A number of Ferebees came to Virginia during the 1600s. All save John Ferebee disappear from Virginia records soon after landing. 1620 - RICHARD FERRIBY, gent. He was a passenger on the ship "Supply" that brought colonists from the port of Bristol in January 1620 to Berkeley Hundred Plantation. The majority of the people in this settlement run by Richard and John Berkeley were natives of Gloucestershire and 11 were killed in the raid. A margin note by Smith on the passenger list states "slain" in the Good Friday Indian raid of March 1622 (PRO:E157/20). He is Richard the son of George Ferebye, bap. 17 Jun. 1599 at Cirencester, Glos. (P.R.). 1635 - THOMAS FERREBY, age 26. He was transported from London on the "Primrose" to Elizabeth City Corporation by James Knott (Nugent.1977:vol.1, p.37 and Coldham. 1987,p.159). This is probably the Thomas Ferebee, son of Rev. George Ferebee bap. at Bishops Canings, Wilts. Dec.1608 (P.R.). He was the first cousin of John Ferebee b. 28 Nov.1635 and a cousin of Richard Ferriby above. 1650 - ELIZABETH FIRBY. She was transported to the north side of the Rappahanock in 1650 by George Taylor (Nugent.1977:vol.1-p.201). 1652 - BENJAMIN FORBY, was transported to the west side of the Rappahanock in 1652 by Toby Smith, gent. (Nugent, 1977: vol. 1, p.239). He was the son of Felix Forby, hosier of Norwich (will 1660/1, National Archives, Prob. 11-303). He owned land in Lower Norfolk County from 1661 to 1684 with his wife Elizabeth. They were Quakers and were arrested ca. 1670 at a meeting in Norfolk County (Hinshaw, _Encyclopaedia of American Quaker Genealogy, vol. 6, pp. 11-12). They moved to Maryland before 1678 when they appear in records there. Benjamin Forby or Ferby in a patent to Maj. John Nicholls made in 1684 for land on the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River in Lower Norfolk Co."400 acs. to Benjam. Ferby patented 1 Oct.1661 who sold to said Nicholls" (Nugent. 1977:v.3,p284). 1660 - JOHN FEREBY, transported by John Wilcocks of Northampton Co. VA patent dated 30 July 1660 (Parks, Gary, ed. _Virginia Land Records, from the VA Magazine of History... Baltimore, 1987, pp. 377-8) 1662 - JOHN FERBY. transported by Thomas Royston of Gloucester Co. VA, patent dated 18 Ma. 1662 (Nugent.1977:v.1,pp.456-7). 1664 - JOHN FERBY. transported by John Paine of Northumberland Co. patent dated 1 Jun 1664 (Nugent.1977v.1,p.432). 1692 - 1726 - BENJAMIN FERIEBY, first appears in the 1692 tithable list of Southwark parish of Surry Co. in the household of Col. William Browne and is seen every year on this list living with other men through 1702 ("Virginia Genealogist",Vol. 23, #4 pp. 63, 67, 70, Vol. 24, #1 pp. 69, 73, #2 70, 83, #3 p. 69, 72). He is listed in the 1704/5 quit rent rolls of Virginia as a land owner in Surrry Co. He also appears as a witness on 3 Jan 1701 to a deed of land from William Foreman to James Chessett and 9 Jul. 1702 to a power of attorney from Hugh Lusk to John Hatch, merchant (Hopkins, William L., _Surry County Virginia Deeds 1684- 1733, pp. 61, 64). Benjamin Ferreby was transported with William Cripps by Cap't. William Brown of Surry Co. in 1715 (Nugent. 1977:v.3,p187). Possibly he is the same Benjamin Ferebie who m. Jean Martin at St. James Duke's Place, London on 3 Nov. 1689 and William Crisp who m. Margaret Howard at the same church on 26 Dec. 1695? Anne the dau. of Edmund Ferebie of Cirencester was married to Mr. Crispe (her kinship to Benjamin unknown) and living in London by 1680s (see will of her brother Nathaniel Ferriby at PCC). Benjamin's will dated 30 May 1723 and proved 20 Jul. 1726 no children named just his wife Ann and friends Jas. Badcock and Benj. Nichols (Davis, Elizabeth. _Wills & Administrations Surry Co. VA 1671 - 1750, 1955, p. 50-1). An inventory of the estate of Ann Ferebe, widow of Benjamin, is recorded in Surry Co. in 1735 (Surry Deeds, Wills, Book 8,p. 546-7). NOTE - No 1600s records of Bermuda or the Barbados name any Ferby, Firby, Ferriby, Ferebee, etc.

