The DeJarnette and Mumford Families of Virginia

The Virginia DeJarnette family descends from Jean (John) DeJarnat, a French Huguenot refugee born between 1679–1682 in La Rochelle or the broader Poitou‑Charentes region of France. His migration fits within the larger Huguenot exodus following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, an event that intensified persecution: “The 1535 General Edict in France urged extermination of Huguenots—over 1200 were slain in France.”¹ Jean arrived in Virginia by 1699, as noted in the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, and formally petitioned for naturalization on 18 April 1705 at Williamsburg. The Legislative Journals of the Council of Colonial Virginia record: “A Petition of Jean deJarnat… praying for naturalization, were read..”

Hourglass Chart, Lydia DeJarnette to her grandparents Jean “John” DeJarnet and Mary Mumford

Jean married Mary Mumford (1683–1765) of Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, daughter of Edward Mumford and Mary Watkins, a union that permanently linked the DeJarnette, Mumford, and Watkins families. Their marriage is consistently dated to 1703, supported by the baptism of their first child, Elias, on 20 August 1704. Because Gloucester County’s civil records were destroyed during the Civil War, the Abingdon Parish Register provides the only surviving documentation of the family’s early years. It records the baptisms of their children: “Elias… Aug. 20, 1704… John… Nov. 4, 1706… Mary… Feb. 5, 1708… Daniel… Jan. 24, 1713… Joseph… Jan. 3, 1716… Ellenor… Sept. 5, 1720.”³ Later genealogies also list Mumford, Rebecca, and Thomas as additional children. Several of these names reflect Mumford family connections: “He was evidently named for his uncle Daniel Mumford… He was evidently named for Joseph Mumford.”

The family lived in Gloucester County until at least 1720, after which they likely moved to King William County, supported by the marriages of daughters Elizabeth and Ellenor to sons of Thomas McGehee of St. John’s Parish. Jean’s sons Elias and Daniel later migrated to Prince Edward County around 1740, where both left wills recorded in Will Book 1. The DeJarnettes became prominent landowners and community leaders in the region.

Mary Mumford DeJarnette survived her husband and lived to the age of 82. Her will, dated 24 April 1765 and probated 19 August 1765, left her entire estate to her son‑in‑law Jacob McGehee, indicating she spent her final years with her daughter Ellenor. The will reads: “She devised to son‑in‑law Jacob McGehee my featherbed… likewise whatever belongs to me after my decease.”

The family’s later prominence is memorialized at Spring Grove Plantation, a 5,000‑acre estate in Caroline County established by Joseph DeJarnette Jr. around 1740. The granite marker states: “‘Spring Grove Plantation’—5000 acres—from the Mattapone River to the Maracossic Creek.” Subsequent generations included Revolutionary War officer Joseph DeJarnette (1747–1824), War of 1812 officer Elliott DeJarnette, and Daniel Coleman DeJarnette, who served in the U.S. Congress and the Confederate Congress.

In sum, the DeJarnette family’s Virginia lineage begins with Jean (John) DeJarnette, a French Huguenot immigrant whose marriage to Mary Mumford established a deeply rooted Tidewater and Piedmont family. Their descendants became influential landowners, military officers, and public figures across Gloucester, King William, Caroline, and Prince Edward Counties, forming one of the most thoroughly documented Huguenot‑origin families in colonial Virginia.

Daniel DeJarnatt (1713–1754)

Daniel DeJarnatt, baptized 24 January 1713 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, was one of the most influential second‑generation members of the Virginia DeJarnette family. As the son of Jean (John) DeJarnette, the French Huguenot immigrant naturalized in 1705, and Mary Mumford, daughter of Edward Mumford and Mary Watkins, Daniel represented the branch of the family that expanded from Tidewater Virginia into the developing Southside counties.

By 1743, Daniel had moved westward into Amelia County, an area that would become Prince Edward County in 1754. His land was surveyed there that year, marking the beginning of the DeJarnette presence in Southside Virginia. Daniel married Martha Ford, daughter of Daniel and Mary Ford, sometime before 1743. The Ford family would remain closely tied to the DeJarnettes for decades, appearing repeatedly in wills, land descriptions, and parish records.

