Below is information about persons imported from England to Virginia. Two names do not appear in any Tax list of other record of Colonial Virginia that I have found. So, whoever these men were, their last name probably was not spelled the way the transcriber read the original or the way it was written in the record.

These documents listing “head rights,” or persons to be imported in return for land, are notoriously suspect. All notices warn not to take these lists at face value without other references to the names listed. In this case, many of these names appear in the Virginia colonial records, especially in the area of Essex County where Samuel Poe was established with an 800 acre tobacco plantation by 1704. Although no other names of Poe have been found between 1704 and 1722 except Samuel, there had to be others on the land in order to produce the thousands of pounds of tobacco that records show he produced.

It has long been speculated that this Poe family of Essex County, VA came from Nottinghamshire, but that is not proven. However, evidence always points to Nottinghamshire. Below, I also have included a few records that might help identify the two men transported. The one identified as “Samuel” was an old man upon arrival. Surely he came with a son, perhaps the Simon mentioned. And it is always possible that there were others not found in any list.

Although it is a remote possibility that these are “Poe / Pooe” family, this warrants further investigation. My expectation is that we can identify these men as “Poole” or “Pope” and perhaps “Peake.”

They are transcribed as:

Sam Poop

Simon Pooke

Miscellaneous Henrico Court Records, Volume I

Ages as given by deposition in county records 1677-1705

This Samuel Pook was born in 1607.

1 August 1684

p. 278 Samuel Pook, 77

Henrico County, Virginia Deeds 1677-1705. Compiled by Benjamin B. Weisiger III. Richmond, Virginia 1985

p.205 There is due to Samuel Newman, 150 acres for importation of these persons:

Elizabeth Carter,

Sam Poop,

Jack (a negro)

18 Dec. 1685

p.362 1 April 1690

There is due to Mr. Richard Kennon, 8000 acres for importation of:

William Restrick, Jacob Bassford, Larence Bridger, John Cornell, John Whitehall, Richard Forrer, Henry Knight, Thomas Watson, William Tuttle, Rebecca George,

Jane Coby, John Bridges, Christopher (Xpher) Hill, Job Bosse, John Baldwin, John Curtis, William Edwards, Edward Corbin, William Chambers, John Evans, Thomas Franklin, Robert Floyd, James Harris, John Livesay, Math Oakley, Richard Allen, Mary Spindlers, John Webb, William Sweston, John Steward, Richard Lewis, John Sledge, Elizabeth Fendall, Thomas Bone, Thomas Stephens, Elias Trottman, Paul Willowby, Lawrence Burrell, John Dawson, Richard Mercey, Thomas Petey, John Underhill, John Brookbank, Diana Collins, Elizabeth Kendall, Judith Bates, Elizabeth Young, Sarah Rawlinson, Richard Baker, John Byrd, John Hannan, William Midgely, Anthony Parr, William Skyhorn, Sam Willmer, Nicholas Sharp, John Gatchell, Barth. Stowell, Mary Saly, Charles Pain, Richard Fletcher, John Brett, Robert More, Elizabeth Turner, John Walker, Thomas Mercey, Ralph Blankinship, John Fossitt, Roger Roberts, John Howar (Howard?), Sarah Shepherd, Hen. Brooks, John Bradshaw, Robert Grigg, William Griffin, John Higgens, Joseph Marshall, William Triphook, Thomas Sissum,

Simon Pooke,

Mary Marshall, Mary Middleton, Isa. Gill, John Gill, Stephen Gill, Joseph Gill, Peter Gill, Anne Gill, Mary Gill, and 70 negroes

All known Nottinghamshire Baptisms from the seventeenth century

Sarah Poe 11 July 1654 Edward Poe / Mary

Samuel Poe 26 June 1659 Edward Poe / Mary

At St. Mary's, Nottingham, the following marriage is recorded

28th March 1654, Robert Marson of Peeter's Parish and Isabel, daughter of Simon Poe

And also from a CD entry provided by a NottsGen researcher:

The St. Mary's register shows:

28 Mar 1654 Robt. MARSON & Isabell POE, Nottingham, St. Mary

The following records have been reported by British Poe researcher, Enid Tanfield

16.12.1691     Poe   Samuel   m. Rebecca Roulston Brailsford, Derby

17,6,1697 Poe   Samuel  witness to will of Samuel Wildeboare, Notts

(Note: A second and younger Samuel Poe was born in Notts and became Sheriff. This could be that Samuel if the “Sam Poop” above is the one baptized in 1659.)

AN/PB 304/4/32

28.10.1664

Nottingham (St Peter) Michaelmas 1664 Churchwardens present the following: the chancel is out of repair; the wife of Mr Thomas Gamble for not coming to divine service for the last three months, and for not receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper last Easter; the wife of Mr Whitchurch, deceased, for the same; John Barrow and Mary his wife, John Coates and his wife, Mr John Sudbury, Willm Watson and his wife, and James Starre for the same; Ornan Ellis for standing excommunicate; John Barrow, Thomas Pepper and his wife, Edward Poe, John Drury senior, Mary Wright, Joseph Barnfather, and John Stanley for the same; John Pierson for not paying his oblations last Easter and for not paying other dues; Latimer Walker for the same ['mortuus ante detectionem exh' - dead before the presentment was exhibited - added in another hand]; Simon Poe for the same; Nicolas Freckingham, John Owin and Tho. Farmery for the same; Mr Thomas Bretton for disturbing the minister in executing the office of burial on 12 November 1664; Willm Hilton, John Wilkinson, John Barrow, Willm Smalley, Willm Hall, John Cobbuck and Willm Cobbuck for the same. Place name given as Sti Petri in Nott. Written in another hand, 'ex[amina]t 22 Nov. 1664', 'emat in p[ar]t 8 xbris 1664', and 'reliqui stant excom'ti'.

