Early Quaker Records in Virginia
By Miles White Jr.
Reprinted 1977
Genalogical Publishing Co.
Baltimore

Excerpted
Page 1
[The association is indebted to Mr. Miles White Jr., of Baltimore Md., for this material. Brackets [ ] with enclosures have been inserted by him.

"Among the original records belonging to the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, of which I am custodian, none is more frequently consulted than the book containing the earliest records of Friends in Nansemond and Isle of Wight counties, VA. This is probably largely due to the fact that Nansemond county was in early days largely peopled by the Puritan and the Quaker, and that the court and land records of this county were years ago destroyed by fire, and therefore any genealogical data relating to its residents is now eagerly sought after."

"Numerous pages have been in whole or in part cut out and doubtless much valuable material has thereby been lost, some entries are almost illegible and through constant use this old book has become so worn that it cannot last much longer if continually used. And therefore with the permission of the meeting, I have had the genealogical matter contained therein copied, and through the courtesy of these Publications now present the same to the public."

"The original spelling of all names and places has been carefully preserved and it will be noticed that the same name is often spelled differently in different entries." Endquote


The Nansemond Monthly Meeting records begin in 1673, but contain mostly records not related to genealogy, and therefore, not mentioned as part of this study. That the meeting was operational prior to this time is evidenced by Pagan Creek records indicate missionaries came to Virginia as early as 1656-57, but formal records from that time to 1672 are lost.

Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. reprinted 1977 Gen. Pub. Co. Balt. Is a source which is published dealing only with the Nansemond Monthly meeting, owing to the deteriorating condition of the original meeting book, and the purpose of the book was to preserve the records before they were illegible, or destroyed due to handling.

The earliest record of the Quaker family of John Small is recorded in the Nansemond County Quaker Monthly Meeting records "On the tenth day of ye fift month in ht year 1683" (July 10th 1683) when he witnessed the marriage of Robert Jones & Martha Rice.

None of the witnesses in this entry give any indication of the name of John's wife's maiden name, and none are mentioned listing a woman named Ann, whom he is later found to have as spouse.

The next Small related entry, dated 25th day of 12th month 1688 lists the marriage of "John Small the sonn of John Small of Nanzemund and Alce Hollowell the daughter of Alce Hollowell of Elizabeth River." This record lists witnesses, but more importantly, also their relationship to the married couple. After the husband and wife signed, John Smallis listed as "far" (father of the groom,) and Alce Hollowell "mor" (mother of the bride). Also listed are "bror" (brothers) as Joseph Hollowell, Nathan Newby, (in-law) John Hollowell, and Benjamin Small. Also listed among the witnesses, and no relation is given, is Anie Small.

The relationship to the others is not given for Anie Small, but in Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy she is listed as wife of the elder John Small. The possibility remains that she could be a daughter of John , and sister of the groom.

A genealogy built from the sources thus far would indicate the following in the year 1688:

1. John Small
wife unknown
Children:
.. 2 Benjamin Small
.. 2 John Small
Alce Hollowell m 25 Feb. 1688

unidentified Anie Small; (wife of John, or possible sister of Benjamin and John).
Alce Hollowell, daughter of Alce Hollowell, has a sister Elizabeth who married Nathan Newby the previous year, (1687) and therefore, Nathan is listed in the above marriage as "bror" (brother) when he is really brother-in-law of John Small as listed in the marriage above.

Benjamine Small & Elizabeth Hallowell publish their intentions to marry and on the twelfth day of the first month 1699, (March 12, 1699) were married in the Chuckatuck Meeting House. In attendance were John, Mathew and Alice Small. Their relationship to the married couple is not noted in the records. However, given the dates, and later information concerning these individuals, it is known that John and Alice are husband and wife, and John is brother to Benjamin. Matthew is also noted, and if of maturity in 1699, would also be a brother of John and Benjamin. (note: children did not witness marriages, therefore, Matthew has to be a son of the older John.) He is also noted as a man of some substance, he contributed 250 lbs tobacco in support of the new Meeting House constructed on Levin Buskin's Plantation, which was listed as 2nd month 3rd day 1702.

A marriage in 1703, 16thy day of the 3rd month between Abraham Rickesis and Mary Belson lists Benjamin and Elizabeth (Hollowell) Small as uncle and aunt, thereby noting a connection between the Belson and Small family.

William Denson son of John Denson of the Isle of White county and Anney Small daughter of Benj Small of nansemond County having declared their intentions of taking each other in marriage before several publick meetings of the people called Quakers in Virginia were married at a publick meetin of the affore sd people and others mett together att the house of Benj Small on this 20th day of ye 12 mo. 1723/4
Witnesses included Ailis Small, Benj. Benj. Jr., John and Thomas Small.

Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. 6 p.28 dated 1723/4 12,20 William, (Denson) s John, Isle of Wight Co.; m at the house of Benj. Small, Amay Small, dt Benjamin Nansemond Co. No witnesses are recorded by Hinshaw.Witnesses included Ailis Small, Benj. Benj. Jr., John and Thomas Small. The relationship between Thomas and the rest of the Small family is uncertain, however, the balance of the Small clan can likely be determined from this record and previous ones as follows:

1. John Small
wife unknown
Children:
.. 2 Benjamin Small
Elizabeth Hollowell m. 12 Mar 1699
3. Ann
John Denson m. 20 Feb. 1722/3
3. Benjamin Jr.
.. 2 John Small
Alce Hollowell m. 25 Feb. 1688
3. Joseph Small
Ann Owen m. 18 Oct. 1722
..2. Matthew Small

A new addition to the genealogy is the marriage between Joseph Small son of John and Ann Owen daughter of Gilbert Owen, both of Nansemond County. They were married there on the 18th day of October 1722. What is not clear, is whether Joseph is the son of John and wife un-named, or John and wife Alce Hollowell. Given the date of the marriage, the age of the patriarch of this genealogy, it is more likely that Joseph is the son of John and Alce, but this is not proved beyond a doubt at this point.

Page 45
Benjamin Small & Elizabeth his wife their children births recorded
Amy Small daughter to the above sd Benjamin & Elizabeth was born on the 30 day of the first mo 1702
Hannah Small daughter to the above sd Benjamin & Elizabeth was born upon the last day of the third mo in the year 1704

Birth records as indicated below give more order to the genealogy we have built .

Benjamin Small & Elizabeth his wife their children births recorded
Amy Small daughter to the above sd Benjamin & Elizabeth was born on the 30 day of the first mo 1702
Hannah Small daughter to the above sd Benjamin & Elizabeth was born upon the last day of the third mo in the year 1704


Elizabeth Small daughter of Edmond Belson & Mary Belson of Nansemond county departed this life the 25th day of ye 7th mon in the year 1717 (25th Sept. 1717)

Based on the records above, the following is a complete genealogy using the facts as extracted from the Nansemond Monthly Meeting records. No assumptions are being made as to the relationship of individuals named Small that are not clearly given in the record, or relationships that are not supported by dates.

1. John Small
wife unknown
Children:
.. 2 Benjamin Small
Elizabeth Hollowell m. 12 Mar 1699
3. Anne b. 22 Jan. 1702
John Denson m. 20 Feb. 1722/3
3. Benjamin Jr.
3. Hannah b. 31 Mar. 1704
.. 2 John Small
Alce Hollowell m. 25 Feb. 1688
3. Joseph Small
Ann Owen m. 18 Oct. 1722
..2. Matthew Small

Thomas Small, Anie Small and Elizabeth, daughter of Edmond Belson & Mary Belson are not identified sufficiently to include them into the genealogy.