Daniel’s will, dated 11 September 1754 and recorded in Prince Edward County Will Book 1, p. 8, provides the most detailed primary evidence of his household. It names his wife Martha and eight children: Mary, Betty (Betty Ford), Daniel, Mumford, John, Christopher, Lydia, and Martha. The will contains the earliest known reference to Lydia, stating: “I give to my daughter Lydia a tract of land on lower side of Mountain Creek.” This establishes Lydia as a documented daughter and confirms her inheritance of land along Mountain Creek.

Daniel’s landholdings were substantial for the period. He granted 400 acres on Mountain Creek to his son Mumford, land on Sandy River to his son Daniel, and property along Snail’s Creek to his daughter Mary. His will also names enslaved individuals, including a girl named Dorcas given to his daughter Martha, and “Nanie,” listed in the probate index. Daniel died at age 42, leaving Martha with several minor children and a complex estate to administer.

Martha Ford DeJarnatt lived nearly three decades longer, dying in 1782. Her will is a crucial genealogical document because it identifies two daughters who predeceased her: Martha Perryman and Lydia Taylor. The line “She mentions also the children of her two deceased daughters, Martha Perryman and Lydia Taylor” confirms Lydia’s marriage to a man surnamed Taylor and her death before 1780. Martha named her brother Christopher Ford and her son Christopher DeJarnatt as executors, demonstrating the continued Ford–DeJarnatt family alliance.

Additional records place Daniel and his descendants firmly in Prince Edward County. His brother Elias DeJarnette also settled there, leaving a will dated 9 August 1768 (Will Book 1, p. 101). Census substitutes list Martha as the only tithable adult in the household in 1770, indicating she remained on the family land after Daniel’s death.

Together, Daniel and Martha established the DeJarnette family’s enduring presence in Southside Virginia. Their children and grandchildren would spread into Prince Edward, Nottoway, and neighboring counties, forming one of the most documented branches of the DeJarnette lineage.

The Caroline County Branch: Spring Grove Plantation

Another branch of the family descended from Joseph DeJarnette, son of Jean and Mary. The DeJarnette Memorial in Caroline County records: “DeJarnette, Jean deJarnette (deJarnat) French Hugenot… m Mary Munford… Issue 7… SPRING GROVE PLANTATION – 5000 acres…”  Joseph established Spring Grove Plantation around 1740. His descendants included Revolutionary War officer Joseph DeJarnette, Jr., War of 1812 officer Elliott DeJarnette, and later generations prominent in Caroline County.

Summary of What Is Known

1.        Origin: French Huguenot refugee Jean DeJarnat, naturalized in Virginia in 1705.

2.       First Generation: Jean married Mary Mumford; their children were baptized in Abingdon Parish between 1704–1720.

3.       Migration: The family moved from Gloucester to King William County, then to Amelia/Prince Edward County.

4.       Second Generation: Daniel DeJarnatt (1713–1754) established the Southside Virginia branch; his siblings formed the Caroline County branch.  His daughter Lydia DeJarnette is mentioned in his will, so the connection is proven.

5.       Third Generation: Daniel’s children included Lydia DeJarnette who married James Taylor.  Her daughter Elizabeth “Betsy” Taylor , proven in her mother’s will and in a marriage bond signed by her brother Mumford DeJarnette.  Connection is proven.

6.       Record Loss: Gloucester County record destruction limits early reconstruction, but parish registers and wills preserve core lineage.

MUMFORD

The Mumford Family of Colonial Virginia

The Mumford family of colonial Virginia descends from Edward Mumford (also recorded as Mountfort/Montfort), an English immigrant who arrived in the colony on 6 June 1635 aboard the Thomas and John, age twenty. He settled first in Gloucester County and later in Warwick County, becoming the progenitor of the documented Virginia Mumford line. His marriage to Mary Watkins, daughter of Joseph Watkins (1635–1670) and Elizabeth Purnell, firmly linked the Mumfords to two other major Tidewater families—the Watkins and the DeJarnettes.

Hourglass Chart, Daniel DeJarnett to Edward Mumford through Mary Mumford, his mother

Edward appears in Gloucester County records throughout the late seventeenth century. Deeds dated 25 September 1679 and 22 November 1682 place him along the York River near Tindall’s Point, where he held land “in the right of Mary his wife & daughter of Jos. Watkins.” Additional land descriptions reference a small island called Oak Island, adjoining his other holdings. These records confirm Edward’s presence in Gloucester County for decades and establish Mary Watkins as his wife and the daughter of Joseph Watkins.

