General Notes

Nicholas Farrar was a distinguished member of the Virginia Company;married Mary Woodenworth of an Cheshire family.

Of the town of Hertford, in 1570, was taxed on L60.6.8. On August 13,1590 administration on the goods of John Farrar of Hertford was grantedhis widow Mary. This John Farrar was the father of Nicholas Farrar, Sr.of London. The books of the Skinners Company show that at Michaelmas,1564, Nicholas Farrar, son of John Farrar, of the town of Hertford, wasapprenticed to John Harvey kinner and merchant adventurer, and that hetook up his freedom December 1574, became a member of his company, andwas it's master in 1613.

Nicholas Ferrar, born 1544, died April 1620, was an eminent merchant ofLondon and a leading member of the Virginia Company. He tradedextensively with East and West Indies, and other parts of the world andwas the friend of many of the important men of the day. Raleigh, Hawkins,Drake and Sandy's were frequently his guests. At his house in St. Sythe'sLane, meetings of the Virginia Company were often held.
By indenture dated March 2, 1607, Nicholas Farrar, of London, Skinner,bought from Wm. Allen, of London, Esq. For L1000 a house in St. SythesLane, parish of St.Bennet Sherehog "Now in the possession of saidFarrar," and on June 1st, 1608, he bought from the same person for L20,"All the chamber now in the holding of said William Allen, acituate andbeing over the gate of the great massuage, now in the tenure of saidNicholas Farrar". The purchase of this "great chamber over the gate,"was, Farrar says for the meeting of the Virginia Company.
Carter's Life of Nicholas Farrar (Jr.) 1892, gives this interestingdescription of Nicholas Farrar, Sr. and his wife:
Nicholas Farrar, the elder, was of a fair type and the great merchant ofLondon, well born, loyal. (He was written Esquire by Queen Elizabeth inturn for liberal assistance), hot tempered generous hearted, a man ofwide symphathies gathering many of the notable men of the day round thehospitable table of his fine house in the city, a zealous churchman,repairing and seating at his own expense, his parish church of St.Sythes, and providing a morning preacher for the same. Mr. Farrar'sportrait by Jenssen, is to be seen at Cambridge, in the Master's Lodge,of Magdolen College, a fine face with uprightness and honest in everyline. His wife Mary Woodennoth,* of the ancient family of the Woodennothsof Shavington, was a remarkable woman, gifted with the same power ofempressing her personality on those around her, which was one of the mostmarked characteristics of her son Nicholas. Her portrait hangs beside herhusband's. The firm delicate lines of finely cut features, theexquisitely fair complection, the noble and serious countenance, suitswell the description which is given of her in he memoir of her son. "Weare told that she was beautiful, bright haired and fair, even to hereighteith year (at her death in 1634, she is said to have been in her83rd year) highly educated, of strong judgement, a wise and even temperso that her choleric husband declared that in their five and forty yearsof married life, she had never given him cause for anger, a woman who didnot talk much, but whose word was law in her little world, and whosediscreat, careful, charitable life was grounded in a deep love and studyof the will of God.

Was written Esquire by Queen Elizabeth in turn for liberal assistance.His portrait by Jenssen, is to be seen at Cambridge, in the Master'sLodge, of Magdolen College. His wife is of the ancient family ofWoodennoths of Shavington, her portrait hangs next to her husbandsportrait.
"Beyond a doubt, Sherwood and Alexander Fowler were brothers. I think Iremember hearing my father say that his grandfather, Alexander Fowler,died at the old Fowler homestead in Goochland, Va. The place is now ownedby a Mr. Richard James. My father settled in Louisa County about 1839. Iam a descendant of the distinguished English Farrar family in my maternalline; my mother, Martha Ann (Shelton) Fowler was a daughter of SallyFarrar, who married Major Thomas Shelton. The Farrars have been traced inan unbroken line of English and Norman descent for six hundred years.Nicholas Farrar and his sons, John and Nicholas, Jr., were prominentofficials in the London Colonization Company which colonized Virginia.The meetings of that company were often held in the home of NicholasFarrar, Sr. I had the Farrar Tree reaching down to me; it was printed onvellum, but it was also burned when my home was."--Annals of the FowlerFamily- Author: Glenn D.F. Arthur
Call Number: CS71.F681x, page 297
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Source:  Diane Fyans Roos,  "Fyans/Slater ancestors and many other lines that were found in research by many people.", 2002