The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy by William Wade Hinshaw Volumes 1 & 6, deal with the earliest of the Quaker records. The first formal recorded records of meetings were held in the homes of the early members, in 1678, at Thomas Jordan's house "in Chuckatuck;" 1768 Elizabeth Outland's house "In Nansemond;" 1679 Alice Hollowell's house "in Elizabeth River" 1680 Thomas Hollowell's house "in Elizabeth River;" and, that meetings were being conducted is conclusively gathered from an order of the General Court of Virginia (1674) to proceed against "conventicles in Nansemond, Lower Norfold and Isle of Wight counties, and if any person shall be found to meet, as aforesaid, than they be proceeded against as aforesaid". That the records are now lost does not diminish the fact that the Patriarch of the Small family was present much earlier than is recorded here, but his parents, many children and ancestors are now lost to us. How early and from where he came must be left to future discoveries if they can be found. Our only hint of his origins is found in Hinshaw, with a simple comment, "All the meetings in Nansemond County experienced a most flourishing period about the turn of the 18th century and many new recruits came to Virginia from Cumberland England." Whether John Small and his family were among them is left to future research.

At this point, inclusion of Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy records will be inserted into this study in order to further the Small genealogy, by adding known facts to the existing genealogy already begun.

The First known yearly Meeting of Friends in Virginia was held the seventh month of 1702 and contains the names of the representatives to this session: Samuel Newton, Thomas Page, Richard Ratclifr, Isaac Ricks, Edward Thomas, John Bates, John Woodson, Joseph Pleasants, Nathan Newby, John Small, John Porter, William Scott, Sr., Robert Jordan, Henry Wiggs, John Murdor (Murdaugh), John Jordan, Daniel Sanbourne, Charles Fleming, Robert Hushes, Gerrad Robert Ellyson, Josph Glaister, Benjamin Small, James Bates, James Jordan, Matthew Jordan, John Pleasants, Thomas Lankford and Samuel Jordan.

As this first session ends it is ordered that "the care and the management of those things above mentioned" is left to two friends of every monthly meeting: John Tuck and Samuel Cornwall for Surry; ----Jordan and Richard Ratcliff for Chuckatuck; John Small and Nathan Newby for Nansemond�etc.

These two, John Small and Nathan Newby, identified earlier as brothers [brothers-in-law] indicate that the Small family, now in its second generation, are well established in Nansemond County. That it could also be the elder John, and his son-in-law is also a possibility, but it is more likely the son of John, and spouse of Alce Hollowell, and brother-in-law of Nathan Newby. What should also be noted are some of the names of those also in attendance, as they will be represented in the Small family through marriage at a later time.

Nathan Newby and John Small were already well established in the Quaker religion by 1702 as evidenced by their appointment as representatives of Nansemond, indicating a long standing role for each family in this area of Virginia.

One final note concerning this bit of source material, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy in early records of Nansemond and Chuckatuck meeting records use differenct spelling for Thomas Hollowell's wife Alce, Alice, or Alise, and the same applies to John Small's wife, Alce Hollowell, sister of Elizabeth. However, Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. spells the name one way only, and that being Alce. This spelling, as evidenced by White's narrative at the beginning of his book that he would use spellings exactly as noted in the original record, spell the name Alce for Thomas Hollowell's wife. John Small's wife, named Alce Hollowell, daughter of Alce, and Benjamin Small's wife Elizabeth, daughter of Alce are therefore spelled in like manner. It can only be assumed that Alce is a nickname for Allison, but no such clarification exists in the Nansemond records. Alice as noted in Hinshaw's works has no basis in fact.

1Chuckatuck Monthly Meeting (Hinshaw page 21)
2Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 4
3Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 11
4Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 12
5Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 15-16
6Hinshaw: Chuckatuck Monthly Meeting page 23
7Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 23
8Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 31-32
9Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 45
10Early Quaker Records in Virginia by Miles White Jr. page 48
11Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. 1 p.22
12Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. 1 p.23
13Hinshaw, Virginia Yearly Meeting, page 8