INTRO Part 2.
The Strong Family Intro Part 2.
THE EARLY STRONG FAMILIES OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY
The first recorded Strongs began coming to the New World of North America
shortly after
the founding of Jamestown in the British Colony of Virginia around 1619. Many Strong families
settled in North America after this time. Some Strong families, such as Elder John Strong,
settled in Massachusetts in the early 17th century. Elder John Strong immigrated from England.
This line is the most noted and familiar to most researchers and makes up the majority of the
Strong families in the United States.
The second largest lines are those of the Southern
Strongs. This line is not as well established
as the Elder John Strong line and has not been as greatly researched. The Elder John Strong
lines are mostly in the Northern States, while our Strong lines are mainly in the Southern
States.
One researcher, James Rolff, in his publication of
"Strong Family of Virginia and other
Southern States", has made great strides in locating the Southern Strong families. Another
publication by The Strong Family of America Association, Inc., "Strong Family Histories
Volume V", is also a great contribution to the Southern Strong lines. This publication also
contains the remaining Strong lines that are not related to the Elder John Strong lines or the
Southern Strong lines.
Although no proof exists to show that the Elder John
Strong lines and the Southern Strong
lines are related, James Rolff speculates that the possibility exists that the Southern Strong
families may have been related to Elder John Strong back in England.
However our Southern Strongs do not seem to fit into the Elder John Strong lines after his
immigration to America. So our Southern Strong and the Elder John Strong lines appear to be
from two different lines, with a small chance they were of the same line back in England.
The name "STRONG" is of English origin. So if we start
to look for the meaning of the word
or name "STRONG", we should start by looking back into it's origin. