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Individual Record
Name
Surname:
Roach
Given Name:
John
Variant Surname Spellings:
Roche, Roch, Rocke, Rock
Soundex Code:
R200
Birth, Christening and Other Information
Gender:
Male
Parish:
prob. Abbots Leigh
County:
Somerset
Nation:
England
Occupation(s):
Merchant
Orphan:
Unknown
Position in Parent's Family:
Unknown
Landowner:
Unknown
Literate:
Unknown
Convict:
Unknown
Place of Indenture
County:
Northumberland
Colony:
Virginia
Master
Surname:
Matthews
Given name:
Thomas
Title:
Mr.
Research Notes
Proof of Immigrant Servant Status:
1669 Nov 23. Whereas Jno. Roach hath complayned in this County yt his Master, Mr. Tho. Mathew, hath employed him in base service imploymt, It is ordered yt ye said Roach continue with his sd Master during the terme yt he is to serve by his Indenture and yt ye sd Mr Mathew only imploy him as a merchant & not in any base service imploymt.
Headright:
1653 Nov 21. According to sufficient proofe made to this Court, there is due to Hen. Rocke ... Acres of land for transportation of himself, John Squibb & John ... [missing] into this Colony.
Pre-Servitude Sources:
(1) 1652 Jan 19. Henry Rocke his sale to John Rocke. Know all men by these presents that I Henry Rocke for a valuable consideration in hand received have sold and bargained and by these presents do sell and deliver unto John Rocke my son one black cow about five yeares of age one [...] heifer the color black both marked ... personal property ... provided the increase of the ... go to the bring management of the aforesaid child. Wits: Cypman ishop, David Spillen, Hugh Lee. Recorded 20 Jan 1652. (2) 1668/69 Jan 27. Upon ye Peticon of Elizabeth Tyngey wherein by ye Will of Henry Roach she did make appeare to this Cort yt ye sd Roach did bequeathe unto her, ye sd. Eliz. grownd on ye Plantacon of ye sd. Roach sufficient for foure able Servants to plant on untill John Roach, Sonne of ye sd. Henry Roach, comes of age. it is ordered yt. Mr. Nich. Owen & James Johnson, lay out & proporcon ye sd. grownd at some convenient tyme betweene this & ye next Cort. (3) 1669 Nov 26. Mr. Mathew having engaged himselfe to deliver unto Jno. Roach when he comes to age, 3 able Servts., Wm. Shoares doth in open Cort relinquish all ye interest yt he hath in ye Plantacon of ye sd. Roach, wch: he holds in ye right of his Wife by ye Last Will & Testamt. of Hen. Roach, deced.
Post-Servitude Sources:
(1) 1678 Nov 20. Certificate is granted Jno. Roach to the next Assembly for taking up Runaway servants of William Hartland’s run from his sd Master into Westmoreland County. (2) 1685 Mar 18. John Roach, p. 259. Whereas the last Court it was ordered that Mr. Azricum Parker, and George Barratt should appraise the rigging and Sails of a Sloop, belonging to Mr. John Roach, in the hands of Edw. Tipton, which they having performed, and a account of the same, with the appraisal being by the said Tipton exhibited unto this Court It is ordered that the said appraisal be put on the records of this County, and that the said Tipton dispose of the same, he being accountable for the same, to the said Roach, the Owner of them, according as appraised, when thereto required. (3) 1685 May 21. John Roach, p. 271. juryman. (4) 1687 Jul 20. John Roach, p. 401 served on a jury. (5) 1688 Mar 24. John Roach, p. 425 served on a jury. (6) 1688 Oct 05. John Roach, p. 437 identified as a freeholder in the neighborhood of Elizabeth Greensted (7) 1688 Nov 22. John Roach, p. 445 summoned to General Court in James City to provide evidence about murder of Elizabeth Greensted. (8) 1689 Jul 17. John Roach, p. 470, d., Upon the petition of Robert Bradly Executor of the Last Will and Testament of John Roach a probate is granted him of the said last will it being proved by the oaths of Edward Williams, John West and Thomas Shirley to the said will. (9) 1689 Nov 07. John Roach, p. 481, d. Richard Pemberton against William Shears and Robert Bradley Executors of the Will of John Roach deceased referred to the next Court. (10) 1689 Nov 21. John Roach, p. 487, summoned as a jurymen for court of General Court (11) 1689 Nov 22. John Roach, p. 493. Whereas it appears to this Court that the Estate of John Roach is indebted to Richard Pemberton [for] pharmaceuticals administered to him in his sickness eight hundred pounds of tobacco and cask also six bushels of Indian corn, Judgment is granted the said Pemberton against the said Estate for the said sum of eight hundred pounds of tobacco and cask and the quantity of six bushels of Indian corn alias execution. (12) 1690 Jun 18. John Roach, p. 509, d. Upon the petition of Ann Bradly, widow, it is orderd that James Johnson, Thomas Flynt, Hugh Stathem, and Thomas Hickman Sr., or any three of them sometime between this and the next Court meet and lay out the land bequeathed by John Roach late deceased to James Bradly Son of Robert Bradly deceased & the said Ann as near as may be according to the will of the said deceased, & give their report to the next Court. (13) 1691 Dec 16. John Roach, p. 575. Paid to Mr. John Roach, town charges. (14) 226/3. 1702 Judgm’t is granted William Short Legatee of John Roach ag’t the Estate of William Sheares ... (15) 1668 Jan 27. I doe by these presents give sufficient power unto James Claughton to be my lawfull Attorn. to demand of Mr. Tho. Mathew whatsoever is due to me from him & if occasion be to sue him at ye Law with ye like power yt I being personally present might be able to doe, Wit: James Barnes, John Roch. Signed: Hachaliah Bridges. (16) 1702 Oct 01. William Short of St. Stevens Parish, Northumberland, Carpenter to Charles Dermott of same place, Planter ... land granted and devised unto William Short by the last Will and Testament of John Roach, deced, bearing date 10 Dec 1688, the land scituate & being in Matapony in the aforesd. County, Beginning at the Swampe betwene the said Roach his land & Mr. Thomas Flynts, deced ... Hugh Stathein.
Comments:
John did not use indentured servitude to emigrate. He already lived in the colonies and became a servant after his father died. He is probably the person listed as John, with no surname, in his father's headright grant. His master, Thomas Matthews, was the executor of his father's will. John may have actually been the apprentice of Matthews; however, the wording could also be interpreted as indentured servitude.
Family:
Son of Henry Roach, Shipwright, Mariner.
Source Citations:
(1) Frank V. Walczyk, Northumberland County Record Book 1652-1658 (Coram, New York: Peter's Row, 2002). (2) W. Preston Haynie, Records of Indentured Servants and of Certificates of Land, Northumberland County, Virginia, 1650-1795 (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1996), quoting OB 1652-65, 19; OB 1666-78, 41; OB 1678-98, Part 1, 14. (3) Ruth Sparacio et al, Deed & Will Abstracts of Northumberland County, Virginia, vols. 1-6 (McLean, Virginia: Antient Press, 1992-2002). (4) Charles Hamrick et al, Northumberland County, Virginia, Court Order Books vols. 1-4 (Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Company, 1999-2004). (5) Nell Marion Nugent et al, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, vol. 1 (Richmond: Virginia Genealogical Society, 1934).
Interested Researchers:
(1) Nathan W. Murphy, nmurphy@pricegen.com