AN/PB 304/5/43

11.4.1665

Nottingham (St Peter) Easter 1665 Churchwardens present the following: Mr Willm Parker for not paying his church levy, 3s 6d; Mrs Alce Jepson for the same, 3s 4d; Willm Wattson for the same, 4s, and for not coming to divine service; James Starre for not paying his church levy, 1s 6d, and for not coming to divine service; Willm Glassop for not paying his church levy, 6d, and for not coming to divine service; Tho. Pepper for not paying his church levy, 6d, and for not coming to divine service; Edward Poe for the same, 4d; Mr Thomas Gretton for not coming to divine service and for not receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; the wife of Mr Thomas Gamble for the same; the wife of Mr Savile for the same; Mary Cooke for the same; Robt Harrison for not baptising his child, and his wife for not returning thanks after delivery; the wife of Barnabas Lilly for not giving her husband Christian burial; John Barrow for not coming to divine service and for not receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; John Coates for the same. Written in another hand, 'emat in xxiij Junij 1665'.

AN/PB 304/10/27

20.4.1668

Nottingham (St Mary) Easter 1668 Churchwardens and sidesmen present the following: the church pavement is not kept in good repair, by the neglect of Mr Will. Burton and Mr Lawrence Athorpe, farmers of the impropriation; we have no terrier of the glebe lands belonging to the vicarage; Gabriell Coppock for being married out of his parish; [blank] Lady Smith, Marie Smith her daughter, and Edward Smith her son, for not coming to church to hear divine service; Anne Winter for lying under a common fame of adultery, her husband having not lived with her for the space of two years, and she having had two children in that time; James Porter for behaving himself irreverently in time of divine service by laughing; John Hall the younger for not causing his child to be brought to church and baptized; Will. Wilson, at the Sign of the Plough, for prophaning the Lord's Day by entertaining persons to tipple in time of divine service, particularly Robert Battie and Robert Brownloe the younger; Symon Poe for refusing to pay his church levy towards the repair of the church, being 4d; Henry Meares for the like, being 16d; Will. Bilbye junior for the like, 4d; John Hart for the like, 16d; Matt. Hutchinson for the like, 4d; Thomas Huthwayt, gen., for having private conventicles in his house, especially on Sunday 12 April; John Chamberlyn for the like, particularly on 5 April; John Walker for the like; Samuell Fillingha[m] for the like; and Joseph James for the like. Written in another hand, 'emat con. Wilson in 28 of May', and 'p[ro] ceteris emat in 28 Julij'.

AN/PB 304/11/25

6.10.1668 (c)

Mansfield Michaelmas 1668 Churchwardens present the following for standing excommunicate and not obtaining the benefit of absolution: Robert Hatfield, Samuel Halton and his wife, Tymothy Garland and Judith his wife, Samuel Clay and his wife, Henry Dawes and his wife, William Barker and his wife, Michael Salter, Richard Brownloe, William Salter, David Gyfford, John Cawood, Susan Hubberd, the wife of John Heath, Widow Reynolds, Anne the wife of Francis Wilson, Elizabeth the wife of Henry Heath, Anne Pool, Julian Oldham, Elizabeth Petty, Mary Snowden, Catherine Tomlinson, Mary Whittacres - formerly Mary Clay, John Westwood, Anne South, Anne Rawson, John Camme, Thomas Grace, Daniell Clay, John Gyfford, George Dunne, Robert Moore, Richard Parker - now removed, Anne Cotton, Catherine Plumtree, Alice Scofield, Lydia the wife of Daniel Clay, John Dunne, the wife of William Dickenson, Edward Flint, Dyonise Scofield junior - now removed, Thomas Watts, [blank] Manwaring, Gregory Betney, Thom. Shenton, John Barloe and his wife, Robert Harryson and his wife, Solomon Gyfford, George Gyfford, David Gyfford, Widow Poe, Lawrence Parsons, Richard Preston, Julian Slater, Hellen Boljam, Robert Cooke and his wife, the wife of Tho. Wood, Percivall Finch, Thomas Tomlinson, Elias Cawood, John Hall, John Morfit, Eliz. Booth, John Wright junior - now removed, Abraham Senior, Edward Dawes, Henry Dawes junior, Samuel Barkes, Edward Rooe(?), Josiah Barkes, Edward Tomlinson, Edith Hawood, Anne Downes, Mary Reynoldson, Robert Harryson and William Ramshaw; for not coming to divine service: John Trenthan, Widow Senior ['Alice' added in another hand], Gabriel Alvye and his wife, Widow Kitchin of Stockwelgate ['Elizabeth' added in another hand]; the daughter of Nicholas Willoughby ['Anne' added in another hand] for fornication; Susan[n]a Wright for clandestine marriage with Tho. Jackson. No date given; found in bundle of presentment bills from Michaelmas 1668; majority of other items in bundle dated 6 October. Written in another hand, 'emat 16to 9bris'.