Richard Scaggs, Early Colonist - Part 3

This is an update on previous Richard Scaggs, Early Colonist postings here and here. Historical documents and DNA testing are pointing toward Richard as the founding member of many Skaggs lines in America.  Richard immigrated to Virginia prior to 1658 and lived until the early 1700s in Maryland and Delaware.

Richard Scaggs “The Colonist” Arrives in the New World

Fact:  Richard Scaggs arrived in Virginia sometime prior to March 4, 1658/9.  We know this from his share of the 300 acres Thomas Dyer was granted in Lower Norfolk County for bringing six persons to Virginia:

THOMAS DYER, 300 acs. Low. Norf. Co., 4 Mar. 1658, p. 259, (361).At a place called Beech ridge, beg. at the head of Robert Capps land. Trans of 6 pers: Ann Sedger, Wm. Shreive, Rich. Skegs, Rich. Reynolds, Wm. Merriday, Ann Craford.

Cavaliers and Pioneers; Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800 Nugent, Nell Marion, Press of the Dietz Print Company, 1934. Richmond, Virginia. P. 387.

(Remember, Great Britain was using the Julian calendar prior to 1752.  Under the Julian calendar the old year ended on the 24^th of March, so March 4 was in 1658 under the old calendar and 1659 under our modern calendar.)

Speculation:  Richard worked a seven-year indenture (1658-1665) in Virginia to pay off his transportation to the New World.

Fact:  Richard was in Maryland by 1666

Skegs, Richard EE:471-2 Film No. In Maryland by 1666 Transcript. 9:477 Maryland State Archives SC 4341

Patents

The New Early Settlers of Maryland by Dr. Carson GibbMaryland State Archives SC 4341: Gibb Collection

Years	Original	Film	Transcript	Year	Film
1666	EE	SR 8203	9  (of EE)	1726	SR 7351

 

Speculation:  Richard worked on another seven-year indenture (1666-1672) in Maryland before patenting his own piece of land.

Fact:  In 1673 Richard started showing up in Talbot County, Maryland records as a free man being paid out of the county levy for working on the highways.  In 1674 Richard patented 50 acres of land in Talbot County, named “Sceggs Spring.”

1672/3 Mr. Richard Scaggs to be paid out of county levyResidents Appearing the County Court (1669-1673); Talbot Co., Maryland
 21 October 1673Accompts to be paid out of talbott County Leauey by mr. Stephen Tully high sheriffe:to Rich scaggs to woorke at the Highwaies 4 dayes

80 Liber BB No.2 Talbot County Court Proceedings, 1662-1674, p. 578-79

Date:	1674
PlatSource:	Patent Record 17, p. 527
Description:	Sceggs Spring, 50 Acres; Certificate
MSA Citation:	MSA S1600-3218

Date:	1674
PlatSource:	Patent Record 18, p. 179
Description:	Sceggs Spring, 50 Acres; Patent
MSA Citation:	MSA S1600-3219

Fact:  In 1674 the Dutch hand Delaware Colony over to the British.  New Amstel is renamed New Castle. In 1675 Richard Scaggs acquired 300 acres of land in Delaware.

Now we have no more Acts of Governor Edmund Andros Esq. ; till he gets back to America next Year ; and then he comes back Sir Edmund Andros, Knight. We see he received the Government from the Dutch, but the last Day of October, 1674. and we have Entries, (in the New York Records) of many more Grants of Lands made by the Governor Edmund Andros, Esq ; but without any Dates to them ; they must of Necessity, therefore, have been dated between October, 1674, and Nov. 1677, and so here they follow, in this Place, it not being our Fault that the Records, in the King's Province of New York, are no better entered up. Note — All these Lands that follow are expressly said to be on the West Side of Delaware River, or Bay, and are all contained in New York Records, No. 3. but the particular Folios of that Book are marked, against each single Grant. To Richard Scaggs, 300 Acres, on South East Side of South West Branch of St. George's Creek, Quit Rent, three Bushels.

Fol. 31.New Castle Co., Delaware taxables in 1676 

Richard Scraggs              1

Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, January 1895.  Some Data Concerning the Taking of Wolves in New Castle County in 1676, and a Reprint of the Taxables of that Year, p.31.

Fact:  A land partnership between Richard Scaggs (300 acres) and William Merritt (100 acres) in Delaware in 1675 had not resulted in improvements to the land by 1681, so Cornelius Comegys II petitions the Court to deed the 400 acres to him.  Cornelius Comegys went on to become an Indian interpreter and businessman and his grandson became governor of Delaware.

