Joseph Crockett ¹

From "Crocketts of Tangier Island, Virginia"

"In the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore of the U.S., there is a little island by the name of Tangier. It is believed that Tangier Island in Virginia was settled by a John Crockett and his 8 sons in 1686 to raise cattle. This would have been 22 years before "Davy" Crockett's grandfather was born on the voyage to America and that there were already Crockett's in America before William's parents arrived. However, there is nothing to verify the belief that John Crockett and his sons first settled Tangier Island.

What is known is that the first Crockett of record on Tangier was Joseph Crockett. Joseph Crockett was the grandson of John Tyler of nearby Smith's Island. Joseph was bound to his uncle, Thomas Tyler to be a weaver and lived on Smith's Island until about 1744. In 1763 he was made constable of "Tangier Islands" and was given an area called "South Point" by John Fish in his will of April 4, 1765. In 1778 he used his inheritance from his grandfather John Tyler to buy another 475 acres of Tangier. In 1799 Joseph's son John acquired an additional 100 acres from Anthony West. The remaining land was to be sold. Today the island population is mainly Crockett and Pruitt families and their descendants."

Joseph Crockett first shows up in the Somerset Co., MD Tax Lists in 1739 as a dependent in his uncle Thomas Tyler Sr.'s household. This helps to establish his birth year at c1724.

Joseph Crockett was the executor of John Fish's will, written Apr 4 1765 and probated Apr 30 1766 in Accomack Co., VA. John Fish left all of "South Point", the whole patent belonging to me, to Joseph Crockett. He also gave Spencer Tyler all his part of "Hog Neck". He also named Lazarus Bacor, Jacob Tyler and David Tyler. Witnesses were Butler Tyler, Arthur Parks, and Sarah Tyler (AccW-1761/67:608)

Joseph Crockett wrote his will on Jul 18 1805 and it was proven in Accomack Co., VA on Apr 29 1806 as follows:
- To son Zachariah Crockett, 250a of land whereon I now live and use of South Point, after his decease to grandson Elisha Crockett.
- To son Thomas Crockett, 200a of land on which he now lives
- To sons Joseph, Jesse and John Crockett, $100 each
- To daughter Tabitha, $60
- To daughters Sally Linton, Leah Hopkins, Rachel Parker and Molly Evans $20 each
- To son Zachariah and daughter Tabitha, the remainder and if Tabitha marries, her part to go to her sisters
- Make sons Thomas and Zachariah as executors
Witnesses: Charles Snead, Sarah Snead, Sally Snead (AccW-1804/06:581)

Joseph married Sarah (Sally) Tyler, daughter of John Tyler and Mary (?), about 1743 in Somerset Co., MD. (Sarah (Sally) Tyler was born about 1725 in Somerset Co., MD and died in 1802 in Tangier Island, Accomack Co., VA.)