John Page (Middle Plantation)
Encyclopedia
Colonel John Page a merchant in Middle Plantation
on the Virginia Peninsula
, was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
and the Council of the Virginia Colony. A wealthy landowner, Page donated land and funds for the first brick Bruton Parish Church
. Col. Page was a prime force behind the small community gaining the site of the new College of William and Mary
, founded in 1693, as well as a chief proponent of the village being designated the colony's capital in 1698.
These events resulted in the renaming of Middle Plantation as Williamsburg
in 1699, perhaps most well known as the birthplace of democratic governmental principals among the patriots before and during the American Revolution
. In the early 21st century, Colonel Page's tiny Middle Plantation is the modern home of the restored colonial city now known as Colonial Williamsburg
, one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world.
John Page became a merchant, and emigrated to the Virginia colony; his sister Elizabeth (wife of Edward Digges
) and brother Matthew also emigrated to Virginia. In about 1656, John Page married Alice Lukin, (1625–1698) perhaps the daughter of Edward Lukin, a Virginia Company
shareholder. The Pages originally lived in the New Towne section at Jamestown
.
The Pages settled in York County
in 1655. In 1662, the Pages had a large brick cross-plan house built in nearby Middle Plantation
. A wealthy landowner, Page owned 330 acres (1.3 km²) in Middle Plantation, including much of what is now Duke of Gloucester Street, Nicholson Street, and part of Francis Street in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg
. In 1672, Page patented 3600 acres (15 km²) in New Kent County
which became Mehixton Plantation. He donated land and £20 for the first brick Bruton Parish Church
which was completed in 1683, and was located immediately adjacent to the site of the present larger restored structure. In 1683, he came into possession of a tract of land which originally belonged to his brother Matthew in James City County
known as Neck of Land. It is also known that he owned property at Jamestown
in New Towne section.
John Page was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
starting in 1665. He played a pivotal role in supporting the efforts of Reverend Doctor James Blair in the founding of the College of William and Mary
in 1693, which was located at Middle Plantation. Beginning in 1677, he is believed to have been an early advocate for moving the capitol to Middle Plantation, which eventually occurred in 1699, seven years after his death. (Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg
in honor of King William III
shortly thereafter).
Colonel John Page and his wife Alice Lukin Page are buried at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia
. Their tombstone, originally located within the church graveyard, was later moved to the church vestibule. It reads: "Here lieth in hope of a joyfull resurrection the Body of Colonel JOHN PAGE of Bruton Parish, Esquire. One of their Majesties Council in the Dominion of Virginia. Who departed this life the 23 of January in the year of our Lord 1691/2 Aged 65" The tombstone carries the arms
of Page impaling
those of Lukin.
, which later included Mann Page III
, his brother U.S. Congressman and Virginia Governor John Page
, and later descendants such as U.S. Ambassador to Italy Thomas Nelson Page
, and Virginian Railway
builder William Nelson Page.
Colonel and Mrs. John Page named their eldest son Francis, and he also built a substantial brick home at Middle Plantation. (Present-day Francis Street in Williamsburg
is said to be named for him). Another son, Matthew Page, was born in Virginia in 1659 and became a planter. He was one of the original board of trustees of the College of William and Mary, a member of the Governor's Council, and was active in public affairs. He died on January 9, 1703.
Their grandson, Mann Page I (1691–1730) (son of Matthew Page), also became a planter and wealthy landholder in Virginia, owning nearly 70,000 acres (280 km²) in Frederick County
, Prince William County
, and Spotsylvania County
among other locations. In 1725, Mann Page I began the construction of Rosewell Plantation
, the Page mansion on the banks of the York River
in Gloucester County
. Mann Page I's wife Judith Carter was the daughter of Robert Carter I
. Mann Page I son John Page married Jane Byrd, a granddaughter of Colonel William Byrd I
. One of John Page's great-grandsons was Confederate
General Richard Lucian Page
.
Mary Page, the daughter of Col. John Page, married Walter Chiles Jr., son of Col. Walter Chiles of the Virginia Governor's Council. In his will of March 5, 1687, Col. John Page mentions his grandson John Chiles, as well as his "grandsonne John Tyler, sonne of my grand-daughter Elizabeth Tyler." Elizabeth Chiles had married Henry Tyler of Middle Plantation, and thus became the ancestress of President John Tyler
.
Because of the propensity of First Families of Virginia
(FFV) to marry within their narrow social ranks for many generations, John Page is counted as a progenitor of many other FFV families. These include the families of Byrd, Chiles, Tyler, Pendleton, Burwell, Nelson, Randolph, Walker, Carter, Harrison, Waller and others.
Middle Plantation
Middle Plantation in the Virginia Colony, was the unincorporated town established in 1632 that became Williamsburg in 1699. It was located on high ground about half-way across the Virginia Peninsula between the James River and York River. Middle Plantation represented the first major inland...
on the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
, was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
and the Council of the Virginia Colony. A wealthy landowner, Page donated land and funds for the first brick Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was established in 1674 in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.-History of Bruton Parish Church:...
