Revised 8/6/2017. Copyright @2017; The following Documentary Timeline has been compiled and created by Paul Rhetts. It may be copied for research purposes; but it may not be reproduced for inclusion in any printed or electronic distribution of any kind without the express written permission of the author. Any requests to use this information should be sent to Paul Rhetts, LPDPress@q.com.
John NEEDHAM (1708-1754) m. Elizabeth BROTHERS (1716-1800)
s/o Thomas NEEDHAM (1675-1740) and Margaret BAYLEY (1683-1736)
d/o John BROTHERS (1685-1735) and Margaret PENDLETON (1687-1734)
p/o Jane Elizabeth Jean NEEDHAM (1750-1827)
JOHN MANWARING OF NEW JERSEY and Allied Families by Charles William Mainwaring. Cullman, AL: The Gregath Company, 1982. Page 213-214
John died intestate. His widow, Elizabeth, was granted administration of the estate 11 Oct 1754 with security Patrick Pool and John Brothers. Sometime after 15 Mar 1755 Elizabeth remarried to James Griffen. There was one child of this marriage: James Griffen, Jr. In 1763 Henry Delon was granted administration of the estate of James Griffen Sr. On 11 Dec 1772, John Needham was appointed guardian to James Griffen Jr. James was a bondsman for the marriage of John Needham to Tishie Jennings, and received a gift of land from John Needham in 1797.
1708 John NEEDHAM born at Hampton, Elizabeth, Virginia ["ADVENTURES OF OUR ANCESTORS by Elma Jessie Croom Hooker. Privately published 1989. Needham material begins on page 47. Elma and I have corresponded off and on through the years. She thinks that Thomas Needham was a son of Christopher Needham, who was mentioned in court records 30 Nov 1640 in Lower Norfolk Co., VA in the inventory of John Lanckfield, dec'd. In the Hall of Records, Annapolis, MD, ABH Folio 186 is the following: 15 Jan 1651 "Christopher Needham Demandeth one thousand Acres of land within this province for Transporting himself, his wife and Edward & Thomas his sons and six servants Viz: Tho's Mathews, John Hill...etc. Warrant ED: To lay out one thousand acres for Christopher Needham upon the Potomack River, between Little Cedar Point and the Great Marsh--there or elsewhere upon the Potomack River, or some Branch or Creek thereof not formerly taken up--vat:---" Elma suspects this Thomas as the one who left the will in 1690. The Thomas who came on the Ship Globe at age 13 (see below), she thinks may have been the same who died in 1655 in Norfolk/Lower Norfolk Co. VA. (This Thomas Nedham's will was dated 25 Feb 1655 and probated 11 Nov 1655. It named brothers Henry & Nathan Nedham, wife Elizabeth Nedham, and also Edward Cooper and Thomas Allen.)
JOHN MANWARING OF NEW JERSEY and Allied Families by Charles William Mainwaring. Cullman,AL: The Gregath Company, 1982. Page 207:
"Thomas' age is given on a ship's list taken at Gravesend, England on 7 August 1636 of persons to be transported to Virginia. Capt. Townsend and his other importees also appear on this list."
p208
"Theis under written names are to be transported to Virginea imbarqued in the 'Globe' of London Jeremy Blackman M(aste)r have been examined by the Minister of Gravesend of their Conformitie, have taken oaths of Alleg: Supremacie."
Humfrey Buckley 18
Richard Townsend 28
Lucie Buckle 18
Margaret Baylie 20
Francis Townsend 21
Francis Townsend 2
Tho: Needham 13
"The Patent Books give record of Thomas' arrival as follows:
Capt. Richard Townsend 650 acs. Charles River County, Mar. 10, 1639, p. 705...Due for the adv. of himself wife & 5 servants the 1st yr. to Chiskiake & the residue by grant dated last day of April 1636 for the trans. of himself, wife & 4 pers. into the Colony. Capt. Richard Townsend, Frances Townsend, Henry Cuckney, John Painter, 3 negroes adv. the 1st yr. to Chiskiake. Luce Duckley, Margarett Bayley, Humphry Buckley, Thomas Needham who with Capt. Townsend & wife adv. into the Colony."
