James Wimble: Part 1

Life of James Wimble: The Story of a Sussex Family in America

By Baylus C. Brooks

Parents:

James Wimble (1661-8 Feb 1704)
Ann ? (1661-23 May 1734)

Children:

Anna Wimble (bp. 4 May 1686)
John Wimble (bp. 6 Sep 1688-7 yrs old)
Priscilla Wimble (1690-5 Sep 1721) m. Joseph Wait
Martha Wimble (bp. 20 Feb 1693)
Mary Wimble (bp. 10 Jan 1695)
James Wimble (bp. 31 Jan 1697-1744) m. Rebecca Waters

William Wimble (bp. 6 Mar 1698)
Thomas Wimble (bp. 19 Jun 1699)
Sarah Wimble (bp. 27 Feb 1701)
Elizabeth Wimble (bp. 30 Apr 1701)

James Wimble, one of ten children born to James and Ann Wimble in St. Leonard’s Parish, Hastings, Sussex County, England, received baptism January 31, 1696/7, at Hollington-in-the-Wood Church. The family moved to southern Hastings sometime after the birth of James and his siblings and shortly before the father’s death in 1704. Wimble’s parents and sisters’ graves are at All Saints Church, located on High Street in Hastings. His brother, Thomas, Customs officer in Kent and freeholder in Hastings, lived in New Shoreham at the time of the Sussex Election of 1734 and erected stones in the memory of his parents just after his mother’s death in 1734 at the church on High Street. Coincidentally, the Mayor of Hastings, John Collier, lived on High Street as well and had intimate connections with the Duke of Newcastle, serving his interest directly as agent in the 1734 election. John Collier, in 1733 became the Surveyor-General of Customs in Kent and likely employed Thomas around that time, most likely at the behest of Newcastle.[i]

Newcastle, parliamentary representative for Sussex County and the Borough of Lewes, enlisted the aid of the mayor of Hastings, John Collier, during the politically unstable times before that election. Collier, certainly, knew the Wimble family, attending the same church and marrying the daughter of the All Saints Rector, James Cranston. The Wimbles, possibly influenced by Newcastle’s aid to James in America and by Collier’s active canvassing advertisements, personally and otherwise, inclined their favor toward the Pelhams. Such are the politics.

As to Wimble’s parents, Sussex Archaeological Records contain much information on their final resting place. These records show James’ (the father’s) death as February 8, 1704 and state his birth to be in 1661, the same year that his wife, Ann was born. Ann lives for thirty years after her husband and dies May 23, 1734. However, evidence is bare concerning the details of the brothers and sisters of James Wimble. Their father’s death so early in their life (James was only about seven years old) undoubtedly had much to do with this. The older sisters deserve a great deal of credit for helping on the farm during this crisis. Of one sister, Priscilla, also appearing on the family’s baptismal records of Hollington, she married a man named Joseph Wait, yet her remains lie beside her parents, having died September 5, 1721 at the youthful age of thirty-one. John, baptized in 1688, dies about seven years later.

James Wimble, the eldest remaining male child, lost a brother, a sister, and a father before he constructed his first ship and left Hastings in 1718 for his place in history.[ii] Thomas, remains in England, finally settling in New Shoreham.[iv] In 1735, shortly after the death of his mother in 1734, he erects stones to memorialize his family in the All Saints Cemetery beside the church.[v]

Another reference in British records refers to a William Wimble, “son of a Sussex farmer,” found guilty of smuggling wool to France in 1715. Apparently, this had been illegal for two years. William claimed coercion on the part of two Customs House officers and “the false evidence of one Samuel Wratten, a worthless character.”[vi] The officers were John Willard and John Writtle. Paul Collins, a Wimble family researcher and author of The Wimble Family of East Sussex 1570-1720 tells of this William Wimble. Apparently, a William Wimble ran an alehouse in Hastings and was associated with the “Mayfield gang,” a local smuggling group. Collins believes this man to be James Wimbles uncle, William Wimble “of Pyes.”

