John Custis

1592 - 1684  (91 years)

• Name	John Custis  [1]
  Birth	1 May 1592	Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	1684	Rotterdam, Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands   [1]
  Person ID	I47706	Master
  Last Modified	9 Feb 2023

  
  

  Family	Joan Powell,   b. 1608, Kent, Kent, Michigan, USA d. 1675, Rotterdam, Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (Age 67 years)
  Children	+ 1. John Custis, II,   b. 1629, , , Netherlands d. 29 Jan 1696, Hungars Plantation, Northampton, Virginia, USA (Age 67 years)
  Family ID	F10825	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	5 Feb 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Death - 1684 - Rotterdam, Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  John Custis May 1, 1592-1684 Immigrant Ancestor from Rotterdam to Virginia John Custis came to Virginia and was living there in 1640. He was born on May 1, 1592 in London, Middlesex, England and died 1684 in Rothdam, Rotterdam, Zud-Holand, Netherlands. He married Jane Joan Powell in 1630 in Rotterdam. He arrived in Virginia in 1621 at the age of 29. It is noted on the census that he lived in Virginia East Shore, Virginia Colony, Virginia in 1651. He had six sons 1. Thomas of Baltimore, Ireland; 2. Edward of London; 3. Robert of Rotterdam, who was a tavern keeper there and whose daughter married Argall Yeardley in 1649, a son of Virginia Governor; 4. John of Virginia; 5.William of Virginia; 6; Joseph of Virginia. It looks like he travelled back and forth from Rotterdam, London to the Virginia Colonies. Some of his children were born in London, some in Rotterdam. The reason for his going to Netherlands his unclear, but historically the Quakers and Pilgrims were persecuted in Britain and therefore it was common for them to leave and go to the Netherlands. Edmund Custis, father of John Custis the immigrant, was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England in 1558. He married Bridget Smithier, daughter of John Smithier in 1590. He was a clothier in Birbury near Arlington, England. The had 8 children and Edmund died in Birbury, England 1620. He was not seen to be in Rotterdam, Netherlands at any time, yet his father Sir Robert Custis – birth dates unknown, was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands and married Hannah Fame in Belgium in 164 and died in North Hampton, Virginia – dates unknown. Sir Robert immigrated to the Virginia Colonies. John Custis, born in 1630 and died in 1698, a son of the immigrant was Sherriff of Northampton in 1664 and Major General of Militia in 1676. His estate “Arlington”, gave its name to the celebrated Custis estate near Washington. The family was originally from Gloucester County, England. The will of John Smithier of Arlington, County of Gloucester dated 16 February 1626, mentions his cousin “Henry Custis” alias Cliffe, son-in-law Edward Custis, alias Cliffe; Nicholas Custis, etc.” The tomb of John Custis at Northampton bears the above arms (without the crest); stating he was one of the Council and Major-General of Virginia and that he died 29 Jan 1696 aged 66 years. The tomb of John Custis, his grandson, is also at Arlington and bears the Custis arms. The latter’s will was dated Nov 14, 1749 and probated in London Nov 19, 1753. In it he desires “that he be interred by the side of his grandfather, under a white marble tombstone, engraved with his arms of three parrots. He was born I 1778 and married Frances Parke. The arms adopted by the Custis family were those of Cliffe of the county of Essex, England Note: (Col. John Wise of England and Virginia, 1617-1695: His Ancestors and Descendants by Jennings Cropper Wise copyright -1918) – reprint by Amazon May 20, 2013 and edited by Vida Babette Mecier Makowski (VBM) Henry Custis1 M, b. 1596, d. 1661 FatherEdmund Custis (I) b. 1568, d. 1620MotherBridgett Smithier b. 1572, d. 23 Feb 1612 Henry was born in 1596 at Gloucestershire, England.2,3 He married Joan Whittington (widow) circa 1620. Henry Custis and Joan Wittington had 13 children. He lived in Amsterdam, Holland and was a clothier, merchant and innkeeper..1,4 Henry died in 1661.3,4 Family Joan Whittington (widow) b. c 1605, d. 1661Children Bridget Custis b. c 1620, d. b 1661 Judith Custis b. c 1621, d. b 1661 Edmund Custis (III) b. c 1623, d. 1680 Joseph Custis+ b. c 1625, d. 1653 Robert Custis b. c 1627, d. 1684 Thomas Custis+ b. 1628 Gen. John Custis (II) (Built Arlington)+ b. 1629, d. 29 Jan 1696 Ann Custis+ b. c 1633, d. b 1686 Capt. William Custis (A66)+ b. c 1633, d. 1698 Jacobmijnje 'Jane' Custis+ b. c 1635 Samuel Custis b. c 1640 Charles Custis b. c 1644 Sarah Custis (Custis?)