The Bush Family-My Ancestors

 

Clifton W. Bush

 Five pages(9 thur 13) from book by Elizabeth DeHuff "Data  related to my Bush line".

 
                                                                                          9
 
    When William the Conqueror, of England, made his
survey of property holdings in 1086, as handed down in the
Domesday Book, a Bush was listed as holding lands in
Hertfordshire, the county just north of Middlesex, in which
London is located.

In early ages when few people could read, pictorial
Signs were used, and it is believed by some that the
Family name of Bush arose from the fact that an early Bush
Was a “Dweller at the sign of the Bush.”  (From the Bush-
McCorkle Family.
 

 

    According to Burke's Family register, Bush (Bushe, Bsshe)
was originally of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales. One Dylan
Bush went into England in the Army of Henry, Earl of
Richmond, afterwards Henry VII.

His son, William Bush, as was many of Henry's officers, was
given an heiress in marriage. William Bush married Cicely,
daughter of Thomas Ryd, of Rhodes House, Gloucester-shire,
and his wife, Talemarche, daughter and co-heiress of the last
Lord Strange.  The arms of this ancient family are frequently
quartered on the arms of the Bush family.

   The Bush family arms is as follows:

      Arms:            Azure, a wolf rampant argent, collared and
                           chained or, in chief three crosses pattee,
                           fitchee of the second.
      Crest:            A goat’s head erased agent.
      Motto:           None recorded.  Moderata durant appears on an
                           American bookplate. (Matthew’s “American
                           Armory,” 1906 edition, addenda, p 15 and
                           Crosier’s “General Armoryu,” 1904 edition p 31.)

 

           In Burke’s account of the descent of Thomas Bush of
Lawn Alverstone, the account of the above Bush family is given.
Paul Bush, son of William 1st, was the personal Chaplain to
Henry VIII. He was the last Roman Catholic and first Church of
England Bishop of Bristol. When Henry gave
 
 

10

his clergy the right to marry, Paul Bush married and later was
deposed, for so doing, by Queen Mary. He was buried in the
Cathedral at Bristol, which he caused to be built.

In John Cainden Hotten' s "Original List of Persons of Quality
Who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations,
1660-1700:"
p 108, Living in Virginia Feb. 16, 1623, John Bush.
p 251, Burialles in Elizabeth Cittie, 1624, John Bush.
p 273, Elizabeth Cittie beyond Hampton River. The
                        corporation of Elizabeth Cittie, John Bush300
                        Acres planted by patent, 1626.  (What John?
                        Son of brother of the first John Bush? Or a
                        posthumorous grant to first John?)

In the "Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents," Virginia Historical
Magazine, Vol. I, p 1g4:  (34) John Bush of
Kiccoughtan in the Corporation of Elizabeth City, gentleman,
who came over in the Neptune, at his own charge, in 1618; 300
acres, 50 in his own right and 150 for the transportation out of
England of his wife Elizabeth, and his children, Elizabeth and
Mary Bush, who all came in the Guift, 1619; and 100 acres for
the transportation of his two servants, Thomas Hand and
William Parker, who came in the Charles, 1622 said land
being in the Parish of Kiccoughtan, adjoining the lands of Lieutenant
Albino Lupo and of William Julian, and bordering on the main
river. Granted by Sir Francis Wyatt, Aug. 22, 1624.  (Elizabeth
City Co. Wills & Deeds 1610-1800, by Blanche Chapman, p 20
from Land Bk. 1, p 31.)

In June 1622, the King referred to the Virginia Company
for answer, a petition from William Kempe, stating that John
Bush, having two houses paid for before Governor Yeardley
came, was turned out by him, and Captain Neuce put in
possession of the same, contrary to all right and equity,
whereby he lost all his goods, and his wife, in that
extremity, was made dangerously sick. And also, that the
brother of the said John Bush, being then dead in the house,
and his wife great with child was likewise turned out.
(Proceedings of the Va. Company, Va. Hist. Mag. Vol. 1,

 

                                                                                    11

                                p 190.)

It would seem from several petitions that Bush and others
were on land claimed by the Company. This latter body referred
the matter to the authorities in Virginia. John Bush, age 17
years, was among the passengers to Virginia in the Transport of
London, July 4, 1635.  (Hotten.) In the census of 1624-5, the
"Muster" of Susan Bush, in Elizabeth city, included herse1f,
aged 20, who came in the George,
1617; Sarah Spence, aged 4, born in Virginia and five
servants.

   Thus far, however, the later Bush families in America have
not been conclusively traced to the Bush families of Wales and
England, nor do documents that have been found connect then
authoritatively with these early settlers in Elizabeth City County,
Virginia.
"Purse and Person,"
   Note above/that John Bush was issued a land patent for
transporting his wife, two daughters and two servants of 200
(300) acres on August 22, 1624 and John Bush died in
December 1624. John Bush evidently acquired additional land
for in "The Adventures of Purse and Person," (1964), by Annie
Lash Jester and Martha Woodroof Hiden, is stated, p l18,
"Thomas Ceeley, who, according to the fragment of an undated
deed, sold 250 acres of the tract to Major William Wilson, the
deed reciting that the land was "part of a patent of 300 acres
granted unto John Bush, 1 December 1624, abutting eastward
upon land formerly belonging to Lieut Allbyano Lupo."

