David LINDSAY, my 9th great-grandfather, is one of a few ancestors that lived in Colonial America. He was born and educated in Scotland, lived for a time and married in Bristol, emigrated to Virginia, and died there in 1667. His daughter Helena / Ellen, on the other hand, never left Bristol.
David's parents were Sir Hierome / Jerome Lindsay of Dunino, Fife and his wife Margaret COLVILL of Cleish, Kinross. David was baptized in January 1603 in South Leith, Midlothian. Officiating was his grandfather the Reverend David Lindsay (1532-1613), reformation minister at St. Mary's Church. His mother Margaret was buried later that same year, in May 1603. His father Jerome remarried before 1607 to Agnes Lindsay, and fathered seven children with her between 1607 and 1619.
David's parents were Sir Hierome / Jerome Lindsay of Dunino, Fife and his wife Margaret COLVILL of Cleish, Kinross. David was baptized in January 1603 in South Leith, Midlothian. Officiating was his grandfather the Reverend David Lindsay (1532-1613), reformation minister at St. Mary's Church. His mother Margaret was buried later that same year, in May 1603. His father Jerome remarried before 1607 to Agnes Lindsay, and fathered seven children with her between 1607 and 1619.
David Lindsay was possibly a student at St. Salvatore College at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, graduating in 1621 at the age of nineteen.
David spent some time in Bristol. He fathered a daughter, Helena, in 1643. We have not been able to identify Helena's mother. She remained in Bristol.
David Lindsay - now the Reverend David Lindsay - emigrated to Virginia. Rev. David Lindsay married Susanna (possibly nee Opie), likely in Bristol. They had no issue. In his will, his daughter Helen Lindsay was named his sole heir. Much of the information we have on his life in Colonial America comes from "The Lindsay's of America".
From "The Lindsays of America", Margaret Isabella Lindsay stated in 1889 (see page 26) that "the Reverend David Lindsay, Episcopal clergyman of Wicomico parish, Northumberland County in Virginia .... came to the colony during the reign of Charles the First" ... between 1645 and 1655
pg 29 The church was Yeocomico or Wicomico (alternate spellings), near the Wicomico river in Northumberland county, one of the earliest churches in the Virginian colony. rebuilt wooden chapel near the site of the old Wicomico church.
Form of payment to ministers in the colony - pounds of tobacco
pg 29 The church was Yeocomico or Wicomico (alternate spellings), near the Wicomico river in Northumberland county, one of the earliest churches in the Virginian colony. rebuilt wooden chapel near the site of the old Wicomico church.
Form of payment to ministers in the colony - pounds of tobacco
Pg 35, The original homestead of the Rev. David Lindsay was located on Cherry Point Neck, Yiocomico/Wicomico River, Northumberland County, Virginia. Cherry Point, Virginia is also the site of the grave of the Rev. David Lindsay (1603-1667). Rev. David Lindsay's grave marker displays 3 April 1667 as his date of death, one day after the date of his will.
Pg 34 tombstone inscription:
"Here lyeth interred ye body of That Holy and Reverant Devine Mr. David Lindsay, late Minister of Yeocomico, born in ye Kingdom of Scotland, ye first and lawful sonne of ye Rt Honoreable Sir Hierome Lindsay. Knt of ye Mount. Lord-Lion-King-at-Arms, who departed this life in ye 64th year of his age ye 3d Apr, anno dom 1667."
From the church website: http://wicomicoparishchurch.org/id1.html
The First Church, Wickocomicoe Parish c. 1647-1685:
Our Colonial Foundation
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| Kneeler of the 1656 Church | |||||||||
The first Wicomico Parish Church was in reality a parish of the Church of England in Virginia as were the next two Wicomico Parish churches.
In the earliest days of the Virginia Colony, when it was organized into eight Shires, each shire was required by law to have a court and a parish church. With formation of the Counties, each county required the same, with the records to be kept and copies sent on to Jamestown. Two parishes in what became Northumberland County, Chicawane and Wiccocomoco, were created in or before 1645. [Overholt]
In the earliest days of the Virginia Colony, when it was organized into eight Shires, each shire was required by law to have a court and a parish church. With formation of the Counties, each county required the same, with the records to be kept and copies sent on to Jamestown. Two parishes in what became Northumberland County, Chicawane and Wiccocomoco, were created in or before 1645. [Overholt]
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A combination of sources tell us that the Wicomico church building was constructed in 1647/8; the builder and exact location are uncertain. Tradition has it that this wooden building was on the site of the present church and was rendered unusable by termites.. It follows that in order to agree to have a church built, how much to spend, and where to locate would have taken a congregation two or three years. The medium of exchange being tobacco, those crops to pay for the work would have to have been raised over at least two growing seasons.
It was a well-appointed church with red silk plush hangings on pulpit and altar. Three prominent families donated the church silver, including the large silver chalice donated by the early Lees of Virginia.
A combination of sources tell us that the Wicomico church building was constructed in 1647/8; the builder and exact location are uncertain. Tradition has it that this wooden building was on the site of the present church and was rendered unusable by termites.. It follows that in order to agree to have a church built, how much to spend, and where to locate would have taken a congregation two or three years. The medium of exchange being tobacco, those crops to pay for the work would have to have been raised over at least two growing seasons.
It was a well-appointed church with red silk plush hangings on pulpit and altar. Three prominent families donated the church silver, including the large silver chalice donated by the early Lees of Virginia.
Have you ever found anything to suggest that Rev. David may have come over with one or more of his siblings? I am descended from James through Caleb Lindsey, who is supposed to also be a son of Sir Jerome.
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