The Shemwell Family

Biography: Jon was born in England. He was in Virginia at least by November 1636, when he appears in a list of 14 persons whose passage was paid by Henry Southell. Southell received a grant of 50 acres for each of the 14, for a total of 700 acres. This land was "upon the Chesopeian shore, within the Territory of Lyn Haven." Lyn Haven Parish was in Lower Norfolk Co. VA (Cavaliers & Pioneers, Vol. I, p. 51). Southell died soon thereafter, and his widow Elizabeth married Lt. Richard Popeley, who then received the 700 acre grant in 1637. The land was in the "Lower County of New Norfolk" (Cavaliers & Pioneers, Vol. I, p.61). There is no evidence that Jon Eaves was an indentured servant. He may have sold his "headright" to Southell and used the proceeds for other purposes, perhaps to purchase land elsewhere. From Vivian & Bill Fortner: "Regarding the Eaves family ancestry, I can just help back to Edwin Eves and Arabella Sullivan. Their son, John, married Elizabeth Anne Graves in 1638. He had a sister named Elizabeth who married Henry Southworth or Southwell. John Eves was born 1615 in Preston Lancashire, Eng. and died Aug 1668 in Northumberland, VA. Elizabeth Graves was born 1620 in Hungars Creek, Accomack, Va and died 18 July 1683 in Accomack, VA." "The Graves family is where I pick up on Bill's family ancestry. You will be able to trace them back quite a long way to the name DeLaGreves - about 1130." "Both Nancy Eaves and John Fortner were born in Rutherford Co., NC. Nancy's line goes thus: Nancy Eaves b. 1795 William Sherer Eaves b. 1753 Graves Eaves II b. 1724 Graves Eaves I b. 1677 William Jonathan Eaves b. 1649 Jonathan Eaves b. 1615 Edward Eves b. 1565 The family goes back to Jamestown and before to England, probably Ives name at one point. Bill's Kennedy family goes back to England and Scotland when the name was spelled DeCarrick. I don't know too much about Rebecca Davis' tree but I believe the family came from Maryland to the Carolinas. Your info should help me, here. Thanks. Bill took both the Ydna test and the autosomal test from FTDNA close to 2 years ago. Nancy and John married in TN and moved to Mississippi and Alabama. They died in Mississippi. Their children either remained in MS or moved to Texas (around Paris, Texas). I am on Ancestry and if you are a member you can look up the Fortner Family Tree if you would like to see what I have on the Eaves tree. Sincerely, Bill and Vivian Fortner" bv_fortner@yahoo.com