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English Ancestry and the Tann Family: Early Colonial Virginia Roots

Not all Tann families in America share the same migration story. While another Tann line arrived in the late 18th century, this research focuses on the English Tann family who settled in Colonial Virginia during the 1600s.

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During the early 17th century, waves of English settlers crossed the Atlantic, seeking new opportunities in the colonies. Among them were members of the Tann family, whose journey to Colonial Virginia placed them among the first English families to establish roots in the New World. These settlers were part of a larger movement that shaped the early history of Jamestown, the Chesapeake Bay region, and Virginia’s Tidewater communities.

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By tracing the Tann family’s English ancestry, we uncover connections to England’s rural counties, maritime voyages from English ports, and the challenges of survival in a developing colony. This lineage offers valuable insights for genealogists, history enthusiasts, and descendants eager to explore their Virginia colonial heritage. Understanding these origins not only preserves family history but also deepens appreciation for the resilience and determination of early English settlers.

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Explore the documented history, genealogical records, and historical context that reveal the Tann family’s life in 17th-century Virginia. Discover their place in the English migration story, learn how they adapted to colonial life, and connect with a legacy that began more than 400 years ago.

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Robert Sweat (Swete, Sweet, Sweete)

Robert Isaac Sweat,  was born in 1552 in Devon, England. He married Johanna Rainham Richard. 

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Their children: 

  • Elizabeth Sweat, born 1576 in Glochester, England. Elizabeth was a "Jamestown, settler". She died in 1624 in Jamestown, James City, Virginia. 

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  • Robert Sweat born 1577,  in Devon, England. Robert Sweat, arrived on the Guiding Star in 1638, imported by Lieutenant Robert Shepherd. Robert Sweat was an indentured servant. He lived on the Shepherd Plantation in Jamestown, Virginia. 

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  • John Isaac Sweat born 1579 in England

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  • Adrian Sweate born 1581 in England. 

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John & Martha Jefferies

Edward Jefferies was born about 1648 in Bremehill, Willshire, England. He was the son of Richard Jefferies (1612-1673) and Lady Margaret Heath (1612-1702).

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On  September 19, 1659 in Whitkirk, St. Mary, Yorkshire, England, Edward Jefferies married Elizabeth Wilson (bonded Servant of Nicholas Putley). Elizabeth Wilson was born on September 5, 1655 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, daughter of Henry Wilson Sr. and Sarah Powell

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Edward and Elizabeth (Wilson) Jefferies children:

  • John Jefferies born 1670

  • Prudence Jefferies born 1677

  • William Jefferies born 1677

  • Maragaret Jefferies born 1678

  • Elizabeth Jefferies born 1679

  • Esther Jefferies born 1682

  • Thomas Flitz Jefferies born 1686

  • Margaret Jefferies born 1695

  • Martha Jefferies born 1698

  • Esther Jefferies born 1715

  • Edward Jefferies born after 1715

2021@Tann Family History              Designed by Dr. Guadalupe Vanderhorst Rodriguez, Family Historian
                           

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