Note: Local lover of history Roger Allen continues a monthly column looking at the genealogy of a longtime Bulloch County family.
Everybody in Bulloch County has seen the Denmark family name. They have been here since the very beginning, and have played a crucial role in the founding, and the continuing expansion, of the Bulloch County that we know today. There is much uncertainty of the exact earliest ancestor of the “Den Markes” in Georgia, but some suspect that they started from Willyum Den Marke, who was born in Bourne, England in 1545.
He had a brother, Saunders, who was born in 1547. Curiously, it has been reported that Saunders actually was the son of Willyum, born in 1574. It is known that Willyum married Joan Wendell, and they had (at least) two other children a daughter, Susannah (born in 1570); and a son Robert (born in 1572). There is some indication there was another daughter, Emmie, who was born in 1573. The connection from here to John is very tenuous, to say the least.
The Den Marke who has been definetely connected to Georgia is John Den Marke. The Den Marke name signified that this was a “man who makes signs or marks”, as in the trade of a stockman. He was born in the Southampton, England area in 1610. Little more is known of him until he signed on to board a ship with some 20 other people. Their voyage was sponsored by a “Mr. Stafferton”, who transferred his grant to a “Mr. James Vanerit”. They arrived in the New World, arriving in Elizabeth City, Virginia. The first colonial record of him is from “James Cittie”, Virginia in February of 1623.
He had one son, Francis, who was born in 1622 in England, and carried onboard with John and his wife. John's wife's name is unknown. John and his family settled with Captain Samuel Matthews, who had established a plantation on the Lower James River, building a house at Blount Point. John died and was buried on the “Old John Denmark Plantation” in what was then Albemarle County, later to become Pamptecough Precinct of Old Bath County.
Francis married Susannah Batchelor and they had a child, William Batchelor, born in either 1679 or 1708. Francis also died and was buried on the “Old John Denmark Plantation,” as well. William B. Denmark (later known as William B.) married Mourning Mitton Moye in 1730. He was a Blacksmith, and lived in the “Old Woodstock Town” in North Carolina. They had at least four children: daughter Abigail; son John; son William Batchelor (later known as W.B.); and daughter Sarah Margaret.
They lived on some 270 acres five miles northwest of Woodstock at what was known as Denmark’s Point near the Matchapongo River (later renamed the Pungo River) in Old Hyde County. William Batchelor Denmark (W.B. that is) was born in either 1739, 1741 or 1743. He married several times: first to Mary Moye; then to her sister Anna; and then to Mary Cochrum. Raised in Old Hyde County, near the present day Bellhaven in Beaufort County, he moved a number of times.
First he moved to the south side of Broad Creek in Pitt County, and then he moved to the Clayroot Swamp area of Craven County near Old Fort Barnwell. In 1786, W.M. moved to Effingham County with Anna. Mary actually stayed behind when W.B. and Anna moved to Georgia. They set up their household one-half mile below Hickory Bluff on the Flat Ford of the Great Ogeechee River. They had some 500 acres on the river: 300 acres on the north side, and 200 acres on the south side.
Their relationship was somewhat curious for the times: according to most records, W.B. had fathered several children by Anna while still married to her sister Mary. W.B. had seventeen children. Most believe that Mary Moye had seven children: daughter Margaret, son William, son James, son Seaborn, daughter Jemima, daughter Elizabeth, and son John. W.B. and Anna had ten children: son Stephen, daughter Susannah, daughter Jemima, daughter Levis, son Redding, daughter Clarissa, daughter Martha, son James, son William, and son Malachi. He and his third wife Mary Cochrum had no children. After Mary Moye died, W.B. married Anna, sometime between 1793 and 1795.
In 1801 W.B. and Anna moved to McIntosh County. They then moved to Warren County sometime between 1810 and 1820, essentially following their children as they moved with the westward settlement of Georgia’s virgin lands. Governor Mitchell gave W.B. and his party “Passports”, which attested to their character and honor. This convinced the Indian Chiefs to allow them to travel through the newly-acquired Creek Indian lands, in order that they visit W.B.’s sister Abigail and his daughter Susannah, who had married Reverend Adam Jones. It was here that he met and married Mary Cochrum in May of 1813. He died, either in 1820 or 1821. W.B. truly started a clan, that has spread throughout the Wiregrass and the Pine Barren of South Georgia.
