Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond County

D aniel Sullivant of Nansemond County, Virginia is one of the most prominent early Sullivans in early colonial times. An interesting fact is Daniel's tie to Jethro Sumner, a Revolutionary War Brigadier General of North Carolina. A current direct Sullivan descendent of Daniel has not been found and I have been trying unsuccessfully to link Daniel to any of the other early Sullivan lines in Virginia or North Carolina.

Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond is first mentioned as being elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses on December 10, 1700 and serving two years. On the expiration of his term, he served two years to the dual office of County Clerk of Nansemond and Clerk of Court. (From an article by Michael J. O'Brien titled Pioneer Irish Families in Virginia The Meades and Sullivans who references the Journals of the House of Burgesses). According to O'Brien he was removed from office as Clerk of Court in 1703 by Governor Francis Nicholson "because he had voted and worked for Thomas Swan" one of the governor's political opponents. The court refused to accept the man appointed to Sullivant's office with the result that the Governor dismissed six of the eight justices out of office. These facts come from the Council Journals of Virginia

On May 4, 1704, Daniel Sullivant was elected again to the House of Burgesses to represent Nansemond County to fill the unexpired term of Thomas Swan, deceased. Apparently he was returned for a third term since he is mentioned again in October 6, 1705. He appears in the Journals many times to 1706 under the usual various Sullivan spellings.

Daniel Sullivant is mentioned in the Court of Chancery Records in the matters of Thomas Giles and Joseph Dillon and Elizabeth Dillon.. Thomas Bartlet was a witness for Giles on March 11, 1706/7 and witnessed a letter of attorney of Giles made to Daniel Sullivan of Nansemond County on Sept 1706 which was made to pursue an inheritance in England. (This document was found on line at the Library of Virginia Web Site under their digitization of Virginia Colonial Records Digitization Project ). There is another entry in the same paper for Daniel Sullivan, July 27,1708 stating:

Went to Virginia in September 1706 to deliver letters to Thomas Gyles concerning the estate of Dr. Robert Hook. Thomas gave him a letter to take back to England . Also showed Sullivan his papers signed by John Knell and have him a letter to deliver to Knell in England,
Daniel Sullivant is in the Rent Rolls of Virginia in 1703/4 in Nansemond County. From later deeds involving his children, his home plantation was near the present town of Suffolk, Nansemond County now known as Suffolk City. From the deed records left, he appears to have died before 1728.

There is also a document from the Admiralty Muster Book dated 1706 saving that a Daniel Sullivant served on the Woolwich in June 1706. This could have been his son Daniel.

From Index & Digest to Hathaway's NC History & General Register Vol 3. #1 pg. 69
From the Frederick Jones and Julius Deed Versus Wm. Duckenfield (Original in Court House at Edenton, NC. NC & in the thirteenth yeare of his Majesties Reign. (1702) To the Honorable Genll Court
Frederick Jones and Julius Deeds of London Merchants asynee of Robert Harrison of Yorke Co. in the Colony of VA planter complains against Wm. Duckenfield of NC, Esq. in a plea...
*Daniel Sullivan Atty. for ye plts.
*We are inclined to the general opinion that Daniel Sullivan was one of the same family which descended General Jethro Sumner of the Revolution, hence the name Jacky Sullivan.-Editor
The reference to Jacky Sullivan is referring to Jacky Sullivan Sumner who married Thomas Blount who left a will in Edgecombe County in August 23, 1808.

Little is known of Daniel before 1700. He may have been the Daniel Sullivant transported by John Corpen who was granted 500 acres in Lower Norfolk 14 July 1673 listed in Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume I by Nugent. Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond wife's name is unknown but he had at least two children, Margaret and Daniel and possibly had at least three other children, Bridget, Michael and Elizabeth. His daughter Margaret Sullivan and son Daniel are mentioned in the will of James Fowler signed April 27 1709 and probated in London 3 May 1709. (This document was found on line at the Library of Virginia Web Site under their digitization of Virginia Colonial Records Digitization Project).

