FAMILY
OF
DELMARVA
In the fall of 1633, two ships named the Ark and the Dove, left England for the New World to start the new colony of Maryland. In command was Leonard Calvert, brother to the lord proprietor, who served as governor of Maryland until 1647. In March 1634, the ships landed at St. Clement’s [now Blakiston] Island.1 In this new colony, by 21 February 1638/39, was John Prettiman, who signed his name to select David Wickliff as burgess for Hundred of Saint George.2 John was mentioned in 1640 when land was surveyed for Phillip West, and the land surveyed bordered a plantation lately cleared by William Brough and John Prettiman. John was in attendance of the General Assembly of all Freemen held on 21 & 22 March 1641/2.3 As John Prettiman, of the Hundred of St. Michels, he acknowledged he was indebted to John Holes for one thousand pounds of tobacco, and he bound his crop of corn and tobacco for the debt.4 He signed the acknowledgement as John Prettiman on 27 May 1642, and John Hollis registered this as deed on 1 October 1642. On 4 August 1642 Capt. Thomas Cornwaley demanded of John Prettyman three hundred sixty two pounds of tobacco for debt and damage, and one pound and half of beaver.5 Also on 4 August 1642, Leonard Calvert demanded of John three hundred fifty pounds of tobacco.5 In July-August 1642, John Prettiman of St. Michaels Hundred was assessed Twenty three pounds of tobacco as part of the general levy on the hundred.6 In September 1642, John was assessed along with others twenty pounds of tobacco for not attending the assembly.7 On 12 September 1642 John was represented at the assembly by Capt Cornwaley.8 It appears that John was employed as a soldier as on Lieutent General of Maryland on 3 September 1642 issued a proclamation that Sesquihanowes, Wicomeses, and Nantacoque Indians are enemies of the Proprietary (Maryland) and ordered an expedition against them. We know that John Prettiman was a member of this expedition as he was one of the ones that an account was submitted for pay. The expedition was under the command of Will Macifenin, Sergeant. Capt. Corwaleys furnished powder, bulletts and lead for the expediation.8a In November 1642, Mathias de Sousa made oath as follows:
"about March was twelvemonth he was appointed by mr Pulton to goe in his pinace as skipper & trader to the Sesquihanoughs & by him appointed to hire men at Kent [Kent Island] for the voyage, & that he would write to mr brent to assist him in it & that at his coming to Kent with the knowledge & consent of mr brent he hired John Prettiman to goe vpon the voyage, & that he hired him for 200 tob. p month, and that accordingly John Prettiman was out vpon the voyage 2 months (within 3. daies) & that by his meanes & presence he verily beleeveth the pinace & men were saved at that time from destruction by the sesquihanowes.9
On 4 November 1642 as John Prettiman, he demanded of Mr. Thomas Coply, Esquire, three hundred pounds of tobacco due him for wages.10 Then on 28 November 1642 Cutbert Ffennick demanded of John Prettiman six hundred pounds of tobacco for a trespass in John killing a steer calf of Ffennick.11 William Brough, attorney, on 5 December 1642 showed he had an execution against John Prettiman and wanted John’s employment be bound for the debt.12 On 2 January 1642/3 John Prettiman assigned his part of a judgment he and John Ormsby had against John Thomson for one thousand pounds of tobacco to John Ormsby.13 On 10 May 1643, John Hollis demanded of John Prettiman 500 pounds of tobacco.14 This is the last mention of John Prettyman in the Maryland records for this time period. We feel that some time between this 10 May 1643 record and 31 August 1643 John Prettiman was in Accomack-Northampton, Virginia, because on 31 Aug 1643 John Williams in the Accomack-Northhampton Court gave the following deposition:
"This deponent saith That hee and his Company being resolved to Remayne att St. Maryes [Maryland] went out to stand for a Deere and comeing back Rowland Vaughan spooke unto John Prettyman to goe with this deponent and his Company to the Sweades [present Delaware] by Land whereunto the said Prettyman Answeared saying I am ingaged I cannot goe Whereupon Rowland Vaughan voluntaryly proferred to give the said Prettyman a bill of Nyne hundred pounds of tobacco to saitsfy his debts if hee would goe along with him and his company whereupon this deponent and all his Company proferred the said Rowland saying it shall not bee given wee will all make you satisfactin att the Dutch Plantation with which proferr the said vaughan was content."15
This matter was resolved by the court on 20 September 1644 when it found that about two crops since Rowland Vaughan lent John Prettyman 900 pounds of tobacco. The court ordered John to repay the debt by last of December.16
We see from the above the following characteristics of John Prettyman:
1. He could sign his name in an era when only small minority of men could sign their name. This is an indication that he had a background above that of the normal settler. It is an indication to me that his family, considering that he attempted to farm, was a landowning family in England with some education.
2. He was not a good farmer, but seemed to be a leader and capable in a military situation. This is an indication that he probably came from a landowning family that had tenants to do the work.
3. He was a "freeman", and not imported as a servant. He probably paid his own passage.
4. His family had probably lost much of their property, etc. or he was a younger son and would not inherit property, and wanted to obtain land of his own, as he did not seem to have much capital or resources.