. Col. Page was a prime force behind the small community gaining the site of the new College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, founded in 1693, as well as a chief proponent of the village being designated the colony's capital in 1698.
These events resulted in the renaming of Middle Plantation as Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
in 1699, perhaps most well known as the birthplace of democratic governmental principals among the patriots before and during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. In the early 21st century, Colonel Page's tiny Middle Plantation is the modern home of the restored colonial city now known as Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
, one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world.
Biography
John Page was born on December 26, 1628 in Bedfont, Middlesex, England. His father, Francis Page (1595-1678), is buried in the chancel of St. Mary the Virgin, East Bedfont, Middlesex, England; there is a memorial, placed by his son John Page, bearing a verse and the family arms. John Page's niece Mary Whaley (daughter of his brother Matthew and wife of James Whaley of Bruton Parish, York County, Virginia) is buried in the churchyard.John Page became a merchant, and emigrated to the Virginia colony; his sister Elizabeth (wife of Edward Digges
Edward Digges
Edward Digges was a British barrister and colonist who served as Colonial Governor of Virginia from March 1655 to December 1656...
) and brother Matthew also emigrated to Virginia. In about 1656, John Page married Alice Lukin, (1625–1698) perhaps the daughter of Edward Lukin, a Virginia Company
Virginia Company
The Virginia Company refers collectively to a pair of English joint stock companies chartered by James I on 10 April1606 with the purposes of establishing settlements on the coast of North America...
shareholder. The Pages originally lived in the New Towne section at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
.
The Pages settled in York County
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
in 1655. In 1662, the Pages had a large brick cross-plan house built in nearby Middle Plantation
Middle Plantation
Middle Plantation in the Virginia Colony, was the unincorporated town established in 1632 that became Williamsburg in 1699. It was located on high ground about half-way across the Virginia Peninsula between the James River and York River. Middle Plantation represented the first major inland...
. A wealthy landowner, Page owned 330 acres (1.3 km²) in Middle Plantation, including much of what is now Duke of Gloucester Street, Nicholson Street, and part of Francis Street in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
. In 1672, Page patented 3600 acres (15 km²) in New Kent County
New Kent County, Virginia
At the 2000 census, there were 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile . There were 5,203 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
which became Mehixton Plantation. He donated land and £20 for the first brick Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was established in 1674 in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.-History of Bruton Parish Church:...
which was completed in 1683, and was located immediately adjacent to the site of the present larger restored structure. In 1683, he came into possession of a tract of land which originally belonged to his brother Matthew in James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
known as Neck of Land. It is also known that he owned property at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
in New Towne section.
John Page was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
starting in 1665. He played a pivotal role in supporting the efforts of Reverend Doctor James Blair in the founding of the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in 1693, which was located at Middle Plantation. Beginning in 1677, he is believed to have been an early advocate for moving the capitol to Middle Plantation, which eventually occurred in 1699, seven years after his death. (Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
in honor of King William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
shortly thereafter).
Colonel John Page and his wife Alice Lukin Page are buried at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. Their tombstone, originally located within the church graveyard, was later moved to the church vestibule. It reads: "Here lieth in hope of a joyfull resurrection the Body of Colonel JOHN PAGE of Bruton Parish, Esquire. One of their Majesties Council in the Dominion of Virginia. Who departed this life the 23 of January in the year of our Lord 1691/2 Aged 65" The tombstone carries the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Page impaling
Impalement (heraldry)
In heraldry, impalement is the combination of two coats of arms side-by-side in one shield or escutcheon to denote union, most often that of a husband and wife, but also for ecclesiastical use...
those of Lukin.
Family
The Page family was one of the First Families of VirginiaFirst Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They originated with colonists from England who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg, and along the James River and other navigable waters...
, which later included Mann Page III
Mann Page
Mann Page III was an American lawyer and planter from Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He was a delegate for Virginia to the Continental Congress. He was the half-brother of Virginia Governor John Page....
, his brother U.S. Congressman and Virginia Governor John Page
John Page (Virginia)
John Page was a figure in early United States history. He served in the U.S. Congress and as the 13th Governor of Virginia.Page was born and lived at Rosewell Plantation in Gloucester County...
, and later descendants such as U.S. Ambassador to Italy Thomas Nelson Page
Thomas Nelson Page
Thomas Nelson Page was a lawyer and American writer. He also served as the U.S. ambassador to Italy during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson, including the important period of World War I.-Biography:...
, and Virginian Railway
Virginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
builder William Nelson Page.
Colonel and Mrs. John Page named their eldest son Francis, and he also built a substantial brick home at Middle Plantation. (Present-day Francis Street in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
is said to be named for him). Another son, Matthew Page, was born in Virginia in 1659 and became a planter. He was one of the original board of trustees of the College of William and Mary, a member of the Governor's Council, and was active in public affairs. He died on January 9, 1703.
