Joseph Croshaw Explained

Major Joseph Croshaw (c. 1610-12–1667) was a planter living near Williamsburg in the Colony of Virginia. He was the son of Captain Raleigh Croshaw. He became a planter and lived a few miles from present-day Williamsburg, Virginia. On December 10, 1651, he patented land which became the plantation known as Poplar Neck:

Poplar Neck subsequently came to be owned by Colonel John West through West's marriage to Croshaw's daughter Unity.

Family: Joseph Croshaw married five times and had eight children

Source:^[1]

1. The name of the first wife (m 1631) (English wife's name was not recorded in Early VA History See: William & Mary Historical journal)

• Mary Croshaw (1632-1687), married 1. Henry White; 2. Thomas Taylor.
• Richard Croshaw (1633-)
• Rachel Croshaw (1635-1670), married 1. Ralph Graves (grandson of Captain Thomas Graves); and 2. Richard Barnes.
• Betty Croshaw (1636-1637)
• Unity Croshaw (1636-1669), married Colonel John West.
• Benjamin Croshaw (1640-1645), died young.
• Joseph Croshaw (1642-1650), died young.

2. Widow Finch

3. Mrs. Anne Hodges (d.1663), widow of Augustine Hodges

4. Mrs. Margaret Tucker (d.1664), widow of Daniel Tucker

5. Mrs. Mary Bromfield (d. bef. 28 May 1673), widow of Thomas Bromfield

• Joseph Croshaw (1667-1682)

He had a 9th child, probably with 1st wife, but for some reason not listed in most other sources:

• Unnamed Daughter, born perhaps 1638, died probably before 1664, married Robert Blackwell.^{[2] [3]}

Croshaw is often, erroneously, connected to Elizabeth Yeardley, daughter of Governor Sir George Yeardley & Temperance Flowerdew. None of the scholarly books on either the Yeardley or the Croshaw families make this claim.

Croshaw died on April 10, 1667, the same day his will was written and recorded^[4] in York County, Virginia. The inventory of his estate was substantial and included numerous household objects made of both pewter and silver. One large silver tankard was valued at four pounds sterling (equivalent to about £330 in 2017).^{[5] [6]} The inventory of 1668 also listed the Croshaw estate as having 1000 bricks manufactured either by their own servants or by transient laborers.^[7]

Sources

• "Crowshaw", by Martha Woodroof Hiden; William and Mary Qtrly (2), XXI, pp265 70.
• "General Historie", by John Smith, 1624, Vol III, pp 78 81, Vol IV, pp. 151 154.
• "The Complete Works of Captain John Smith", edited by Philip L. Barbour; Vol II, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC, 1986.

Notes and References

1. Dorman, John Frederick, Adventurers of Purse and Person, 4th ed., v.1, p.770)
2. Dorman, John Frederick, Adventurers of Purse and Person, 4th ed., v.1, p. 771-772: Daughter Croshaw and Robert Blackwell:"5. (DAUGHTER) CROSHAW (Joseph, Raleigh) married Robert Blackwell who died before 19 Nov. 1664 when Joseph Croshaw made a deed of gift of 700 acres, being the upper part of his 1350 acre patent of 27 Feb. 1649/50, to his grandsons Robert Blackwell and James Blackwell, sons of Robert, deceased."
3. Not included in "Adventures", but in the original source image of the Deed of Gift (The Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants Patent Book 6 page 213), describes the land as "... lying and being in New Kent County ...", and provides other location and boundary lines.
4. Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly. Vol. II. Cobb-Hay p.799
5. Web site: The National Archives - Currency converter: 1270–2017.
6. Bruce, Philip Alexander, Economic History of Virginia, Chapter XII
7. Records of York County, Croshaw, vol. 1664-1672