+ b. c 1645, d. b 5 Apr 1720 Citations [S958] James R. Revell Sr., Descendants of Randall Revell of the Eastern Shore, Custis Family Lineage Appendix & additional information provided by Emails from James R. Revell Sr. [S497] James Handley Marshall, Northampton Co, VA, Abstracts of Wills & Administrations, 1632-1802, p. 416. [S958] James R. Revell Sr., Descendants of Randall Revell of the Eastern Shore, Custis Family Lineage Appendix. [S1036] Inc. Arlington Foundation, Custis Genealogy Chart. Bios of John Custis Sr (Immigrant) & son John Custis Jr John Custis I/Sr May 1, 1592-1684 Immigrant Ancestor from Rotterdam to Virginia The Custis family was originally from Gloucester County, England (near Wales). John Custis I/Sr, the immigrant who came to Virginia, was living there in 1640. He was born on May 1, 1592 in London, Middlesex, England and died 1684 at Rothdam, Rotterdam, Zud-Holand, Netherlands. He first arrived in Virginia in 1621 at the age of 29. In 1630, at Rotterdam, he married Jane Joan Powell (listed by most Ancestry.com trees as the daughter of John & Anne Smithiers Jr; perhaps she married a Powell??) John's mother was a Smithers--see below--meaning his wife Joan was John's 1st Smithiers Cousins; John's mother & and Joan's father were siblings). It is noted on the Virginia census of 1651 that John Custis (our immigrant) lived on Virginia's East Shore, where he and his namesake son would found the first "Arlington" Plantation in the colony. John Custis Sr six sons 1. Thomas of Baltimore, Ireland; 2. Edward of London; 3. Robert of Rotterdam, who was a tavern keeper there a daughter (Anne b ~ 1628 in Rotterdam) who married Argall Yeardley in 1649, a son of VA Governor Geo Yeardley; 4. John of Virginia; 5. William of Virginia; 6. Joseph of Virginia. It looks like John Custis Sr travelled back and forth between Rotterdam, London and the Virginia Colonies. Some of his children were born in London, some in Rotterdam (and one in Baltimore, Ireland...). I am assuming that some of his children came with him and his wife, Jane to America. In any case most of them were in Accomack, Virginia and died there. ‘Note: the reason for his going to Netherlands his unclear, but historically, the Quakers and Pilgrims were persecuted in Britain and therefore it was common for them to leave and go to the Netherlands’. Edmund Custis, father of John Custis the immigrant was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England in 1558. In 1590, Edmund married Bridget Smithier, daughter of John Smithier. Edmund was a clothier in Birbury near Arlington (Gloucestershire) England. He and Bridget had 8 children before Edmund died at Birbury, England in 1620. He was not seen to be in Rotterdam, Netherlands at any time, yet his father Sir Robert Custis – birth dates unknown, was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands and married Hannah Fame in Belgium in 164 (sic 1564?) and died in North Hampton, Virginia – dates unknown. Sir Robert immigrated to the Virginia Colonies. The will of John Smithier of Arlington, County of Gloucester (England) dated 16 February 1626, mentions his cousin “Henry Custis” alias Cliffe; son-in-law Edward Custis, alias Cliffe; Nicholas Custis, etc.” demonstrating further relationships between the Smithiers and the Custises. John Custis Jr (born in 1629 and died in 1698), a son of John the immigrant was Sherriff of Northampton, VA in 1664 and Major General of Governor William Berkeley's Virignia Militia in 1676 during Bacon's Rebellion. John Jr's estate “Arlington” located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, not at today's "Arlington" gave its name to the future, now celebrated Custis estate near Washington DC. The tomb of John Custis Jr at Northampton, VA bears the above named arms, without the crest. It also states that John Custis (Jr) was on the (Governer's) Council and was Major-General of Virginia. John Custis Jr died 29 Jan 1696 aged 66 years. The tomb of John Custis IV, John Jr's grandson, is also at the original/coastal Arlington Estate. It too bears the Custis arms. The latter’s will was dated Nov 14, 1749 and probated in London Nov 19, 1753. In it he desires “that he be interred by the side of his grandfather, under a white marble tombstone, engraved with his arms of three parrots. John Custis IV was born in 1778 (sic 1678) and married Frances Parke, daughter of Daniel Parke Jr, Royal Governor of the Leeward Islands. Note: (Col. John Wise of England and Virginia, 1617-1695: His Ancestors and Descendants by Jennings Cropper Wise copyright -1918) – reprint by Amazon, May 20, 2013 and edited by Vida Babette Mecier Makowski (VBM)

  
  

• Sources

  [S1162] Ancestry.com, Geneanet Community Trees Index, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.).