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INTRODUCTION
To
SINGLETONS IN ENGLAND
Huck de Singleton was The ancestor of The Singleton families of Lancashire which at one time held large estates in Amounderness. His son, Ughtred (or Uctred), is mentioned in records during the time of King Henry II (1154-1189 AD). He was usually referred to as "Uctred do singleton" which means "Uctured of Singleton". He inherited the estate from his father as proven by two entries in the Lancashire Pipe Rolls. Other records are in the Lancaster Chartulary 11S3-1160.
The few records that exist show that Ughtred de Singleton had sons Richard and Robert and a daughter Matilda. Perhaps there were other children.
Richard de Singleton, who inherited his father Ughtred's estate, died in 1211 and the estate in Singleton passed to his son Alan de Singleton. Alan married Alice, daughter of William de Winwick.
In 1332 the King levied new taxes to raise money for his attempt to bring Scotland under feudal subjection to England. Following are the names of the Singletons who appeared on the tax list called the Exchequer Lay Subsidy Roll of the Year 1332
RANULF de SINGLETON
in Parua Hole (Little Hoole in south Lancs.)
HENRY de SINGLETON
living in Barton
THOMAS de SINGLETON
living in Warton
ALICIA de SINGLETON
living in Whittingham
RAN de SINGLETON
living in Whittingham
THOMAS de SINGLETON
living in whittingham
THOMAS de SINGLETON
living in Broughton
ADAM de SINGLETON
living in Broughton
WILMAM de SINGLETON
living in Broughton
WILLIAM de SINGLETON
living in Bispham w. Norbreck
The principle manor house attached to the ownership of Little Singleton through most of The medieval centuries was Broughton Tower near Preston. This house was originally built and occupied by one of the singleton family in the Eleven Hundreds. In 1615 it was sold to Roger Langton and was described as *1a strong-built house, with a tower capable of being fortified with its surrounding moat". It was demolished about 1800 and replaced by a modern farmhouse
There are six coats of arms, with several different crests, which are attributed to various branches of the Singleton clan. The right to a given coat of arms must be proven generation by generation in order to establish a true claim to use it. Since we cannot trace our lineage in The male line of the Singleton family back to this era in time, we have no legal right to claim a given coat of arms. Our branch of the Singleton family may, or may not, have had a coat of arms since every family did riot have one
Although no connections have been made between the Singleton families in
England and those in America, it is probable that all the bearers of the
name are descended from Huck de Singleton.
Sources: THE NAME
AND FAMLLY a. SINGLETON compiled by The Media Research Bureau of Washington,
DC THE LIVES AND TIMES OF OUR SINGLETONS. A History of John Singleton of
American Fork, UT - His Ancestors & Descendants. compiled for the John
Singleton Family Association by Sam Singleton, Elma S. Bradshaw, Kenneth
D. Singleton, Evylyn T Shelton & Mary Jane w. Bracken, 1971 J-Mart
Pub. Co. Spanish Fork, Utah.
THE EARLY SINGLETONS OF AMERICA
The Singletons are one of the oldest families in America, coming from England among the very earliest settlements in Virginia. Henry Singleton arrived in the corporation of Elizabeth city, Virginia in 1637 and is thought to be the progenitor of our family. No age was given for him on the passenger record. A John Singleton, age 18 arrived about the same time, on the ship THOMAS & JOHN, and may have been a brother, son or other close relative of Henry.
Elizabeth city Corporation was the area that is now the city of Hampton, VA. From there Henry moved up the Virginia Coast to settle in Gloucester county. In the early Virginia society a privileged few were in control of vast amounts of property and wealth and tradition says that Henry was above average in wealth, held several hundred acres of land and built a mansion in the 165Os. Existing records show that between March and May of 1651 he patented 320 acres of land on the east side of the Eastermost River in Mobjack Bay in Gloucester County, Virginia. (Patent Book No. 2, pg. 312). Other records show an additional 400 acres purchased Nov. 20, 1661, which also lay on the east side of the Eastermost River, and 300 acres purchased Dec 20, 1667 which was originally granted to Thomas Morgan in 1660 and bordered that of Henry's 1651 tract. (Books 4, pg. 532 & 6, pg. 103).
These lands were located in Kingston Parish of Gloucester County, Virginia. In 1791 the entire area of Kingston Parish became Mathews County, VA. Henry 's land was located a few miles southwest of the present city of Mathews, VA. A visit to that area has revealed that there are no gravestones in existence for that time period. Several people with the Singleton name still live in Mathews County and the name is well known there.
