Thomas Batts

Thomas Batts was an early settler in Virginia and an explorer of western Virginia.

Thomas Batts (also Batte) was born in Yorkshire, England and was a son of John Batte of Oakwell Hall and Martha Mallory, daughter of Thomas Mallory, Doctor in Divinity and Deane of Chester. The Visitation of Yorkshire by William Dugdale, Esq. dated April 2, 1666 notes on his chart that "Henry and William, brothers of Captain John Batte, settled in Virginia, and that Thomas and Henry Batte, sons of Captain John Batte, were now in Virginia" in 1666. On April 29, 1666, a grant for land in Charles City County, Virginia was issued to “Thomas Batts and Henry Batts sons of Mr. John Batts dec’d” for 5,878 acres, which land description references the James River in Appomatock, “the said land being due by and for the transportation of 118 persons into the Colony”. This land was later located in Prince George County, Virginia when it was formed in 1703.

Thomas was a Justice of the Peace for Henrico County in 1683 and 1684. A Thomas Batt was a Burgess (county unknown) in 1701. Thomas Batte last appears in the records of Henrico County, Virginia in 1700 and must have died in 1701 or shortly thereafter, but certainly was dead by January 1, 1713, when his daughter Martha Cocke, adm. of John Banister dec'd, for amounts paid to her "by my late father, Thomas Batts of Henrico County, quitclaim to Richard Jones of Prince George County," certain slaves. On June 1, 1689, "Thomas Batte the elder" had made over to John Banister, Clerk, certain slaves. Thomas Batte's daughter Martha Batte married first Abraham Wood Jones; second John Banister; and third Stephen Cocke. No probate or estate records exist for Thomas, but he is known to have had a son Thomas Batte Jr. that died in 1691 in Henrico County and daughters Ann, Martha and Mary.

Thomas Batts and Abraham Wood (sponsor of the Batts-Fallam expedition in 1671 and Needham-Arthur expedition in 1673) were adjoining land owners as evidenced by a July 10, 1680 land grant to Maj. General Abraham Wood for 1,304 acres in Charles City County, Bristol Parish, for land on "the southside of the run of Appomattox River…& near the Indian town creek…opposite the lands of Mr. Thomas Batts."

Thomas Batte appears in a number of Henrico County records with William Byrd I, a well-connected fur trader and competitor of Abraham Wood. "Thomas Battes" appears with William Byrd as early as 1673 when he witnesses a transaction between William Byrd and Thomas Harris. On April 8, 1674, "Thomas Batts" patented a tract of 1,862 acres "on the North side of Appamattox River adjoining his own land above ye falls of ye Appamattuck Indian Towne to ye Old Towne Creek." A portion of this patent was later sold when 100 acres were sold by Thomas Batte Sr. of Appamattuck in Henrico County, Gent. and his wife Mary to Gabriel Arther, planter, on September 13, 1684. On December 1, 1686, "Gabriell Arther" sold this same 100 acre parcel to Hon. William Byrd, Esq. On this same date, Thomas Batte Sr. and Thomas Batte Jr. sold approximately 1,100 acres (deed is ambiguous on this) of Thomas Batts' 1674 patent to William Byrd, Esq.

...
Wikipedia