Henry Isham, Kathryn Banks & Thomas Jefferson

As a student of American history, I feel a little thrill whenever my research uncovers an ancestor brushing shoulders with someone who had a role in shaping our beloved country, but even more so, discovering a famous distant cousin.

Tidewater Virginia (first area settled by English settlers)

I've known for a few months that President Thomas Jefferson's wife Martha (1748-1782) was a collateral relative of ours, a 2nd cousin, 7X removed (the 7X refers to descending generations), and that our connection is thus (pay attention): Roger Rainey (1700-1747), who is more-than-likely our 7th great grandfather, married Sarah Eppes (1702-c1750), our 7th-great grandmother. (Having recently discovered our 4th great-grandfather, James Rainey [c1778-bef 1840], I'm now working out our 5th and 6th great-grandfathers, but there were so many sons in that family, it's a challenge.)  Sarah Eppes Rainey's brother, Francis Eppes IV, fathered Martha Eppes (1712-1748). Martha Eppes married John Wayles (1715 England - 1773 Virginia) and produced Martha Wayles, born in 1748 at the plantation The Forest. Martha, the mother, died six days after the daughter's birth. Martha Wayles, the daughter, married Bathurst Skelton in 1766 and had a son, who died in June 1771. Her husband Bathurst had died of a fever in 1768 before the child's first birthday. Martha Wayles Skelton then married Thomas Jefferson on January 1, 1772. She bore him six children, and died shortly after the birth of the last one in 1782, breaking Jefferson's heart. That was an exciting find, for I'm a Jefferson fan. A few nights ago, while writing this blog, I did some fact-checking and discovered that Martha Wayles and Thomas Jefferson were third cousins, sharing the same great-great grandfather, Henry Isham. "Whoa!" I thought, "I know that name." I looked on my tree and there was Henry Isham, our 9th great-grandfather. Did that mean . . .? Yes, it did. Thomas Jefferson is our 3rd cousin, 7X removed. If you haven't paid that much attention to the illustrious career of this Founding Father, read Jefferson's Wikipedia entry HERE

President Thomas Jefferson 3rd Cousin, 7X Removed

Well, you might say, our Rainey ancestors appear to have been simple farmers, so how did the family become connected to Virginia aristocracy? The Raineys were early settlers and tobacco plantation owners in Tidewater Virginia. Our Rainey ancestors' economic decline was a result of happenstance, I suppose -- tobacco crops depleting the land, tobacco's depressed price in the later 18th century, and the fact that our plantation and slave-owning ancestors had large families, among whom they divided their land, rather than entailing the land to the eldest son as estate law mandated back in England. But I get ahead of my story. 

Henrico County, Virginia

Let me tell you about Henry Isham (1628 England -1678 Burmuda Hundred, Henrico County, Virginia). By the way, as you may have seen in the photo of the Bermuda Hundred sign, the division of land called a Hundred was supposed to be able to maintain one hundred families in early times in England. The Isham surname has been traced back to Robert Isham, born c.1402 at Pytchley, Northhamptonshire, England. 

Northamptonshire, England

 Nine generations later, the Ishams were still living at Pytchley.
 

13th Century All Saints Church, Pytchley, where our Isham ancestors worshiped.

Henry Isham, born c.1628 at Pytchley, emigrated to Henrico County, Virginia, about 1656, became a merchant, and paid for the transport of other settlers, which allowed him to claim a good deal of land. He married in Virginia about 1659 the widow Katheryn Banks Royall (1630-1686), daughter of Christopher Banks of County Kent, England. 
 

County Kent, England

 The couple had two surviving daughters. Mary Isham married William Randolph, had a son known as Isham Randolph of Dungeness (a plantation in Goochland County, Virginia), who had daughter Jane Randolph, who married Peter Jefferson, and they produced Thomas Jefferson. 
 

