Thomas Maddocks
c.1585 ~ 1623

While Thomas Maddocks, Gentleman,

was in London awaiting passage to Jamestown,

he probably dressed like this. 

Our oldest-known  probable grandfather was Thomas Maddocks b.c. 1585 in England.  There is strong circumstantial evidence that Edward, Alexander and Rice Maddocks were his sons since they all lived near Jamestown in the 1600s when only the coast of Virginia of all of America had been colonized.  Rice and Edward were both Physicians.  I don't think Rice had any sons.  Proven descendants of Alexander and Edward (probable father of Cornelius) have a genetic distance of 1 out of 25 markers.  For more on this, visit the Maddox Genealogy website.

The Virginia Company of London was established in 1606 when Thomas was close to 20 years old.  Its purpose was to take advantage of the natural resources in a new place in North America recfently named Virginia.  they were given a charter and basically leased the coast of today's Virginia from the king.  They sent the first colony there and named it Jamestown, the first permanent settlement in North America.  They made glass from the seashore sand, mined ore, raised cattle and sheep, and planted crops.  Mostly they raised tobacco.  For more on Jamestown, go here.  They had brochures and posters around London, England, like "A True Discoverie of the Present Estate of Virginia."  For more posters and brochures, go here. 

I do not yet know who Thomas married.  But c. 1610, his probable son, Rice was born.  In 1613, his probable son Alexander, was born.  And around 1615, his probable son Edward was born.

Thomas finally decided he wanted in on this new business in the New World.  The records of the Virginia Company of London are still extant, and printed copies are on ancestry.com.  In 1620, when Thomas was about 30 years old, he decided to get in on this new venture.  The records of the Virginia Company read for July 18 [Citation:  Records of the Virginia Company of London, Vol. I (The Court Book), pg. 418]:

Every man transported into Virginia with intent there to inhabit as Tenants to the common land of the Company, or to the publike land shall be freely landed there at the charge of the company:  and shal be furnished with provisions of victuall for one whole [18] yeare next after his arrivall....He shall enjoy the ratable moyite of all the profits that shall be raised of the land on which he shall be Planted, as well Corne and Cattle....the other halfe being due to the Owners of the Land.  He shall be tyed by Covenant to continue upon that Land for the Terme of seaven yeares....

Of these persons one hundred and twenty (such as are to be Tenants) are to be shipped here [from London] for Virginia by the midst of August now at hand: and the rest in January and February ensuing....Now if the Adventurors be thus requested....the persons to be admitted to goe as the companies-Tenants....repairing to the citie of London to Mr. Ferrar Deputy to the Company, his house in St. sithes land in the beginning of August, and in the middle of January next....shall from thence-forward be entertained at the companies charge til such time as they be shipped for Virginia....

Given in a General Court held for Virginia the eighteenth of July 1620.

Names of the Adventurers with their severall summes adventured, paid to Sir Thomas Smith, Kngiht, late Treasurer of the Company for Virginia....[alphabetical list]....THOMAS MADDOCK 25 lb [libra/pounds].

A 16th century London coach house

That same day of November 13, 1620, Thomas bought two shares.  The record reads in Vol. I, pg. 204 and 418, and  Vol. III, pg. 62:

                                                                 THOMAS MADDOX gent. passed one bill of 25 li ]libra/pounds] to mr. Stubbs.

                                                                  Shareholders in the Virginia Company from March 6, 1615 to June 9, 1623. 

                                                                        1620 Novem. 13 THOMAS MADDOCKS to Mr Stubbs....02 shares."

And so Thomas Maddocks went to the new world, the very first Maddox to do so, and settled in Jamestown, the first permanent settlement in North America.  Did he take his wife and children at that time or did he send for them?  A thousand people went to Jamestown the first 20 years, and not nearly all the ship records still exist.  He bought two shares.  Was one for him and one for his wife? 

Thomas planted an apple orchard.  I suppose he could continue being an English "gentleman" of sorts with such an occupation ~ sitting back and waiting for the apples to grow.  Perhaps he made little Rice, Alexander and Cornelius pick them at harvest town.  And he may have hired a few Indians to help.  Here is a letter written to King James explaining the benefits to England of inhabiting the Kingdom of Virginia.

But on March 22, 1621 with little warning, the Indians turned against their European friends and killed 347 of them, probably one-third of the colony.  Here is an excerpted account as written to King James by Edward Waterhouse.

In April 1623, the people of Jamestown sent a petition to King James explaining the cruelty and fraud going on.  That including the Indian massachre had just been too much to endure.  Things were so bad, that King James took over the Virginia Company of London and made it a government entity.  Below is a signature from Records of the Virginia Company of London, Vol. IV, pg. 80:

 Names of Adventurers that Dislike Ye Plnt Proceedings of Buziness in Ye Virg and S Iland Companyes....

Doctor Medust

Was the above signature our Thomas?  The old handwriting is very difficult to read.  Sons Rice and Edward were doctors.  Was Thomas Maddocks a doctor too?

KING JAMES

The reason we know that Thomas had an apple orchard is that, in September of 1623, Records of the Virginia Company of London, Vol. IV, pg. 281 & 282 says that provisions were sent to Virginia in the Marmaduke and apparently the settlers were paid on its arrival back from England for what they had sent to England earlier.   Probably the moneys were paid into his estate.

The moneys paid for them.... 

To Mr Maddox for appel
8li    6sh    6d

For more appell of Mr Maddox
0li    16sh   6d

Thomas apparently died that same year of 1623.  Was it lingering wounds from the Indian massacre, or disease, or an accident?    On February 16, 1623, he was reported among the dead at Warwick's Squrak, a plantation near Jamestown.

In Thomas Maddocks's short life, he had made history.   He had become an "Adventurer" to a New World, at first living in the one-street fort of Jamestown, and later going out a little way to a plantation.  He'd endured leaving his homeland, months at sea in a rickity vessel which today would hardly qualify as a ship, Indian maccachres, disease, accidents, political strife.  Little did he know how many times over his sacrifice would pay off centuries later to his family descendants yet unborn.

Jamestown as described in journals of those who lived there.

Jamestown Excavations

GO TO THOMAS' PROBABLE CHILDREN

Rice Maddocks
Alexander Maddocks
Edward Maddocks