General Notes

Every immigrant to the colony in the 17th century was granted 50 acres asa "headright" to get them started. But often these grants were assignedto a benefactor who had paid for their passage from England to thecolony. There, we find that Ambrose Meador had on 1 Jun 1636, surrenderedto a Peter Johnson in Warrisquicke Co. (later Isle of Wight Co.) 150acres of headright land due for the immigration of Ambrose, his wife anda servant. It should be noted that in many cases delays of several yearsoccurred in the official recording of such documents, therefore, theactual date of Ambrose's arrival could have been a few years previous to1636.

Soon after the recording of this headright, other records show thatAmbrose Meador in partnership with John White purchased 50 acres of landfrom Thomas Davis. Then, in 1649, he bought 300 acres from AmbroseBennett on the south side of the Pajan River. These purchases were inwhat became Isle of Wight in the Virginia colony, south of the JamesRiver. It is evident that other purchases were made for when records nolonger exist, on the basis of reference to land that Ambrose owned at"Ambrose Meador's Point", cited as a landmark. Adjoining these lands ofAmbrose Meador on the Pajan River were grants of 300 acres and 600 acresto Richard Bennett, and 1100 acres to Ambrose Bennett. Much can belearned from these associations. All of the above mentioned men with whomAmbrose Meador dealt and whose lands adjoined his own were prominentmembers of the early Puritan Church.

The Puritan movement had originated in England in the late 16th centuryas part of the Protestant reformation directed against the CatholicChurch. It continued its reformation efforts against the Church ofEngland (Anglican) which had been created when Henry VIII severed allties with the Catholic Church. In particular, the Puritan adherents feltthat Henry VIII had not gone far enough in merely separating from theCatholic Church. The designation "Puritan" derived from their determinedefforts to "purify" the Church of England with regard to: 1) forms ofworship and the clerical vestments; 2) the organization of the church;and 3) certain theological doctrines.

The Puritan movement was not treated favorably by James I, King ofEngland, and migration began into Holland. By 1610 the Puritans had begunto settle in Virginia on both sides of the Pajan River in WarrisquickeCounty (now Isle of Wight). Many settlers succumbed to hardships, diseaseand recurrent Indian attacks. After the Indian massacre of 1622throughout the Virginia settlements, only 33 European persons were leftin the Warrisquicke Co. area.

Sometime after the tragedy but certainly before the recording of hisheadright in 1633, Ambrose Meador came to the Virginia colony. Becausethe records show he was married when he arrived but had no children, thepassage must have taken place before 1633, the year in which his firstson, John, was born.

It is not known if Ambrose Meador came to Virginia from Holland orEngland. Some indications point to Suffolk in agricultural East Anglia,northeast of London, as the possible origin of the Meadors.

As we attempt to recreate Ambrose Meador's background, it is quitesignificant that in Virginia he settled near and dealt with AmbroseBennett, a relative of Edward Bennett, who was one of the Elders of the"Ancient Church" faction of the Puritan movement. Edward owned a fleet ofships that transported and supplied many of the Puritan colonials. Edwardmarried into the wealthy Bourne family and was granted thousands of acresfor transporting hundreds of colonists and their servants. His relativeRichard Bennett was overseer of his plantations and later became Governorof Virginia.

A neighbor of Ambrose Meador's was Thomas Jordan, a prominent member ofthe Puritan movement.

Perhaps as early as 1632, construction was begun on a church, just a fewmiles south of the lands of Ambrose Meador. Durably built of h