Following from the essay by Rev. B. L. Price:1668

“The second wife of John Price was named Ann Matthewes, and as there was a Samuel Matthewes in Jamestown about that time, I see no reason to doubt. Another son of John Price was Matthewes, who had three sons. John Price, after his second marriage, moved and settled in Henrico County, Virginia.” (Manuscript written by Mrs. Eva Grand Maloney, Craig City Virginia)

“Ann Matthewes, a young girl of about seventeen winters, came over in the ship Francis Bonaventure in August, 1620. (There seems to be some reason for doubting that she was the daughter of Capt. Samuel Matthewes since the authorities agree that she arrived on the Bonaventure during 1620, while Hotten’s List gives the date of Capt. Samuel Matthewes as 1622.) John could not resist her gracious manner, her sterling qualities and womanly character, so soon found himself pledging his heart and hand, which were accepted by the young girl of tender years, and in 1624 in the Muster of Charles City we find John Price, aged 40, and Ann, his wife, aged 31, with Mary, their daughter, aged 3 months.”

Followiing from the work of Kay Haden:1669

“Ann came in the "Bon Aventure" in 1620; she gave her age as 21 when Capt John Harvey took his account of the citizens of the Colony of Virginia in 1624/25, commonly referred to as "The Muster".

“There have been claims that Ann's surname was Matthews and she was the daughter of Samuel Matthews, however, the records show that Samuel Matthews did not arrive in Virginia until 1622.

“Ann married Robert Hallom after the death of John Price. On 6 May 1638, a patent was issued to Ann Hallom, widow, and the heirs of Robert Hallom, dec'd for 1000 acres in Henrico. Northeast by the woods, southwest by the river, northwest by Bremo & land of Mr. Richard Cocke, & southeast toward Turkey Island Creek adj land of John Price. This would later become William Randolph's plantation known as Turkey Island.”

There are two early essays that deal extensively with the life and descendants of John Price. One of the earliest essays on John Price was published by Rev. Benjamin Luther Price in 1910.1668 Mr. Price relied on a number of earlier essays written by others, including the foregoing quotes. However, it is clear from a closer examination of the original records that Mr. Price made two key mistakes and these have been corrected in an excellent essay by Kay Haden.1669 She appears to have relied heavily on a 1988 book by Vina Chandler Price entitled “Ancestors and Descendants of John Price: Immigrant to Virginia 1610-11.”3255 I have not been able to examine a copy of this book as of this date, but various comments about the book in a number of internet sites seem to agree that it is a very scholarly work.

[NOTE by Clayton Heathcock, 14 Feb 2022:

It has come to my attention that Mr. Allen Price of Half Moon Bay, CA, had personal corresponndence with Vina Chandler Price before her death, purchased the remaining copies of her book, and has transferred every name (5000+) in her book.3257 With Allen’s format, all descendants can easily see their direct personal link to John Price.

[NOTE by Clayton Heathcock, 29 Nov 2011:

I have largely relied on the conclusions of Kay Haden and quote from her website in the notes pertaining to John Price, his son John Price II, and his grandson John Price III. She has come to the conclusion that, contrary to most of what is written about John Price the emigrant, he came to Virginia in May, 1611, rather than May, 1620, and that there is no credible evidence that he had a first wife named Mary. For the purpose of this discussion, I have endowed the Johns with Roman numerals to help me keep track of them. John Price I refers to the emigrant (1584-1629). John Price II refers to his son (1615-1662 or 1626-1662). John Price III (1650-1711) refers to the son of John Price II (he is known someplaces as John Price Sr.). John Price IV (b 1689) refers to the son of John Price III (he has usually been known as John Price Jr.).]

Kay’s opinion is, as I understand it:

1. In the Muster of the inhabitants of the Corporation of Charles Citee on Feb. 24, 1624, John Price I reported that he was 40 years old and that he had come from England on the ship “Starr,” that his wife Ann was 21 years old and had come on the ship “Francis Bonaventure" in Aug of 1620, and that they had a 3-month old daughter named Mary. Kay thinks (and I agree with her) that John Price did not state the date he came on the Starr and that later historians have incorrectly assumed that the year given for Ann’s arrival was also the year of John’s arrival. An examination of the records shows that the Francis Bonaventure did arrive in August 1620 (with 150 passengers), but that the Starr only arrived in May of 1611 (also with 150 passengers).3258 Thus, it seems clear that John Price was really 27 when he arrived in Virginia in May, 1611. I fully agree with Kay on this analysis; the evidence is very strong that John Price came to Virginia in 1611, not 1620 as was incorrectly assumed by early writers.

