William Longmire  -  on death row?

Family Tree

Decendents of Merriwether "Jeff Thompson

The ship landed at what is now Port Royal, Virginia in April 1726 (a four month voyage).  

Conditions aboard such ships were horrible - 38 of the prisoners died on that voyage.  But, William was lucky and survived - only to be sold to a Virginia planter as an “indentured servant” for the next 14 years.  

That certainly was a tough start in the “New World”, but after gaining his freedom, William did O.K.  He was educated enough - could read, write and “figure” - to find a type of clerical employment.  He testified at some trials, witnessed wills and other legal documents and even did some estate appraisals.  It appears that his wife, Sussanna, also earned some money by sewing clothes - probably for the slaves on nearby plantations.

William and Sussanna had three sons, George, William and Charles.  William Longmire is the Paternal Great-great-great Grandfather of Robert A. Longmire, Sr. (“G-pa”)

The above narrative was my effort to paraphrase the learned writings of Roger Elkins Barnes in his book, “Those Who Came Before”, Penobscot Press, Rev. Ed. August 2009.  Mr. Barnes was gracious and generous to send us a copy of his book as a gift on our 60th Anniversary.

Most serious genealogists agree that the first Longmire immigrant to the United States was William Longmire, born in London in 1704/05 to George Longmire and his wife Anne.  William was the second of three children (George, William and Anne).  

Times were tough in London in the 18th century, particularly in the 1720s when there was a repeat of the “bubonic plague” and also an outbreak of smallpox.  There were some wealthy families in London at the time, but the Longmires were probably not among their number.  Some of the “desperately poor” thought that a way out of their dire situation was to commit a minor crime, be arrested, convicted and deported to the “Colonies” in America - a common practice at the time. That might have been the choice made one evening in 1725,  by William.  Just as a Mr. Thomas Warren was leaving his pub, William pushed him to the ground, grabbed his hat (value: 5 shillings) and ran.  Mr. Warren yelled “Stop, thief!” and poor William was quickly apprehended.  Later, at his trial,  he was convicted and sentenced to DEATH!

Apparently, he successfully pleaded for deportation instead of the gallows, and in November 1725, with 78 other prisoners was loaded onto the vessel, “Rapahannock Merchant” which sailed for the American Colonies.