Randall Revell

  Notes:

Randall witnessed a will on 18 July 1632 at Northampton Co, VA. It was on this date that William Cropp, aged 40 and Randoll Reavell, aged 20, witnessed the will of William Batts.

Revell appears in the original Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia as early as January-February, 1633/4. His name again appears in the Accomack court records in September, 1636, and October, 1637. Circumstantial evidence seems to indicate that Randall Revell, whose name appears in the Accomack records at the dates noted, was identical with a certain Randall Revell who was in St. Mary's County, Maryland, between 1636 and 1644. Randall Revell was certainly in Accomack County, Virginia, at the early time referred to above, and after the original Accomack County's name was changed to Northampton County in 1642 we find, in course of time, that he was again resident in that area. In March, 1652 he appears (with many other persons) as having signed the engagement tendered by the Parliamentary Commissioners to the inhabitants of Northampton County "to be true and faithful to the Commonwealth of England as it is now established without King or House of Lords."' In October, 1653, Randall Revell, together with Hugh Yeo and John Jenkins, were subjects of complaint to the Northampton Court by "the Great Men of Onancock (i. e. the Onancock Indians)" because they had refused to give them satisfaction for their lands on Pungoteague Creek. The court ordered Revell, Yeo and Jenkins to pay these Indians their due in the matter, and in failure thereof to appear at the next court. At the Session of the General Assembly of Virginia held 1657/-1658 we find that Randall Revell was one of the Burgesses from Northampton County; while in July, 1661, Revell was commissioned a justice of the peace for "the county of Accomack," which was at that date in process of formation out of the northern area of Northampton County. Randall Revell, who is designated in the records as a "Cooper" and as "Wine-Cooper," by trade, seems from his first appearance to have been a man of vigorous and energetic nature, endowed with considerable ability, which he apparently used to great advantage in advancing himself both politically and economically. The offices of trust which were successively held by Revell and the large and comfortable estate which he accumulated are unquestionable evidences of the man's ability. Then there is a persistent tradition to the effect that Mrs. Katherine Revell, the wife of Randall Revell, was a sister of Colonel Edmund Scarburgh, of Accomack. While this tradition is probably true, yet no record evidence in its support has so far been discovered. Certainly there seems to have been a very close and abiding intimacy existing between Colonel Scarburgh and Randall Revell, which may be accounted for by the fact that Revell married Scarburgh's sister. Furthermore, there was certainly the relationship at least of close friendship existing between Randall Revell, his wife, Katherine, and their children, and one Mistress Anne Toft, of Accomack, a person evidently of rare charm and power.

He married Rebecca (-----) (widow Nichols) circa 1635.5,6

Randall was mentioned in a will on 9 August 1636 at Northampton Co, VA. He was shown as Randoll Revell and given 20 lbs to tobacco in the will of John Symons, planter of Acchawmack.

He took the oath of allegiance to hereby engage and promise to be true and faithful to the Commonwealth of England as it is now established without King or House of Lords on 30 March 1651 at Northampton Co, VA. He was shown as Randall Revell.

On 28 July 1651 in N'hamp County Edward Douglas and Randall Revell attest to a debt owed by the dec'd Hungale Baker to Richard Hanby.

He married Katherine Scarburgh in 1659 at Manokin, Som Co, MD.

Mistress Toft was joint patentee in 1662 with Revell of the extensive "Double Purchase," tract of land between Manokin River and Back Creek on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (later Somerset County), finally disposing of her interests in these lands by deed of gift to Mrs. Katherine Revell, wife of Randall Revell, and their daughters, Hannah Revell and Katherine Revell, Junior. This Mistress Anne Toft, we may say in passing, is revealed by the Accomack, Virginia, court records to have occupied a very close relationship (the nature of which the records fail to reveal) to the powerful Colonel Edmund Scarburgh, the beneficiary of whose munificence she most certainly became. It is from the background of experience in local affairs in Accomack-Northampton County, Virginia, and the connection with the powerful and socially prominent Colonel Edmund Scarburgh and Mistress Anne Toft, as sketched above, that Randall Revell enters the scene of affairs on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In answer to the petition of certain residents of Northampton-Accomack in Virginia for the privilege of settling in the province of Maryland, Lord Baltimore directed that the petitioners take up their lands in the area of the lower Eastern Shore of his province near the boundary line between Maryland and Virginia. The proclamation of the provincial governor, November, 1661, directing this settlement also created the territorial area of "the Eastern Shore below Choptank River" and named Colonel Edmund Scarburgh, Randall Revell and John Elzey as commissioners to effect this settlement and grant land warrants to the settlers. At least two of these commissioners were to be resident in the province. Randall Revell and John Elzey fulfilled this requirement by settling within the area on the Manokin River. The exact date of Randall Revell's settling at Manokin (which appears to have been the early designation of the settlement) is not known, though it was probably late in the Fall of 1661 or early in the Spring of 1662, for in May, 1662, he reported that the settlement was well established. Revell was the first resident executive officer of the settlement (taking priority of John Elzey, the other resident commissioner) holding this position from the date of the commission in November, 1661, until he was relieved of further duty in February, 1662/3. Revell was unquestionably an effective factor in the establishment of this settlement, and his retirement by action of the Lord Proprietor's Council for Maryland was no doubt the result of his sympathetic association with Colonel Edmund Scarburgh's scheme to annex the Manokin-Annemessex area of the Eastern Shore of Maryland to the County of Accomack in Virginia. We have related in the early sections of this book Scarburgh's scheme to bring this section of Lord Baltimore's province into the colony of Virginia. It was to Randall Revell that Colonel Scarburgh wrote in January, or early February, 1662/3, alleging Virginia's claim to the land, and the quit rents on the lands, at Manokin. Information of the fact of this communication from Scarburgh to Revell was sent by John Elzey to the Council of the province almost immediately after Scarburgh's demand had been received (see ante, page 30). On February 4, 1662/3, the Governor of Maryland had issued a new commission of the peace for the "Eastern Shore" settlement, naming John Elzey, Randall Revell and Stephen Horsey as commissioners; thus giving Elzey priority over Revell. When this commission came before the Council for confirmation on February 20th, that body evidently having in hand the information relative to Scarburgh's communication to Revell and suspecting Revell's sympathy with Scarburgh's demand, "Ordered . That Randall Revell bee out" (see ante, pages 20-213. Thus Randall Revell's official connection with the "Eastern Shore" settlement of Manokin-Annemessex ceased. His name does not again appear in the record of proceedings in regard to the settlement until November, 1663, when the Accomack County, Virginia, court illegally extending jurisdiction over the Manokin-Annemessex area in Maryland appointed Randall Revell, with several others, to act for them in an official capacity at Manokin. However, this commission seems not to have been called upon for action (see ante, page 43-44). In August, 1670, we find that Randall Revell was High Sheriff of Somerset County. Randall Revell, from his first settlement on the "Eastern Shore" of Maryland, apparently lived on that part of his "Double Purchase" tract of land which forms the point between Manokin River and Back Creek. Here he erected his dwelling house (which has long since disappeared) and here continued to reside until his death in 1686/7. The "Double Purchase" tract, which was the home of Randall Revell and many of his descendants after him, finds its identity today in the well-known "Revells' Neck in Somerset County

Randall married Katherine Scarborough, daughter of Capt. Edmund Scarborough I and Hannah (Anna) Smith, in 1659 in Somerset Co., MD. (Katherine Scarborough was born about 1628 in Accomack Co., VA and died before 05 May 1688 in Somerset Co., MD.)

Randall next married Rebecca (?) about 1635. (Rebecca (?) was born about 1615 and died about 1658.)