Napier Progenitor...A Planter, Officer, Attorney and Vestryman

Robert Napier was born in Hampton Parish, York County, Virginia to Doctor Patrick Napier and wife Elizabeth Booth Napier(1641-1717) on May 2, 1660.  He was the first Napier to be born in America as his father Patrick was an immigrant from Scotland having arrived on the shores of Virginia in 1655 at age 21.  Robert had one sibling, a sister, Francis Napier Crump (1665-1720). 

Robert's father Dr. Patrick Napier died when Robert was nine years old, leaving Robert his sister Francis and mother Elizabeth well provided for in his will dated February 2, 1668.  The following is the portion of the will that names and provides for Robert and Francis....
    ...pcell of land lying in the prsh of Blessland in the county of New Kent in Virg containing by estimation fifteen hundred acres...To Have & hold the said piece of land to my said deare wife ELIZABETH NAPIER for the home of her natural life alsoe my will and pleasure is that my two deare children Robert Napier, Francis Napier shall have and enjoy the said piece of land or plantation...I give and bequeath unto my dears sone Robert Napier the majority on one halfe of the said piece of land containing fifteen hundred acres... (complete Will presented in Dr. Patrick Napier's segment).
Robert married Mary Perrin on October 11, 1668.  Mary was the daughter of a distinguished and wealthy land owner Richard Perrin and wife Katherine Royall.  The Napier's,  Perrin's and Royall's were considered elite citizens of New Kent, Henrico, Virginia.  All were members of  Henrico Parish where Robert and Mary were married. 

In 1740, the Vestry of Henrico Parish built a new structure which eventually became St. John's Church of Henrico County Virginia.  As one of the largest public buildings in the area, it served as a meeting place for prominent political figures and orators including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other Virginians who heard Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty of give me death."

Robert and Mary had seven children with the first born in 1692 and named Booth...Mary's mother Elizabeth's maiden name.  Their second child was a daughter born in 1694 and given the name Francis after Robert's sister.  Following the given name tradition, their third child was a son named after his father born in 1697.  Katherine was born in 1700 and died in 1751.  Patrick was born in 1713 and named after his doctor grandfather.  Robert and Mary's last son, Rene, was born in 1715 and would become the direct ancestor of my Great Great Grandfather Rene Marion Pittman.

The Napier's resided in Henrico County well into the 1690's where Robert continued to obtain and sell land patents in St. Peter's Parsh, New Kent and King and Queen Parish which would eventually become King William County.  A land grant in 1704 was within the bounds of the Indian Lease laid out according to the Articles of Peace for the Pamunkey Indians.  The Articles described the land granted to Napier as "It began on the north side of the Swamp on the river, to the mouth of Nicatawance Creek, along side the creek, to Philip Williams' line."  This patent was just two months before his daughter Elizabeth was born.

A declaration of the inhabitants of King and Queen County, filed in England March 1701/02 listing all the militia officers of the county included Robert Napier, Lieutenant.  The French king had tried to set up 'James III' on the English throne in place of King William III, but had failed.  King and Queen County's officials were glad, and so expressed themselves in a letter of loyalty to King William III. During his service it is assumed he rose to the rank of Captain, a title which he carried the rest of his life. 

Napier and later his son Robert appear in numerous documents concerning Wills and Deeds in Goochland County.  A last record of note is one filed by his wife Mary Perrin Napier acting as Power of Attorney which appended a deed of sale from her husband.  It read:  I doe By these Presents appt. Capt. William Randolph my true lawful Attorney for me in my stead to acknowledge my right of Dower to one hundred and fifty acres of land sold by my husband to Mr. Nicholas Cox confirming the Same as if personally present myself, as Witness my hand this third day of April 1718.  It is a matter of record that Mary Perrin Napier occasionally raised her hand in court to prevent her husband Robert from gambling away their children's money, and to ensure that he would spend a percentage of his income to support his family.

Captain Robert Napier was know as a Tobacco Planter, a Militia Officer, an Attorney and a Parish Vestryman.  He is historically noted as the real progenitor of the Napier name in America, since he was the only male child of his parents, and had a much larger progeny than his father.  Many if not all Napier's today can trace their origin back to Captain Robert Napier and Mary Perrin Napier. 

It is believed he died in Goochland County even though records from the time of his death have been lost or damaged.  Henrico County's records, also damaged and unreadable might have shown that he lived there at the time of his death and wrote his Will there.  No records of his Will or probate of his Will has been found in either County.



References for this post:  Captain Robert Napier-circa 1600s and early 1700s-Virginia...ancestry.com public member documents submitted Jan.15,2011.  Pittman Family Tree on ancestry.com, Sandra Pittman McPeak, owner. 

 

THE NAPIER FAMILY, a detailed Genealogical Research Anthology/Report traces the Napier Ancestry to 1600's Scotland.  HERE is the Link.  It is a significant and historical read with numerous speculations of Napier kinship to Earls, Lords, Dukes, Knights and even ties to King James I.  I will leave the Pittman/Napier Scottish Connection Research to another Pittman Family Historian, and I will get back to Georgia's Pittman/Napier Connections of ....

Rene's Maternal Lineage to NAPIER Family Tree

Matrilineality is a system in which descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors.  It is also a societal system in which one belongs to one's mother's lineage, which can involve the inheritance of property and or titles.   Rene Marion's matrilineal line to the Napier Family Tree was two generations of females which included his mother Francis Stone Pittman and his Grandmother Julia Napier Stone. 

