Rushing in America.
Between 1606 and 1627 the Virginia colony had to be "re-seeded" with people three times. Many colonists had died from Indian attacks and starvation, the entire colony being lost twice due to the harsh hostile winters.
The earliest Rushings I have found are James Rushing of New Kent County, Virginia in 1667 and Mathew Rushing of Charles City Co., Virginia before 1670.
Rushings are also to be found in Beaufort, South Carolina in the 1790's. Noted are Maliki and Mathew whilst in the Cheraw District of South Carolina John Paul Rushing and Frances Rushing are to be found.
George Rusher was subject of a land grant of 77 acres in Bedford Co. Virginia on the 10 November 1779. Also from America comes a copy of a deed of sale sent by George Rushing.
In 1627 the Virginia Company gave up and Virginia became a Crown Colony. There are no records of Rushings in any of the Virginia Company Charters or Crown Censuses.
John Sexton of New Kent County, Virginia was granted 700 acres of land on the S. side of the Yorke River on the 8 April 1668 for transporting 14 persons, including James Rushing, Edw. Cennett, Wm.Martyn, Jno. Taylor, Mary Kepax, Thos. Hoggs, Jno. Watkins, Jno. Littlehart, Stephen Willis, Edward Crop, Marey Turner, Eliz. Hudson, Tho. Perrey & Jno. Pryer.
Detail taken from "Cavaliers and Pioneers", Family History Library 975.5 R2n v.2.
Could James Rushing of New Kent County be the same James Rushing born as James Rushen in Clare, Suffolk, England in 1633 and the same James Rushen who married Ursula Wathmoll in Barbados in 1654?
After the birth of their daughter Ursula in 1659 they disappear from Barbados records.
Could William Rushing who died in Charles City County, Virginia about 1678, be the father of Matthew Rushing , often quoted by other researchers.
Matthew Rushing appears to have first aquired land in Chowan Precinct, NC, about February 1714/1715. Deed Book W1, Chowan County, NC.
A Philip R Rushing born 1765 is noted as marrying a Jemima and passing away in 1814, in Stewart Co., TN. A Philip Rushing and Philip Rushing jnr. can be found residing in Fayette District, Anson Co., NC in the 1790 census. Also noted are Abraham Rushing born in 1742, died 1805, Abraham Rushing jnr. born in 1772, died 1848, Noah Rushing and Mark Rushing born circa 1760.
I have been busy since 2014 assembling a Rushing Tree using the original census, birth, death and marriage records to be found on the web. There are many gaps but the latest count is almost ten thousand individuals and climbing. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will see if I can help. You will need to provide dates, family relationships and location as in some cases there are well over a hundred with the same first name.
email rushenhistory(at)hotmail.com
