Major George Fawdon (d 1655) and Ann Smith of Isle of Wight County, Virginia

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• New page by Marty Grant, 10th Great Grandson of George Fawdon.

Note: The George family is fully documented in the author's book "George Family History" now available. Click link for details. On the current web pages I am only presenting the most interesting documentation. There is a great deal more available that is not included here. Most of the available source documentation is in the book mentioned above. There are also many acknowledgments to be made. The book contains them all. Some are listed here.

George Fawdon was born ca 1600 (just a guess), probably in England. Mr. Boddie stated that

George Fawdon was a Cavalier who fled from England. After marrying a step daughter of Colonel Nathaniel Bacon, he died without heirs. [John Bennett Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight, p. 99.]

I think the above statement has two errors. First of all, George Fawdon was in Virginia long before the English Civil War (of the 1640's and 1650's) which is when the Cavaliers fled from England.  The second error (I believe) is that he died without heirs. It is possible this was not an error, but unfortunately Mr. Boddie didn't provide documentation for either of these statements.

George Fawdon was Virginia by 1629, for on 29 Sep 1629 George Fawdon and Wessel Weblin received a 100 acres from Justinian Cooper. Fawdon and Weblin, in turn, assigned the land to Robert Sabine on 25 Feb 1630. At that time that area was still part of James City County until 1634 when Warrosquoyacke County was formed. [John Bennett Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight, p. 99.]

It was probably sometime around 1629 or shortly afterwards that George Fawdon married someone in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. This is assuming he was the father of Hester, wife of Isaac George, for she must have been born ca 1630's. Boddie said Fawdon died without heirs, but he may have been mistaken. I have not found any record of the name of Fawdon's first wife.

On 26 Jun 1635, Richard Bennett received a Land Patent of 2000 acres on Nansemond River adjoining land granted to Georg Fawdon. [Virginia Land Patents Book 1 page 186 from Marion Nell Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents 1623-1666 Vol I.]

The above record shows that George Fawdon already owned land on the Nansemond River, and the next record below shows it was on the South side of that river. This most likely places this land in present Suffolk City, Virginia.

On 1 Jul 1635, William Clark received a 250 acre patent of land in Warrosquoyacke County, Virginia, on the south side of Nansemond River, adjoining George Fawdon. [Virginia Land Patents Book 1 page 195 from Marion Nell Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents 1623-1666 Vol I.]

On 11 Jul 1635, Thomas Butler received a 1000 acre patent for land in Warrosquoyacke County on Small river, falling into Nansemond Bay, back side of land of George Fawdon and John Parrott. [Virginia Land Patents Book 1 page 222 from Marion Nell Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents 1623-1666 Vol I.]

George Fawdon was mentioned in other patents for land on the south side of Nansemond River.

In 1637, Warrosquoyacke County was renamed to "Isle of Wight" County, Virginia.

On 6 Jun 1639, George Fawdon received a 200 acre patent on south branch of Elizabeth River adjoining John Gates (or Yates), due to transportation of four persons. [Virginia Land Patents Book 1 page 660 from Marion Nell Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents 1623-1666 Vol I.]

George Fawdon was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1646, representing Isle of Wight County. He was also a Justice for Isle of Wight County that same year (per Boddie and other sources). He was also apparently an officer in the Isle of Wight Militia, or Virginia Militia, for he was listed as "Major" in several records.

On 10 Jun 1647, George Fawdon, Anthony Jones, and Thomas Wombrell witnessed a deed from James Roche to Henry Pitt in Chuckatuck. [John Bennett Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight, p. 513.]

On 16 Jan 1652, Major George Fawdon, William Underwood and James Taylor, were named as Overseers of the Will (or estate) of John Upton, eldest son of John Upton. [John Bennett Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight, p. 519.]

On 10 Apr 1654 Major George Fawdon gave 1000 acres of land to Isaac George, son of “Major John George.” The land adjoined John George’s land “on the upper side,” and was a deed of gift, and if Isaac failed to reach the age of 21, it would revert to Fawdon. This deed suggests that Isaac had probably married a daughter of George Fawdon. Why else give him land as a gift, if not a Wedding gift? This deed was endorsed on 9 Jul 1655 by Nathaniel Bacon, Administrator of the Estate of Major George Fawdon, showing he was dead by then. [John Bennett Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight, p. 528.] 

On 30 Oct 1654, George Fawdon "assigns to Mrs. [or Mistress] Ann Smith whom I intend to make my wife" 1500 acres of land in the Upper Parish upon the main river at Job Beasley's "with consent of our father-in-law Nathaniel Bacon and our mother Ann, his wife" and "with our brother William Smith." Witnessed by Richard Clark and Thomas Woodward. [John Bennett Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight, p. 528.] 

Here is what I can gather from this record. George Fawdon married Ann Smith, daughter of a Mr. Smith and Ann (---) Smith. Mr. Smith was dead by this time, and widow Ann (---) Smith was married to Nathaniel Bacon, thus making Bacon Ann Jr's step-father, and that Ann Smith (Jr) had a brother William Smith. Presumably they married very shortly after this deed was made, so probably in early November 1654.

Unfortunately, this marriage contract was the last record I've found for George Fawdon alive. He was apparently dead by 9 Jul 1655 for on that date Nathaniel Bacon, Administrator of the Estate of George Fawdon, endorsed the deed dated 10 Apr 1654 between Fawdon and Isaac George. (See above.) 

I don't know anything else about Fawdon's wife Ann. She may have outlived him by many years, but I've found no additional records on her.

Upon the death of George Fawdon, his surname "Fawdon" appears to have become extinct in America at least through the late 1800's.

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