JOHN FEREBEE (ca. 1641 - aft. 1714) John is the founder of the family in Virginia. A bogus pedigree for him was published by Tully Bell Wilson in 1915 has been widely quoted by many researchers. It states that his father was Joseph son of William Ferebe (no wives, dates, locations, or sources mentioned). It then links these people to the Kent branch of the family starting with Thomas de Fereby (c.1360- c1413). The first clues about John's life in England appear in three legal records that state his age and indicate a birth date of about 1641 or 1642. A document dated 20 Apr. 1662 in Northampton Co. VA Order Book 8, fol. 131 says Jno. Ferrebee is aged 20 (Houston, William R. et al. _Colonial Residents of Virginia's Eastern Shore..., Baltimore, 1985, p. 36) A deposition dated 28 Jul. 1664 at Northampton Co. wherein he states that he is "23 years of age or there about" (Northampton Co. VA, Will & Deed Book 8, pp. 350-1). A third deposition given at the proving of the will of Richard Bachelor of Lower Norfolk Co. on 17 Oct. 1682 concerning the sale of 300 acres of land, he states that his age is "forty years or there about" (Lower Norfolk Co. Book 4, p.126). This places John's birth near the start of the English Civil War in 1642. The worst years of fighting from 1642 till 1647 disrupted society at all levels and the rule of Oliver Cromwell till 1660 was an era of poitical and religious turmoil. The resulting economic depression into the 1660s sent many people fleeing to the New World.

Three men named John Ferebee had baptisms recorded in England between 1630 and 1650. However, none match the immigrant to Virginia. It is most likely that he scion of the Cirencester, Gloucestershire family, the largest group with this surname in Britain during the 1600s. The first, John Ferribie bap. 25 Oct.1643 at St.Mary's Barton on Humber the son of William soon died 5 Dec.1644 (P.R.) The second, John Ferybee bap. 18 Jul.1641 at Cirencester, Glos. was the son of Edmund Ferybee Sr., mercer (b. ca.1590, buried on 4 Apr.1660) and his second wife Anne (Parish Register of St. John's Cirencester). He is the most likely candidate for the Virginia immigrant based on his age, but he is named executor of the will of his sister, Mary Feribee spinster of Stepney, Mdsx. of 28 Jan. 1690 and it was proved by him 5 Feb. 1690/1 (Wills PCC) It is highly unlikely that she would chose a brother living in Virginia for this task when oter relatives were nearby. The third is John Ferebee of Bishops Cannings, Wiltshire born 28 November 1635 (Parish Register). However, he is about six years too old to match the age of John Ferebee of Virginia. He and his bother Henry are last recorded as living in London circa 1655-60 both apprenticed as armorers (Armorers and Brasiers Company Books, Guildhall Library, Londn) . This family already had strong ties to the New World. A cousin in Cirencester, Richard, went to Virginia in 1620 and died there in 1622. John's uncle, Anthony Fereby (b.1588, son of Thomas) mercer of Cirencester was evidently a brother in law of Captain John Smith (1580-1631) leader of the Jamestown Colony 1607-09. An ode by Anthony entitled "To my Noble Brother and Friend, Captaine John Smith" praising his "honour, valour, and abillity" appears in the frontispiece of "The True Travels, Adventures, and Observations of Captain John Smith...." 1630 (vol.2, p.105). John's eldest half-sister, Elizabeth (1612-1665) married Henry Bull (c.1610-1693/4) at Bishops Cannings in July 1635 and the couple sailed to Boston MA in August of that year. They were driven out of that colony in 1638 for heresy with Anne Hutchinson and escaped to Rhode Island and helped establish that colony. Elizabeth died at Newport in 1665, but her husband later served as colonial governor of RI 1685-90. John's mother, Anne Essington Ferebee, was the grandaughter of Rev. Laurence Bridger (c.1550-1630) of Slimbridge, Glos. Another of Laurence's grandchildren was Col. Joseph Bridger (ca.1625-1689) who settled at Isle of Wight Co., VA in the 1650s (see the 1682 Visitation of Glos. under Essington, and 1623 Visitation of Glos. under Bridger).