Map of James River showing Bermuda Hundred

Henry and Katherine Isham's other daughter was our 8th great-grandmother, Ann Fitzhugh Isham (1665 Bermuda Hundred, Henrico Co., VA -1718), who married in 1685 Francis Eppes III (1658 Shirley Hundred, Henrico Co, VA -1720).  Their youngest daughter was our 7th great-grandmother Sarah Eppes (1702-1750), who inherited slaves from her brother when she was 15 and then married Roger Rainey (1700-1747) about 1720.  They had nine children and one of their eight sons must have been our 6th great-grandfather.

Getting back to Katherine Banks Isham, here's a biography of her:

by Scott B. Thompson, Sr,
The Courier Herald, Dublin, GA

Katherine Banks was born into a prosperous family in Canterbury, England in County Kent in 1627, the same year the Massachusetts Bay Colony had been chartered to colonize the eastern coast of North America. Her father, Christopher Banks, was one of England's most influential commoners in his position with the Old London Company, which financed the settlement of Jamestown and Virginia.

Sometime in the early 1640s, Katherine journeyed to America, landing in Charles City County, west of Jamestown on the James River. It was not long after her arrival that she married her cousin, Joseph Royall, twice a widower and 27 years her senior.

Joseph Royall had come to Jamestown aboard the Charitie in July 1622, just after Powhatan Chief Opechancanough had murdered three hundred and forty-seven colonists. Royall survived "the burning fever," which killed even more settlers. By transporting colonists to Virginia, Joseph Royall was able to accumulate a large plantation, which he called "Doghams" after the French river D'Augham, on the James River above Shirley and opposite current day Hopewell, Virginia. Joseph Royall died in the mid 1650s. As was the custom in those days, his wife's dower from his estate passed to her during her widowhood.

When Katherine married Henry Isham in 1656 [sic], Royall's estate passed to Isham, who immediately added another wing to his residence on Bermuda Hundred. From their luxurious home encircled by tall pines and a extensive English flower garden, the Ishams became leaders of Virginia society. It has been said that Katherine Banks Royall Isham was the wealthiest woman in America. Her father gave her one of the first English coaches to be used in the colonies. It was described as cumbrous and capacious. It held six individuals, three on a seat opposite one another. Two others could sit on stools which faced the doors. Its body was hung high on large springs and was entered by steps. The lining was made of cream-colored cloth. Silver trimmings, cords and tassels accented the exquisite exterior. The driver and the footman sat on the front, while luggage was carried in the rear. By her first husband, Katherine gave birth to six children, Joseph, John, Sarah, Katherine and two other unknown daughters . . . . Captain Henry Isham was born in 1626 in Pytchley, Northampton, England. He died on 1 Dec 1686 in Bermuda Hundred, Henrico, VA. He married Elizabeth Kathrine Banks in 1656 in Henrico, VA.  Katherine had Henry, Jr. and Anne. But by far, her most famous child was Mary Isham. Mary was a much courted belle of Virginia. Suitors swarmed to get a glance of this charming young woman, who played the cittern, a three-stringed early version of the mandolin. Mary captured the heart of the wealthy William Randolph of Turkey Island. Over the next three centuries, the couple would come to be known as "the Adam and Eve of Virginia."

Katherine was known as the wealthiest woman in the Colonies during the 1600s. Katherine is the great grandmother [sic] of President Thomas Jefferson, 3G grandmother of Chief Justice John Marshall, and 4G grandmother of General Robert E Lee. Also among her descendants are Presidents John Fitzgerald Kennedy and James Earl Carter; first lady Edith Wilson; authors William Faulkner, Willa Cather, Robert Penn Warren, and Ray Bradbury; and Booker Talieferro Washington.

