Thomas Stegge Esq (abt. 1595 - abt. 1651)

Born about 1595 in England

Descendants

Died about 1651 at about age 56 in at sea

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Biography

The parents and year of birth of Thomas Stegge are unknown.

Marriage and Children

He married Elizabeth Carey of Topsham, Devon.^[1]

Children of Thomas Stegge and Elizabeth Carey:

• Thomas Stegge (baptised 1630 Topsham, Devon)^[2][3][4]
• Grace Stegge (baptised 1632 Topsham, Devon, married John Bird, Goldsmith of London)^[2][4][5]

Career

"The Council of State ordered a squadron to be prepared against Virginia. It was placed under the command of Captain Robert Dennis; and Thomas Stegge, Richard Bennett, and William Claiborne, members of Berkeley's council, were joined with him in a commission to 'use their best endeavors to reduce all the plantations within the Bay of Chesopiack.' Bennett and Claiborne were in Virginia at the time, and probably did not know of their appointment till the ships arrived in Virginia. The fleet left England in October, 1651, carrying six hundred men, but on the way Captain Dennis and Captain Stegge were lost in a storm and the command devolved on Captain Edmund Curtis."^[6]

Death and Will

Thomas Stegge died at sea on the ship John, on his way back to Virginia in 1651/1652.^[7]

09 Nov 1652: “That the petitions of Mrs. Stagg relict of Capt. Stagg and also of Mrs. Dennis relict of Capt. Dennis both cast away in the ship John in the State’s service in her voyage to Virginia, be referred to ….”^[8]

The will of Thomas Stegge, Sr, dated October 6, 1651, proved Jul 14, 1652, left estate to his wife Elizabeth, and daughter Grace, wife of John Byrd, goldsmith of London, and son Thomas Stegge, Jr.^{[4][9][10][11]}

His widow married Thomas Grendon, a Merchant/Draper of London.^[9]

Extracts

EXTRACTS from "AMERICAN DESCENDANTS of ROYALTY "VIRGINIA BYRDS & STEGGES WESTOVER, VA

BIOGRAPHY: "Wm. Byrd-Advisor to Sir John Byrd of London---Grace Stegge b.1625. mar. 1651--daughter of Col. Thomas Stegge of London and Virginia. Born in England. died 1651 at sea while returning to England.

BIOGRAPHY: Col. Thomas Stegge of England and Colony of Virginia was a Burgess for Charles City County VA and speaker of the House 1642-1643.Colonel and member of King's Colonial 1650-1651. Died at sea in 1651 on a voyage to England

DEATH: In 1651, he was sent to America by the English crown to subdue the colonies of Maryland and Virginia. As he was returning to England after doing so, he was lost at sea on the passage from Virginia to England.

DEATH: He left his state in Virginia to his son Thomas Stegg(e), who settled in Henrico County. He left his houses in London, England to his daughter Grace Byrd.

On July 3, 1650 in the commission issiued by the King from Breda, THOMAS STEGGE was appointed a member of the Virginia Council (CAl. Eng. Col. State Papers, Vol. 1). In August 1651 as he was evidently friedly to the Parliament, he was sent to reduce Virginia and Maryland. He embarked on the frigate John and was lost at sea together with CAPTAIN DENIS, another commissioner. He was lost at sea while returning from a government mission to Virginia on 6 October 1651.

The abstract of the will of THOMAS STEGGE, SR.. from Water's Gleanings reads as follows: "THOMAS STEGGE, now bound forth in a voygable to Vergenia 6 Octover 1651, proved 14 July 1652, by ELIZABETH STEGGE, relict and sole executrix. To sister ALICE ten pounds per annum during her natural life to be paid her every half year. To my brother CHRISTOPHER's two daughters, twenty pounds apiece, to be paid them within two years after my decease. To my wife's sister EMELION READE one full sixteenth part of the good ship now called the Seven Sisters, with all the provits, etc. I give to my son THOMAS STEGGE in Virginia all my whole estate in Virginia, as also one quarter part of the (sic ship) Seven Sisters now bound to Virginia and all goods and apparel I have in that ship or any other servants and ought else belonging to me; as also one quarter part of the ship Increase and all that shall accrew her for the voyage now at sea; and for more I leave it to the coniseration of his mother. To my daughter GRACE BYRD and her children the houses I bought of Mr. Neale in Bedlam, as also, after the decease of my wife or at the next marriage of my wife, I give her and her children my houses in the cloisters at St. Katherines that I bought of Mr. Tokely; also in like kind and case, I give her and her children my annuity at Elinge, if it so long continue, until the death of my said wife or her second marriage. To ELIZABETH BYRD, my daughter's eldest daughter, 100 pounds if she live until the age of fourteen years. To wife ELIZABETH STEGG, during her natural life or widowhood, my whole estate, after debts and legacies are paid, excepting what is directly given away before to my said wife should marry again I giver he out of my estate 800 pounds; and the rest to be equally divided between my two children. Wife ELIZABETH to be executrix and loving friend Mr. ___ Loton, Mr. Roger Draiton and Mr. Robert Earle to be overseers, and ten pounds apiece to buy them each a cloak. Bowyere, 202."

Research Notes

Will of Thomas Stegge of Kingsbury, Somerset. 18 Jun 1621: No evidence in the will of a link between the Testator and Thomas Stegge of Topsham, Devon, and Virginia.^[12]

Occupation: Captain, Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Sea Captain/ VA Official

From Wikipedia: Thomas Stegg 1st Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses In office 1643–1643 Succeeded by Edward Hill, Sr.

Sources

1. ↑ N W Murphy. The Devon seafaring origins of William Byrd's mother's family : Grace (Stegge) Byrd of London, Thomas Stegge of Charles City County, Virginia, and Captain Abraham Read of Charles City County, Virginia ; including additional details about William Byrd's father John Byrd's career as a London goldsmith. American Genealogist. Vol. 84, No. 4 (October 2010), pp 241-256.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Parish of Topsham, co. Devon. Marriages, baptisms & burials, A.D. 1600 to 1837. From the parochial register, the register of the independent meeting, the register of the Presbyterians, the register of the Quakers, together with copies of memorial inscriptions. Transcribed and edited by H. Tapley-Soper. The Devon and Cornwall Record Society, 1938 HathiTrust.
3. ↑ J R Hutchinson. Genealogical Notes from the High Court of Admiralty Examinations. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Vol. XLVII, 1916, p 114.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. XXXIX, 1885, pp 160-163 Google Books.
5. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB8S-FP1 : 22 March 2020), Grace Stagge, 1632.
6. ↑ England in America 1580-1652. By Lyon Gardiner Tyler. 1904, Chapter VI Gutenberg.
7. ↑ Virginia Carolorum. By Edward D Neil. 1886, p 219 HathiTrust.
8. ↑ Virginia in 1652-1653 (Continued). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 17, No. 4 (Oct., 1909), pp. 351-363 (see pp 352-353) JSTOR.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. XLIV, 1890, pp 94-96 Google Books.
10. ↑ Will of Thomas Stegge or Stegg, now bound forth to Sea on a voyage to Virginia. 14 July 1652. PROB 11/224/213. The National Archives, Kew.
11. ↑ H F Waters (1907) Genealogical Gleanings in England. Reprinted 1969, pp 102-103 Internet Archive.
12. ↑ Will of Thomas Stegge of Kingsbury, Somerset. 18 Jun 1621. PROB 11/137/575. The National Archives, Kew.

• Source: #S160 Database online. Record for Grace Stegge Link: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=pubmembertrees&h=30382926764&indiv=try

• Source: S160 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R7

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