James had much difficulty with the Board of Trade. His “illiterate” letters exposed a man that did not benefit from a gentleman’s educational pursuits. By viewing the corner of Wimble’s 1733 map of the Cape Fear region, it is easily apparent that Wimble was not completely bereft of an education.

The death of James Wimble, Sr. might also help to explain the Wimble sons’ change in vocation from yeomen to mariners and “brickmakers.” Undoubtedly, Ann had to sell much of the family farm to continue with nine surviving children on her own. Their location on the southern coast of England offered the sea trade, a vocation requiring only a strong back and no experience to young, enterprising men such as James Wimble. Wimble, likely found repeated work as an angler or sailor, learned the trade from his youth and finally constructed his own vessel.

Thomas Wimble must have been the family’s savior. He, alone, remains in the records of All Saints Anglican Church, as a caring and devoted son, caring for his mother until her death. The erection of stones to honor their memory indicates this. However, this should not detract from the successes of James Wimble. It must be remembered that he was not the oldest son, and therefore, did not expect to be the family caretaker. Young Wimble, raised in a coastal environment as free and exciting as the Sussex coast, found that life much too attractive. Many local seamen found smuggling a nearly honorable tradition that obviously caught William’s eye as well.

Whatever the drive or inclination, the “brine” in the blood belonged to young James Wimble. He leaves Hastings in 1718 for a life as a merchant in the Caribbean. From there, he found the value of the naval products of Carolina and began trading them amongst the islands in the Bahamas and Antigua.

On a trip to Boston, he met the daughter of a weaver in Boston, Mass. Rebecca Waters, the daughter of William Waters and his second wife, Rebecca Worthylake, married Wimble March 26, 1724 in a ceremony performed by Dr. Tim Cutler in Boston.[vii] The call for a settled life attracted Wimble for, at least, a short time. He purchased land in the Bahamas. Soon, he owned land in Chowan Precinct, N. C. He also bought numerous properties in Boston. His wife and family, which quickly arrived, settled permanently in Boston and Wimble made that the base of his merchant trade.

Five days before Christmas in 1724, his son, James, was born. A little over a year later, in January 1726, William came. John came in 1733, Thomas in 1735. John died in 1736 and James and Rebecca gave that name to a fifth son in 1737. There are no known daughters. The gap in the birthdates of William and John are no accident, being a period of strife for the Wimbles. James and Rebecca’s child, John, dies before his third birthday. It is interesting to note that their last child was named John also. While this practice is somewhat common among eighteenth-century aristocratic families, John’s name may be due more to the fact that James’ oldest sibling, John, also died young. Perhaps, James Wimble found the loss too great and gave the name to another to carry on the memory.

The strife-filled period in the Wimble’s life began on a routine voyage to the West Indies. May 7, 1728, while bound for Jamaica “with produce of N. Carolina,” his ship and cargo were taken by a Spanish privateer from Cuba, off the island of Hispaniola. The governor of the Bahamas sent a man of war to demand reparations for fifteen different English vessels captured by the Spanish, one of which was Wimble’s. The Spanish governor refused to make reparations. Thus, began a long line of Spanish troubles for James Wimble. As a Sussex aristocrat, he writes the Duke of Newcastle, just recently appointed to the position of Secretary of the Southern Department, which administrates the American colonies. Wimble asks Newcastle to "fevour me with a line to setesfy me wether i can recover anything from ye Spand," and, if not that, he desires a colonial post in New England.[viii] Newcastle’s position gave him almost exclusive right to grant patronage in the colonies, at least, on paper. Lord Townshend, as Northern Secretary, dominated Newcastle until he left the office in 1730. Still, Wimble writes to the hometown man of importance, Newcastle, being from Lewes, Sussex.

Newcastle found the distribution of colonial “places” the exclusive domain of Lord Townshend until 1730.[ix] Yet, with South Carolina already under royal administration, the Board of Trade favored the southern port of Charleston. Indeed, the accessibility of the port made it more attractive. Therefore, Newcastle found North Carolina left to him and, in 1730, it, too, became the property of the English government. The Lords Proprietor, exasperated with independent and stubborn North Carolinians, gladly disposed of the colony.