The couple’s children—Mary, Edward Jr., Joseph, and Daniel Mumford/Mountford—appear consistently across genealogical summaries. Their daughter Mary Mumford (1683–1765) married Jean (John) DeJarnette, the French Huguenot immigrant naturalized in 1705. This marriage created the enduring Mumford–DeJarnette connection documented in Abingdon Parish, where the baptisms of Jean and Mary’s children were recorded between 1704 and 1720. Mary’s will, probated in Prince Edward County in 1765, further anchors her identity as Edward and Mary Watkins’s daughter.

A long‑standing genealogical question concerns whether Edward Mumford (b. ca. 1614–1615) was related to Captain Thomas Mumford, who arrived with the First Supply to Jamestown in 1607. Some genealogists have proposed two early Edwards—one born around 1653 as Thomas’s supposed son, and the immigrant Edward born around 1615. These identities were often conflated in nineteenth‑ and twentieth‑century genealogies. However, no primary record—no parish entry, no will, no land patent—names any children of Captain Thomas Mumford. The age gap also makes a direct father‑son relationship improbable: if Thomas was about seventeen in 1607, he would have been over sixty at Edward’s birth in 1615. The evidence suggests that if a relationship existed, Edward was more likely a nephew or cousin, not a son.

Despite the lack of proof, the theory persists because the surname Mumford is uncommon in early Virginia, and both men appear in the colony within a generation of each other. Later Mumfords lived in counties adjacent to early Jamestown settlements, encouraging speculation of a shared extended family. These circumstances make a connection possible, but the genealogical consensus is clear: the Gloucester County Mumfords descend from Edward (Mountfort) Mumford, immigrant of 1635, and any link to Captain Thomas Mumford remains unproven and chronologically problematic.

Edward’s descendants continued to intermarry with prominent Tidewater families. His daughter Mary’s marriage to Jean DeJarnette produced a line that spread into Prince Edward County, where Mumford‑named DeJarnette children (Daniel, Joseph, Mumford) appear in parish records—suggesting close family ties, though not proving direct descent from Captain Thomas. The Mumford name also appears in later land patents, including a 1750 patent of 400 acres on Mountain Creek by Mumford DeJarnatt, a grandson through Mary Mumford DeJarnette.

In summmary, the Mumford family of Virginia is well‑documented beginning with Edward Mumford (b. ca. 1615) and Mary Watkins, whose descendants formed a major branch of the Mumford–Watkins–DeJarnette lineage. The proposed connection to Captain Thomas Mumford remains speculative, unsupported by surviving records, and should be treated cautiously in genealogical work.

WATKINS

Joseph Watkins (1635–1670) and His Family

Joseph Watkins was born in 1635 in York County, Virginia, the eldest known son of Richard Watkins (1615–1669) and Elizabeth Stokes/Stoakes (1617–1669). His father, Richard, immigrated to Virginia in 1635, arriving at age twenty, and later appears in York County land records adjacent to the plantation known as the “Middle House.” His mother, Elizabeth Stokes, was the daughter of Christopher Stokes, part of a well‑established York County family. Both parents were buried in New Poquoson Parish, York County.

Hourglass Chart for Joseph Watkins 1635-1670 and daughter Mary Watkins 1653-1690 m Edward Mumford

Joseph spent his life in the Tidewater region and is closely associated with Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, where he was buried in Abingdon Episcopal Church Cemetery following his death on 10 January 1670 at age 34–35. His Find A Grave memorial identifies him as the husband of Elizabeth Purnell (1625–1657)—sometimes conflated with Elizabeth Stafford in compiled genealogies—and as the father of several children, including Mary Watkins (1653–1690), Stephen Watkins, Judith Watkins, Martha Watkins, and Francis Watkins.

The most historically significant of these children is Mary Watkins, born in 1653, who married Edward Mumford of Gloucester County. Their daughter, Mary Mumford (1683–1765), later married Jean (John) DeJarnette, the French Huguenot immigrant who founded the Virginia DeJarnette line. Thus, Joseph Watkins stands at a critical juncture in the genealogical chain linking the Watkins, Mumford, and DeJarnette families.