   Also stated in the above is, "Shortly after John Bush was
granted a 'letter of administration' (on brother's estate? E.DeH.)
by the General Court, November 1624, he died, and his burial is
the last in Elizabeth City given in the muster, 1624. Presumably,
by then, his wife had borne a third child, a son called Abraham,
who was in Lancaster County 1657, and who was recorded
there, 1683, as being '61 years of age."' (b 1622).

(It might also more logically be presumed that Abraham
Bush was the son of the deceased brother of John Bush whose

 

12

wife was "great with child" in 1622, when John Bush had to
move out of his home. The brother's name has not been found.
 It might have been Thomas Bush. The daughters of John Bush 1
Elizabeth and Mary, were not small children when they came on
the Guift in l617, but were old enough to be claimed as
importees. E.DeH.)

         "For some unknown reason John Bush's will was not pro-
bated until 13 January 1626, at which time: Capt. Wm. Tucker,
sworn & examined sayeth that the will produced in Court was
ye will of John Bush, deceased, & that ye said John Bush was,
at ye time of ye making of the same, in perfect sense &
memory, the will bearing date ye 9th of December 1624." (End
of quotes). Apparently the will of John Bush has not been
found of record.

        Abraham Bush & Peter Elmor were granted 300 acres on
NS of Lancaster Co. on 5 Apr. 1664, p 199 (94) (Nell Marion
Nugent's"Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Va. Land Patents
& Grants 1623-1800" 1934, p 458.)

     In Lancaster Co., Va. Deeds etc. Bk. B, pp 115 & 116
(Reel #5), the will of Abraham Bush names wife "An;"
"Youngest sonne Isaac;" sons George, Abraham, John, Thomas;
and daughters Charity, Elizabeth, Mary; and William Alexander;
dated Feb. 4, 1687, proved Aug. Ct. 1687.

     In Book C, p 9 (Reel #6) is the will of Ann Bush of County
of Lancaster, naming "son William Alexander for children until
they come of age", naming the children Mary and Patience
Alexander; Charity, Elizabeth, Isaac and Jacob Bush and
Katherine Taylor; dated Aug. 7, 1689 and proved Feb. 1690.

Of the other sons of Abraham Bush: George settled in Stafford
Co. and made his will, 1758 (Purse & Persons, p 112); nothing
further is known of Abraham, Thomas, Jacob; John died
in Orange County and was the father of Philip Bush of Orange
Co., Daniel and a Thomas; an Isaac Bush died intestate in
Lancaster Co. in 1726 and a John Bush (possibly his son)
died there in testate in 1761.



 

13

    It is also logical to assume that Thomas Bush, records
of whom appeared in Nansemond in 1637, was a brother of
Abraham Bush and son of the brother of John Bush, who died
1624. Thomas Bush might also have been a son of John
Bush himself and born in 1618.  Having no father living, he
Married at the age of 18 years, or younger.

    On the 24th of Oct. 1637, p 487, "Oliver Sprye, 300 acs.
Up Co. of  New Norf...being called by name of the thicket...
Due by order of Ct. 6 June 1635 & also due for trans. of 6
pers.: James Hicks, John Longworthy, Tho. Bush  John Dawson,
Georg Wilcock, John Cherry."  (Nugent, p 73).  These were
Possibly neighbors of Thomas Bush.

 

   Thomas Bush 100 acs. Up. Co. New Norf., 28 July 1638,
P 578.  In the river called Chuckatuck, S upon the Cr. of sd.
river.  Due for his own person & trans. of one servant,
Peter Brookes.  (Nugent, p 92)

    Thomas Bush probably had a son named John Bush: "Robt.
Flack (Flake) 200 acs. Isle of Wight Co., 18 October 1664,
p 374  (414).  On West side of second swamp of the black
Water beg. at a marked white oake 'by John Pough his Indian
Quarter' & running up S.W. &c. Trans, of 4 pers.: Wm. Agg,
Wm. Musgrove, Jno. Bush, Eliz. Morgan."  (Nugent, p 516).

     Col. Fran Willis was granted 100 acres in Gloster
(sic) Co., Va. 11 July 1666 for transporting John Bryant
and William Bush.  (Nugent, p 565

Further research might disclose that William Bush, who
died 1716, was the son of Thomas Bush, son of the first John
Bush or his brother in "Kikatan" later Elizabeth City, or he
might have been the oldest son of Abraham Bush and not named
in Abraham's will because he married young and was given his
share of his father's property at that time.  There have
been other such instances.

William Bush was born about 1645, if he was the William
claimed as an importee in 1666; No other William Bush has
been found for that era.







If you have comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected]