Military Monday - Colonel James Fludd/Flood

On January 18, 2015 blog I wrote about Samuel Jordan and Cicely Reynolds who he later married.  I had written the following: 

Samuel Jordan traveled to Virginia in 1610. Genealogists believe, but there is no solid evidence to the fact, that he was on the Sea Venture; but is the most reasonable assumption. It is told that a fleet of ships were "caught in the tail of a hurricane" and became part of Shakespeare's immortal tale, TEMPEST. There were originally nine ships; one sunk, and the flagship, called the Sea Venture, was wrecked off the coast of Bermuda. It is thought that the flagship carried Sir Thomas Gates, Governor of the colony; Sir George Somers, commander of the London Company's naval operations; and Vice-Admiral Christopher Newport, commanding the ship. Among the passengers on the flagship Sea Venture is believed to be Samuel Jordan.

Cicely Reynolds, who is my 11th Great Grandmother arrived on the Swan in 1611, and became Samuel’s wife before 1620, because she is mentioned in his patent.

With this background, or you can reread the blog, I want to mention Colonel John Fludd/Flood was born 1595 in Millgate, Kent, England who’s parents were Nicolas Fludd and Elizabeth Davis. Nicolas’s father (Col. John Fludd/Flood Grandfather) was Sir Thomas Fludd. Col. John Fludd/Flood Died in 1658 in Surry, Virgina. Col. John Fludd/Flood is my 11th Great Grandfather on my Appleby Side. He also traveled on the Swan as Cicely Reynolds did.

John Fludd was a colony settler that traveled on one of three ships with Thomas West, Lord De LaWarr who was the appointed Governor of Virginia at the time. In 1610 they departed London with the three ship fleet; The Starr, The Swan, and the Tyrall. John came to Virginia on The Swan when he was 15 yrs old. These were considered Pilgrim Ships, not the Mayflower, that came first, but there were several ships that came after delivering more colonists and supplies. This is the closest I've come to the Mayflower! Everyone wants that Mayflower, but I got the Swan!

From the project Ancient Planters: Passengers of the Swan, 1610

John Fludd’s first wife was Margaret Finch. In the Jamestown City, Virginia 1624 muster rolls/census shows John Fludd as head of household and was was living in Jordan’s Journey at the time. The census confirms his Ship of entry was the Swan and that he did arrive in 1610. Margaret arrived in 1620 with her daughter, who was from a previous marriage. Margaret was a widow when she married John.

There were terrible hardships in the early days of settlement in the English Colony settlements.  John Fludd was one of the fortunate colonists to survive.  He escaped death during the slaughter of 347 colonists during the Powhatan Chief Opechancanough on March 22, 1622. 

    

John’s first recorded land patent was dated 12 May 1638 and was for 2100 acres in James City County, which later becomes part of Surry County. Surry County was formed about 1652. John settled on the South side of the James River, across Bailey Creek in Surry County, near “Four Mile Tree”; present day Hopewell, VA.  John served as a Representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses for twenty-two years, representing the areas of Flowerdie Hundred, Westover and Weyanoke and served at least one term as their Speaker.  By 1643 he was one of the representatives of James city County.  In 1655 colonel John Flood, he was serving as a member of the local militia.  After Margaret died he married Fortune Jordanin about 1655.  At the time of his death in 1658, he was Chairman of the Surry County Commission which held Court and administered the affairs of the county. 

The surname FLUDD changed over time to FLOOD.  He was known as an Ancient Planter.