Founders & Patriots

In the 50 years following the settlement at Jamestown, 18 families settled in what is now known as Middlesex County. 

This plaque on the wall of our historic cemetery lists the Virginia founders and patriots buried in our Christ Church Parish churchyard.

Sir Henry Chicheley's family coat of arms.

The most prominent and influential was Sir Henry Chicheley from Rosegill Plantation.  Christ Church Parish is situated on  a parcel that was originally part of that plantation. 

There were serious conflicts  between loyalists and patriots when Virginia joined the other colonies revolting against King George.  Seven patriots from this area are memorialized.  Most prominent was Ralph Wormeley also from Rosegill Plantation.  

Ralph Wormeley

The following describes sources of information about other patriots and founders named on this plaque.  For further information, three attachments are accessible through those active links.  

We thank Mike Lyman, Past Governor, Virginia Society Order of Founders and Patriots of America, for providing all of those details in an email to Grace Parker dated June 24, 2015.    

Virginia founder, Richard Parrott, born by 1632 in England and died Dec 26, 1694 is listed in the Colonial Dames of America, “The Parrish Register of the Church” on page 29. Also, he is listed in the book,  “Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol 1, Lancaster County Record and Order books”. These books are in the Mary Ball Washington Library in Lancaster.  You may have them in your church library.

Founders, John Brewer, John Burnham, John Simpson, John Vause, George Williams, Thomas Williams and Henry Nicholls  are also listed in both of the above books. Listed in the first source book above also are Theophillis Hone, Humphrey Jones, William, Nicholson, Richard Parry, Richard Robinson, Sr, William Thompson, John Willis, and John Smyth, but other sources were used as well.

Founder Nicholas Cocke and John Welsh are listed in the second source above. Henry Chicheley, John Sheppard and Henry Corbin are listed in L.E. Gray’s book, “Historic Buildings in Middlesex County, 1650-1875.”

Other sources were used for many of these men.  To be listed as a Virginia founder, the society’s criteria is have arrived within 50 years of the founding of Jamestown which is May 1657.

Attached is my spreadsheet with the sources.  This list has been expanded since 2009,  however the expansion does not affect the church burials. You may show this to others and use as you wish but to publish as a whole document, please list me as the compiler. Several of these burials are without gravestones in the cemetery, but the sources indicate a burial was made which meets the society’s criteria.

Mike Lyman Past Governor, Virginia Society Order of Founders and Patriots of America