In trying to find more on Daniel Sullivant's of Nansemond children, I found the following from O'Brien's article:
There is recorded a deed dated December 14, 1736 by which ""Bridget Sumner, widow, of Nansemond County, Virginia," conveyed to Jethro Sumner and his wife, Margaret, "her half interest in 200 acres of land taken to be in Nansemond County until after the survey, when it appears to be in North Carolina, said tract lying in Maidern Hair Neck , sold by John Keaton, son and heir of John Keaton, to Daniel Sullivan and at his death given to Daniel Sullivan, his only son and heir, and after the death of said Daniel Sullivan became the property of Margaret and Bridget Sumner, his only sisters and heirs."

I found a book in the Lloyd House in Alexandria, Virginia,Nansemond Chronicles 1606-1800 Virginia Colony by Mrs. Evelyn Huriff that partially contradicts the above paragraph and states:
Bridget Sumner of Nansemond County convey to Jethro Sumner and wife Margaret 200 acres former in Nansemond County, her half in Maiden Hair Neck (in Chowan County according to a Sumner researcher) sold by John H. Eaton to Daniel Sullivan which came to his son (only son) who married Bridget. Margaret, sister in law to John Sumner, James Sumner, Brother Richard and Thomas Knight December 14, 1736.
From this record it appears that Bridget was first married to Daniel Sullivant and then remarried to a Sumner (Sumner researchers say it was William). The Sumner researchers say Bridget was a daughter of Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond and I have not been able to figure out who is correct. Although from this deed, it is apparent that Margaret Sullivant married a Sumner (Sumner researchers says it was Jethro Sr. and that they were the parents of Jethro Sumner, Revolution War, Brigadier General of North Carolina.)

The connection of Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond to his possible children, Michael and Elizabeth, is through the Michael Sullivant line in Brunswick County, Virginia. In his book, A Genealogy and Family Memorial, Joseph Sullivant has this to say about his family:
Of the origin or antecedents of this family I know but little, and that was derived from my father (Lucas Sullivant), who spoke but seldom of himself or his ancestors. Nor do I know positively at what time our ancestors of this name first came to America, but my father said it was a long time before he was born and they came first to North Carolina, and settled near the Lucas family, with who they had been connected in the old country, Ireland, that the name was originally Sullivan, the final letter t, having been added, at a remote period, to distinguish the family from others of a similar name, and that his grandfather was a man of high respectability, holding some appointment under the Colonial Government.
Later in the text Joseph Sullivant states of Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond being his father's grandfather: " I do not assert this, for I have now no means of knowing , but state it was a high probability." From work I have done on this line, I have proof that Michael Sullivant who married Joyce was Lucas's grandfather. Joseph Sullivan's direct Sullivant line is as follows: Michael Sullivant m. Joyce ->Michael Sullivant m. Hannah Lucas->Lucas Sullivant m. Sarah Starling->Joseph Sullivant. So Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond would have to be Lucas Sullivant's great grandfather. I have a record from the Index & Digest of Hathaway's North Carolina History and Genealogy Register that Richard Prince proved his headrights in 1702 naming Daniel Sullivant and wife Alice, Jeremiah Sullivan and Elizabeth Lucas, John Bernard, Henry Spring and William Wright. To me it seems likely that there were two Daniel Sullivants around the same area, one in southeastern Virginia and one in Northeastern North Carolina. Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond was already established in Virginia by at least 1700. This is further complicated in that the state lines were not that well established and Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond traveled to both states practicing law. In conclusion, I don't think that Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond was Michael Sullivant's father but it is still a remote possibility.

In researching Michael Sullivant who married Joyce, I found his will (Brunswick county dated 16 September 1736 and proved 2 June 1737) that indicates that Michael had a sister Elizabeth who married John Watkins. This accounts for the last possible child of Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond.

In summary, Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond born before 1700. wife unknown, died befoe 1728, was an attorney, Member of the House of Burgesses, Clerk of Court and County Clerk. He had at least two children, one son named Daniel who might have married Bridget. As far as I know his son Daniel had no children. He had a daughter, Margaret, who married Jethro Sumner, Sr and was the mother of Brigadier General Jethro Sumner, Jr. of North Carolina . Besides these, I have found no other proven links to Daniel Sullivant of Nansemond. The link to Joseph Sullivant's line is unproven.


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