John Sibsey (bef. 1600 - 1652)

Born before 1600 in England

Descendants

Died 1652 after age 52 in Lower Norfolk County, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

John Sibsey is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

John Sibsey was a Jamestown colonist.

John Sibsey^[1] was born in England, probably before or about 1600. His parents are at present unknown.

He immigrated to the Virginia Colony before 1624 and is included in the list of "The Living in Virginia" at Elizabeth Cittie on the census of 16 February 1623/24.^[2] He was granted land in Hampton in 1624.^[3] This very early settlement became part of Elizabeth Cittie in 1619 and was included in Elizabeth City County when it was formed in 1643.^[4]

Sibsey returned to England for a time, but was back in Virginia during the winter of 1626-27. In Sept., 1632 and Feb., 1633, John Sibsey was a burgess for the upper parish of Elizabeth City, and in 1636-37, probably in January, he was made a councillor. He was burgess for Lower Norfolk in 1639 and 1641. He was a justice from July 1637 for many years, sheriff in 1642 and 1645, commander of Lower Norfolk in 1645 and 1646, and deputy lieutenant of the county in 1646. From at least 1647 he was a co-partner in the ships John and Barbary and America, and a freighter in the ships Bellman and Blessing.^[3]

John Sibsey married Elizabeth Lambert. Known children include Thomas Sibsey and Mary Sibsey.

On 01 June 1635 he was granted a land patent for 1,500 acres in the "parish of Elizabeth City".^[3] An additional grant was recorded on 17 August 1637 for 1,500 acres in Lower Norfolk County, for transport of 30 persons.^[5] He recorded additional acreage:

• 2 Sep 1624 - John Sipsey, of Kichoughtan, "yeoman," was granted a tract of 250 acres on the "south side of the river over against Kiccoughtan," as Hampton was then called.^[3]
• 5 Apr 1649 - 80 acres called "the Thickett," Lower Norfolk County.^[5]
• 5 Apr 1649 - 240 acres Lower Norfolk County^[5]

Death & Legacy

John Sibsey of Elizabeth River in the county of Lower Norfolk made his last Will on 15 July 1652 and within a month he had died.

His Will was recorded at court on 16 Aug 1652 and mentioned ...

- land called Craney Point to be sold towards payment of debts

- to unnamed wife, all plates, servants and boat

- to daughter Mary Sibsey, all the residue of his land joining Craney Point

- to Harry Weeks, all the land now in the possession of Richard Palmer

- all the residue of lands to wife

- to Margery Wickstead, widow, 500 lbs tobacco and a legacy to Elizabeth, daughter of said Margery

- all residue to be divided into three parts, of which two to wife and one to daughter, and if the later die without issue, half of her estate to revert back to his wife and half to daughter's husband, Mr. Richard Conquest

- to brother-in-law, Thomas Lambert, one pistole and my feather

- to William Jermy, black-hilted rapier and belt and all debts due him from said Jermy

- executors: wife and friends, Thomas Lambert and William Jermy.

A 1777 deed ^[6] recalled the history of the Sibsey homestead "Manor Plantation" ...

part#1: administrators of Lewis Conner, deceased

part#2: his son, Lewis Conner

part#3: Elizabeth Lawson, widow and devisee of Lewis Conner, grandfather of the present Lewis Conner ...

reciting that John Sibsey died seized of 1,500 acres in the "parish of Elizabeth City" granted to him by patent, 01 June 1635 and by his Will dated 1652, devised to his daughter, Mary Sibsey, and her heirs, which said Mary married Thomas Fulsher (husband#2) and had issue John Fulsher, her son and heir. John Fulsher by deed dated 19 Sep 1680, conveyed it to Lewis Conner, then husband of Elizabeth Lawson.

Sources

1. ↑ Sibley/Shipsle/Sibsey/Sipsey, John - A7202; died by 1652 Lower Norfolk Co., Virginia; Upper Parish of Elizabeth City: 1632, 1633 (Burgess); 1637 (Councillor); Lower Norfolk Co.: 1638, 1640, 1642 (Burgess). accessed 25 October 2021
2. ↑ Hotten, John Camden, Editor. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants' Religious Exiles; … and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700. John Camden Hotten: London, 1874. Reprinted Empire State Book Co., New York. Page 185
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Volume I. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company 1915. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008.Page 108
4. ↑ Hampton, Virginia
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Nugent, Nell Marion, Abstracted and Indexed by. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. In Five Volumes. Richmond, VA.: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1935. Pages 64, 179.
6. ↑ Norfolk County, Virginia Deeds, dated: 17 Aug 1777

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