370:. The Nansemond Puritans went so far in 1642 as to write the Governor of the Massachusetts colony, John Winthrop, asking for clergy, and three clergymen soon arrived, to the great displeasure of Virginia Governor William Berkeley, who ordered them to leave (Some Puritans later blamed that edit for the Native American uprising of 1644). Circa 1648, during his absence from the legislature as noted below, Major probably also helped Richard Bennett to establish the Puritan settlement in Maryland. In any event, Governor Richard Bennett, sympathetic to the religious nonconformists, named Major Lieutenant Colonel of the Nansemond militia in 1653.
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re-election once despite the number of burgesses representing the county again becoming two. A similar legislative increase in 1653 also led to Major's addition as a burgess, but he also served in the first of two 1652 sessions in which
Nansemond only had two burgesses in the assembly' lower house. In one of the 1652 sessions, Virginia's assembly recognized Parliamentary control of the British government and acceded to its governance of the colony.
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Major married twice. He survived his first wife, Martha Butler (1614-1650), who bore three sons (Edward, Robert and
William) and a daughter (Martha Buckner) who survived their parents and were named in this man's last will and testament. The widower remarried to Susannah Aston, daughter of Lt. Col.
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Whether titled of
Nansemond, Nanzimond or Upper Norfolk County, local voters at least five times elected Major as one of the men representing them in the House of Burgesses. The first occasion was in 1645, when the county received an additional seat in the House of Burgesses, and Major won
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Major wrote his last will and testament in
November 1652, and it was admitted to probate in February 1655. It divided his land mostly among his sons, with Edward Jr. inheriting in Nansemond County, William in York County, and Robert in Warwick County.
359:(based on his own emigration and that of eight other people), and renewed that patent while also adding another 50 acres for another headright in 1646. In September 1645 he also patented 300 acres in
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Major was born in
England around 1615, and dissented from the ruling Church of England, probably aligning with the Puritan sect. Complicating matters, as explicated by genealogist
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344:, who would represent Parliament's interests in negotiations with the Virginia Colony before it accepted Parliamentary leadership during the English Civil War.
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393:. His successor as speaker in the other 1652 session, was Nansemond's other burgess, and fellow religious nonconformist
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a century ago, other men of the same name lived in
Virginia during his lifetime, particularly Edward Major who lived in
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Major became a prominent farmer as well as militia leader in what was sometimes called Upper
Norfolk County or
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525:, The Majors and their Marriages (W.C. Hill Printing Co., Richmond VA, 1915) p. 13 available at
422:(and possibly the widow of Humphrey Leisher), who survived him, but did not bear his children.
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in 1653 in order to assist in Major's election, which did not occur (burgesses instead electing
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England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 42, Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters, page 394
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Cynthia Miller
Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978) pp. 24, 25, 29, 31
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His widow
Susannah had remarried, to William Batt (or Batte) by December 4, 1656.
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292:(1615 – c. 1655) was an English religious dissenter who emigrated to the
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to the Colony of Virginia, landing in January, 1635. He was listed as a
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Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Burgesses, 1643–1776
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who represented the area variously called Upper Norfolk County or
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502:. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.
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in 1652, just after Virginia acceded to the authority of
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by Robert Bennett, brother of future Virginia Governor
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and became Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
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887:This article about a Virginia politician is a
474:. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia State Library.
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377:Major was closely associated with
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383:Speaker of the House of Burgesses
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242:Edward, Robert, William, Martha
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82:Nansemond County, Virginia
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322:Virginia's Eastern Shore
347:Major briefly lived in
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349:Charles River County
332:Major sailed on the
156:Upper Norfolk County
523:James Branch Cabell
466:Kukla, Jon (1981).
399:James Branch Cabell
314:James Branch Cabell
152:House of Burgesses
78:House of Burgesses
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247:Residence(s)
188:Thomas Davis
184:Succeeded by
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141:Succeeded by
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110:Succeeded by
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65:Succeeded by
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23:Edward Major
943:1655 deaths
938:1615 births
864:P. Randolph
854:J. Randolph
819:W. Randolph
689:Scarborough
334:Bonaventure
279:Lt. Colonel
174:Preceded by
131:Preceded by
100:Preceded by
53:Preceded by
932:Categories
438:References
395:Thomas Dew
387:Parliament
308:Early life
298:politician
255:Occupation
104:Toby Smith
70:Thomas Dew
338:headright
229:Spouse(s)
164:In office
121:In office
94:1652-1653
90:In office
47:1652–1652
43:In office
859:Robinson
849:Holloway
839:Beverley
834:Harrison
829:Beverley
789:Hill Jr.
739:Hill Sr.
724:Hill Sr.
684:Hill Sr.
294:Virginia
239:Children
33:6th
844:McCarty
809:Ludwell
794:Kendall
784:Ballard
774:Travers
729:Moryson
699:Harwood
379:Puritan
208:England
168:1645-46
824:Carter
814:Carter
804:Milner
769:Warner
764:Godwin
759:Warner
719:Whitby
714:Chiles
694:Harmer
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328:Career
799:Allen
754:Wynne
749:Soane
744:Bland
734:Smith
704:Major
679:Stegg
320:, on
889:stub
779:Kemp
504:ISBN
476:ISBN
276:Rank
214:Died
205:1615
202:Born
125:1646
709:Dew
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