Some researchers feel that Henry Singleton had a son named Joshua who was born and died in Gloucester County, VA. Most of the early records of that County have been destroyed or lost, so it is difficult to determine the genealogy with certainty. Probab1y Joshua was the father of Henry, Samuel and Robert Singleton who in 1704 were taxed on 600, 300 and 650 acres, respectively, in Kingston Parish of Gloucester County, VA. This Henry and Samuel were brothers according to a 1687 land record. (Book 7, pg. 588). Robert Singleton was probably also a brother. This Robert is the earliest of our ancestors that we have been able to document with certainty.
Sources: The Virginia
Historical Society; Baltimore Genealogy Pub. Co..,
THE ABRIDGED COMPENDIUM
OF AMERICEN GENEALOGY, Vol. 5,Edited by Frederick A. Virkers; Genealogy
Publishing Co., Chicago. RECRDS OF COLONIAL GLOUCESTER COUNTY, VA
by Polly Cary Mason.
ROBERT SINGLETON
Robert Singleton, who paid taxes on 650 acres in Kingston Parish of Gloucester County, Virginia in 1704, is the earliest of our Singleton ancestors that we have been able to document positively. One unproved source states that his wife was Elizabeth Thornton.
Robert's will, which was written on April 15, 1724 and proved in Gloucester County Court on the 25th day of March 1725, is in existence in the Redwood Collection in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC in it, Robert names his wife, Elizabeth, and six children:
1. Robert, stated
to be the eldest
2. Joshua (who
became our ancestor)
3. Susanna,
wife of Thomas Smither
4. Mary, wife
of George Foster
5. Averilla
6. Isaac, under
the age of 14
Robert and his wife and children lived on Winter Harbor in Kingston Parish, Gloucester County, VA. This area is now Mathews County, VA and Winter Harbor is located on the Chesapeake Bay side of the county just to the east of the lands settled earlier by Henry Singleton. Robert left this Winter Harbor Plantation to his youngest Son, Isaac Singleton.
In 1737 Isaac Singleton married Rebecca Robins, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Coleman) Robins. Isaac’s children were named in their grandfather Robins’ 1782 will. They were: (1) William, d. 1829; (2) Isaac; (3) Thomas, went into the U.S Army and died, it is believed in New Orleans, without issue; (4) Elizabeth m. John Ransone; (5) Jane m. James Tatum; (6) Joshua, b. 1745, d. 1833 in Ware Neck, VA, served as a Lt. in VA State Navy in the Revolutionary War, died with no widow or heirs, part of his estate went to Richard Singleton,, his nephew; and (7) John, d.1839, m. Joicey Ransone.
In March 1704 Robert Singleton received a grant for 600 acres of land on the Occaquan River in Stafford County, Virginia, and in 1711 he purchased land in Richmond County, Virginia. All of the Richmond County land was willed to son Joshua (our ancestor). Joshua also received 300 acres of the Stafford County land. The remainderof the 600 acres was equally divided between Joshua's married sisters,Susanna Smither and Mary Foster. This 600 acre tract of land was surveyed in July 1705 by Thomas Gregg and a copy is in The Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. It lay on the Occaquan River at the mouth of Sandy Run, three miles above the falls. At the present time this land is in Fairfax County, VA and is owned by and included in the area of the Fountainhead Regional Park.
On May 7, 1742 George and Mary (Singleton) Foster sold their 150 acres to John Gregg and it is recorded in Prince William County, VA. In 1751 Susanna Smither, of Caroline County, VA, and John Smither her son and heir-at-law, sold her part of the land. Joshua left his 300 acres to his sons, Robert and Stanley Singleton.
Robert Singleton, Jr. received money from his father's will and the youngest daughter, Averilla, received household goods and slaves. Four slaves were mentioned in the will.
Richard Singleton, son of Robert, Jr. and grandson of Robert who made the above will, married a woman named Dorothy. He died in 1853. They were the last Singleton owners of "Bloomsbury" at Ware Neck, VA. Two late nineteenth century homes, "Ditchly" built by Dr. John Prosser Tabb, and Oak Hall, are on the Bloomsbury Tract. Richard Singleton owned most of the land on the eastern side of Ware Neck which bordered the North River. Prior to 1844 he donated the land for Singleton's Chapel, now known as Singleton's United Methodist Church at Ware Neck, VA. Some of his descendants are buried in the cemetery of this church. The original Singleton's Chapel was built of logs and the Pews were also of logs. When it was torn down the cornerstone contained some old coins and some papers which had deteriorated so badly they crumbled and nothing could be read.
The records that Robert Singleton left show that he could easily have been in the top ten or fifteen percent of society.
Sources: Robert
Singleton's will provided by Elaine Foster Richmond & Prince William
County, VA Records Manuscript on Joshua Singleton 1745-1833 by Elizabeth
Dutton Lewis
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