Love Thy Neighbor

The men and women who settled in early Hanover County were an adventurous breed.  Life was full of challenges, as well as opportunities.  Neighbors were indispensable and often times became kin through the marriage of children.  One such marriage was the union between John R. Thurman and Judith Hooper.

Thurmans and Hoopers

The Thurmans and Hoopers lived in an area of Hanover County that fell within the boundaries of St. Paul's Parish.  Although the parish was connected to the Church of England and provided worship services for the parish's inhabitants, the parish was also charged with many civil duties, such as holding regular land processions to maintain an ongoing record of ever changing property boundaries.  It is from one such procession record that we learn the Thurman and Hooper families lived near, if not adjacent, to one another.

The Thurman family had been processioning land in the same area of St. Paul's Parish, with the same surrounding land owners, since 1708.  The names of the responsible Thurman land owners from 1708 to 1751 were (as transcribed):
  • 1708 Richard Thurman
  • 1711 Mary Thurmond (probably Richard's widow)
  • 1715 Mary Thurmond
  • 1719 _____ Thurmond
  • 1731 John and Richard Thurmond
  • 1735 John and Richard Thurmond
  • 1743 John and Richard Thurmond
  • 1751 John Thurmond with Richard Thurmond's land transferred to William Thurmond
According to the 1751 procession record, Judith's father, Thomas Hooper obtained land from James Gerrard.  James Gerrard (also written as Jerrard, Jarret & Garrett) owned property in the same St. Paul's Parish precinct as the Thurmans since 1708.  Below is a transcription of the 1751 procession record for Precinct 16 which included the Thurmans and Thomas Hooper:
We know from the St. Paul's Parish land tax records and Hanover County, Virginia Chancery Court cases, that the Thurman land was located on Elder Swamp and the Hooper land was located on the upper reaches of nearby Boatswain Creek with their home being what is known today as the Garthright House.  Below is a map of the general location of where these two early families of lower Hanover County lived.

John and Judith

The marriage record for John Thurman and Judith Hooper does not exist.  Or, at least, no record has surfaced to date.  But the below 1869 news article entitled One Hundred and Nineteen Years Old provides the name of Judith's father (Thomas Hooper) and husband (John Thurman).  Not only is the article of interest due to the longevity of Lucy Thurman, a former Hooper slave, but her telling of soldiers marching through Hanover County during the Revolutionary War is fascinating.  Both Generals Lafayette and Cornwallis crossed the Chickahominy River (most likely at Bottoms Bridge) and crossed the landscape to Newcastle where they set up camp at different times.  So, Lucy's report of soldiers could have been of British troops and/or American patriots. 
Also note that Lucy Thurman was born in 1750 Hanover County.  Judith Hooper Thurman's birth year has been estimated to be 1751, based upon the 1830 and 1840 Cumberland County Kentucky census.  Although one was born into freedom and the other was not, it is possible that Judith and Lucy were childhood friends growing up together on the Hooper property.  This possible close connection may explain why Lucy became the property of Judith upon Thomas Hooper's death.

John and Judith began their lives in Hanover County, but their adventurous spirits compelled them to keep the focus west.  And then they followed their vision, ready for challenges and opportunities.

copyright©2019 Deborah Thurman Parks

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