Newcastle now found himself in the strongest position to which a British minister could aspire. Troublesome North Carolinians, though, needed quelling if Great Britain wanted to keep her colony. The Duke of Newcastle needed a map of the region to display the “royal” view of the colony, not Edward Moseley’s Family interpretation of 1733. The Family, a group of South Carolina plantation owners on the west bank of the Cape Fear River had become extraordinarily powerful through a land controversy involving patent frauds. This Brunswick Settlement Scheme clearly threatened Newcastle’s authority in North Carolina. Newcastle began his administrative prelude through his placement of George Burrington as governor but still needed James Wimble’s intimate naval knowledge and trade connections to construct a map of Burrington’s new town on the Cape Fear and to help that town thrive. Today, the town of Wilmington marks the political battleground of 1733.

More to come with Wimble's adventures as a privateer... in part 2!

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[i] Cumming, “The Turbulent Life of Captain James Wimble,” 2; Sussex Archaeological Society, Sussex Archaeological Collections Relating to the History and Antiquities of the County Vol. XL (Lewes, England: Farncombe and Company, Limited, 1896), 238; Sussex Archaeological Society, Sussex Archaeological Collections Relating to the History and Antiquities of the County Vol. XLV (Lewes, England: Farncombe and Company, Limited, 1902), 63.

[ii] “America and West Indies: April 1735,” Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies, Volume 41: 1734-1735 (1953), 402-412. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=72782&strquery=wimble (accessed: 08 April 2009).

[iii] The National Archives, East Sussex Record Office, PEV/85 (October 28, 1721), http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=179-PEV&cid=2-13-3#2-13-3 (accessed June 24, 2009).

[iv] Henry Montague, Sussex Electoral Poll of 1734 (Sue O’Neill, 2000) http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pobjoyoneill/index.htm (accessed June 9, 2009).

[v] Sussex Archaeological Society, Sussex Archaeological Collections Relating to the History and Antiquities of the County Vol. XL (Lewes, England: Farncombe and Company, Limited, 1896), 238.

[vi] “Volume 190: May 3-June 30, 1715,” Calendar of Treasury Papers, Volume 5: 1714-1719 (1883), 104-119. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=85021&strquery=Wimble (accessed: 23 June 2009).

[vii] Jordan Dodd, Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850 (Liahona Research, comp.) (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005).

[viii] “America and West Indies: August 1728, 1-15,” Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies, Volume 36: 1728-1729 (1937), 166-184, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=72453&strquery=wimble (accessed: 13 March 2009).

[ix] James A Henretta, Salutary Neglect: Colonial Administration Under the Duke of Newcastle (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1972), 3.

Bath Festival May 16th 2009

Today was a big day in Bath and a total surprise for me and my friend as we drove up Hwy 264 to see the sights. We visited Bath, Lake Mattamuskeet, Gul Rock (home of the deer and bears), and a host of other little places scattered amongst the miles of highway... really good highway I might add. The best part was the lack of traffic. When you're used to young students with a few short years of driving experience, it's a real pleasure to find a lonely stretch of road.

As Julie and I came into Bath, we found that the Bath Festival had just begun and we spent the next few hours walking along Main and Craven. There's quite a few historical markers in that block, including one for Mr John Lawson, the quite famous Surveyor General who traveled the Carolina's, recording his travels for all of us to glimpse the past.

He just had to go and get himself tortured and killed by the Tuscarora. Well, he left a legend. Just like his neighbor there... Edward Teach. Speaking of Teach... he may have found it ironic that a Christian singer performed on the front porch of the man who claimed to "come straight from hell."

Bath is a really small, quaint community that seemed to come alive with the festival that included arts and crafts vendors and some good smellin' eats. The excellent view off the point gives you the impression of a great harbor for a pirate periauger or two.

