John Allison (abt. 1577 - aft. 1625)

Born about 1577 in Avondale, Lanarkshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Descendants

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Biography

John arrived in Jamestown aboard the ship Prosperous in 1623.

John Allison was a Jamestown colonist.

John was born in Windy Edge near Avondale, County Lanark, Scotland

John Ellison arrived in Jamestown aboard the "Prosperous" Ellin his wife in the "Charitie"about 1623/24. ,^[1][2] Husband and wife came in separate boats supposedly because if one ship went down then at least one spouse would survive. After a short time in Jamestown John and Ellin moved 5 miles to Archer's Hope Plantation on Archer's Hope Creek at its confluence with James River. The branch is now called College Creek. It's still a beautiful area today and well-maintained. At the inventory taken at the 1624/25 Muster John Ellison had the following in his new wilderness home: 1 house, 2 pounds of gun powder, 12 pounds of gun shot, 3 pieces(?), 1 armor, 1 sword, 22 bushels of corn, 1 bushel of peas and beans. It's unlikely Ellison grew this corn himself. All new arrivals were given bushels of corn by the settlers who were already living there. Plus he probably did not build his house. So, again, why did the Ellisons leave Scotland and move to Archer's Hope? My theory is they were recruited by Ensign William Spence who had a 300 ac. place at Archer's Hope. John Ellison's son in Scotland Robert Ellison had married a Sarah Spence (bible record) who was likely kin to William Spence of Archer's Hope. Ensign Spence was one of the original Jamestown Colonists in 1607. He and his wife seem to have disappeared ("Lost") at about the time that the Ellisons arrived in Va. Nor is it known whatever happened to John Ellison and his wife Ellen.

The first records at Jamestown, were destroyed in Jamestown was burned in 1676 during Bacon's Rebellion. Therefore, most of the original official records for James City Co. VA. no longer exist. However, John Ellison and his wife Ellin, formerly Hamilton, and some of their descendants can be re-constructed from three basic sources: the Ervin Bible Record(c1783 or after), "The Complete Book of Emmigrants 1607-1660", by Coldham, & "Original Lists of Persons of Quality 1600-1700", by Hotten.

The Ervin Bible Record

This bible was printed in London in 1613 by a Robt. Barker. The Ervin, sometimes Erwin, sometimes Irvin Bible record was recorded by Patriot and family historian Elizabeth (Ellison) Ervin, c1726-1795? of Marion, SC (Wikitree). The bible's whereabouts today are uncertain, though a cousin Lillian Etter thought it may (?) have gone to the family of the late NC Senator Sam Irvin. In 1958 a copy of this bible record was obtained from a Miss Julia Ervin of RT-3 Darlington, SC. An obscure genealogy book from 1960, (on page 10) gives a transcription of the Ervin Bible family page. However, the bible had no family section to enter births, marriages and deaths. Therefore, sometime after the end of the Revolutionary War (1783) Elizabeth (Allison) Ervin used a blank page in the bible to record for posterity the family history up until that time. She abbreviated some apparently for limited space. It reads:

My father Robert Allison passed 1772, the name during long years has been spelt Allyson, Ellison, Elison, Allison, etc. My mother was Mary Lide or Lloyd, drt. to Robt. Lloyd from Wales to Penn. abt. 1683. My gr parents were John Allison and Elizabeth Matthews of Va. He being son of Robt. and Ann Myhill. He being son of Capt. Robt. Allison & Hannah Gerard of Maryland & Va. He being son of Robt. Allison & Sarah Spence of V. He being son of John Allison, Ellyson, b. Windyedge, County Lanark, Scotland, who marr'd with Ellin Hamilton & came to Va. in early days bef. 1625. The first ones of our family lived in Va. & Maryland. Elizabeth, myself, m. 1744 John Ervin Sr. Our offspring- Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, James, Robert, John, Mary (?), Jeane, Hugh, and two died young. Both my husband and myself gave gratefully our time & services to our country at beginning of great struggle for Independence. I nursed the sick and John was commissary assembling medicines & equipments. He never lived to see victory, but I did." According to the bible entry John Allison (parents unknown at this time) was born on the Windyedge Estate in Lanarkshire County, Scotland. His wife was Ellin or Ellen Hamilton. There is in fact a town named Hamilton in south Lanark. It was named after Lord James Hamilton who married a daughter of King James II of Scotland. These Hamiltons had ties to nearby Northumberland Co. England (Wikipedia). This is significant because Northumberland was the English Seat of the Ellisons. Ellen (Hamilton) Ellison might have been kin to these Hamiltons. In 1622 was the great Indian massacre in Va. where about 347 colonists were killed. In 1623 John Ellison and wife Ellin moved to Va. In that year John and Ellin would have been in their 40's. It's not known what possessed them to migrate to America though it would have been perhaps the last great adventure of their lives.^[3]

As previously mentioned most of the earliest county records were lost. Did they die in Va.? Or, did they return to Scotland? Genealogical research in Scotland might could answer this question if any estate record were left by them. The Ervin bible record is supported by DNA testing of descendants. See FamilyTreeDNA Classic Chart Y-DNA(net), has John Ellison of Windyede, Lannark Co. Scotland and Robert Ellyson of Jamestown, VA. in same group. The above written by Dennis Stewart(16676).

Given the fact that mortality during the early years of the colony was exceedingly high, and the cost of travel high as well, it is probable that they died in the colony.

Sources

1. ↑ Hotten, p. 230,
2. ↑ Google Books Coldham, P.W. (1987). "Ellison," in Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607 - 1660, pp. 58, 65.
3. ↑ "A South Carolina Family: Mills-Smith and Related Lines", by Lauren Tenney Mills with addendum by Lilla Mills Hawes and Sarah Mills Norton, 1960 page 10

• Muster of inhabitants of Virginia, (1624/5, February 04).
• https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/minibios/a/OUR%20ALLISON%20ANCESTORS%20IN%20AMERICA.pdf PDF
• "Original Lists of Persons of Quality 1600-1700", by Hotten.
• Ervin Bible Record, aft. 1782.

*"Virginia Colonial Abstracts...James City County, Virginia 1634-1904", by Duvall.

• "Virginia Immigrants And Adventurers 1607-1635", by McCartney. *"Genealogies of Virginia Families", vol. II (Early Generations of The Ellyson Family).

Allison/Ellison Family DNA Project