2. Kay does not think there is any credible evidence that John Price brought with him a first wife named Mary and a son named William. She thinks that the 3-month old daughter named Mary, reported in the 1624 muster, was his first child and that he and Ann had later sons named Matthew, born about 1626, and John Price II, born about 1628.

a) This would require that one ignore the following statement from the book of the Rev. B. L. Price:1668 “John and Mary Price, Emigrants, came to Henrico County, 1620, with one son named William. This William Price was living at College Land, near Jamestown, in 1623 and there raised a family.” (Burkes History of Virginia) My own examination of Volume I of Burke’s “History of Virginia” does show a listing for John Price, 150 acres, “on the south side (of the James River) beginning from the falls.” I can find no mention of a William Price or a wife named Mary, so I conclude that the Rev. Price projected his own opinon that the William Price who lived on College Land in 1623 must have been the son of John Price I. I have no idea where he got the idea of a wife named Mary. On the other hand, 150 acres were “originally granted to John Price” (Nugent, Vol. I, p. 54) and since a person received a grant of 50 acres for himself and each additional person he imported to Virginia, this grant is consistent with the idea that when John Price came to Virginia on the Starr in 1611, he was accompanied by two other people, and this could have been a wife and child. [Incidentally, we know that this grant was originally made on 20 Feb 1619 (Nugent, Vol. I, p. 88), which gives lie to the idea that John Price arrived in May 1620.]

b) There is no doubt that there was a William Price on the Starr with John Price. This William Price lived “on Colledge-Land” in the muster of 1624. He had only few possessions--just one “armor complete”, one “piece” (a gun), 2.5 barrels of corn and 50 dried fish. Almost all of the men who reported having an “armor complete” lived on Colledge-Land, so William may have been in the militia. The fact that William Price and John Price both came on the same ship is suggestive that they may have been related, but I know of no evidence that William was son of John. He could have been a brother, or since Price was not an uncommon name, they might have been relatively unrelated.

c) There is a record a patent on 23 May 1638 to “Matthew Price, sonn & heire to John Price, late of VA., Labourer, 150 acs. Henrico Co., upon Turkey Island Cr. . . . upon land granted to his late father, now in possession of his mother Ann Hallom, widdowe . . . in right of his father who had a pattent of 50 acs. granted 20 Feb. 1619, by Sir. Georg Yeardly.” (Nugent, Vol. I, p. 88) Namely, if Matthew Price was really the son of John’s wife Ann, and if he was born in 1626, he would have been less than 12 years old when he was granted this land. Since Matthew was the son and heir of John Price in 1638, we can draw two conclusions: (1) If William Price was son of John Price I, he must have died before 1638 as he would have precedence over a younger brother as heir, and (2) Matthew must have been son of Ann Price and he must have been less than 14 when he inherited his father’s land, since he was not listed in the 1624 muster.

Following are some quotes from early sources, taken from Rev. Price’s 1910 book:1668 In reading these, please keep in mind that there was an early mis-interpretation of the date on which John Price arrived in Virginia. He came on the ship Starr and arrived in May 1611. .

“John and Mary Price, Emigrants, came to Henrico County, 1620, with one son named William. This William Price was living at College Land, near Jamestown, in 1623 and there raised a family.” (Burkes History of Virginia)1668

NOTE added by Clayton Heathcock, 1 Dec 2011: Careful examination of Burk’s History of Virginia, published in 1804, reveals nothing to support this statement. The only mention of John Price is in a list of lands settled in Henrico VA. It mentions his 150 acres but there is no mention of a wife or son.

“It is presumed that John Price’s home was destroyed with many others at the time of the Jamestown Massacre, May 1622. It seems that Mary was slain at this time, or she did not live long after coming to America. William, their son, is found in 1623, at College Land, near Jamestown, and there raised a family.1668

NOTE added by Clayton Heathcock, 1 Dec 2011: The 1623/24 muster did show a William Price, living on College Land, and he did come to Virginia on the same ship as John Price (Starr). However, it appears that he must have been part of a militia. He reported few possessions, but did have an “armor complete” and a “piece”. Only 12 men in the Jamestown muster had an “armor complete” and all lived on College Land. It is likely that this was a militia. If William Price was military, it is possible that he returned to England, or died in one of the Indian skirmishes. There is no evidence that he “raised a family there.”

“Muster of the inhabitants of the Corporation of Charles Citee, Feb. 24, 1624. Muster of John Price: John aged 40, ship Starr in May, 1620. Ann his wife aged 21, ship Francis Bonaventure in August, 1620. Mary a child, 3 months.” (Hottens Original List, p. 203)1668

NOTE added by Clayton Heathcock, 1 Dec 2011: This statement is true.3259 Note that there was also a Hugh Price, also living on Neck-of-Land in Charles Cittee Corporation, who came on the ship William and John in January 1618. This Hugh Price had 21-year-old wife named Judith and a 2-year-old son named John Price. There is no way to know if Hugh Price was related to John Price I.

John Price became, after the massacre at Jamestown, a man of importance in the Colony, and was one of the eleven counsellors with Sir Francis Wyatt in the provisional government when the London Company was dissolved. His name appears with thirty-two others in an appeal to the King, Charles I of England, June 1625. (DeJarnette papers, Virginia State Library)1668

NOTE added by Clayton Heathcock, 1 Dec 2011: I have not been able to examine the Dejarnette papers but a copy of the letter, bearing the signature of John Price, is online.3260

One of the mistakes made by the Rev. Price concerned the land patented by the emigrant John Price in 1619 and inherited by his son Matthew Price in 1638. According to Kay Haden:1669

“Also ADVENTURERS OF PURSE AND PERSON perpetuates the idea that the land patented to Matthew Price as heir of his father John, was the land eventually inherited by his sons John & Daniel. It is now believed that Matthew had no issue. The two tracts, that of Matthew, and the tract later sold by John & Daniel, were not the same. Matthew had a brother John, missed by most researchers, who likely died at a young age leaving two small sons - these boys inherited the original patent of the immigrant John Price granted in 1619. Matthew received the matching grant awarded to those grantees of 1619 who had in fact cultivated and improved their land. It's possible these tracts did adjoin in some fashion.