John Ferebee was transported to Virginia in 1660 by John Wilcocks of Hungars parish Northampton Co. VA. He received a land patent for 1,000 acres in that county dated 30 Jul. 1660 for transporting 20 persons including; himself, his wife Ann Wilcocks, step-children Henry and Rose Yardley, and John Ferebee among others (Parks 1987:337-8). Wilcocks (ca.1630 - 1662) was the son of Captain John Wilcocks an employee of the Virginia Company who came to America about 1620. He later acquired a plantation in Northampton Co. belonging to the company. The younger Wilcocks married about 1655 to Ann Custis (ca.1625 - ca.1687) widow of Argoll Yeardley Esq. She had inherited a large estate there from her husband. There are two later headright land grants naming John Ferebee, one dated 18 Mar. 1662 by Thomas Royston a wealthy recent immigrant to Gloucester County. During the 1650s this county was a rapidly growing area of tobacco production. This was Royston's first land grant in Virginia (see Nugent) and he transported six persons to it; "Edward Young, John Ferby, Thomas Fowler, William Johnson, Thomas Carew, and Francis Fleet." (Nugent.vol.1, p.457). Ferebee is a witness to a 1665 deed of Royston buying land in Maryland. However, a suspicious pattern soon emerges with three of the men in Royston's grant, their unusual surnames make then easy to trace. John Ferby is recorded in a land patent of 1664 as being tranported to Northumberland Co. Va by John Paine. Francis Fleet is recorded in a land patent of 1663 being transported to James City Co. (Nugent.vol.1,p.510). Thomas Carew appears as being transported between 1662 and 1664 in land patents by seven different planters (Nugent.vol.1, pp.391,427,431,457,472, 512, 514) What this means is unclear, but fraud seems a likely explanation. Ferebee working for years as an indentured servant of these men doesn't jive with his appearance in public records, yet he was evidently in these places at this time. Captain James Knott claimed many of the same group of servants twice, including Thomas Fereby, in his land patents of 1635 and 1637. The planters provided passenger lists made by the ship captain to obtain their 50 acre per person headright of land, evidently selling "names" could be a source of extra income for the captains (Nugent.vol.1,pp. 37, 66). For a more complete discussion of land patent fraud see: Bruce, Philip A. "Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century", 1896, v.1, pp. 518-25.

Ferebee was atypical of Virginia's immigrants of the 1650s to 1680s. He was literate and skilled , as his career proves. The average pioneer of this era was an unskilled agricultural worker fleeing the havoc of the Civil War. It is estimated that people were flooding into Virginia at a rate of about 2,000 people per year. Many contemporary Virginia planters bemoaned the poor quality and great quantity of the immigrants of this period and their worst fears soon came true (Breen,T.H. Puritans and Adventurers. Oxford,1980:128-29). John Ferebee came to the colony during a time of economic and poltical crisis. Tobacco prices had reached a peak in 1660, but over production reduced the price to it's lowest level ever in 1667. Fluctuations in tobacco prices were disastrous to a society where it was the most common form of currency. High shipping tariffs imposed by Charles II in 1663 only worsened matters. This started an economic depression that lasted till about 1683. Raids by Dutch pirates in 1672 caused widespread panic, but little was done to organize local militias. Planters were pushed towards bankruptcy and their indentured servants, about 40% of the populace, were near starvation. This situation led to Bacon's Rebellion of 1676 which was essentially a mutiny by the poor and indentured against the government and landed gentry. When peace was restored in 1677 the power structure of Virginia turned from the use of wite servants to the importation of African slaves (op.cit. Breen 1980, pp.128-140 passim). The first decade of John's life in America is nomadic. He spends four years from 1660 till 1664 at Northamptom Co. working as a paralegal and served as under sheriff in 1664-5. Then he is recorded working for Thomas Royston at Maryland in 1664-5 and appears at Northumberland Co. VA in 1667. His skills as a paralegal and land surveyor, no doubt kept him busy in a new colony being carved out of wilderness. This ability to read and write was valuable in a colony with no schools and a functional literacy rate of about 30%. Land survey was a booming business in 1600s Virgina and surveyors were government regulated and the profession had social prestige akin to the law of medicine. In 1666 the Burgesses doubled the fees paid to surveyors to attract more skilled men. Each surveyor held a commission from the county court. Forty pounds of tobacco per 100 acres up to 1,000 acres was the new rate. If he job was one day's travel from home a per diem of 30 lbs. plus travel costs were added. The survey plat had to be delivered within six months, but the planter was allowed to pay the surveyor with his second crop of tobacco on new lands. It was the sheriff's duty to deliver the payment to the surveyor (Bruce, 1896: v.2, pp.547-8). John Ferebee was a witness to the will of John Wilcocks of Hungars parish of Northampton Co. VA dated 7 May 1662 (proved 28 May 1662), he leaves his whole estate to his wife (neé Anne Custis widow of Argoll Yardley Esq. the son of Gov. Sir George Yeardley) (Marshall, James H. ed. _Abstracts of Wills & Administrations of Northampton Co. VA 1632-82, Maine, 1994, p. 69). This is the man who first claims transporting John to Virginia. There is a possible family connection between John Ferebee and Anne Wilcocks. Her father, Henry, was born ca. 1595 at Cirencester, Glos. (Lynch, James B. _The Custis Chronicles, passim). George Feribee married Judith Custice (d.1660) at St. John Cirencester on 6 Feb. 1638, and the christening entry of 23 Dec. 1621 says she is the daughter of Henry and Jone (Parish Register of St. John's Cirencester). This makes her a sister to Anne Custis Yeardley Wilcocks. However, there is no baptism entry at Cirencester for a son of George Feribee named John.

A deposition sworn to the court of Northampton on 28 Jul. 1664 by "John Fferebee aged about 23 yeares or there about" ... "saith that yor. deponnent upon intreaty of Cap't. Jno. Savage made an lease for him for a parsell of land he demised unto Thos. Dimmer dated 4th April 1660"... (Mackey, Dr Howard ed. et al. _Northampton Co. VA Record Book, deeds, wills, etc. Vol. 8, 1657 - 1666, Maine, 2002, pp. 350-1). This document explains the many appearances in Northampton public records of Ferebee, he was witnessing legal documents that he had drafted for clients. The earliest is a power of attorney dated 1 Oct. 1660 given by John Pott of Potoxon MD to John Sc--ne of Accomack (Mackey, Howard _Northampton Co. VA Record Book, Deeds, Wills, etc. Vol.7, p.128). He also witnessed a lease by Ann Voss dated 14 Sep. 1662, a deed by Daniel Baker of 28 Jun. 1662, a deed by Edw. Dolby of 17 Oct. 1663, a deed by Geo. Freshwater of 28 Oct. 1663, and seven more legal instruments until a final filing of a contract for sale by Jno. Bagwell on 15 Feb. 1664/5. After this date Ferebee's name disappears permanently from the county's records (Mackey, 2002, Vol.7:128, 176, 193, 201, 242, 244, 247, 249, 257-8, 275, 285, vol. 8: 373). John Ferebee is shown with one tithable in the 1664 Tithable List for Northampton (Mackey, 202, Vol.8, p. 358). And at a court held on 28 Apr. 1664 Cap't. William Jones took the oath of high sheriff for this county and John Fferebee swore as under sheriff (Mackey, 2002, vol.8, p.339).