"It is known that Thomas made his will in Elizabeth City County 29 March 1690, proven 18 March 1690. Part of the will is found in order book of 1684-99, page 205, at the beginning of a section of 'pages...in the rear of the book...written reversed.' (first page lost)
the rest of my Estate both within & without to her & her heirs for Ever yt Is to say my movables & after the decease of my said wife my will & desire is that my Said Sonn Thomas shall Inherit my decedents (sic) wifes prt of Land to him & his heires for Ever likewise my will & desire is that if in Case please God Should take away Either of my said Children before marriage or age as aforesaid that then their said prts. to be Equally divided between the Survivors, likewise it is my will and desire that my said Sonn should have Privelege of any pt of my said wifes three hundred acres of land...The priveledge I give Sonn of the Timber is to be understood Beside the pcell of land Called by the name of Store poynt Before Given Likewise My will & Desire that my dear & Loving wife Shall be my hole & sole Executrix...in Wittness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand & Seale this 29th of March 1690.
(signed) THO: NEEDHAM, his marke.
Witness: Tho: House, Edward E. Lattymore, George Cooper."]
[ADVENTURES OF OUR ANCESTORS by Elma Jessie Croom Hooker. Privately published 1989. p62 about John’s grandfather the immigrant:
will of Thomas Needham: "In the Name of God, Amen, Giving my Soul into the hands of the Almighty God who gave it, I now do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament as in manner and form following:
ITEM I give my land here in Pasquotank County between my three sons;
My son John and my son Thomas and my son Gedeon.
ITEM I give my son John where he now lives by the Creek, to him and his Heirs
ITEM I give to my son Thomas where I now live, to him and his Heirs
ITEM I give to my son Gedeon, where Cornelius Jones did formerly live, and to be divided between these fore-mentioned sons, that the whole parcel of land is to be divided between these fore-mentioned three sons, to them and their heirs, Executors, Administrators, or assignees forever, ever one of them their part alike.
ITEM I give to my son Christopher one shilling, no more.
ITEM I give to my son Thomas one Negro man named Casey Sopee, but my desire is that my son John shall have the use of the Negro from August to the first day of March in one year, and my son Gedeon the use of him in one year, moved from the 10 of Aug to the first day of March, If they take it within five years.
ITEM I give all the rest of my Estate that I have in this world to be divided between my three sons and my daughter. My son John and my son Thomas and my son Gedeon and my daughter Ann, each one of them their part alike, and my desire that they shall share it with in these --- without---any man, and I do make my son John my sole Executor, as witness my hand this sixth day of October 1740.
Thomas Needham (his mark)
Wit: Dennis Sawyer
Robert Torksey (his mark)"
Children:
2 Christopher Needham b: ABT 1704 + Sarah Banister d: MAY 1769
2 Bayley Needham b: ABT 1706 + Nancy
2 John Needham b: ABT 1708 d: 1754 + Elizabeth Brothers
2 Thomas Needham b: ABT 1710 d: ABT 1745 + Margaret Torkseey
2 Gideon Needham b: ABT 1713 + Elizabeth Cartwright
2 Ann Needham b: ABT 1715 + Robert Torksey
Thomas Needham appears on the Quit Rent roll for 1704 in Elizabeth City Co. VA with 100 acres. John Bayley is also on the roll with 415 acres. In Norfolk Co., Walter Bayley appears with 290 acres.
JOHN MANWARING OF NEW JERSEY and Allied Families by Charles William Mainwaring. Cullman, AL: The Gregath Company, 1982. Page 210-212
"In the record Books for 1715-21 is a deed of lease and release, a complicated legal artifice for transferring title, dated 18-19 March 1716/7 from 'Thomas Needham and Margaret his wife of the County of Elizabeth City to William Dandridge, Gentlemen for that Lott of Ground or halfe acrew of Land...in the town of Hampton on South Hampton river...beginning at a stake in the ground on Joseph Wragg lott', witnessed by Edmd. Kearny, Michll. Kearny, Thomas Howard."
