Col. Thomas Avent

Col. Thomas Avent

Male 1668 - 1757  (89 years)

Personal Information    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Thomas Avent 
    Title Col. 
    Born 30 Oct 1668  Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 31 Oct 1757  Sussex County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 


    • [REGISTER OF ALBEMARLE PARISH, SURRY AND SUSSEX COUNTIES]
      1739-1779, Gertrude R. B. Richards, 1958, p. 164, 214.

      Death recorded in the Albemarle Parish register 1739-78, p. 164, that he died in Sussex Co., 31 October 1757, age 86. His son, William Avent being the informant.



      [Barbara Baker Mead]

      Per "Andrew Baker and his Descendants" by Frieda Sims Nelson:
      Thomas Avent was born in Rouen, Normandy France in 1671 and died Oct 31, 1751 in Sussex, VA. He came to America in 1698 with the Huguenot Migration. Went first to England. Married Margaret Elizabeth Gooch, daughter. of Claiborne Gooch, son of Wm. Gooch and Ursula Claiborne, who was the granddaughter of Wm. Claiborne, Colonial Sec. of VA and governor of Maryland. Thomas Avent was a Colonel in the Colonial Wars, a large land owner, Justice of the Peace of Surry Co., VA from 1728 to 1741. Thomas is listed in Agnew French Protestant Exiles Vol. II, p. 175; Schooners Hess members of Original Regiment. The Avent Bible is on file with the National Huguenot Society of USA; R. A. Bruce, History of VA, Vol. 5,p. 438; Huguenot Society of London; Denizations and Naturalization of Aliens in England 1509-1603;Societe De L'Histoire du Protestantisme Francais Index A-G. The VA historical Mag. gives a history of the Avents. Also books: "McDowells and Connections" by John McDowell, 1918 and "Avents and their Kin" by Mamie Lee Avent Parker and Claude Hunter Moore 1961.
      Hope this helps,
      Barbara Baker Mead, gggggggggranddaughter of Thomas Avent, through his Grand daughter. Elizabeth

      ["The Avent/Avant Family"]
      by Mrs. LaVerne Avant Carter 2207 Lionel Lane, Albany, Georgia 31702 dated Sept 20, 1970.

      ... Col. Thomas Avent.... was married to Margaret Elizabeth Gooch, the daughter of William Gooch and Ursula Claiborne Gooch. Col. Thomas Avent was the first Avent known to come to America... he was serving as a Colonel in the English Army... sent here with a regiment of English soldiers under his command to protect the white colonies against invasions by the Indians...His will listed the following children. William Avent, Peter Avent, Thomas Avent son of John Avent deceased, Mary Avent Vincent, Sarah Avent Fox, and someone named Athaliah Casiah Norris. He died in 1756. The will is recorded in Will Records of Sussex County, Virginia.

      Glenn Longest Bray, Descendant of Harriet Primrose Avent.

      [Mary H. Williams]

      Colonel of the Militia in Sussex Co. Virginia records (Court Orders 1:212, 14 July 1755).
      had patents for over 5000 acres of land in VA
      Owned land in NC
      Will of Thomas Avent, September 1756, Sussex County, VA, probated, 1757, Will Book A., p. 80. Devises land to his son, William Avent in Sussex Co., VA and in Northampton County, NC and also appoints him an executor. It appears that William Avent did not long outlive his father.
      REGISTER OF ALBEMARLE PARISH, SURRY AND SUSSEX COUNTIES, 1739-1779, Gertrude R.B. Richards, 1958, p. 214.
      SOME COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY FAMILIES OF NORTH CAROLINA, VOL. 1, Marilu Burch Smallwood, Washington, NC, 1964, pp. 7-9, 15, 21.
      Thomas Avent was Justice, Surry County, Virginia 1741, and a Captain of the Militia: REGISTER OF ANCESTORS, THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, 1979, p. 3.
      VA. Records, 3 May, 1739...Thomas Avent refers to his importation "from Great Britain 38 years ago" (ie in 1701) and in which he states further that he has never before received the benefit of the Act of Assembly which allows 50 acres of land for every person imported from Great Britain. This record causes us to reflect that Thomas Avent must have imported himself from Great Britain and paid his own passage, as otherwise he would not have been entitled to 50 acres of land. Since John Nicholls listed him as one of his headrights in the 1714 patent, Thomas Avent must have made another trip back to England after 1701 and before 1714, and it seems very possible that he may have been an agent of factor for John Nichols since he was living on his plantation.
      Death recorded in the Albemarle Parish register 1739-78, p. 164, that he died in Sussex Co., 31 October 1757, age 86. His son, William Avent being the informant.[Gregory Family Tree 2.FTW]

      [Bakers of Harnett County.FTW]



      [REGISTER OF ALBEMARLE PARISH, SURRY AND SUSSEX COUNTIES]
      1739-1779, Gertrude R. B. Richards, 1958, p. 164, 214.

      Death recorded in the Albemarle Parish register 1739-78, p. 164, that he died in Sussex Co., 31 October 1757, age 86. His son, William Avent being the informant.