After the festival, we were chased off by the rain. Continuing east on 264, we came across the road north to Lake Mattamuskeet... a very large inland wildlife refuge. It's also a really big lake!

From there, we were directed to a seven mile long road that ended at the Pamlico sound. I could've sworn it was the ocean if I didn't know better. This very remote location was the Gul Rock Wildlife Preserve. According to the genealogical information I have on the Mattamuskeet Indian Brooks, Stephen and Mary Farrow Brooks are buried here... somewhere! lol Maybe I'll find them next trip...

Still, it was a very pleasant day and we almost avoided the rain completely. Almost...

A page from my website on the Brooks of Coastal NC

Joseph Brooks I

b. ?

d. 22 November 1718

children:

Joseph Brooks II

Stephen Brooks

Joseph Brooks I or “Sr.” is known primarily due to his notoriety as a member of Blackbeard’s pirate crew. There’s no way to know where or when Joseph joined the infamous Edward Drummond, Teach or Thatch… whatever was his real name was… we call him “Blackbeard”. But, we know that his son, Joseph was a part of the crew as well.

There is a tradition amongst the descendants of Thomas Brooks, b.1738 Hyde Co, NC that now live in Tennessee, that Thomas’ father was Stephen Brooks b. c1703 and that his father was this Joseph Brooks, the man of notoriety here mentioned.

It is a wild thought, but not without some merit. It is not popularly known that “Outer Bankers” were a surly sort, prone to living by beachcombing after shipwrecks and even creating disaster in order to assist the shipwrecks’ occurrence. There’s no direct evidence, of course. For example, I don’t write down everything I don’t want known. I’m sure they didn’t either… maybe even tended toward extreme privacy. The evidence lay in the effects their activities will have on peripheral events. Studying those will take lots of evidence to make the point and time to sift through it. I’m sure that, given the heavy amount of research (see www.lost-colony.com ) into the Brooks and other related families of Mattamuskeet Indians and their relationship to the Croatan (possible descendants of the Roanoke Colony left on the Carolina Shores in 1587, that more information will come to light.

One of the purposes of that “Lost Colony” was to provide an English presence in the New World to put pressure on the expansion of Spanish colonization, at that time, primarily south of Carolina. They were essentially a force of mostly fighting men that had a number of encounters with the Spanish before settling on Roanoke, where they built elaborate fortifications that had future plans for cannon. In many views, this colony’s underlying purpose was to raid Spanish shipping. I suppose the English would have preferred the term “disrupt”. One author of a recent book called it “Ralegh’s Pirate Colony”.

If the members of that colony had survived after 1587 by living and breeding with the native Croatan, there would have been signs in their descendants such as oddly European-like eye color, hair color and the ability to “write in the book,” or use writing. On one occasion, later Europeans witnessed all of these things among the Croatan (or Hatteras) Indians when they began to re-colonize Carolina in the mid 1650’s. Only 75 or 80 years had passed since the colony was left by Ralph Lane and John White as they left to obtain supplies from England. Unfortunately, the famed “Spanish Armada” of ships attacked England at that time and delayed their departure by three years. What they found upon their return was the now well-known story of “CROATOAN” carved on a post to indicate where they had gone. The pre-arranged alert signal of a cross carved above the name was not there, so they apparently went in peace. Obviously, their supplies dwindled and they could not survive on their own, later to be taken into the local tribe of friendly Croatan Indians. That’s the supposition, anyway. Any number of unknown factors may have come into play.

Descendants of these “pirates” and the native peoples of Carolina would have lived an existence barely above what most Europeans of the time would have thought of as primitive. Yet, many of them took Christian names and had taken up the Christian religion, in which the first contact with them had revealed a strong interest. It’s purely hypothetical, but it wouldn’t be difficult for those colonist/Indians to re-infiltrate English society as the Indians themselves proved possible. Lake Mattamuskeet in now Hyde Co, NC is populated by such descendants even today. As well as Cape Hatteras, around the town of Buxton… site of the original Croatan village as seen by the colonists in 1587. As well as the residents of Chocowinity and Free Union that sparked the interest of the folks at www.lost-colony.com.

