The Bobbitt Family In America

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By the year of 1750 the family is beginning to branch out both in numbers and in locations. The history of the family in North Carolina is a separate chapter, the history of the family in Prince George county Virginia is a separate chapter, and the history of the family in Surry and Sussex counties is a separate chapter. The family in Hanover county is a separate chapter.

The Bobbitt family in Virginia in 1750 was essentially in the counties of Prince George and Surry. Sussex county was formed from Surry county in 1753. After the formation of Sussex county the many relatives of the Bobbitt family lived in Surry county but the Bobbitt plantations were in Sussex county and have lived in that county from the date of his formation until the present time. The history of the Albemarle Parish is part of the history of Sussex county and the history of the Bobbitt family.

It is essential to know something about the Albemarle Parish and the Parish Register if we are to find our history in Virginia. Albemarle Parish was created by an act of the General Assembly in 1738. The act provided that the parishes of Southwalk and Lawne's Creek shall be divided by the Blackwater River; and those parts that are situated on the north side of the river are to be called the Parish of Southwark and those on the south side of the river are to be called Albemarle.

The Parish Register was kept by the Reverend William Willie and the entries in the register date from 1739 until he died in 1776. The register is unique in that it is the only complete register in this section of Virginia south of the James river. It is important in that the names of sponsors at the christenings and the names of god-parents were usually the names of grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws. It is interesting in that the names in the Albemarle Parish register are very much the same family names that can be found in the Bristol Parish register.

The Resister of Albemarle Parish, Sussex county Virginia, is in the custody of the Virginia Historical Society, in Richmond. It is a small folio volume bound in marbled cardboard, with leather corners and backing. The pages are yellowed but the script is very legible.

The three chapels in the parish were soon replaced by churches and given proper Christian names, but their old names are to be found in the records as long as the parish existed. "Secures Chapel" became St. Paul's in 1745. "Stony Creek Chapel" became St. Mark's. "Spring Swamp Chapel" was replaced by St. Andrews in 1751.