DREW FAMILY OF VIRGINIA
DREW FAMILY OF VIRGINIA
The Drew/Drewe/Drue/Dru family can be traced back to Rollo, 1st Duke of Normandy, approximately b. 860 A.D. His grandson Richard the Fearless had two sons—Richard the Good, 4th Duke, whose grandson was William the Conqueror; and William, Count of Eu, whose grandson was Drogo Fitz-Pong (Ponz), who was accorded the honor of starting the Drew family line.{From: (dreward@compuserve.com)}
Gange-Rolfe/Rollo was also known as Ragnvalfsson (Rolf the Ganger), and as Rolf Wend-a-Foor. He became known as Robert or Rollo once settled in Normandy. He begat William I Longsword, 2nd Duke of Normandy, who begat Richard I the Fearless, 3rd Duke of Normandy, who begat Richard II the Good , 4th Duke of Normandy, who begat Robert II the Devil, 6th Duke of Normandy, who had an illegitimate child by Herleva, named William the Conqueror. William's great aunt Emma of Normandy, sister of William's grandfather, Richard II, was the wife of Aethelraed II the Unready, King of England, and who, after Aethelraed's death married Sveynsson the Canute II the Great, King of England and Denmark, Knut. Emma's son was English King Edward the Confessor. Thus, Edward the Confessor was William the Conqueror's first cousin once-removed, as well as being a cousin to the Drew family of England. (http://www.txdirect.net/users/rrichard/911.htm)
In the year 91 A.D., or thereabouts, King Charles the Simple of France made a treaty with a Viking named Rolf, or Rollo. Under the terms of the treaty, Rollo and his men, and their descendants, were granted "the land from the river Epte to the Sea, and the town of Rouen," in exchange for which they would recognize Charles as their king, would desist from attacks on France, and would accept baptism. This sort of treaty was common at this time, used by a number of rulers to establish a buffer zone which would protect the core of their kingdom from the raids of the Northmen, or Norsemen—the Vikings.
Rollo, who took the baptismal name Robert, styled himself as the "Comte de Rouen," the count of Rouen. He and his successors forged a state that had a massive impact on the European world, in which the Viking origins of its inhabitants were submerged beneath the Frankish culture they adopted and the international culture they imported and encouraged. In 1204 the French king Philip confiscated the Norman territories of his unruly vassal, now styled Duke of Normandy. By this time the Normans had become Kings of England, Sicily, as well as the lords (as Prince, Regent, Count, or warlord) of Southern Italy, Southern France, most of the territories in the Holy Lands, and Northern Africa. The Normans are featured in the family trees of virtually every ruler in Europe. The Normans themselves, however, were a spent force, becoming as indistinguishable as their Viking predecessors had at about the time they began their own ascendancy. "Who were the Normans?" Created by Charles McCathieNevile 5 Sept 97. (http://www.srl.rmit.edu…./Normannia/normans.html)
The main problem is actually being able to find records linking Drogo (Drew) Fitz/Ponz to the modern Drews since the Middle Age's plagues resulted in somewhat unreliable records. A Richard Fitzponce can be located on Family Tree Maker "FamilyFinder Index" as early as 1050-1149; another can be found in English records from 1080 until 1089. A Richard Fitzpons has been located in Wales from 1070-1079 in Wales; a Simon Fitzpons has been found in England from 1060 to 1069. These can all be found on Family Tree Maker's WORLD FAMILY TREE. Dreux Drogo, Count of Drogo has been found in France, b. 1010-1019, with Drogo, 9th Duke of Man Drogo found in England, b. 1870-1879.
Some American lines go back to Devon, England, to establish from which city or parish the Americans descend. In the DREW OF SURRY COUNTY, VIRGINIA, BY Claiborne T. Smith, Jr., in HISTORICAL SOUTHERN FAMILIES, Vol. 4, pp. 237-245, by Boddie, we find an account of the Drews who came to Virginia.
"According to Vivian's Visitations of Devon, the visitation of 1620 there is listed the pedigree of Thomas Drew of the city of Exeter and his wife Dorothy, the daughter of Peter Walcott of Exeter. Their children were Henry, b. 1612, Thomas, b. @1614, George, and Susan. The arms of this Thomas Drew were ermine, a lion passant, gules with a crest, on a mount vert, a stag courant. These were the arms of the Drews of Sharpham who had long been established in Devon.
