Nathaniel Tatum Sr (bef. 1599 - abt. 1674)

Born before 18 Nov 1599 in Holy Trinity the Less, London, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 27 Jan 1674 after about age 74 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Nathaniel Tatum Sr is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

Nathaniel Tatum Sr was a Jamestown colonist.

Birth and Parents

Nathaniel Tatum^[1] was born in 1599. He was christened Nov 18, 1599 at Holy Trinity the Less Church in London, England.^[2]

Nathaniel was christened on 18 Nov 1599 at Holy Trinity the Less Church, the son of William Tatum and Ellen Kirk who married on 3 Aug 1587 at St. Benet Grace Church in London. [Holy Trinity the Less Church was an Anglican Church in the center of London, near St. Paul's Cathedral. It was started in 1540 and destroyed by fire in 1666 in the Great Fire of London and was not rebuilt. St. Benet Grace Church on Gracechurch St. was also destroyed by the 1666 fire.] ^[3]

The family name may have been originally Tatham (meaning 'from' the place) in Lancashire, England. ^[3]

1619 Trouble Youth Sent to Virginia

His parents must have died when he was young because he was on a list at Bridewell Royal Hospital records, 27 Feb. 1618/19 of 75 boys and 25 girls who were to go to Virginia. These children were 8-16 years old and had been found "running wild in the streets" of London, "sleeping under stalls", and begging and had been committed to Bridewell, which served as a house of correction. They were mainly homeless waifs though some were probably petty pilferers. ^[3]

One of the ships that brought these children to Virginia was the "George" which left London March 1618/1619 and arrived in Virginia in May 1619. ^[3]

The muster list of the Inhabitants of the neck of land in Charles Cittie in VA, Feb 24, 1624 includes "Nathaniell Tatam, aged 20 years, arrived in the "George", May 1619."^[4]

From the Virginia Colonial Record: "So far as can be definitely ascertained, the first in America, Nathaniell Tatham, who immigrated to Virginia and settled in Charles City County." Nathaniel left England in March 1619 and after a 2-month voyage arrived in Jamestown, Va. in May. ^[3]

Three Brothers

One account says that 3 brothers, Augustine, Lawrence, and Nathaneill Tatham sailed from Southhampton, England, on the Good Ship George in 1619 for America via Bermuda. In 1620 this ship landed in New Jersey where Augustine remained and Nathaniell traveled on to Virginia. Nothing is known of Lawrence except that descendants of Nathaniel sometimes gave their children the name Lawrence. [from Meadia Research] ^[3]

Concurrent Events

--Nathaniel arrived in Virginia in time to hear about the first representative assembly in the New World convened in the Jamestown church on July 30, 1619.

--In 1619 a Dutch trader stopped at the Jamestown port and exchanged his cargo of Africans for food in 1619. At the time the Africans were only indentured servants, similar to poor white Englishmen. (The race-based system of slavery didn't fully develop until the 1680's.)

"Nathaniel Tatum "I" arrived in Virginia in May 1619. This is about 1 ½ years before the Mayflower landed in New England. Jamestown colonists preceded everyone in 1607.

1622 Indian Attacks

By 1622 the Indians had become disenchanted with the English settlers and, in 1622, attacked the out plantations in the Good Friday Massacre, killing 347 settlers, setting off a war that lasted a decade. A last-minute warning by Chanco, an Indian who was living with a white family and had become a Christian, spared Jamestown, but John Rolfe was killed in the attack, possibly by Powhatan's successor and brother, Opechancanough, the uncle of Pocahontas. ^[3]

1623 Shirley Hundred

In Feb 1623 Nathaniel was listed as living in the West and Shirley Hundred and at Shirley Hundred, Charles City, in the muster, 22 Jan 1624/5. He was listed as 20 years old and having come to Virginia in 1619 on the "George."^[5][3].

Muster of the Inhabitants of the neck of land in Charles Cittie in VA, Feb 24, 1624: (list includes) "Nathaniell Tatam, aged 20 years, in the "George", May 1619."^[4]

By this time, Nathaniel had been in Virginia for 5 years and probably had paid off an indenture, if he came with one--which most did. He was among a very special group of people--the survivors. Until the 1660's only about 20% of emigrants arriving in any year survived. Between 1607 and 1624 7,289 people arrived in Virginia and of these 6,040 died of various causes, such as disease, starvations or infections.

