Biography of
Sir Thomas Farley (Born-1600, Worcester,
Eng)
“Sir Thomas Farley and Lady Jane left
England, and arrived in Jamestown in 1624 on the ship Ann. Their
first child, a daughter, whom they named Ann, was born soon after their
arrival or aboard ship.”
-by Carl Boyer
Ship Passenger List, the South, (1538-1825) p52
Thomas is listed in the “Bicentennial
Register of Members” in Cynthia Leonard’s The General Assembly of
Virginia, July 30, 1619 to January 11, 1978. He served as a
Burgess, representing the Plantations between Archer’s Hope and
Martin’s Hundred, in the 1628 General Assembly of the House of
Burgess. He served again during the session of 1630, representing
Harrop and the Plantations between Anchor’s Hope and Martin’s
Hundred. He also served on the Grand Assembly of 1632 as a
representative for Anchor’s Hope. The Farley’s were wealthy
land owners who owned many slaves. Thomas was not without his
faults however, he and several other residents of Anchor’s Hope were
in trouble with the law and the church for being drunk and disorderly
late at night. Anchor’s Hope was a raucous community during the
late 1620’s.- Source: James City County Keystone of the Commonwealth
by Martha W. McCartney.
It was said Sir Thomas Farley feared
“neither God nor beast,” because he was fined 400 lbs. of tobacco
for hunting boar on Sunday. On a separate occasion Sir Thomas
Farley was fined 100 lbs. of tobacco for “not coming to church on the
Sabbath for three months.”
“Thomas Farley was born in Liverpool.
He married the illagitement daughter of the Baron of Sefton. Jane
came from a family of ten children. Her family goes back to the
royal houses of Europe and includes lots of very interesting historical
persons. After the conquest of England by William I, the feudal
landholders became responsible for administering justice. The
Sefton, Radclyffe, and Dutton families intermarried and all were
sheriffs and members of court. Thomas was a member of the House of
Burgess. He may have been involved in the legal field and had
contact with the Molyneux family that way. Both Thomas and Jane
lost all their parents the same year James brother Richard was listed in
the 2nd. VA Company Compact. The colonies were opened in 1622 by
the King to families. Jane was pregnant at the time and they
brought a servant with them to Virginia. Townthorpe is the name of
a Manor House in the East Riding of Europe.” -(Internet: Jan. 2000)
Sir Thomas Farley and his wife Jane left
for America in 1623. They brought one servant with them named
Nicholas Shotter. They landed on 4 Feb. 1624