"The son Thomas Drew in the above pedigree was very likely Col. Thomas Drew, a prominent early citizen in Charles City Co., Va. On 11-11-1665 Thomas Drew conveyed certain properties to his only child Dorothy and should she die without issue, he devised the same to his brother George Drew of the realm of England. (Fleet 13-53). Col. Drew was of the right age for the Thomas in the Visitation of 1620 and probably named his only daughter for his mother Dorothy Walcott.
"Thomas Drew first appeared in Charles City 10-12-1650 when he purchased land there from Richard Pace {incidentally, this is the early ancestor of this researcher}, (Virginia Historical Genealogies, p. 166). On 6-4-1657 he patented 490 acres on the north side of Flower dew Hundred Creek. (cp. -347). He married @ 1664 Frances, the daughter of James Ward and the widow of William Barker. However, his only child, Dorothy, appears to have been by prior marriage as she was married in 1673. In the records of the General Court of Virginia, 5-16-1672, there is a notation that Theororic Bland, dec'd, had been entrusted with the estate of Dorothy, orphan of Col. Drew, dec'd, and that Honorable Thomas Ludwell, Esq., one of the executors of Col. Drew, moved the court in behalf of the estate of the said orphan. By 1673 Dorothy Drew is mentioned as the wife of Capt. Hubert Farrel. (Fleet 13-84). According to the Charles City Court Minutes, Capt. Farrel was dead in 1677. There is no record of issue. Several persons named Drew appear in the early Virginia records but their relationship to Colonel Thomas Drew has not been established. An examination of the records of Devon show that the Draws were numerous in that part of England for many generations. Many colonists embarked for the New World from the nearby ports of Plymouth and Bristol and it is probable that the other early Drew emigrants to Virginia were Dev on men.
"The first Drew in Virginia was Edward Drew. According to the Muster of all the inhabitants in Virginia, taken in 1623, he was then living on the Eastern Shore and had come to Virginia in 1618 at the age of 16 on board the ship "Sampson." (Hotten) In 1636 he patented 300 acres in Accomac and 200 acres on 10-10-1639. (C.P. 117) This land afterwards fell in Northampton when that county was formed from Accomac. The entire 500 acres was sold by Drew 4-9—1648. (C.P. 71) Edward Drew and his wife Mary were listed as headright in a grant of 800 acres to Capt. William Shittington in Northampton in 1653. (C.P. 294) In 1694 Lt. Col. Wm. Kendall was granted 900 acres in Northampton, 300 acres of which were purchased of Edward Dobbey "heir to Mr. Edward Drew." (Nugent) There is no further record of this Edward Drew. On 7-4-1635 Edward Drew, age 18, departed Gravesend, England, bound for Virginia in the "Transport" of London. (Hotten) Nothing is known about him.
"Richard Drew(1), the first of the name in Surry, from whom the family is traced, appears for the first time in the Surry records as a juror in 1660. (O.B.) It is not known when he came to Virginia. Persons by the name of Richard Drew were listed as headrights by Thomas Simmons in 1643, Capt. John West, Gloucester Co., 1654, and Peter Foard in 1658. (Nugent) On 4-14-1664, Wm Butler sold to Richard Drew "Planter" land on the southwest swamp between John Drew and where Butler then lived, formerly belonging to his father Wm. Butler, dec'd, by patent dated 8-29-1643; adj. Wm Lawrence. Wit: George Watkins, Joane Fones. (Surry Rec. 1645-1681; p. 235). This land was near the Surry-Isle of Wight border as the 1643 grant to Wm Butler lay on Lawne's Creek. Nothing is known of the John Drew mentioned in the above deed though he may have been a brother of Richard Drew. There is no further record of him. In 1657 JOANNA DREW, "NOW WIFE OF THOMAS STEVENSON" aged about 28, made a deposition in Surry. (O.B. 1645-1672; p. 113). [Note the name Thomas Stephenson Drew, third governor of Arkansas in the 1840s.] Her relationship to Richard Drew(1) is unknown. Richard Drew appeared on the tithable list in Lands?? Creek Parish in 1668, with 3 persons of taxable age. On 1-2-1667 Richard Drew and his wife Mabel conveyed 400 acres of land to Richard Harris. On 4-23-1667 he patented 800 acres of land "nigh Mr. Allen's path" and "thence to the land of Richard Harrison." (G.B. 6-58) Also, on 3-1-1672, he patented 250 acres in the same vicinity. (G.B. 6-449) On 3-1-1677 Thomas Drew and wife Faith sold to Richard Drew a tract of land purchased from Thomas Blunt, nigh Capt. Baker. (O.B. 213) As mentioned earlier, there is no known relationship between Richard Drew of Surry and Col Thomas Drew of Charles City and Edward Drew of Accomac. However, it is of interest that Richard Drew had sons named Thomas and Edward. Richard Drew made his will 4-4-1679, probated 5-6-1679, and bequeathed to son Edward 400 acres next to Capt Baker, to son John land at Blunts Corner, to son Richard home plantation; to wife Mabel the rest of estate with housing for life, then at her death to daughter Mabel Drew. Son Thomas was named executor. The surname of his wife is unknown. Issue: I. Thomas Drew. II. Edward Drew. III. John Drew. IV. Richard Drew. V. Mabel Drew"
My ancestor is Edward Drew(2) of Surry and Southampton, Va., son of Richard(1). He married Frances, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Jones—her married name) Newitt. The will of William Newitt, died 8-18-1713, and probated in Surry 10-21-1713, mentioned wife Elizabeth; Frances, mother of Newitt Drew, and grandsons Newitt Edwards, Wm Edwards, Newitt Drew and Thomas Drew. The will of his widow Elizabeth Newitt was probated Surry 11-18-1719. Edward Drew deeded land to his brother Thomas Drew on 7-10-1695. On 3-16-1719 he sold 400 acres to William Drew of Lawnes Creek which had been left "to said Edward Drew by father Richard Drew." He made his will in Southampton 11-24-1745, probated 3-8-1746, and mentioned grandson Wm Turner and the children and grandchildren later mentioned.
I. Thomas Drew. He moved to N.C. On 5-14-1728 Richard Killingworth conveyed to him land on the south side of the Moratock River on the south side of Cypress Swamp. (Bertie D.B. "B" 397) This land lay in what was later Halifax Co., N.C. Thomas Drew died intestate. In Feb. 1757 he conveyed his property to his 4 sons: Newitt, Thomas, John, and Jesse. (Halifax Registry)
II. Newitt Drew m. Mary Purcell (S.V. F. 372). His will, probated in Southampton 8-10-1775, mentioned sons Edward, Jeremiah and Jesse, and daughters Patience Smith, Priscilla Fitzhugh, Selah Figures, and Olive Harris.
III. Ann Drew m. Benjamin Lane and moved to Halifax Co., N.C. Their son Joseph Lane was sheriff there 1751-52 and in his will, probated Nov. 1758, mentioned brothers Wm and Newitt and sisters Faith Bynum and Drucilla Bryant. Wm Lane left a will dated 1-22-1786, Halifax Co. W.B. 3-106. His daughter Martha m. Jethro Battle of Edgecombe County.
IV. Mary Drew(3), daughter of Edward(2), m. John Harris. Children: Newitt, Nathan, Thomas Drew, Ann, Martha, all mentioned in the will of Edward Drew in 1745.
My ancestor Newitt Drew was from Southampton County, VA, moving from there to Wilson County, Tennessee, in 1797 or 1798. At this time his father is unknown. He settled at Overton, which was a place on Dorcheat Bayou approximately 2 1/1 to 3 miles south the present side of Minden, Louisiana, between 1815 and 1817. He was a gunsmith and had a gristmill there. His sons were Harmon A. Drew, who became the first probate judge of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. Another son was Richard Maxwell Drew who served as District Judge in Webster Parish, which was carved out of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. A third brother was THOMAS STEPHENSON DREW, the third governor of Arkansas. He did run for re-election on the condition that the salary would be increased. When it was not, he resigned the governorship, which at that time paid $1500.00 per year.
On 1-7-1832 in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, my g. g. grandfather John Geren, Jr., third son of John Geren, Sr., and his wife, Mildred Lard, was born 6-11-1813 in Arkansas, married first Jane Hays Drew (Scallorn), daughter of Newitt Drew mentioned above, a sister of the three mentioned brothers. Jane was born on 4-14-1806 and died 1-6-1850 in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. She was the widow of John Scallorn, by whom she had one son, Joab Scallorn, born 1-6-1832.
