The Hedges ©
Edited by Robert Hedges VIIII
Preface The Hedges of Stafford/ Prince William 1660-1980" ( (Library of Congress No. 185-888 No. TXu 185-888 TXu 277-891 TXu
548-501 Published and Printed by Robert Hedges VIIII 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 200_ , 200_) has
been undertaken by Robert Hedges VIIII as an endeavor to make the historical events and
genealogy of this Hedges family available to the descendants of this one family, numerous
and scattered though they are as of Anno Domino 1986. I will try an upgrade for 2008.
Enclosed herein are all the presently available records from family legends, newspaper
clippings, surviving Bible records, and Courthouse documents, and the author hereby
solicits any further records for annotation and corroboration of this volume. All
correspondence concerning this book should be sent to Robert Hedges9. The story of the land is part of an ongoing story, copyrighted continuously.
This will remain the most authoritative source of the Hedges genealogyin print, and all descendants are welcome to submit their documented data for inclusion in the follow-up printing of this text.
Robert Hedges VIIII
RESEARCH NOTES FROM ENGLAND
Soon after the Norman Conquest of 1066, William the Conqueror decreed
that all his subjects in England were to adopt surnames to identify their individual
identities. Hedges was adopted as "atte Hegge", dweller at a hedge. A hedge was
a wall, fence, barrier, and fortification embankment, and as all this was written in
Middle English, with both illiteracy and creative spelling, we should search in England
under a variety of similar names, with notice of the e & o of Old English. The oldest
known spelling in Old English is Hecg = Hedge, and presumably Hegge and Edge.
There are more references to Hegg in the research notes from England and from the Icelandic Saga of Egil.
As of 1088, in the Doomsday Book, Arnold holds 2 hides from Geoffrey de Mandeville at Hinton (in the Hedges) Northhamptonshire - Towcester Hundred.
A name origin search book in England says look for 60 miles in all directions around Lat 51 deg 45 min- Long 55 deg west, near Winslow, Buckinghamshire.
Just west of the Tower in London is a lane named Heggestrete for some of it's life. It was: Hacchestrete in 1275; Heggestrete in the 14th Century (Edward III, Catalog of Ancient Deeds PRO)- Hogge - 1321 (Coronor Rolls, Sharpe); Hoglane complete with gallows & scaffolding - 1544 (Henry VIII); Rosemary Lane - 1608 (Mx Parish Registry); Hogland & Rosemarylane - 1633 (Recovery Rolls PRO); Rag Fair for the clothing shops thereon; Royal Mint Lane - 1811.
Part of Wardour Street was called Princes Street: this and Whitcomb Street were part of the Old Hedge Lane, which kept it's rural character till about 1830......one can imagine it in the days when lovers picked flowers in the Hedges, and walked to the windmill which gave its name to a neighboring street.
This old lane is marked in Aggas's map of the time of Elizabeth-- a lane running into fields between two Hedges. The Old Royal Mews used to stand near the bottom of the Lane; they were burnt in 1534. Some remains of charred walls were found here in 1821. The Duke of Manchester is said to have resided here before going to Soho.
The relationship between the two lanes above is unknown.
NAMES and SOURCES
ROBERT HEDGES at JAMES CITTIE
Robert Hedges was born in England in 1583. and sailed to Virginia to the James River
colony before 16 February 1623. He was an employee of the London Company.
The London Company was a private corporation which was chartered to settle and exploit
the new continent. There were 183 persons living at James Cittie in 1623, and a total of
1,249 persons living in James River at that time. The mortality rate for colonists was
about 80%. Adventurers arrived looking for land, gold, jewels, and no work. These people
often financed their own voyage, sometimes as stock owners in the London Co. Many
colonists were, however, indentured servants, bound for 2-7 years. Each colonist was
allowed 50 acres of land to cover the cost of transportation. These "headrights"
were claimed by whomever paid passage.
Tobacco was the major export in the southern colonies, and was also the major form of
currency, as coinage had been banned by the Crown. A pound of tobacco was worth 1/8, (one
shilling/eight pence) in London. A servant's indenture was worth about œ 5..
sterling.
Governor Francis Wyatt issued a Warrant of Levee on 20 November 1623, ordering every
twentieth man in the Colony to report to Capt. William Pierce to be mustered into the
Guards for six months of duty at Mulberry Island, two miles below James Cittie (Jamestown
Island). The remaining men were to furnish victuals for the twentieth man, every Planter
and tradesman over age sixteen being ordered to pay 1O lbs tobacco and 1 bushel of corn.
Robert Hedges was in the Muster of the Guard on 25 Jan., 1624, and remained on duty
until 23 June, 1624. Powhatan Indians and Spaniards were the military threats of the day.
Go to The Hedges History
Last modified: Apr 2008