 

Katherine's coach was fancier than this, but what roads there were must have been awful

Henry Isham having predeceased her about 1679, Katherine made out her will in August 1686, and her bequests give a hint of the Isham wealth. This transcription keeps its original spelling: 

In the name of God amen. I KATHERINE ISHAM being sick & weak of body but of sound & pfect mind & memory (praise be therefore given to almighty god to make and ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following -
First, I principally commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the merits of my Savior Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and my body I commit to the earth to be decently burried at ye descretion of my Extr, hereafter named. And as the disposition of all such temporall as it hath plesed Almight God to bestow upon me I give and dispose of as follows:
First Item, I will all my debts and funeral charges be paid and discharged. I give to my grandson William Randolph 20 pound sterling money of England such is in the custody of my son-in-law William Randolph to be disposed of after my decease for the proper use & benefit of my grandson above named, but in case of his mortality before he comes to age, then I give & bequeath unto my grandson Henry Randolph the 20 pound sterling money about to be disposed as above sd for his proper use and further I give to my grandson Henry Randolph five pds. sterling money of England and to my Granddaughters Mary Randolph & Elisa Randolph five pounds a piece of like sterling money all such money above specified is now in the custody of my son-in-law William Randolph. And further I give the residue of my mony such is in custody of my son-in-law William Randolph to my tow daughters, Mary Randolph and Ann Epps to be equally divided. I also will that my claw trunk with all that is in it be equally divided between my two daughters Mary Randolph and Ann Epes and I give to each of them two silver saltcellars.
 

Salt cellars

 And to Mary Randolph I give my wedding ring and best feather bed and furniture to it and my 'least silver tankard but one and fifteen shillings to buy a mourning ring and desire the said Mary Randolph may be exempt from bearing any part of paying my debts or funeral charges. And this is all my legacy to my loveing daughter, Mary Randolph.
Item, I give to my grandson Joseph Royall one servant named John Johns all the time he hath to serve and my small silver tankard. And further I give to my child of my son Royall's two silver spoons. And to my loveing son, Joseph Ryall the last tankard.

17th century silver tankard.

Item, I give to my grandson Richard Dennis one of my best cows and two silver spoons.
Item, I give to my grandson, Isham Epes, my Negro Dick and to my Grandson Francis Epes, my biggest silver tankard but one. I also give to the child my daughter Ann Epes now goes with [Anne was pregnant a third time since her 1685 marriage] my largest silver Porringer and great silver cupp. My sealed ring and great hoop ring with a pair of silver clasps and silver bodkin I give to my daughter, Anne Epes.

Mid-17th century silver porringer

Item, I give to my Grandson Richard Perrin, one feather bed and furniture to it.
Item, I give to my granddaughter Sarah Royall one yearling heifer.
Item, I give to my granddaughters Katherine Farrar, Mary, Sarah & Anne Perrin to each of them two silver spoons. And to Katherine Farrar one Guiney and to Anne Perrin one silver porringer.

Item, I give to my granddaughter, Sarah Dennis two silver spoons and one pair of dowlass sheets. And to my two daughters Sarah Wilkinson and Katherine Perrin all my wearing cloths woolen and linnen.
Item, I give to my loveing friend Mary Parker six Ells of my best dowless and as much of my finest serge as will make her a gown and petticoat.
Item, I give to my grandson Maiden Marshall one heifer two years old. Item, I will and bequeath all my land to my son, Joseph Royall to him and to his heirs forever
Item, I give my whole crop of corn and tobacco to my executors hereafternamed except for much as will buy two gravestones, one to cover me and the other my departed dear husband. All the rest and residue of my estate and estate goods and chattels, Sarah Wilkinson, Joseph Royall, Katherine Perrin and Anne Epes and to each of them fifteen shillings to buy a mourning ring.
And I do hereby constitute and appoint my loving son, Joseph Royall and my loving son-in-law, Frances Epes full and sole Exers of this my last will and testament. And I desire my body may be buryed near my dear husband on my own plantation. And I do hereby revoke, disannul and make void all former wills and testaments by me heretofore made and to this my last will and testament do sett my hand and seal this tenth day of Oct Ao Dm 1686

We'll end with a musician playing 17th century music on the cittern, just as Mary Isham, and perhaps our 7th great-grandmother Ann, did. HERE