Joseph’s wife, Elizabeth Purnell, is identified in multiple compiled sources as the daughter of William Purnell and Elizabeth Jefferies, though no parish records survive to confirm this. She died in 1657, leaving Joseph with young children. Their daughter Mary’s burial and marriage records in Abingdon Parish help anchor the Watkins family firmly in Gloucester County by the mid‑17th century.

Joseph’s father, Richard Watkins, appears in several early Virginia land transactions, including a 1642 York County deed referencing land “upon Richard Watkins,” and in mid‑18th‑century road orders listing “Richard Watkins” among those responsible for maintaining public roads. These records demonstrate the Watkins family’s long-standing presence in York County and their integration into local civic life.

Through Joseph’s daughter Mary, the Watkins family became foundational ancestors of the Mumford and DeJarnette families of Virginia. The lineage is preserved in multiple genealogical compilations, including Virginia Historical Genealogies, which traces the line: “Mary Mumford… to Joseph Watkins… to Richard Watkins.” This chain places Joseph Watkins as a key figure in the ancestry of several prominent Virginia families.

Watkins–Mumford–DeJarnette Lineage Table

Gen	Individual	Dates & Places	Spouse / Parents	Children	Key Records / Notes
1	Richard Watkins	1615 – 24 May 1669 Born Wiltshire, England Died York County, Virginia	Spouse: Elizabeth Stokes (Stoakes) Parents (WikiTree): Thomas Watkins & Rebecca Faith	Joseph Watkins Phillip Watkins William Watkins Thomas Watkins Henry Joseph Watkins Joseph Watkins (younger)	Immigrated 1635 Burial: New Poquoson Parish, York Co.
1A	Elizabeth Stokes (Stoakes)	Born ca. 1617 Died ca. 1669<brYork County, Virginia	Parents: Christopher Stokes/Stoakes II	See above	Sister to William, Thomas, Francis & David Stokes
2	Mary Watkins	Born mid‑1600s (York or Gloucester Co.)	Parents: Descendant of Richard Watkins & Elizabeth Stokes	Children with Edward Mumford: Mary Mumford (1683–1765) Edward Jr. Joseph Daniel	Connects Watkins → Mumford line
3	Edward Mumford (Mountfort)	Born ca. 1615, England Died 1690, Virginia Arrived 6 Jun 1635 on Thomas & John	Spouse: Mary Watkins	Mary Mumford (1683–1765) Edward Jr. Joseph Daniel	Appears in Gloucester Co. records (1679, 1682)
4	Mary Mumford	1683 – 24 Apr 1765 Born Abingdon Parish, Gloucester Co. Died Prince Edward Co.	Spouse: Jean (John) DeJarnette	Elias DeJarnette Sr. John DeJarnette Mary Catherine Elizabeth Daniel Sr. Joseph Latane Sr. Eleanor Mumford DeJarnette	Will dated 14 Apr 1765<brProbated 19 Aug 1765
5	Jean (John) DeJarnette	Active early 1700s Married ca. 1703 in Abingdon Parish	Spouse: Mary Mumford	See above	Baptisms recorded in Abingdon Parish
6	Mumford DeJarnette	Born ca. 1732 Active 1750–1816 in Prince Edward & Charlotte Counties	Parents: Jean DeJarnette & Mary Mumford	—	Carries the Mumford name into DeJarnette line

Works Cited

1.        Ancestry.com, DeJarnette and Allied Families in America (1699–1954) (Ancestry.com Operations Inc), pp. 1–2. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/17730/images/dvm_GenMono00352600004-1?usePUB=true&pId=5

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3.       U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s–Current, Memorial ID 41754157. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41754157/jean-dejarnette

4.       Virginia Historical Genealogies, p. 131, Mumford–De Jarnett–Perryman Families of Virginia and South Carolina. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48234/images/VAHistGenealogies-005509-131?usePUB=true&pId=251880

5.       Ancestry.com, Tidewater Virginia Families (Online publication – Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2006; original data: Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson, 2004).

6.       Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900. www.ancestry.com

7.       Ancestry.com, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s–1900s. Source Publication Code: 1451.56.55 Bibliography: Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson, Tidewater Virginia Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1989.