      [Barbara Baker Mead]

      Per "Andrew Baker and his Descendants" by Frieda Sims Nelson:
      Thomas Avent was born in Rouen, Normandy France in 1671 and died Oct 31, 1751 in Sussex, VA. He came to America in 1698 with the Huguenot Migration. Went first to England. Married Margaret Elizabeth Gooch, daughter. of Claiborne Gooch, son of Wm. Gooch and Ursula Claiborne, who was the granddaughter of Wm. Claiborne, Colonial Sec. of VA and governor of Maryland. Thomas Avent was a Colonel in the Colonial Wars, a large land owner, Justice of the Peace of Surry Co., VA from 1728 to 1741. Thomas is listed in Agnew French Protestant Exiles Vol. II, p. 175; Schooners Hess members of Original Regiment. The Avent Bible is on file with the National Huguenot Society of USA; R. A. Bruce, History of VA, Vol. 5,p. 438; Huguenot Society of London; Denizations and Naturalization of Aliens in England 1509-1603;Societe De L'Histoire du Protestantisme Francais Index A-G. The VA historical Mag. gives a history of the Avents. Also books: "McDowells and Connections" by John McDowell, 1918 and "Avents and their Kin" by Mamie Lee Avent Parker and Claude Hunter Moore 1961.
      Hope this helps,
      Barbara Baker Mead, gggggggggranddaughter of Thomas Avent, through his Grand daughter. Elizabeth

      ["The Avent/Avant Family"]
      by Mrs. LaVerne Avant Carter 2207 Lionel Lane, Albany, Georgia 31702 dated Sept 20, 1970.

      ... Col. Thomas Avent.... was married to Margaret Elizabeth Gooch, the daughter of William Gooch and Ursula Claiborne Gooch. Col. Thomas Avent was the first Avent known to come to America... he was serving as a Colonel in the English Army... sent here with a regiment of English soldiers under his command to protect the white colonies against invasions by the Indians...His will listed the following children. William Avent, Peter Avent, Thomas Avent son of John Avent deceased, Mary Avent Vincent, Sarah Avent Fox, and someone named Athaliah Casiah Norris. He died in 1756. The will is recorded in Will Records of Sussex County, Virginia.

      Glenn Longest Bray, Descendant of Harriet Primrose Avent.

      [Mary H. Williams]

      Colonel of the Militia in Sussex Co. Virginia records (Court Orders 1:212, 14 July 1755).
      had patents for over 5000 acres of land in VA
      Owned land in NC
      Will of Thomas Avent, September 1756, Sussex County, VA, probated, 1757, Will Book A., p. 80. Devises land to his son, William Avent in Sussex Co., VA and in Northampton County, NC and also appoints him an executor. It appears that William Avent did not long outlive his father.
      REGISTER OF ALBEMARLE PARISH, SURRY AND SUSSEX COUNTIES, 1739-1779, Gertrude R.B. Richards, 1958, p. 214.
      SOME COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY FAMILIES OF NORTH CAROLINA, VOL. 1, Marilu Burch Smallwood, Washington, NC, 1964, pp. 7-9, 15, 21.
      Thomas Avent was Justice, Surry County, Virginia 1741, and a Captain of the Militia: REGISTER OF ANCESTORS, THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, 1979, p. 3.
      VA. Records, 3 May, 1739...Thomas Avent refers to his importation "from Great Britain 38 years ago" (ie in 1701) and in which he states further that he has never before received the benefit of the Act of Assembly which allows 50 acres of land for every person imported from Great Britain. This record causes us to reflect that Thomas Avent must have imported himself from Great Britain and paid his own passage, as otherwise he would not have been entitled to 50 acres of land. Since John Nicholls listed him as one of his headrights in the 1714 patent, Thomas Avent must have made another trip back to England after 1701 and before 1714, and it seems very possible that he may have been an agent of factor for John Nichols since he was living on his plantation.
      Death recorded in the Albemarle Parish register 1739-78, p. 164, that he died in Sussex Co., 31 October 1757, age 86. His son, William Avent being the informant.
    Person ID I16556  Complete
    Last Modified 8 Feb 2015 

    Father Louis Thomas Avent,   b. 14 May 1638,   d. ABT. 1710  (Age 71 years) 
    Mother Anne Unknown,   b. ABT. 1640,   d. ABT. 1710  (Age ~ 70 years) 
    Married ABT. 1665 
    Family ID F6820  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Margaret Elizabeth Gooch,   b. 1685, Scotts' Comfort, Charles Co., Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. BET. Jul - 18 Aug 1756, Suffolk, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 71 years) 
    Married BET. 1700 - 1702  Northampton County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. William Avent,   b. BET. 1704 - 1706, Surry County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 17 Aug 1761, Northampton Co., North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 55 years)
     2. John Avent,   b. BET. 1705 - 1706, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Aug 1755, Sussex County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 49 years)
     3. Sarah Avent,   b. 1713, Surry County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1780  (Age 67 years)
     4. Mary Avent,   b. 1715,   d. ABT. 1785  (Age 70 years)
    +5. Peter Avent,   b. 1720, Surry County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 May 1779, Northampton Co., North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 59 years)
     6. Thomas Avent,   b. BET. 1 Dec 1712 - 12 Jan 1733/34, Sussex County, Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1795, Northampton Co., North Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 60 years)
    Family ID F6819  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 30 Oct 1668 - Devonshire, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - BET. 1700 - 1702 - Northampton County, Virginia, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 31 Oct 1757 - Sussex County, Virginia, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set