of Richmond county, 1708, county lieutenant 1718, and was a burgess for the county from 1704 to 1730. He married . Frances, only daughter of Captain Samuel Bloomfield. He died September 20, 1742, icaving issue Maximilian Robinson, of King George county.
Robinson, William, was a burgess for Norfolk county at the assembly of 1695- 1696, but died before the opening of the second session (1696).
Robinson, William, son of Maximilian Robinson, was burgess for King George county in the assemblies of 1766-1768, 1769, 1769-1772.
Rogers, John, was a burgess for James City in 1645.
Rogers, Richard, son of Captain John Rogers, was burgess for Northumberland county in 1692-1693, but his seat was con- tested and vacated by order of the house. He left several daughters, one of whom Elizabeth Middleton, wife of Benedict Mid- dleton, of Cople parish, Westmoreland county, as coheiress, made a deed in 1723 to her son Robert Middleton for some land patented by her grandfather, Captain John Rogers in 1662.
Rookins, William, born in 1598, came to
Virginia in 1619 in the Bona Nova. He married Jane Baxter and in 1625 was ser- vant at Elizabeth City in Sergeant Barry's muster. He was living in 1641. He was father of William Rookins, of Surry county, one of Bacon's majors, who was condemned to death at a court marshal held at Green Spring January 24, 1677, but died in prison. He was a brother-in-law of Captain Nich- olas Wyatt, and left children William, Elizabeth and Jane.
Roscow, James, of Hampton, son of Wil- liam Roscow, of Blunt Point, Warwick county, was appointed receiver-general of Virginia January 22, 1716, and was member of the house of burgesses for Warwick county in 1720 and 1722, in which latter year he died, and was succeeded in the general assembly by his brother William.
Roscow, William, gentleman, born at Chorley, Lancashire, November 30, 1664; lived at "Blunt Point," Warwick county, Virginia; one of the Warwick justices of the peace, married Mary, daughter of Colo- nel William Wilson of Elizabeth City county ; died November 2, 1700; his tomb- stone shows his coat-of-arms. He left issue: I. William, who married Euphan Dandridge, and died before 1717. 2. James, appointed receiver-general of Virginia Jan- uary 22, 1716; died without issue. 3. Wil- liam (q. v.). 4. Willis, born about 1701, died under age, without issue.
Roscow, William, son of William Ros- cow of "Blunt Point," Warwick county, Virginia, sheriff of Warwick, lieutenant- colonel, and burgess in 1734-1740; died be- fore 1768, leaving issue by his wife, Lucy, daughter of Colonel William Bassett, of
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"Eltham," New Kent county, James Ros- cow, of "Blunt Point," justice for Warwick in 1769, and other years.
Rootes, Colonel George, was a son of Major Philip Rootes, of "Rosewall," King and Queen county. He removed to west- ern Virginia, and was a member of the house of burgesses for Augusta county in 1775-1776 and a member of the convention of July, 1775.
Rootes, John, a son of Colonel Philip Rootes, of "Rosewall," was a captain in Byrd's Second Virginia Regiment in the French and Indian war and died in 1798, leaving an only son Philip then alive, who appears to have been the Philip Rootes ap- pointed lieutenant United States army in 1800.
Rootes, Colonel Philip, of "Rosewall" King and Queen county, eldest son of Major Philip Rootes married December 2, 1756, Frances Wilcox. He was sheriff of his county in 1765, and died before 1787.
Rootes, Major Philip, was the earliest known ancestor of the Rootes family in Virginia. He lived at "Rosewall," King and Queen county, immediately opposite to West Point, Virginia; justice of King and Queen in 1739; vestryman of Stratton Major parish. He married Mildred, daugh- ter of Thomas Reade. His will was dated August 3, 1756, and he left issue Colonel Philip Rootes, of "Rosewall."
Rootes, Thomas Reade, son of Colonel Philip Rootes, of "Rosewall," was a promi- nent man in King and Queen county. He married Maria, daughter of John Smith of "Shooter's Hill," Middlesex county, and had at least one son, Thomas Reade Rootes, of
"Federal Hill," near Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia, and afterwards of White Marsh, Gloucester county, Virginia.
Roper, William, was a prominent citizen of the eastern shore, who was burgess in 1636 and a justice in 1637. In the former year he had a grant for 150 acres in Acco- mac for his own personal adventure and the importation of two servants.
Rossingham, Ensign Edmund, was a nephew of Sir George Yardley, and was burgess in the first assembly (1619) from Flower dieu Hundred, one of Yardley's plantations.
Rozier, Rev. John, came to Virginia about 1638, when he was made by Harvey min- ister of the parishes of Chiskiack and York, to supply the vacancy caused by the ban- ishment of Rev. Anthony Panton. After the return of Panton he became, on the death of Rev. Wiliam Cotton, minister of Accomac in 1640. After seven years he removed to Westmoreland county, where he was minister till his death. He married Jane Hillier, and left a son John.