"About 1730 Thomas probably transferred his lands to his eldest son, Christopher, and moved to North Carolina." He purchased from Cornelius Jones on 14 March 1732/3 336 acres of land on the north side of the Pasquotank River, beginning at the mouth of the Beaver Dame Swamp (deed also mentions Raymans Creek), "the remaining part of a Pattent formerly granted to Captn. Corns. Jones bearing date the 9th Day of Jany. Anno Dom 1713/14," . The deed refers to Thomas Needham as "of the County of Elizabeth City Virginia."
"The account of the Quit Rents in arrears for Pasquotank precinct since 1732, dated 12 June 1735 lists Thomas Needham with 336 acres. Almost the entire population neglected to pay their quit rents in this period. The Pasquotank tax of 1739 lists 'Thomas Nedham' with 2 polls in the district of John Relfe, on the northeast side of the Pasquotank River. In 1742 the list of Cornelius Relf has:
Thos. Nedham Senr. 1 white poll 3 black polls
John Nedham 1 white poll
Thos. Nedham Jur. 1 white poll"
After the death of Thomas Needham, his land was divided 5 July 1744 by his sons:
Know all men by these Presents that we the Subscribers John Needham Gideon Needham & Thomas Needham according to the last Will & Testament of our deced. Father have divided the Land between us which was left to us in said Will...Viz John Needham's Land lying on the Easternmost part of the Tract & beginning at a Branch near the Mouth of Raymonds Creek and up the said Branch to a Red Oak, then by various courses to a white Oak at the back Line Gidion Needham's Land adjoining on the westward part of the same...Thomas Needham's Land adjoining westward of the same.
Wit: William Burgess, Josiah Wait
1716 Elizabeth BROTHERS born at Pasquotank, North Carolina
25 Aug 1736 Elizabeth BROTHERS married (1) Robert PALMER
1740 John NEEDHAM and Elizabeth BROTHERS married (2) at Pasquotank, North Carolina
1740 Will of his father Thomas Needham, names all his children and will of his mother names all of their children.
1742 son Thomas NEEDHAM born at Elizabeth, Virginia; died 16 Nov 1807 at Randolph, North Carolina
1743 son William NEEDHAM born; died 1825 at Moore, North Carolina
6 Mar 1744 dau Nancy Ann NEEDHAM born at Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina; died 22 May 1829 at Randolph, North Carolina; married John B LAWRENCE
3 Jul 1745 son John NEEDHAM II NEEDHAM born at Pasquotank, North Carolina; died aft Sep 1830 at Grainger County, Tennessee; married (1) Rebecca POOL; (2) Anna Lutisha JENNINGS; (3) Mary BARNES 1792 at Pasquotank, North Carolina [Military Service Revolutionary War, 1st NC Battalion, 2467] [1790 Federal Census for Pasquotank, NC lists John NEEDHAM with 2 males under 16; 3 males over 16; and 3 females (doc)] [Rebecca died while John was in the army and that is why there is a break in the 3 year enlistment between Sep 1778 and 12 Mar 1779]
1749 dau Mary NEEDHAM born at Pasquotank, North Carolina; died at Pasquotank, North Carolina
1750 dau Elizabeth NEEDHAM born at Pasquotank, North Carolina; died 9 Nov 1821 at Waynesborough, Davie, North Carolina; married Pharoah FENTRESS
1750 dau Jane Elizabeth Jean NEEDHAM born at Pasquotank, North Carolina; died 1827 at Back Creek, Randolph, North Carolina; married Joseph REDDING on 30 Sep 1774 at Pasquotank, North Carolina
1754 dau Anne NEEDHAM born at Pasquotank, North Carolina; died 20 Oct 1804 at Randolph, North Carolina; married Robert REDDING
5 Dec 1754 John NEEDHAM died at Pasquotank, North Carolina [Will: will, dated 1754, inventory taken on the Estate Elizabeth Brothers Needham, and proved 25 March 1755, names all of his children, Mary, Elizabeth, Ann, Jean and John Needham] [Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. II for Philadelphia MM, p. 399 shows date of death as 25 Jul 1754 (3doc)]
1755 Elizabeth BROTHERS married (2) James GRIFFIN at Pasquotank, North Carolina
1800 Elizabeth BROTHERS died at Pasquotank, North Carolina