According to the records 7,289 people migrated to Virginia between 1609 and 1624, mostly as indentured servants. 6,040 of those died of disease, starvation or infections acquired onboard the ships in passage. Until the 1660's only 20% of the arrivals in a given year survived. From 1625-1640: An estimated 1,000 or more indentured servants arrived each year, some orphans and condemned criminals but mostly the unemployed seeking economic opportunity. ^[3]

In 1624 when he was 25 years old, Nathaniel moved from the north side of the James River to the south side. ^[3]

1638 Marriage and Land

His wife was named Ann.

When he was 39 years old, Nathaniel patented 100 acres of land in Charles City County on Appomattox River, 25 July 1638, for transporting his wife Ann and his daughter Mary Tatum. This would lead us to believe that he went back to England, married, had a child, and brought them to Virginia, giving him claim to a 100-acre tract of land. This land adjoined a 500-acre patent to him which he re-patented 4 Dec. 1641. ^[3]

Ann died before April 26, 1684 because a land patent of that date, for 150 acres in Isle of Wright County to Mr. Thomas Pitt, described the land as that which "Ann Tatum died seized of". ^[3]

1640 Viewer of Tobacco

An Act of Assembly of 6 Jan. 1639/40 named Nathaniel Tatum, Cheney Boyce, and Anthony Wyatt as a "Viewers of Tobacco" for Charles City for the north side of Appomattox River. ^[3]

1675 Death

Considering the hardships and dangers of the times, Nathaniel lived to be an old man of about 76 years old. Nathaniel was living as late as 27 Jan. 1675/6 when a deed of gift from Nathaniel Tatum the Elder to his grandson Nathaniel Tatum was recorded in Bristol Parish court. ^[3]

He died after 1674, probably Jan 27, 1675, Charles City Co, VA.

Children

Note If he married in England on a return trip and had one daughter Mary named on the return voyage to Virginia, it would seem that any other children would be born after 1638. Day-1904 17:59, 11 July 2019 (UTC)

1. Mary Tatum, born before 1638, must be the oldest since she is the only one mentioned as having made the trip from England with her parents before 1638.
2. Nathaniel Tatum, II, born about 1635, Charles City, Va. He married Elizabeth Turner. Died bef 1719, Prince George County, VA. Children: Nathaniel III, maybe also Edward, Christopher, Peter and Henry.
3. Samuel Tatum, born about 1630 in Charles City Co, Va. He married Mary Elizabeth Moore. Children: Nathaniel (1727, m Elizabeth), Ann, Rebecca, Mary, Barbara, Samuel (m Phoebe)

There may also have been a son named Isaac Tatum (there is mention of an Isaac Tatum in Charles City county court records), and also John Tatum has also been mentioned as a son of Nathaniel's. ^[3]

Research Notes

" Nathaniel Tatum "I" – the immigrant still has gaps and questions which need clarification. Future surprises may still exist, including questions about a missing 2nd generation. Birth dates need greater precision. One big problem is that Charles City-County has incomplete and spotty records. There may be several possible origins for our Nathaniel Tatum – the Immigrant, but he most likely is the son of London’s William and Ann Tatam. At some point, Nathaniel becomes one of London’s street children before he is sent to Virginia."^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Tatum, Nathaniel - A7808; baptized 18 November 1599 London, England, living in 1675/6 Charles City: (muster of 1624/5). accessed 30 October 2021
2. ↑ Family Search. Baptism - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMW3-YV3
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14} Mary Jo Freeman. Tatum Family History: From England to America. Early Tatums Accessed 7/11/2019 jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Book: "The Original Lists of Persons of Quality 1600-1700." p209
5. ↑ Book: "The Original Lists of Persons of Quality 1600-1700," p170
6. ↑ [[1]]

See also:

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hendersonhouse/338.htm
• http://mjgen.com/tatum/EarlyTatums.html
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lewgriffin/g0/p835.htm#i13359

Acknowledgements

• This profile was created by Cynthia Winskey on Sep 18, 2011.
• This profile was created by James Tatum
• See the Changes page for the details of edits by Cynthia and others.

James Murphy, planetmurphy.org