The next evidence of John Ferebee is likely a product of his survey work, a deed for an 1,000 ac. tract in Talbot Co. Maryland, "...said Thomas Roylstone and Thomas How theire heires &c: from any prson or prsons whatsoeuer laying Chaime to it hereafter, In wittnes whereof I haue hereunto sett my hand and fixed my seale this 12th day of October in the yeare of Our Lord God 1665 Signed sealed & deliuered John Powick Seale                       In the prsence of Vs                                   Jn° Ferebee                          BarthoemyDeVaconsains By Consent and att the instance of both persons the abouesaid Con ueyance was brought in the Office wth request it may be recorded By mee Daniel Jenifer at open Court on 17th October 1665" (Archives of Maryland, Proceedings of the Provincial Court, 1663-1666 Vol. 49, pp. 513-5).   The one known document concerning Ferebee from the 1665 to 1671 period appears at Northumberland Co. VA. It is a power of attorney from Cornelius Johnson to John Ferebee dated 16 Oct. 1667, test: Christi. Iles, John Houghton (Northumberland Records 16:24) as abstracted in (Fleet, Beverley. _Virginia Colonial Abstracts Vol. 19, Northumbria 1645-1720, Baltimore, 1961 p. 48). No other entries were found for the surnames Iles, Johnson, or Ferebee in this volume. However, Johnson appears at York Co. VA in 1645/6 in a judgement "attachment of the estate of Wm. Rennalds to secure debt of 526 lbs. of tobacco for goods bought of Cornelius Johnson" (Fleet, Beverley. _Virginia Colonial Abstracts Vol. 25, York Co. 1646-8, 1961, p. 32). Cornelius Johnson (b. ca. 1640 Netherlands), late servant of Thomas Savage, was fined 500 lbs. tobacco in Northampton County, Virginia, Feb. 1662/3, for adultery with Alice Baily (Northampton Court, Order Book, 1661-4, p.161). Johnson appears in Somerset Co. MD in 1666 and in 1684, purchased "Sweetwood" and "Mannings Resolution" tracts (Torrence, Clayton. _Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore.... Richmond, 1935). When Ferebee moved to Norfolk County is unknown. John Ferebee married the twice widowed Elizabeth Boulding Powell Ellis between 15 Aug. 1670 when she filed Ellis' estate inventory and 17 Apr. 1671 when Malachi Thurston filed suit against Ferebee over "his marriage to the relict of Wm. Ellis" (Low. Norfolk Co., Book E, part 2, p. 61a). He was about 30 years old and she was aged 43 or so at the time of marriage and bore him no children. Elizabeth was probably the daughter of Thomas and Mary Boulding "ancient planters" of Elizabeth City Co. VA who came to Jamestown in 1610. She first married Richard Powell by 1644 and had issue: 1-Richard, b.ca. 1645-1673, 2-William, b.ca. 1647, 3-John, b.ca. 1650. John Ferebee goes security (makes bond) for William Powell on 17 Aug. 1675 who is accused of being the father of Elizabeth Cocer's bastard child. On 8 Oct. 1692 Ferebee deeds 100 acres apiece to John and William Powell. This land was in Princess Anne Co. and both sold it a few years later (Lucas, Silas. "The Powell Families of Virginia", 2000 ed. pp. 5-12 ). She was married again in 1658 to William Ellis and had issue: 1- Mary, b. ca. 1659, 2- Phillip, b. ca.1660, 3-William, b. ca. 1662. Ellis lived on the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River and was constable of this district in 1664. He died intestate in 1670 (Lucas, 2000: 5-12). On 13 Jan. 1676/7 Mary Ellis gave a receipt to John Ferebee for her portion of the Ellis estate (Low. Norfolk Co., Book 4, p.19). Elizabeth Ellis, widow of William Ellis, and Mary Jennings were directed by the Lower Norfolk Court to make an inventory of his estate on 4 Jul. 1670. The appraisal of goods and chattels (excluding real estate) recorded 15 August lists a moderately wealthy estate worth 16,000 lbs. of tobacco (or about 100 to 130 L) containing luxury goods such as feather beds, pewter plates, carpets, table silver, and a slave "mayd servant" (Low. Norfolk Deeds & Wills, Book E pp.76 a,b).