Source of the following passages: Richard S. Dunn, "The Age of Religious Wars, 1559-1715"

page 164-165:

"Puritans could be found practically anywhere in England, but they were most evident in intellectual circles, among the lesser landed gentry (particularly in the eastern counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and Essex), in the city of London, and in Parliament. It was far from easy to cope with a movement half hidden and amorphous, yet infused with righteous zeal."

page 168:

"Charles I's personal rule between 1629 and 1640 has often been compared with Richelieu's contemporaneous administration in France. But whatever his ultimate aims, Charles never came close to erecting a Bourbon-style monarchy. To be sure, his most conspicuous ministers after Buckingham's death, Archibishop William Laud (1573-1645) and Sir Thomas Wentworth (1593-1641), thought they knew better than the people what was good for them and urged "thorough" measures to achieve efficiency and order. But Laud and Wentworth were often frustrated by rivals within the royal council, and in any case Wentworth was mostly absent in northern England or Ireland, where he served as the king's deputy."

page 170:

"Yet the awkward obstacle to this class war interpretration is the role of the gentry, or lesser landlords. These people were the chief actors in the English revolution, and they divided themselves pretty evenly between the parliamentary and royalist camps."

page 172:

"Exhilerated by the frenzied London atmosphere, the Lords and the Commons speedily rescued the king from evil advisers who had perpetrated the "eleven years' tyranny" of nonparliamentary rule. Wentworth and Laud were imprisoned. Parliament sentenced Wentworth to death, and half the population of London jammed Tower Hill to watch and cheer his execution."

My commentary on these passages. Somerleyton is in Suffolk. I have read that the Wentworth family and Jernigan family were related.

Questions: Is there any evidence to indicate whether the Jernigan family were Anglican or Puritans? Where did they stand in the debate between Parliament and the king? Were they supporters of their possible kinsman, Wentworth? Or were they against him? Or possibly was the family divided on these and other issues?

Wentworth obviously made many enemies for so many to cheer his execution when it finally occurred. I am trying to see the background of our Thomas' leaving England. It was at a time when the king and the Parliament were increasingly coming to blows - usually about money and Charles' demand for more and more of it. But he used his supposed absolute power to get it and it was becoming increasingly difficult to convince Parliament that he had that power. This eventually led to his own execution.

So I am wondering if the possibility exists that Thomas left England because he saw the writing on the wall and didn't want to stay to get caught up in the chaos that soon followed: the English Civil War.

Oh I forgot to mention, I have ordered a copy of "Original Lists of Persons of Quality and Distinction" from the Genealogical Publishing Company and I plan to peruse it's pages especially concerning probable early Virginia and Carolina settlers. I am curious as to the names of other passengers on the Truelove and whether they had any family connection to Thomas. I have discovered quite alot of other connections in my families to colonial North and South Carolina as well as Maryland, Delaware and New England (including Plymouth Colony). So I am sure the book will provide quite alot of details for further research for my various lines. I am always willing to do lookups as well in the book. I'll post a message here when I receive it.

Just like I promised, I am reporting that I received the book today. I looked at the passenger list for the Truelove in 1635 and there is one other name which interests me - Hugh Wentworth. A short look at the Bermuda GenWeb indicates a Hugh Wentworth did settle in Bermuda and raise a family there. A little later in the decade a Hugh Wentworth was the Proprietary Governor of the Bahamas for about a year.

Also, if you are reaching brick walls in reference to people who suddenly appear or perhaps disappear particularly in the colonial South but also colonial New England - try checking Bermuda or the British West Indies colonies - Bahamas or Barbados. A perusal of some descendancy reports for Bermudian families reveals quite alot of connections to families on the American mainland. A Susannah Jernigan married a Tucker in Georgia in 1840 I think it was. This Tucker family was originally from Bermuda.

I found the answer to one of my questions last night (after we lost power and by flashlight I was reading - for my only enjoyment lol - the Ancestry Red Book). Reading about colonial VA and records available and general history. The passage I read says that colonial Virginians were Anglicans not Puritans. So that answers one of my questions.

Now here's another question. Thomas sailed from England on the Truelove in 1635 to Bermuda. But when (and on what ship) did he leave Bermuda for the mainland? I've heard the year 1637. So did he have any children born on Bermuda or meet his wife there or have any other relatives there with him? I understand that the Genealogical Publishing Company has a book which kind of takes up where "Original Lists of Persons of Quality" leaves off and lists even more passengers to Bermuda and other lists relating to Bermuda and (I think) the Barbados. I may have to order that book next to make sure I cover all these bases.

This was a very interesting post. While I have not looked into the details of Thomas entry into the Colonies (as it appears many others have) I found your entry regarding a stay in Bermuda intriguing. I always assumed Thomas came directly from England..to the colonies...but it appears, that he may have had a few years lay over. I have also wondered why he left England. I have seen some postings suggesting that he is descendant from the Costessy branch, but I find this difficult to believe. Have you made any more progress on your research? I know your originally post was a few years ago. Sean J

Sorry I haven't posted on this topic in awhile. Through DNA testing I find that I am actually a Chandler and not a Jernigan at all. Not sure where the change occurred but that is my main genealogical project at this point.

One thing I have found which might have some bearing on the Jernigan family background -- some of the wills of the Jernigans and related families bear some resemblance to the wills of French Huguenots in New York. I particularly notice the inclusion of remarks about the Resurrection -- noticably missing from some other wills -- such as those of the Quakers. An indication of the Jernigans' religious viewpoint being similar to the Huguenots?