You can E-mail comments to Roger at roger dodger53@hotmail.com
Everybody in Bulloch County has seen the Denmark family name. They have been here since the very beginning, and have played a crucial role in the founding, and the continuing expansion, of the Bulloch County that we know today. There is much uncertainty of the exact earliest ancestor of the “Den Markes” in Georgia, but some suspect that they started from Willyum Den Marke, who was born in Bourne, England in 1545.
He had a brother, Saunders, who was born in 1547. Curiously, it has been reported that Saunders actually was the son of Willyum, born in 1574. It is known that Willyum married Joan Wendell, and they had (at least) two other children a daughter, Susannah (born in 1570); and a son Robert (born in 1572). There is some indication there was another daughter, Emmie, who was born in 1573. The connection from here to John is very tenuous, to say the least.
The Den Marke who has been definetely connected to Georgia is John Den Marke. The Den Marke name signified that this was a “man who makes signs or marks”, as in the trade of a stockman. He was born in the Southampton, England area in 1610. Little more is known of him until he signed on to board a ship with some 20 other people. Their voyage was sponsored by a “Mr. Stafferton”, who transferred his grant to a “Mr. James Vanerit”. They arrived in the New World, arriving in Elizabeth City, Virginia. The first colonial record of him is from “James Cittie”, Virginia in February of 1623.
He had one son, Francis, who was born in 1622 in England, and carried onboard with John and his wife. John's wife's name is unknown. John and his family settled with Captain Samuel Matthews, who had established a plantation on the Lower James River, building a house at Blount Point. John died and was buried on the “Old John Denmark Plantation” in what was then Albemarle County, later to become Pamptecough Precinct of Old Bath County.
Francis married Susannah Batchelor and they had a child, William Batchelor, born in either 1679 or 1708. Francis also died and was buried on the “Old John Denmark Plantation,” as well. William B. Denmark (later known as William B.) married Mourning Mitton Moye in 1730. He was a Blacksmith, and lived in the “Old Woodstock Town” in North Carolina. They had at least four children: daughter Abigail; son John; son William Batchelor (later known as W.B.); and daughter Sarah Margaret.
They lived on some 270 acres five miles northwest of Woodstock at what was known as Denmark’s Point near the Matchapongo River (later renamed the Pungo River) in Old Hyde County. William Batchelor Denmark (W.B. that is) was born in either 1739, 1741 or 1743. He married several times: first to Mary Moye; then to her sister Anna; and then to Mary Cochrum. Raised in Old Hyde County, near the present day Bellhaven in Beaufort County, he moved a number of times.
First he moved to the south side of Broad Creek in Pitt County, and then he moved to the Clayroot Swamp area of Craven County near Old Fort Barnwell. In 1786, W.M. moved to Effingham County with Anna. Mary actually stayed behind when W.B. and Anna moved to Georgia. They set up their household one-half mile below Hickory Bluff on the Flat Ford of the Great Ogeechee River. They had some 500 acres on the river: 300 acres on the north side, and 200 acres on the south side.
Their relationship was somewhat curious for the times: according to most records, W.B. had fathered several children by Anna while still married to her sister Mary. W.B. had seventeen children. Most believe that Mary Moye had seven children: daughter Margaret, son William, son James, son Seaborn, daughter Jemima, daughter Elizabeth, and son John. W.B. and Anna had ten children: son Stephen, daughter Susannah, daughter Jemima, daughter Levis, son Redding, daughter Clarissa, daughter Martha, son James, son William, and son Malachi. He and his third wife Mary Cochrum had no children. After Mary Moye died, W.B. married Anna, sometime between 1793 and 1795.
In 1801 W.B. and Anna moved to McIntosh County. They then moved to Warren County sometime between 1810 and 1820, essentially following their children as they moved with the westward settlement of Georgia’s virgin lands. Governor Mitchell gave W.B. and his party “Passports”, which attested to their character and honor. This convinced the Indian Chiefs to allow them to travel through the newly-acquired Creek Indian lands, in order that they visit W.B.’s sister Abigail and his daughter Susannah, who had married Reverend Adam Jones. It was here that he met and married Mary Cochrum in May of 1813. He died, either in 1820 or 1821. W.B. truly started a clan, that has spread throughout the Wiregrass and the Pine Barren of South Georgia.
You can E-mail comments to Roger at roger dodger53@hotmail.com