Their grandson, Mann Page I (1691–1730) (son of Matthew Page), also became a planter and wealthy landholder in Virginia, owning nearly 70,000 acres (280 km²) in Frederick County
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
, and Spotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile . There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
among other locations. In 1725, Mann Page I began the construction of Rosewell Plantation
Rosewell Plantation
Rosewell Plantation in Gloucester County, Virginia, was for more than 100 years the home of a branch of the Page family, one of the First Families of Virginia. Begun in 1725, the Flemish bond brick Rosewell mansion overlooking the York River was one of the most elaborate homes in the American...
, the Page mansion on the banks of the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
in Gloucester County
Gloucester County, Virginia
Gloucester County is within the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area in the USA. Formed in 1651 in the Virginia Colony, the county was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King Charles I of Great Britain. Located in the Middle Peninsula region, it...
. Mann Page I's wife Judith Carter was the daughter of Robert Carter I
Robert Carter I
Robert "King" Carter , of Lancaster County, was a colonist in Virginia and became one of the wealthiest men in the colonies....
. Mann Page I son John Page married Jane Byrd, a granddaughter of Colonel William Byrd I
William Byrd I
William Byrd I was a native of Shadwell, London, England. His father, John Byrd was a London goldsmith with ancestral roots in Cheshire, England....
. One of John Page's great-grandsons was Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General Richard Lucian Page
Richard Lucian Page
Richard Lucian Page was a United States Navy officer who joined the Confederate States Navy and later became a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was a cousin of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Another cousin was poet Thomas Nelson...
.
Mary Page, the daughter of Col. John Page, married Walter Chiles Jr., son of Col. Walter Chiles of the Virginia Governor's Council. In his will of March 5, 1687, Col. John Page mentions his grandson John Chiles, as well as his "grandsonne John Tyler, sonne of my grand-daughter Elizabeth Tyler." Elizabeth Chiles had married Henry Tyler of Middle Plantation, and thus became the ancestress of President John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
.
Because of the propensity of First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They originated with colonists from England who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg, and along the James River and other navigable waters...
(FFV) to marry within their narrow social ranks for many generations, John Page is counted as a progenitor of many other FFV families. These include the families of Byrd, Chiles, Tyler, Pendleton, Burwell, Nelson, Randolph, Walker, Carter, Harrison, Waller and others.
Legacy
Several sites of the Page family in Virginia and West Virginia have historical and archaeological significance.- The site of their property at Jamestown has been identified by the Jamestown RediscoveryJamestown RediscoveryJamestown Rediscovery is an archaeological project of Preservation Virginia investigating the remains of the original settlement at Jamestown established in the Virginia Colony beginning on May 14, 1607. The period under study was from 1607-1698.Preservation Virginia archaeologist Dr...
project.
- Colonial WilliamsburgColonial WilliamsburgColonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
has an extensive archaeological study underway at the John Page home site at Middle PlantationMiddle PlantationMiddle Plantation in the Virginia Colony, was the unincorporated town established in 1632 that became Williamsburg in 1699. It was located on high ground about half-way across the Virginia Peninsula between the James River and York River. Middle Plantation represented the first major inland...
(now WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, VirginiaWilliamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
). Col. John Page owned much of what is today's Williamsburg, including Duke of Gloucester, Nicholson and part of Francis Street.
- The ruins of Rosewell PlantationRosewell PlantationRosewell Plantation in Gloucester County, Virginia, was for more than 100 years the home of a branch of the Page family, one of the First Families of Virginia. Begun in 1725, the Flemish bond brick Rosewell mansion overlooking the York River was one of the most elaborate homes in the American...
, the home of early members of the Page family and one of the finest mansions built in the colonies, sit on the northern bank of the York RiverYork River (Virginia)The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
in Gloucester CountyGloucester County, VirginiaGloucester County is within the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area in the USA. Formed in 1651 in the Virginia Colony, the county was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King Charles I of Great Britain. Located in the Middle Peninsula region, it...
. In one of its rooms, which are all of cubic dimensions, Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, a friend and the college classmate of John Page, is said to have drafted the U.S. Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. In 1916, a fire swept the mansion leaving a magnificent shell which is testament to 18th century craftsmanship and dreams, and the site ongoing archaeological studies.
- The Page-Vawter HousePage-Vawter HousePage-Vawter House in the town of Ansted in Fayette County, West Virginia was built in 1889-90 by company carpenters of the Gauley Mountain Coal Company for the family of William Nelson Page, who was company president. The palatial white Victorian mansion is located on a knoll in the middle of town...
, a large Victorian mansion, was built in 1889 in Ansted, West VirginiaAnsted, West VirginiaAnsted is a town in Fayette County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is situated on high bluffs along U.S. Highway 60 on a portion of the Midland Trail a National Scenic Byway near Hawk's Nest overlooking the New River far below....
on a knoll in the middle of town. Industrialist and mining manager William and Emma (née Gilham) Page raised their four children there, attended by a staff of 8 servants. In the 21st century, it still stands as evidence of the once-thriving coalBituminous coalBituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
business and was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1985.