Major John Drury Stith

Stith, John, (Major) came to Virginia before 1656 and settled in Charles City county. In 1656 he was a lieutenant of militia, in 1676 a captain, and in 1680 a major. He was also a merchant, a lawyer and a justice of the peace. He was a prominent supporter of Sir William Berkeley during Bacon's rebellion in 1676. In 1686 he was a burgess for Charles City county. He left issue— John Stith, Drury Stith, Anne, (who) married Colonel Robert Bolling.

That's the beginning of a list of his descendants.   I'm not sure who compiled it, but it's available over at Ancestry Dot Com.  And it seems to have mostly accurate information.

Bacon's Rebellion of 1676 is mentioned in his biography.  Do you remember about that in those early American History classes?  Here're some sources of information. 

 

Bacon arriving in Jamestown, VA, painting by Pyle

 

Bacon's rebellion, burning the Virginia colony's capital of Jamestown 1676

The Wikepedia article seems pretty biased (a bit unusual).  The Encyclopedia article has some factual information and a good timeline of all the events, and many participants. 

Bacon before the Virginia Council

Nathaniel Bacon 1646-1676

I was impressed how the telling of the history of this event changed, as mentioned that before 1950 it reflected one opinion, and afterward another.  I think I learned the 1950 version actually...so am glad I've reviewed the different possible conclusions.  The way history is written is often so intriguing. One person says this event led to laws which eventually created the slave economy of the south.  Another says this rebellion was a precursor of the American Revolution a hundred years later.  Then the author says that neither of these things can be attributed to Bacon's Rebellion.

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Back to the Stith family...

I am not going further into the sons/daughters of Major John Drury Stith and Jane Mosby Gregory Parson Stith today.  That's because of confusing ancestry trees...one saying their firstborn was WIlliam who married Jane Randolph, and the other saying firstborn was John who married Jane Randolph.

I can live a lot longer if I don't waste my grey cells on who these people married, and thus had a legacy of presidents of the College of William and Mary, which I attended (summer school session anyway!)

My ancestor (eight times great grandmother) was the daughter of John and Jane Stith, Anne Meriwether Stith who married Col. Robert Bolling. I've blogged about them HERE, and here!

Today's quote:

Jealousy is a common human feeling and usually stems from a place of lack in our own lives. Madisyn Taylor