John Geren, Jr., and Rachel Ann Drew (Young), were married 5-16-1850. Rachel Ann (twice a widow) was born 10-13-1810 and was a sister of Jane Hays Drew Geren. Rachel Ann had three children by her first marriage: Shadrack Lafayette Reed, born 12-25-1825; James Maxwell Reed, b. 1-1-1828/d.7-11-1837; and Sarah Ann Laura Reed, b. 6-21/1830. By her second husband she had Thomas Stephen Young, b. 1-16/1842, and Susan Caroline Young, b. 12-10-1844. (Copied from records of a family Bible of Mr. Richard S. Watson, P.O. Box 98, Richmond, Kentucky, 40475).
On the Census of 1850 for Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, taken 9-26-1850, page 119, we find:
John Geren 37 years farmer born in Ark.
Rachel A. 39 Tenn
Harmon 17 attending school La.
Newet 15 La.
Martha J. 13 attending school La.
Rachel A. 7 attending school La.
Thomas R. 5 La
Narcissa 2 La
Almedia 9/12 La
Thomas S. Young 8 attending school La
Susan C. 5 La
Sarah A. Reed 20 La
In September of 1853, John Geren was appointed clerk of the Baptist Society, organized December 29, 1844. John Geren, Jr., died 11-29-1862 in Claiborne parish, Louisiana. It is not known where he is buried. The children of John Geren, Jr., and Jane Hays Drew Geren were (1) Harmon A. Geren, b. 2-14-1833 in La, and was a private on Company A, 28th Louisiana Infantry, CSA. No further records. (2) Newit Geren was born 11-28-1834 and died 2-9-1835. (3) Newitt Drew Geren was born 12-19-1835 and died 10-23-1864. He was a private in Company A, 28th Louisiana Infantry, CSA, and died from complications of being wounded in battle. (4) Martha Jane Geren was born 6-30-1838 and died 6-15-1851. (5) Laura Geren was born 9-15-1840 and died 10-8-1843. (6) Rachel Ann Geren was born 12-7-1842. No further records. (7) Thomas Richard Geren was born 5-9-1845. Q.v.
(8) Narcissa Geren was born 11-14-1847 and died after 1890, marrying a Mr. Goodlove of Arkansas. (9) Almedia Geren was born 12-25-1849. No further records.
John Geren, Jr. And his second wife Rachel Ann Drew Geren had son, Harmon Lucien Geren, b. 10-1-1855. No further records.
Newitt Drew Geren married Miss Mary Cathan Norris—called Sarah, both being residents of Bienville Parish, Louisiana on the 12th day of May 1856. Their children were (1) Emanuel A. Geren, b. 2-28-1857, d. 8-19-1857; (2)William Harper Geren, b. 1-25-1859, d. 4 Jan 1936; (3) Emma Geren, twin of Willie Harper, b/d 1-25-1859; (4) Richard Edward Geren, b. 2-7-1861, d. 3-13-1936; (5) Fannie L. Geren, b. 1-18-1862, d. 1892; and Newit Drew Geren, b. 4-26-1865, d. 4-30-1887, never married.
Fannie L. Geren married James A. Steward in 1881 in Kaufman County, Texas. Fannie died in 1892, leaving three sons: John Moses Stewart, b. 11-12-1882; James Drew Stewart, b. 1884; and Lee Stewart, b. 1886.
When Fannie died, James A. Stewart married the widow, Mrs. Emma McMillian Stovall, in 1892.
I descend from John Moses Stewart and Lettie Elizabeth Lowry's daughter, Allie Kathryn Stewart who married Claude L. Smith. I, Peggy A. Smith Givens, b. 3-30-39 married George G. Givens, b. 5-1-38 on 9-1-1957. We have one daughter Jill Leigh Givens Olsen, b. 1-19-60, who married Daniel Lee Olsen, b. 1-3-1957 on 5-30-1982. Their children are Jeffrey Daniel Olsen, b. 12-21-1983; Chad Michael, b. 8-31-1987; and Tucker Garrett, b. 4-16-91. (This is my lineage back to the Drews.)
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