“John Price was about 27 years of age when he left to come to America. In The Muster of 1624, he stated he was aged 40 years and had come in the "Starr" in May, but did not state the year of arrival. A tabulation made in 1625 of the ships which brought passengers to Virginia showed that the "Starr" had come in 1608 and 1610. John Price sailed on the later ship which actually did not leave from Land's End England until 17 Mar 1611, arriving in Virginia on 22 May 1611. Under the old style dating the first day of the new year occurred on March 25, so the 17 Mar 1611 departure date was actually in the waning days of 1610. Two sisters ships, The "Prosperous" and the "Elizabeth" sailed in convoy with the "Starr".

“Wife Ann was aged 21 having just come in the "Francis Bonaventure" in Aug of 1620. They had a child Mary, age 3 months. Provisions listed were 2 1/2 barrels of corn, 1 1/2 bushel of peas, 5 lb. of power, 10 lb. of lead. 2 fixt Peeces [guns?], 1 suit of Armor, 1 Coat of Steele, a sword and a dager. 5 head of cattle, 15 chickens. They list 2 houses. - ADVENTURERS OF PURSE & PERSON VIRGINIA 1607-1624/5; Meyer & Dorman, 1987.

“There were two ways to acquire land in the Virginia Colony - either by paying for it or for laboring for seven years, after which one received a dividend for 100 acres of land. A "headright" of 50 acres could be earned by paying for one's own way or by paying passage for someone else. John Price received 150 acres in 1619; the first 100 apparently through his indenture; the 50 acres possibly acquired by paying passage for someone. If the first land was planted, he could become eligible for a matching tract. Son Matthew received the matching 150 acres after the death of his father. [Henrico Patents 1623/43, p.551]. At the time Matthew received this patent, his mother and stepfather, Robert Hallom, were living adjacent the original patent.

“In Appendix IV, p.527, of ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS OF JOHN PRICE,3255 is a "Discussion of the Land Patent to John Price" written by Rupert Taylor, 9 Feb 1936 and found among the holdings of the VA Historical Society in Richmond. He platted the land of Robert Hallom, who married Ann, widow of the immigrant John Price, which was described as adjoining that of John Price - there is a sketch provided. Comparing this land with that of the land sold by Hatcher to Pleasant which had been sold to Hatcher's father by Daniel & John Price, sons of John Price, he determined this was definitely not the land granted to Mathew Price but the original land granted to the immigrant John in 1619. Comparison of dates was convincing that the said Daniel & John could not possibly be sons of the immigrant John, leaving the only conclusion that the immigrant had a son also named John that was their father. The three children and heirs of Robert Hallom, or their heirs, eventually sold the 1000 acres Hallom tract to William Randolph, each of these transactions further proving the location of the land of John Price.”

PRICE FAMILY GENEALOGY3261
Genealogy of Jane, Fred, Allen, & Melvin Price
6 Aug 2019; prepared by Allen Price, son of Harold and Guyneth Price

1. The surname Price is derived from the Welsh word "ap Rhys" which means "son of Rhys" . This was modified over the generations to Pryce, Price, and Pries.
2. The "Price" name probably began with Gruffydd ap Rhys (b. 1081-1137) who was a Welsh prince at Rhuddlan Castle in northernmost Wales, near the town of Rhyl.
3. See photos of the Welsh Castle that is the ancestral home of the Price surname.
4. Actual letter signed by emigrant John Price sent to King Charles in 1625 from the Virginia Colony.
5. Margaret Price Scruggs Carruth, who founded the Daughters of the Barons of Runnemede, was able to trace John Price's ancestry to eleven of the sixteen barons.

Following from Kay Haden:1669

“Robert Hallom came from Burnham, County Essex, England to Virginia, Aug 1620 in the "Francis Bonaventure" [the same ship Ann Price came on]. He was living at Neck of Land in Charles City in the Muster as were John and Ann Price. Luke Boyse claimed him as a headright and he was listed as his servant.

“Robert had three brothers still living in England. John who lived in London, a poulterer, William of Burnham, County Essex who was a salter; and Thomas who died in 1644 and whose widow married (2) William Mason. Thomas Hallom, Jr, son of Thomas came to Virginia about 1655 bringing power of attorney from the England Halloms. He gave Daniel Llewellyn receipt in full in 1657.

“A patent to Matthew Price referred to land granted to his late father John Price and now in possession of his mother Ann Hallom.

“Ann had at least three Hallom children: Ann, Sarah, and Robert Jr.”