Would it be such a far cry from “Pirate Colonist” in 1587 to “Pirate-Indian, now Colonist again” in 1650? It seems perfectly natural to me, especially in light of the increased presence of the English in a land that used to belong to the Indian… or, rather in their view… the “domain” of their god. To them, it must have seemed like an invasion and I’m sure that any colonist’s children born as an Indian and raised as an Indian, whether or not he could “write in the book” would have seen it the same way. To the sea-faring folk of these times, piracy would have been a natural result of the distaste, if not outright hatred for the English. Kind of echoes the American Revolution, huh? As was the case with Blackbeard’s crew and many crews like it, I’m sure that their noble original intentions fell to lesser, more base affairs. The sight of “booty” was probably enough. Invasion led to revolution led to piracy. History is replete with this theme.

Would it be so hard to believe that Indian descendants like the Brooks of Currituck & Hyde Co’s, NC became members of this short-lived and little understood profession? It was a way to make your living in a time when there was little authority to tell you otherwise. Besides, England condoned it… so long as the intended victims weren’t English. In this case, unfortunately, they were. England had to send Lt. Maynard of the Royal Navy to “remind” the locals of the need for civilization. Even Gov. Eden of North Carolina had Blackbeard as his guest there in New Bern. Indeed, was somewhat “partnered” with him according to most historians.

We have to remember that North Carolina was wild at this time. There was little “civilized” behavior in even the Governor. Imagine what the average colonist must have been like and especially the “lower-classed” Indians, for which most English had great distrust. A lawless life probably looked perfectly natural to them. But, the Colony of North Carolina was growing fast and Indian ways and Piracy could no longer be tolerated, as Joseph Brooks and his son found out in 1718.

Learning Dates in History

I remember, like most high school students in the '70's, complaining that we students had to learn certain things that we considered useless at the time. At the top of that list has to be the infamous bank of ancient Greek and Arabic knowledge we distastefully called "ALGEBRA." Rene Descartes gave us the "cartesian coordinate system" that we are all painfully familiar with, even though most of us still can't get the abstract notion of geometry to blend with real life problems like a speeding car over a stretch of highway on an incline. What!!?? Just ask the eighth grade fellow I tutor in math. He won't give you a good reference on Descartes.

But, did you know that Descartes was an eye witness to the Siege of La Rochelle in 1628? The last stronghold of French Protestants in a predominantly Catholic country? Did you know that these Protestants left France before 1700 and went to many other parts of the world, especially to very protestant America? If you remember, our ancestors left Europe because of Martin Luther demanding that the Bible be translated into German. Our ancestors tended to agree with Luther and... here we are! Most of us has a French name or two in our genealogies. For me, we have the well-told story of Jean de Fonvielle of Craven County, NC. Most North Carolinians call him John Fonville. And descendants of his include noted Wilmington historian, Chris Fonville, and... of course, me! There's also Mr. Thomas "Tommy" Fonville of Fonville-Morisey Realty Company so well known in this part of the state.

Another big issue with high school students and college students concerns the importance of dates in history. My history professors today don't stress dates so much as they do the issues. This is an important consideration so long as you remain aware of the time period you are concerned with. You know, George Washington wasn't a statesman who had to concern himself with Civil Rights because slaves had not yet been freed in the 18th century. Washington was our first President, right? I hope you said "yes." That was in the 18th century, seventeen hundreds, somewhere around 1776. We hit the general aspects of the date without demanding that you know July 4, 1776 precisely, for the Declaration of Independence. Although the big summer holiday with the fireworks will help you remember that date, I'm sure.

Still, the concepts are stressed more. But, dates are important, too. For instance, I just recently received an email about my genealogy from a man who descends from a neighbor of my ancestor. The 1843 dispute over land commonly held between the two families at different times became an issue that went to the state supreme court. The date of 1843 stirred in my head when I read the email. Why? Well, I looked up the genealogical information for my ancestor and found that he died in 1842. It was certainly significant that he died before this supreme court case.

