John Vassall, a sea captain, outfitted two ships at his own expense with which he joined the Royal Navy to fight the Spanish Armada in 1588 and was later among the subscribers (specifically a merchant-adventurer) of the Virginia Company who raised funds to establish Jamestown Colony.
One of his sons, Samuel, was a merchant and a Member of Parliament. Another son, William, was among the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Company named in its 1629 charter signed by King Charles I and was a pioneer among advocates of freedom of worship for all religious denominations in staunchly Puritan early New England. John Vassall's other children include Judith (Vassall) Freeborne and Anna (Vassall) Jones.
John Vassall's coat of arms appears on the Armada Memorial in Plymouth, Devon. His numerous descendants are presently found mostly in Britain, the United States, and Canada.
Contrary to some claims, John Vassall was neither owner nor part-owner of the Mayflower whose passengers founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. It was an altogether different ship of the same name that he owned. In a circuitous way, however, he does have a connection to the Mayflower of 1620 fame through his granddaughter Judith Vassall (daughter of William Vassall and Anna King) who married Resolved White. Resolved White, along with his parents William White and Susanna (Jackson) White, was among the passengers of the famous Mayflower of 1620.
For further information, note:
Calder, Charles M. 'John Vassall and His Descendants.' Hertford, Hertfordshire: Stephen Austin and Sons, 1921.
John Vassall, a sea captain, outfitted two ships at his own expense with which he joined the Royal Navy to fight the Spanish Armada in 1588 and was later among the subscribers (specifically a merchant-adventurer) of the Virginia Company who raised funds to establish Jamestown Colony.
One of his sons, Samuel, was a merchant and a Member of Parliament. Another son, William, was among the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Company named in its 1629 charter signed by King Charles I and was a pioneer among advocates of freedom of worship for all religious denominations in staunchly Puritan early New England. John Vassall's other children include Judith (Vassall) Freeborne and Anna (Vassall) Jones.
John Vassall's coat of arms appears on the Armada Memorial in Plymouth, Devon. His numerous descendants are presently found mostly in Britain, the United States, and Canada.
Contrary to some claims, John Vassall was neither owner nor part-owner of the Mayflower whose passengers founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. It was an altogether different ship of the same name that he owned. In a circuitous way, however, he does have a connection to the Mayflower of 1620 fame through his granddaughter Judith Vassall (daughter of William Vassall and Anna King) who married Resolved White. Resolved White, along with his parents William White and Susanna (Jackson) White, was among the passengers of the famous Mayflower of 1620.
For further information, note:
Calder, Charles M. 'John Vassall and His Descendants.' Hertford, Hertfordshire: Stephen Austin and Sons, 1921.
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