8.      Ancestry.com, Tidewater Virginia Families: Generations Beyond, p. 93, Chapter 11: The Dejarnatte Family. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49381/images/FLHG_TidewaterVAFamilies2-0107?usePUB=true&pId=111240

9.       Mary Mumford. Family Search. [Online] https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LZLM-BJ2/mary-mumford-1683-1765?utm_source=copilot.com.

10.   Edward Mumford. Family Search. [Online] https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/247C-MLR/edward-mumford-1614-1690?utm_source=copilot.com.

11.     Edward Mumford. WikiTree. [Online] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mumford-91?utm_source=copilot.com.

12.    Mumford DeJarnette. David Attride Genealogical Database. [Online] https://www.genealogycenter.info/attride/getperson.php?personID=I34696&tree=attride&utm_source=copilot.com.

13.    Jean “John” Dejarnette. David Attride Genealogy Database. [Online] https://www.genealogycenter.info/attride/getperson.php?personID=I34256&tree=attride.

14.    Richard Watkins. WikiTree. [Online] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Watkins-10725?utm_source=copilot.com.

15.    Richard Watkins. Family Search. [Online] https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KHCZ-92S/richard-watkins-1615-1669?utm_source=copilot.com.

16.    DeJarnette and Allied Families in America (1699–1954), Ancestry.com, Part 1, p. 95. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/17730/images/dvm_GenMono00352600052-1?usePUB=true&pId=100

17.    Francis Morgan: An Early Virginia Burgess, Ancestry.com, p. 83. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/20627/images/dvm_GenMono00489200044-1?usePUB=true&pId=84

18.    Alabama Surname Files Expanded, 1702–1981, Ancestry.com, p. 2. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61266/images/41904_539983-01173?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=45857

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21.    Virginia Historical Genealogies, p. 132, Mumford–DeJarnett–Perryman Families. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48234/images/VAHistGenealogies-005510-132?usePUB=true&pId=251881

22.   Tidewater Virginia Families, Ancestry.com, p. 288, Chapter 11. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49380/images/FLHG_TidewaterVAFamilies1-0302?usePUB=true&pId=110699

23.   Tidewater Virginia Families: Generations Beyond, Ancestry.com, p. 97. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49381/images/FLHG_TidewaterVAFamilies2-0111?usePUB=true&pId=111244

24.   Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652–1900, Prince Edward County. (General Index to Devisees and Heirs, Surnames H–Z, 1974–1984)

25.   U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660–1820, Ancestry.com.

26.   U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900, Yates Publishing.

27.    Find A Grave Memorial – Joseph Watkins (1635–1670) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/220592783/joseph-watkins

28.   Find A Grave Memorial – Elizabeth Stokes/Stoakes Watkins (1617–1669) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187199555/elizabeth-watkins

29.   Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900 https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7836/records/1168093

30.   Find A Grave Memorial – Mary Watkins Mumford (1653–1690) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/236091478/mary-mumford

31.    Ancestry.com, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s–1900s https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7486/records/5119885

32.   Ancestry.com, Early Virginia Families Along the James River, Vol. III https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49136/images/FLHG_EarlyVAFamJamesRiv3-0057

33.   Ancestry.com, Tidewater Virginia Families, Chapter 5 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49380/images/FLHG_TidewaterVAFamilies1-0077

34.   Find A Grave Memorial – Richard Watkins (1615–1669) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187199439/richard-watkins

35.   U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900, Edward Mumford & Mary Watkins https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7836/records/873509

36.   U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900, Edward Mumford (b. 1716) & Mary Watkins https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7836/records/873510

37.   Records of Colonial Gloucester County, Virginia, Ancestry.com, p. 54 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49309/images/FLHG_RecsColGloucesterCnty-0082

38.   Tidewater Virginia Families, Ancestry.com, p. 288 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49380/images/FLHG_TidewaterVAFamilies1-0302

39.   Tidewater Virginia Families: Generations Beyond, Ancestry.com, p. 93 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/49381/images/FLHG_TidewaterVAFamilies2-0107

40.   Find A Grave – Edward Mumford (1653–1690) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191880543/edward-mumford

41.    Find A Grave – Mary Mumford DeJarnette (1683–1765) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183936911/mary-dejarnette

42.   Virginia Historical Genealogies, p. 131 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48234/images/VAHistGenealogies-005509-131

43.   Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900, Jean DeJarnette & Mary Mumford https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7836/records/1288581 (ancestry.com in Bing)

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