Another point of research that I was doing for colonial NC concerned some microfilm that I wanted to look at. The lending library informed me that they couldn't send 185 rolls of film on an inter-library loan. So, I looked up the dates associated with each individual roll, knowing that Wilmington's significant date of formation was April, 1733. James Wimble and John Watson had just purchased the land that later became Wilmington in that period... although official records will show 1735. Edward Moseley's map of 1733 was finished and presented to Governor Johnston in April of 1733 and James Wimble's version of the same area was started in... April 1733. The dates of three rolls of the microfilm were 1724-1732, April 1733- January 1734, and January 1734-November 1734. Notice anything? The second roll starts with April 1733 while the first roll wasn't specific at all. These documents are official British correspondence for the Duke of Newcastle who was concerned more with European foreign affairs and his numerous expensive soirees than he was with those "provincials" in America, all the way across the Atlantic. Supposedly, he's not concerned with a little, remote place like North Carolina. Supposedly...

So, why does the second roll, probably the start of another volume of Newcastle's journals, begin with "April 1733?" Did Newcastle himself consider this month important for some reason? Guess I'll find out when I get the microfilm. But, it sure is intriguing and it all depends on a date.

Dates make a difference. They do. Simple notions of "April 1733" could very well change our understanding of the development of one of our most important North Carolina cities. I'm sure that a publication titled "April 1733" is in my near future. I'll know for sure after I spend the countless hours, possibly days in front of a microfilm reader in the basement of the library. My point is... you sometimes have to pay attention to those dates.

Absent-minded Acting Professor?

Evening!

I must apologize for the last post where it may seem that I stuttered. :) Maybe I should read the last post before making the new one.

You know, this is often a symptom of a disease that has plagued mankind for its whole existence... a disease that causes unstable equilibrium, random amnesia and generally obliterates the mind. I'm referring, of course to advancing age. Yes, I can feel its icy fingers upon me.

My wife often mentions a story to our friends and family that illustrates my sudden awareness of this vicious disease. I was leaving the house one morning as I usually do, getting into the car and driving to town... this particular day, I was going to get gas. Well, I arrived at the gas station, stepped out of my Chevy and proceeded to undo the gas cap. I pulled the hose off of the pump, put it into the gas inlet on the car, then continued with the payment phase. There, I stood before the pump, after preparing the car to receive the gas, after driving several miles into town only to stare blankly at the credit card slot, my hand feeling the left cheek of my backside where I usually keep my wallet. Only, there was no wallet. Everything was going off without a hitch right up until this moment. Then, cerebral brakes slammed on, my thoughts skidding erratically to a stop.

$*$&%!@!!

After putting back the hose without buying anything, after driving several miles without listening to the radio, after mumbling all the way into my driveway... I walked straight into my office and printed out a sheet that read: ABSENT-MINDED BUTTHEAD CHECKLIST. This list had only three items (items that I'm always forgetting). They were: keys, phone & WALLET. This list, I then attached with tape to the inside of the screen door where it would be in plain sight each day as I left the house.

Does it work? Yes. Well, except once when I locked myself out of the house. :)

I'm a Student Again!

Hi, folks!

Just enrolled in East Carolina University for a Master's in History. The school is located in Greenville, NC. There's some folks there who are doing research on the Lost Colony. I got intrigued... doesn't take much. :)

Anyway, just letting ya know. I'm excited about returning and look forward to spending the rest of my life on campuses somewhere here in my home state of North Carolina.

As for the writing... It's still going on. Never stop, I tell ya. Heirloom Returns, Aten's Promise, Following the Bear, Shock Value and various short stories, one of which I plan to place on here, piece by piece. I want to gauge public response to it. So, keep your eyes open for that.

Well... as all ECU Pirates are want of saying.... "Arrrrggghhh!"

Keep writing!