Rowlston, Lyonell (Coulston, Goulston), lived about 1627 at Elizabeth City, and was burgess in 1629; was in 1630 one of the first settlers at Kiskyacke, on York river, was burgess for York in 1632 and 1632-1633, and one of the first justices.
Royle, Joseph, was bred to printing in England, and was foreman in Hunter's printing establishment in Williamsburg. After Hunter's death, he succeeded him as editor of the "Virginia Gazette." He mar- ried Hunter's sister, Rosanna Hunter. He died in 1766.
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Ruffin, John, was a great-grandson of Frederick county in 1766-1768, 1769, 1769- William Ruffin, who appears in the records 1771, 1772-1774, but he resigned in 1773 to accept the office of coroner ; afterwards was burgess for Berkeley county in the conven- tions of 1775 and 1776. of Isle of Wight county in 1651. He was burgess for Surry county from 1738 to 1747, and from 1754 to 1756. He was also colo- nel of the Surry militia, and died in Meck- lenburg county in 1775. He married Pat- tey Hamlin and had issue, Robert, of "May- field." Dinwiddie county, (q. v.), and other children.
Ruffin, John, son of Robert Ruffin of "Mayfield," Dinwiddie county, represented Dinwiddie in the state conventions of 1775.
Ruffin, Robert, of "Mayfield," Dinwiddie county, son of Colonel John Ruffin of Surry and Brunswick, was burgess from Dinwid- die county in the assembly of 1758-1761. He married Mary Clack, daughter of John and Mary Clack of Brunswick county, and widow of Colonel John Lightfoot. In his later days he moved to King William, where he resided at the Clayborne man- sion called "Sweet Hall." He left issue.
Russell, Richard, a physician, resided in Norfolk county, engaged in silk culture and in his will proved December 16, 1667, gave a part of his estate for a school to educate poor children, twelve at a time.
Russell, Dr. Walter, came to Virginia in the First Supply which arrived at James- town in January, 1608. He was an expert physician, accompanied John Smith in his explorations of Chesapeake Bay, and it was due to his medical skill that Smith escaped death from a wound caused by a sting-ray at the mouth of Rappahannock river. Rus- sell died previous to September, 1609.
Rutherford, Robert, was a burgess for
Rutherford, Thomas, burgess for Hamp- shire county in the assemblies of 1761-1765, 1766-1768. During the French and Indian war (1754-1763) he was agent for Dr. Thomas Walker in supplying the troops with provisions.
Sadler, John, was born at Stratford-on- Avon, England, and, with his son-in-law, Richard Quiney, was the owner of Mar- tin's Brandon and Merchant's Hope, on James river. His sister, Anne Sadler, mar- ried John Harvard, founder of Harvard College. His will dated December 1I, 1658, was proved January 3, 1659.
Sadler, Rowland, was a burgess for James City county in 1642-1643.
Salford, John, son of Robert Salford (q. v.), came in 1616 settled at Kecoughtan, patented land between Newport News and Blunt Point in 1624.
Salford, Robert, yeoman, was born in 1569, came to Virginia in 1611, settled at Kecoughtan, patented land in 1620 on Sal- ford's Creek (Salter's Creek) ; wife Joane. an ancient planter.
Salmon, Joseph, was a burgess for Isle of Wight county in 1641.
Sandys, David, minister of Jamestown, came in the Bona Ventura in 1620.
Sanford, Samuel, of Gloucestershire, came to Virginia and settled in Accomac county. He was a member of the house of burgesses
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in March, 1692-1693. He left 3,420 acres for a free school in Accomac county. He died in 1710. His brother John Sanford was a large landholder in Princess Anne county, and a justice of the peace. He died in 1693.
Saunders, John Hyde, was a great-grand- son of John Saunders, who died in York county, Virginia in 1700. He was a student at William and Mary College in 1762, went to England and on his return in 1772, was made minister of St. James parish, South - am, Cumberland county. In 1775 he was a member of the county committee, espousing the American side of the revolution. (For descendants, see Saunders' "Early Settlers it: Alabama").
Saunders, Jonathan, was minister of Lyn- haven parish, Princess Anne county. He died in 1702. His widow Mary married Maximilian Calvert. Jonathan Saunders left issue a son Captain John Saunders, mariner, who died in 1734 leaving three children Jonathan, Margaret and Mary.
Saunders, Roger, was a burgess for Ac- comac in 1632-1633.
Savage, Captain John, of Savage's Neck, Northampton county, born in 1624, was son of Ensign Thomas Savage; burgess for Northampton 1666 to 1676; married (first) Anne Elkington ; (second) Mary, daughter of Colonel Obedience Robins.
Savage, Colonel Littleton, probably son of Thomas Savage and Esther Littleton, his wife, was born in 1740, member Northamp- ton committee of safety 1774-1776 and jus- tice 1792; colonel of the militia; born in 1741, died January 9. 1805.
Savage, Nathaniel Littleton, son of Thomas Savage and Esther, daughter of Nathaniel Littleton, great-great-grandson of Ensign Thomas Savage, was member of the Northampton committee of safety 1774- 1776, of the convention of 1776 and of the first house of delegates 1776.
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