Revised and updated 23 Sept 2010.

Genealogy can change rapidly, as new information is found, forcing reevaluations of previous information. Check back for updates before using any of this information.

One group of Parrotts, found primarily in central Kentucky and Virginia, traces its origin to Lawrence and Mary Parrot. Lawrence first appears in Northumberland on 10 July 1733, "Kate a Negro girl belonging to Lawrence Parrot judgd to be Tenn years old" (Northumberland Co., Virginia. Order Book 3, 1729 - 1737; p 101).

Given his son was born between 1724 and 1734, Lawrence may have been born as early as 1700, or as late as 1712, almost certainly in Gloucester Co., Virginia, and died intestate by 9 May 1746 in Northumberland Co., Virginia, when his estate was ordered appraised by the court. The inventory was submitted by Thomas Yerby, Chas. Copedge Jr. and Jessey Robinson on 13 April 1747, and was witnessed by Mary Parrot (Northumberland Co. Record Book 1743-49, page 197) thusly:

"This is a true and perfect inventory of the estate of Lawrence Parrot dec'd as yet came to my hands the meal & corn barley sufficient for the family."

Lawrence and Mary had a son, William, who married Hannah Hughlett and gave birth to 2 daughters and 5 sons, who gave rise to the Parrotts of central Kentucky and Virginia. The link between Lawrence and William is established by Fillis, James, and Winney, slaves named in the property inventory of Lawrence. Phillis, James, and Winney later appear in the will of William Parrott, tying Lawrence to William. A son William is also named in the will of Mary Parrott, the putative widow of Lawrence. Mary's maiden name has never been documented.

It has been pointed out in Links that Bind that Parrott records are altogether absent in the records of St. Stephen's parish in Northumberland Co., suggesting that the Lawrence Parrott family may have been Quaker. However, the real reason for the absence of records is that Lawrence and his descendants did not live in St. Stephen's parish, but in the adjacent Wicomico parish. In contrast to St. Stephen's Parish, few records have survived for Wicomico Parish. Lawrence appears in the vestry record for Wicomico Parish in Northumberland County on 2 August 1743, when it was ordered that Lawrence Parrott be one of the land processioners for the precinct. Two years later, Laurence Parrot was recorded as owing the parish £200 at a vestry meeting on 12 October 1745.

How Lawrence and his descendants relate to other Parrotts is becoming apparent through a DNA project that has been started at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~parrott/index.html. Previous and widely published assumptions that the early Parrotts of Maryland and Virginia were related to each is not substantiated by DNA test results.

The ancestors of Lawrence remain unknown, although there are a few possibilities. The most likely of these is that Lawrence was the grandson of yet another Lawrence. This older Lawrence was transported to Maryland ~ 1662 by John Singleton who claimed a headright for him. This Lawrence has been reported to have later sold headrights in Maryland in the 1660's and owned land in Baltimore, but no documentation has been found to support these claims.

The elder Lawrence did sell head rights in Virginia, receiving 137 acres adjoining the land in Kingston Parish of Gloucester county. This land was adjacent to that of Col. Rich'd. Dudley, Capt. Armestead and Wm. Beards, and was received in exchange for 4 headrights on 26 September 1678 (Mathews Co., Bk 6, p 660). He received 203 acres joining to Gwynns Ridge 23 October 1690, adjoining land of Col. John Armested and Mr. Roberts, for 5 headrights, bringing his total acreage up to 340 (Mathews Co., Bk 8, p 98). He paid taxes accordingly in 1704. Gwynns Ridge still exists, being known today as Ridge Road or State Route 626 in Mathews county, Virginia (Kingston Parish became Mathews county in 1791). Thus, the Parrott lands would be to the north or northeast of the current town of Foster, on the eastern side of Ridge Road.

The destruction of all Gloucester County records in an 1820 fire has made it very difficult to research Lawrence, though a few records survive from other counties. A Lawrence Parrott co-paid a £400 security bond in 1704 in Richmond County on behalf of Margarett Bronaugh, widow of Richard Cary. These actions suggest Richard Cary died intestate; given the widow was the executrix, Margarett, would have had to post a bond equal in value to the worth of the estate. Such bonds were normally provided by the widow's relatives, suggesting a Parrott-Bronaugh relationship.

