History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...

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DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE.
families in the parish. The name of John Washington of Westmore-
land appears on the records of this church. The graveyard is full of
the family of Balls." [Bishop Meades old churches of Va.] Having
digressed for the purpose of recording this brief history of the old
church which Peter Montague attended, and probably was one of the
founders, his own history will be continued.
The occupation of Peter was that of a planter. His crops con-
sisting of wheat, barley and tobacco, which was exported to England.
There was much in this spot, upon this broad and grandly flowing
river, to remind Peter of his old home upon the Thames in England,
and here his last days were passed, among the solitudes of a new world.
Here he peacefully passed away, surrounded by his wife, his children
and neighbors, and with full and firm trust in his Redeemer and
Saviour. He died the last of April or the first of May, 1659, and
was buried on the north bank of the Rappahannock, near his home.
His tombstone was standing as late as 1849, but much defaced by
the hand of time.
He married, probably in the spring of 1633, Cicely # *. Effort
has been made to discover the maiden name of his wife and some-
thing of the family to which she belonged.* They were no doubt
married some where in the vicinity of James City, for there it was
that the first years of Peter's life in the new world were passed.
Tradition says she was a daughter of Samuel Mathews, who was
Governor of the Colony in 1656. It is true that Peter lived upon the
plantation of Capt. Mathews during these early years, and that Capt.
Mathews and Peter Montague were life-long associates and friends.
No record of such marriage however has been found. All of the
records of James City Co. were destroyed during the late war and no
record there dates back of 1865. His wife outlived him and was the
executor of his estate jointly with her eldest son Peter. No record
of her death has been found.
*
The records of Lancaster have an inventory of the estate of
* The Muster Roll of 1624 contains the names of but two persons of the name of Cicily.
One was Cicily Greene at the plantation of Capt. Ralph Hamor at James City. The other
was Mrs. Cicily Jordan, of Jordans Jorney Charles City. She was a young widow, age 24
years, who came in the ship "Swan," in August, 1610, when she was but ten years of age.
She owned the Plant, at Jordans Jorney, and William Ferrar was the manager. Her husband
had recently died (1624). She had two children, Mary aged three years, and Margaret
aged one year, both born in Va. Robert Manuell and John Hely, who came with Peter
Montague in 1621, were both located on Mrs. Jordan's plant. Their names appear in both
lists, that of Feb'y, 1623, and Jan'y, 1624.