Rene was born in 1812 when his mother was 29 years old and his grandmother Julia was 62.   Had his mother Francis held with 'Second Son Naming Tradition', his given name would have been Marvel...after her father Marvel Stone.  However, it is thought from piecing together early census records, marriage records and wills that grandfather Marvel was estranged from his wife Julia, daughter Francis and possibly most if not all of his seven living children. 

Two years before Rene's birth, Marvel Stone age 61 married for the third time.  Julia Napier was his second wife from which he could have separated or divorced as early as 1800.  She was not listed as a member of his household in the 1800 Census data.  It is presumed Julia was living with daughter Judith as indicated from probate records.   In 1807 when daughter Francis married Ichabod B. Pittman through a 'Marriage Bond' negotiated and signed in his stead by son Washington W. Stone...another indicator of family dissent and resentment against Marvel.

Mary Julia Napier was the daughter of  Rene Napier and Winifred Champion.  She was born in 1750 in Goochland, Virginia, and was only one year old when her father died.  She was named in his will dated October 30, 1871, which stated "I give and bequeath unto my Loven Daughter Mary Napier, one Negro boy named Solomon to her and her heirs forever."  Other bequeaths indicated Rene Napier was the owner of  land on Long Island Creek and a Plantation in Goochland County, Virginia.

Rene Napier was the youngest child of Captain Robert Napier and Mary Perrin.  The Napier's of Virginia were descended from a French Huguenot family of Manakin who came to Virginia as early as 1620.  He was born in King William, Henrico County, Virginia in 1715.  He married Winifred Champion about 1740 and fathered eight children:  Mary Jane 1730-1797, Rene 1739-1807, John F. 1740-1764, Chloe 1745-1790, Boothe 1746, James 1747, Champion 1748-1817 and Mary Julia 1750-1829.

Julia's widowed mother Winifred, married Thomas East in 1757.  Julia and her siblings still of the home became residents of North Cumberland County, Virginia.  It was her third marriage having married Francis Hudnall before Rene Napier. Winifred and Thomas had three children...Martha, James and Ezekial. 

Winifred Champion Hudnall Napier East died in August 1777.  

Julia Napier Stone was 27 years old, married for six years and mother to

Judith, John, William and Joshua Stone.

 Frances would be born six years later in 1783.

Sixty-two years after Rene Napier's death, his granddaughter Francis

broke with tradition and named her 'Second Son'

Rene Marion Pittman.

Etymology and Historical Origin~Rene is a French masculine name from the Latin Renatus meaning 'reborn'.  Such given names were used by early Christians in celebration of Jesus' resurrection or in reference to spiritual rebirth through baptism.  Two of the most notable name bearers are the French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) known as "The Father of Modern Philosophy" and Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte (1898-1967) most famous for his "The Son of Man" self-portrait where a green apple is suspended in front of his face. 

Rene Marion...A Given Name That Broke With Tradition

The Importance of Given Names

In genealogy we usually concentrate on surnames since they are the most important way of identifying people who are related.  A surnames is usually inherited and, while it may be changed, some form of it is usually retained.  Given names are more important in a way because they represent a voluntary choice by the parents.  A name is usually not given lightly.  It represents thought and feelings and can be significant to the researcher.  Such is the case of my Great Great Grandfather Rene Marion Pittman.

In the Pittman Family naming history, the names 'Rene' or 'Marion' were not found among the ancestors, at least from the Colonial Period to the time of Rene Marion Pittman's birth on January 28, 1812.  In the Pittman Family you will often see the same names used over and over again.  While certain names are popular in different areas in different times in history, the repetition represents a pattern.  Many cultures believe in honoring their elders and do so by naming children after them.  For example during the period between 1700-1875 the pattern was thus...

~first son was named after the father's father

~second son was named after the mother's father

~third son was named after the father

~fourth son was named after the father's eldest brother

~first daughter after the mother's mother

~second daughter after the father's mother

~third daughter after the mother

~fourth daughter after mother's eldest sister

 

Rene Marion Pittman was the 'Second Son' of Ichabod Byrd and Francis Jackson Stone Pittman.  Their 'First Son' was Thomas Augustus.  Already they have broken the pattern by not naming him after his Pittman grandfather John Ichabod.  When it came time to name their second son, it seems Frances was reluctant to name her child with her father's name of Marvel...which may have been due to the estrangement from her father at the time of her marriage when her brother Washington Ware Stone was the signee on the marriage bond.  That story HERE. 

 

Francis broke tradition by going to her mother's side of the family and named her second son after her maternal grandfather Rene Napier.  Since the focus of my Georgia Ancestors has been on the 'Paternal Lineage' and the Pittman name, the discovery and the source of my Great Great Grandfather Rene Marion's name was one I could not resist digging into.  

What a surprise and significant treasure of genealogical information the name NAPIER has revealed.

At this point in Tracks of My Georgia Ancestors if I were to continue with the established pattern of  a 'Generation Timeline', I would be initiating the 'Fourth Generation of Pittman's in Georgia'.  This would begin with the children of Rene Marion and Mary Anne Howell Pittman of the 'Third Generation', and include my Great Grandfather George Washington Pittman who was the first to migrate to Texas.

 However, like my 3X Great Grandmother Francis, I am going to break the pattern and take this time to share the research on the family of  my 4X Great  Grandmother Mary Julia Napier Stone and her Napier family name.