6 September 1681 A peticon being proferred in court by Capt. Edmund Cantwell for and in ye behalfe of Cornelis Commegies Junior sheweing that in the Jeare 1675 one Richard Scaggs and William Merritt did take up twoo tracts of Land Joyning boath togeather Contayning 400 acres which to this day Ly unsettled and ye person who tooke them up boath departed ye Country and as is sayed dead with out haueing made any Improovement thereon; the Peticoner therefore desiering a warrant for both parcells of Land to take up being 400 acres & Lying both together, the Court doe Grant ye Peticoner to take up ye said Land of Merritt & Scaggs according to his Peticon, hee making present Improovement & Settlement thereon, according to Lawe & ye Governors regulacons.

New Castle Co., Delaware court records, 1681, p. 483-4

Speculation:  There had been discussion from early colonial times about building a canal across the Del-Mar-Va peninsula to reduce the transit time from Philadelphia to Baltimore. I think Richard Scaggs and William Merritt bought land along St. George’s Creek in Delaware as a speculation. I also think Cornelius Comegys wanted the land for the same reasons.  The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was finally open for business in 1829, long after the passing of Scaggs, Merritt and Comegys.

Fact:  Richard Scaggs was a distressed debtor to the estate of Col. Philemon Lloyd of Talbot County in 1688.  Cash flow has always been a problem for farmers since it’s a seasonal business and it’s no different today.

Col. Philemon Lloyd was Speaker of the House from Oct 1678 to 1685 at Maryland. He left a willon 27 May 1682; codicil 28 May 1685, proved 16 Jul 1685. He died on 22 Jun 1685. He was buried at 'Wye House', Talbot County, Maryland

List of desperate debts: … Richard Skaggs (insolvent), …

Fact:  A 1726 deed indicates that Richard Scaggs deeded a tract of land in New Castle Co., Delaware to Harmon Alrichs in 1707.

Deed.On 17 Nov 1726 John Anderson & Mary his wife & Francis Taylor & Mary his wife all of St. George's to Lewis Geton of St. George's Creek, yeomean. John Anderson & Margery his wife & Francis Taylor & Mary his wife for #162 granted to Lewis Geton a tract of land situated on the branch of St. George's Creek bounded by Scotts Run containing 162 acres being a part of a tract of land which was laid out on 26 Nov 1675 to Richard Scaggs of Kent County in Maryland & by the said Richard Scaggs by deed dated 6 Oct 1707 granted to Harmon Alrichs, late of the County of New Castle, dec. & by Mary Alrichs, relict & administrix for her late husband for the satisfaction & payment of a judgement obtained by Griffith Owens, practitioner of Physick, by granted said land to John Rees. John Rees by deed dated 16 Nov 1713 granted the same to James Anderson, dec. father of the above named John Anderson & by the above named James Anderson by his will the parcel was left to John Anderson. Signed John Anderson, Margery Anderson, Francis Taylor & Mary Taylor. Delivered in the presence of John Herbert & Enoch Jenkins. Recorded 10 Feb 1726. (H1-67).

[Bryant, New Castle County, Delaware Land Records 1715-1728, pp. 115-116]

Fact: In 1709, Richard bought 100 acres called “Exchange” from Gilbert Falconar, acting with power of attorney on behalf of his brother John Falconar who resided in London, England at the time.  This property later appeared in the 1742 will of Richard’s grandson, William Scaggs.

1709 May 29: Gilbert Falconar, brother of John, was in Kent County on May 29, 1709, when on behalf of John Falconar late of Cecil County but now residing in London, merchant, he conveyed to Richard Scaggs of Kent County, planter, land granted to John Falconar called The Exchange, 100 acres {KELR JSN:188}.

Speculation:  I think Richard sold the Delaware land in 1707 to Harmon Alrichs to raise money to buy the “Exchange” tract in 1709 from John Falconar.  Richard Scaggs, Jr. inherited "Exchange" from Old Richard and subsequently passed it on to his eldest son, William.  Based on how this land was inherited, I think that Old Richard had eldest son Richard Jr. and two younger sons Aaron, who married Susanna Hyatt, and James (the father of the Longhunters).  Aaron moved from Kent County, Maryland to Prince George's County to take up residence and James ended up settling in the New River area of Virginia.  Current DNA testing does not dispute this speculation.  DNA testing does show that the Richard Scaggs who married Mary Brashear and lived in Prince George's County, Maryland did not have the same Y-haplotype as these Skaggs, whether thats because they are from a separate family or there was a non-paternal event that messed things up we just don't know yet.