Nicholas Ferrar (b. ca 1544/46,
Hertfordshire, England; d. Apr 1620) and Mary Wodenorth (b. ca 1551,
Shavington, Cheshire, England; d. 1634). Nicholas and Mary had 6 children:
Susannah, John, Erasmus, Nicholas, Richard and William. Nicholas Ferrar's
(Richard's father) parents were John Ferrar (b. Hertfordshire, England; d. ca
1590) and Mary. Were I have a lot of informtion is on the ancestors of Mary
Wodenorth. They were listed of the Visitatio of Cheshire bookds and so you can
find their family traced all the way to the time of reign (1216-1272). I don't
know how trustworthy that information is since there can be problems with the
information listed on the Visitation books, but it at least provided a place to
start researching. I will just give you a little bit of the info her. Mary's
father was George Woodnett (b. Shavington, Cheshire, England.) He married
first Maud Wood and then Anne Strkey. Mary is Anne's daught. George
Woodnett's father is Lawrence Woodnett (d. ca 1489, Ireland) who married Joice
Wilbram (daughter of Thomas Wilbram, Esq. of Woodhey, England).

Father: John FERRAR b: ABT 1510/1520 in ,Hertfordshire,England

Marriage 1 Mary WODENORTH b: ABT 1551 in Shavington,Cheshire,England
Children
Richard FERRIS b: 1596 in of,Cheshire,England
Susannah FERRAR b: 1580/1599 in of,Hertfordshire,Eng
John FERRAR b: 1580/1599 in of,Hertfordshire,Eng
Erasmus FERRAR b: 1580/1599 in of,Hertfordshire,Eng
Nicholas FERRAR b: 1580/1599 in of,Hertfordshire,Eng
William FERRAR b: 1580/1599 in of,Hertfordshire,Eng
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Source:  Edwin Griffin,  "Jack Tilghman Griffin's Ancesters", 2002

Nicholas Ferrar (1544-April 1620) an eminent merchant of London and a Member of the Virginia Company, traded extensively to the East and West Indies. Nicholas married Mary Woodenoth, daughter of George Woodnoth, Shevington. They had issue: Susannah, John, Erasmus, Nicholas, Captain William, Richard and Joyce. Nicholas and Mary were highly respected citizens and their portraits may be viewed in the Master's Lodge at Magdolen College at Cambridge.
H1200. NICHOLAS FERRAR. Born 1544 in Hertford, England. "One of London's merchant princes, and he and his two elder sons were prominent members of the Virginia Company." Died April 1620 in London, England. Buried at Little Gidding Church, Huntingdonshire. Parents: father JOHN FERRAR (H2400), mother unknown.

From Carter's Life of Nicholar Ferrar (Jr.), 1892:
Nicholas Ferrar, the elder, was a fair type of the great merchants of London, well-born, loyal (he "was written Esquire by Queen Elizabeth" in return for liberal assistance), hot-tempered, generous hearted, a man of wide sympathies, gathering many of the notable men of the day round the hospitable table of his fine house in the city; a zealous churchman, repairing and seating at his own expense his parish church of St. Sythes, and providing a morning preacher for the same. Mr. Ferrar's portrait, by Janssen, is to be seen at Cambridge in the Master's Lodge at Magdalen College, a fine open face with uprightness and honesty in every line. His wife, Mary Woodenoth, of the ancient family of Woodenoths of Shavington, was a remarkable woman, gifted with the same power of impressing her personality on those round her which was one of the marked characteristics of her son, Nicholas. Her portrait hangs beside her husband's. The firm, delicate lines of finely cut features, the exquisitely fair complexion, the noble and serious countenance suit well with the description which is given of her in the memoir of her son.
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