Besides Lawrence of Northumberland, this elder Lawrence had other descendants; several Parrotts were still living in the region when Mathews county started keeping tax records in 1791. More immediately, Michael Parratt obtained 110 acres adjoining the land of Lawrence Parrott, Captn. Todd, Captn. Knowles & Captn William Armistead, for 3 headrights on 20 October 1704. (Mathews Co. Bk 9, p 615). Richard Parrett received 43 acres beginning at a corner gum of Captn. Ambrose Dudley standing at the south end of the chesnut ridge. & adjoining Lawr. Parrott, George Burgis, and Charles Jones, for 1 headright on 16 June 1714 (Mathews Co. Bk 10, p 127). Another son is probably the Francis Parrott who later appears in 1691 in what was to become Chowan Co. in North Carolina.

Michael might also be an ancestor of Benjamin Parrott, who appeared in Amelia Co., Virginia in 1774, and later moved to Rockingham county, North Carolina. Benjamin named his daughter Michael.

Another Lawrence is found in the records in nearby Middlesex county (Book 7, p 155, 3 March 1740/1): "John Sanders vs Lawrence Parrott, Trespass on the Case. This day came the Plaintiff by his Attorney and saith that he will not further persecute his said suit against the said Deft. Therefore it is considered by the Court that the same be dismist."

Another entry (p 174, dated 1 Sept 1741) relates to a suit between William Robinson and William Hackney, the Admor. of Patrick Parrott, deced. "Petition Dismissed for reasons to the Court appearing." Thus, Patrick was probably another son of Lawrence. Based on dates and locations, Patrick or Michael are the most likely candidates to be the father of the Lawrence who appears in Northumberland Co.

A relationship between Lawrence Parrott and the Maryland Parrotts has been inferred based on coincidence of names, time and space. DNA results rule out a relationship between the two. Thus, the only thing that can be said with certainty is that a Francis and a Lawrence Parrott arrived in Maryland ca 1660, and nothing indicates a relationship between these two. Francis from Maryland was most likely related to William and Gabriel Parrott of Talbot Co. Maryland.

A generation later, a Lawrence Parrott appears in Northumberland Co., Virginia, and a Francis Parrott appears in the Chowan district of Albemarle Co., North Carolina in 1691. The DNA of their descendants shows this Francis and this Lawrence were related to each other, so Lawrence from Northumberland and Francis from Bertie could have been brothers or cousins, among other possibilities, but were not otherwise related to the Francis Parrott of Maryland. The exact nature of their relationship cannot be determined based on DNA alone.

DNA testing has also shown a third line of Parrotts to be related to the descendants of Lawrence and Francis, though the relationship to them is unknown. The earliest known member of this third lineage is Benjamin, who appears in Guilford (later Rockingham) Co., North Carolina first on 18 August 1778 when he obtained a land grant for 500 acres on both sides of Wolf Island Creek. This grant is part of the land which Benjamin Parrott, Sr. sold to Abner (his son?) on 9 May 1789.

Based on genetic genealogy, the descendants of Lawrence Parrott belong to what is known as an I1* (FTDNA classification) or I1 (ISOGG classification) haplogroup or "Anglo-Saxon" type. This type of DNA is primarily found in the Germany/Denmark parts of northern Europe, and in Scandinavia. All in all, the DNA information suggests this lineage is descended from one of the Anglo-Saxon, Viking or Norman migrations to England.

　

　

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Land Patents 1628 ~ 1849

Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants/Northern Neck Grants and Surveys

<http://ajax.lva.lib.va.us/F/?func=file&amp;file_name=find-b-clas30&...= CLAS30>

Perrott, Lawrence 26 September 1678 137 acres adjoining the land of Col. Rich'd. Dudley, Capt. Armestead and Wm. Beards; in exchange for 4 headrights (Mathews Co., Bk 6, p 660)

Perrot, Lawrence 23 October 1690. 203 acres joining to Gwynns Ridge. Adjoining land of Col. John Armested and Mr. Roberts, for 5 headrights, bringing total acreage up to 340 (Mathews Co., Bk 8, p 98)

Parratt, MichaeI 20 October 1704. 110 acres adjoining the land of Lawrence Parrott, Captn. Todd, Captn. Knowles & Captn William Armistead, for 3 headrights (Mathews Co. Bk 9, p 615)

Parrett, Richard 16 June 1714. 43 acres beginning at a corner gum of Captn. Ambrose Dudley standing at the south end of the chesnut ridge. & adjoining Lawr. Parrott, George Burgis, and Charles Jones, for 1 headright (Mathews Co. Bk 10, p 127)