The area was occupied at the time of English settlement by the Algonquian-speaking historic tribes of the Wicocomico and Chickacoan. The county was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1648 during a period of rapid population growth and geographic expansion. Settlement began in this area of the Northern Neck around 1635. Originally known as the Indian district Chickacoan, the area was first referred to as Northumberland (a namesake of Northumberland County, England) in the colonial records in 1644.
A patent for 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) was issued on February 24, 1643, to Edward Murfey and John Vaughan. It is said to be the first patent for land that became Westmoreland County. It bounded on the "Easternmost side of Cedar Island Creek." The name is suggestive of the several little islands that dominate the mouth of the creek. Governor Berkeley's treaty of peace after the end of the 1646 War with Opechancanough prohibited all emigration to the north side of the Rappahannock River. When this restriction was repealed in 1648, immigrants poured in from England, Maryland, New England, and previously settled portions of Virginia.[1] Hercules Bridges, Henry Brooks and Nathaniel Pope were the early patentees of the Mattox Neck area (of three creeks, Mattox, Bridges, Popes) destined to become part of Westmoreland County.
Northumberland County was officially created in 1648. Prior to this time it was known as Chickacoan, the Indian district, a settlement of Native Americans. This Northern Neck county is on the western edge of Chesapeake Bay and today lies between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers.
As originally established by the Virginia colony's House of Burgesses, it was separated out of Northumberland County in 1653.
The colonial court ordered the two tribes to merge and by 1655, assigned them a reservation of 4,400 acres (18 km2) near Dividing Creek, south of the Great Wicomico River.[4] By the early 1700s, the Wicocomico tribe was greatly reduced, and English colonists took control of their lands. They were believed to be extinct as a tribe as, landless, they disappeared from the historical record. The size of the county was drastically reduced in 1651 and 1653 when the colonial government organized Lancaster and Westmoreland counties from it.
Anthony Bridges Born Bef 1632 Died 30 Mar 1681, Westmoreland County, Virginia Husband of Elizabeth Hillier, b. Abt 1610, London, England d. Bef 27 Jul 1681, Westmoreland County, Virginia Married 1650 Westmoreland County, Virginia Children William Bridges, b. 1660, Va Find all individuals with events at this location, d. Aft 1690, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Siblings of Anthony Bridges: Francis Bridges Born; Bef 1630, Died; 4 Mar 1677/78, Middlesex County, Virginia Hercules Bridges Born: Bef 1633, Died; Aft 1654,Westmoreland County, Virginia
Prince William County was formed in 1731 from Stafford and King George Counties, with Stafford County being formed in 1664 from Westmoreland County (1653) and King George County being formed in 1721 from Richmond County (1692). Faquier County (1759) and Fairfax (1742) were formed from Prince William County with Loudoun County (1757) being formed from Fairfax County. There are records of an Anthony Bridges in Westmoreland, Stafford and Rappahannock Counties during the 1660's and 1670's.
In 1690 Westmoreland County, William Bridges and wife, Elizabeth Pierce, received a land grant of 700 acres. In 1723 in Westmoreland, an inventory was taken by one William Bridges (administrator) of the estate of another William Bridges (deceased). The published marriages of Richmond County report the marriage of Elizabeth Medcalf (widow of Samuel Baley d. 1727) to William Bridges of Westmoreland County prior to 1741; and the marriage of William Jacobs to Mary Bridges (spinster) in 1753. In 1746 in Westmoreland County an inventory was taken by Peter Rust, executor of the estate of John Bridges.
In 1724 in King George County, Ann Bridges presented the will of William Bridges and took oath as executor with the will being proven by Francis Payne, John Payne and Robert English
Capt. William Bridges 1655-1703 Marriage: about 1677 Virginia, United States Elizabeth Peirce 1656-1723
William Ashley Bridges 1679-1762 Marriage: circa; 1702 Virginia, United States Susan Hemphill Wainwright 1680-1764 Children: William Bridges 1704-1744 Joseph Bridges 1708-1786 Elizabeth Bridges 1710- Mary Bridges 1710- Susanna Bridges 1715-1773
Capt. William Bridges, Sr. Birthdate: January 30, 1704 Birthplace: Westmoreland County, Virginia, Colonial America Death: December 31, 1743 (39) Prince William County, Virginia, Colonial America Place of Burial: Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States Immediate Family: Son of Col. William Bridgers, Sr. and Elizabeth Ann Thomas Bridgers Husband of Elizabeth Metcalf Bridges Father of William Bridges, Jr.; Mary Lashbrooks; James Bridges; John Bridges; Thomas Bridges and 6 others Brother of William Bridgers, Jr; Benjamin Bridgers Bridgers, Sr.; Joseph Bridgers; William Bridgers; Mary Bridgers; Elizabeth Bridgers; Samuel Bridgers and Benjamin Bridges William Sr. was a saddler and tobacco merchant in Surry Co VA and Granville Co NC.