5. He was probably at least 21 years old when he came to Maryland, would have been born probably between 1600 to 1618.
There have been numerous theories on the ancestor of John Prettyman of Maryland and Virginia. The most common one is that he is John Pretyman of Stebon Heath of Middlesex, son of John Pretyman of Holborn.17 John Pretyman of Stebon Heath is said to have had two sons, John & William, minors in 1668, who were mentioned in the will of a John Clark. A complete reading of Clark's will shows Clark leaves 150 pounds to his kinsman John Pretyman shoemaker for his children.18 The will or Admin. does not mention names of children.18 Muskett, Suffolk Manorial Families, shows John of Holborn as marrying a sister of Robert Warren, and that John left all his lands at Stebon Heath to his daughter Elizabeth Serjeant. If John had a son then I believe the laws were such in England that the son should have inherited the land, and since he did not this is an indication that John had no sons. Furthermore the London (Middlesex) Parish registers show that John of Holborn was born no earlier than 1601. So his children had to be born no earlier than 1622. In fact the Parish register of St. Gregory London shows that John Pretyman of Holborn married 28 June 1625, Margaret Leigh.19 In Holborn, St. Andrew, London, Parish records there was christened on 17 May 1628 John son of John & Margaret Pretyman. John, son of John and Margaret, died in May 1628.20 John of Holborn per parish registers only had one son.
English research experts say the answers to American's English research problems are commonly found in America. An important clue to the ancestor of John Prettyman is in the Prettyman papers at Delaware Historical Society, Wilmington, DE. This document is a letter dated 28 Feb 1900 from the Right Hon. Ernest George Pretyman to Dr John S. Prettyman, Sr. Ernest George Pretyman states, " John the son of Thomas, and Robert, the son of John's Dorothy are not accounted for in our records." Ernest George Pretyman was referring to Robert son of Sir John Pretyman and his wife Dorothy. This Robert could not be the ancestor of the John in Maryland as Robert was styled batchelor in 1634 [See Muskett p 312]. The John son of Thomas is the John of Stebon Heath, and we have already ruled him out. We have not ruled out the last possible fit and that is Robert, brother of John of Stebon Heath. Ernest George Pretyman stated; "I have little doubt that Robert is the founder of the American stock." Robert was said to have lived in Lincolnshire and died in poverty in London. Ernest George Pretyman is quoting his great grandfather and great uncle and may have been confused as to which Robert. In Parish Records of Lincolnshire, Diocese Lincoln, Branston Parish, there was christened William, son Mr. Robert Prettyman 24 March 1604/5 and John son of Robert Prettyman 1 Jan 1609/10.21 William was said to have died young. The process of elimination leaves only Robert Prettyman of Branston as the father of John of Maryland and Virginia. I think John, son of Robert Prettyman, is the John Prettyman of Maryland and Virginia for the following reasons:
1. Proper age-no other documented John within proper age group.
2. They used spelling of Prettyman instead of normal English Pretyman on Parish Records.
3. His father is said to have died in poverty so he would welcome the opportunity to increase his fortune in the New World.
4. He came from land holding lesser gentry so would want to own land, and would have some education.
5. He would be familiar with military as the family had some military background, i.e. his grandfather, Thomas Pratyman, supported the cause against the Spanish Armada in 1588, and his family held land as Knights service to the King.
6. Association with Cornwallis family in Suffolk, England and Maryland. i.e. his great-grandfather, John Pratyman of Bacton, Suffolk, held land from Sir Thomas Cornwallis.(Inquisition on death John Pretyman 1559, pgs 286-287 Vol II Suffolk Manorial Families.) Also possible association with John Baxter, one of the gentleman adventurers in settling the colony of Maryland, as his Aunt, Mary Pratyman (Will Rachel Pretyman) married ______ Baxter.
7. Lineage uses common first names of Prettymans in Delaware, i.e. John, William, Robert & Thomas.
8. I feel he is the grandson mentioned in Rachel Pretyman's will 1626(Arch. Sudb. Register 1627 folio 2).
Two other points on the Prettyman family. One, I see no evidence that
ancestors of John Prettyman were ever entitled to use a coat of arms. Their
Prettyman relatives were entitled to use a coat of arms, but arms descend in the
direct male line. It is a common misconception that coat of arms are granted to
family surname. This is incorrect as they are granted to an individual. Two,
there is a possibility that there was another John between the John of Maryland
and Virginia and his son whom I have entitled John II. The first John seemed to
live to an older age than normal males during that time period, but his son and
grandson also lived to an old age. There is instances of men living to be over
seventy in the court orders of Accomack County, Virginia. Lambert Groten, in
1687, petitioned the court that he had lived in this country for more than 40
years, and now more than 70 years old he was not able to support himself by his
own labor.21a In giving his deposition in 1689 John
Brookes stated he was about 88 years old.21b
This is Sheeppen Branch
area of Sussex Co., DE Northeast of Millsboro. Ebenezer Jones, Thomas Jones,
Zachariah Jones, and Ebenezer Jones Jr all lived on Sheeppen Branch. Thomas
Prettyman and Elizabeth Enloe Prettyman lived north of the Jones families. John
Rogers lived on "Hog Quarter".
This includes John Prettyman, Esquire's "Hooknorton" on the north
which is on the north side of Ivey Branch. Also the 1100 acre tract of Robert
Burton. John Esquire's brother, William, tract is on southeast and only part
shown. Plat three shows his tract.
Generation One to
FIVE 
Generation Five to Nine
Generation Nine to
Ten
Son of John Prettyman II
Son of John Prettyman II
Son of John Prettyman II
Daughter of John Prettyman II
Son of John Prettyman II
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