Elizabeth Metcalf Bridges (Metcalfe) Birthdate: 1702 Birthplace: Richmond, VA, United States Death: 1782 (79-80) Prince William, VA, United States Place of Burial: Prince William County, Virginia, United States Immediate Family: Daughter of Richard Metcalfe and Ann Metcalfe Wife of Capt. William Bridges Mother of Mary Lashbrooks; William Bridges, Jr.; James Bridges; John Bridges; Thomas Bridges and 6 others Sister of John Metcalfe; Sarah Rust and Mary Metcalf Half sister of Gilbert Metcalfe and Jane Opie
William Bridges, Jr. Birthdate: 1726 Birthplace: Prince William County, Province of Virginia Death: 1802 (75-76) Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States Immediate Family: Son of Capt. William Bridges and Elizabeth Metcalf Bridges Husband of Catherine Bridges; Ursula Bridges and Rebecca Nancy Hamrick Father of Aaron Bridges, Sr.; John Bridges; Moses Bridges; Anna Davidson; James Aaron Bridges, William Bridges; Nathaniel Bridges; Thomas Bridges; Isaac Bridges and James Bridges Brother of Mary Lashbrooks; James Bridges; John Bridges; Thomas Bridges; Joseph Bridges; Benjamin Bridges; Richard Bridges; Mary Bridges; Elizabeth Bridges and William Moses Bridges, III
Ursula Bridges Birthdate: 1727 Birthplace: Province of Virginia Death: after 1781 Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States
William Bridges moved to Butler County KY about 1787 from North Carolina, and they later moved in 1822 to Calloway County KY, where many other friends and relatives from NC also migrated.
Anna Davidson (Bridges) Birthdate: 1746 Birthplace: Prince William County, Virginia Death: February 1783 (36-37) Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States Immediate Family: Daughter of William Bridges, Jr. and Ursula Bridges Wife of Rev. Alexander M. Davidson Mother of James Davidson; Rev. John Davidson; Margaret Bostick; Hezekiah Davidson; Alexander M. Davidson and 6 others Sister of John Bridges; Moses Bridges; Aaron Bridges, Sr.; James Aaron Bridges; William Bridges and 4 others Half sister of Aaron Bridges, Sr.; John Bridges; James Bridges; Thomas Bridges; Benjamin Bridges; and Joseph Bridges « less
Anna Bridges was a daughter of William (Moses?) Bridges, 1726-1802) and (Catherine) Ursula (Godwin?) Bridges (1727-?) of England and Ireland. She was born circa 1746, in Virginia. Her family relocat d she married Rev. Alexander M. Davidson (1744-1817) on Oct 15, 1762 in Rutherford Co., North Carolina, which is where they settled. Anna bore him 11 children in their 21 years of marriage. They were James, John, Margaret, Alexander, Hezekiah, William, Jesse Goodman, Anne, Jane, Rachel and Elijah Barton. She died following a complicated childbirth of her last son, Elijah Barton Davidson, who was born on Feb. 23, 1783. She was buried in Rutherford County, North Carolina, most likely near a church the family attended. I haven't been able to locate her final resting place. Alexander remarried two months later to Mary Ellis, due to a need for a mother for the children, especially little Elijah who would grow up to do great things, along with his brothers and sisters and father. She is my 6X maternal great grandmother. I originally believed she was from Ulster, Ireland, but have since found information on Geni.com 's web site that have her father and his direct ancestors living in Virginia. Her 5thx great grandfather, Col. Joseph Bridger (1628-1686) immigrated from Gloucestershire, England, and died Apr 15, 1686 in Smithfield, Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. He was interred at Saint Lukes Cemetery in Smithfield. Find a grave memorial #5139145. His bones were exhumed in 2007 and are now at the Smithsonian.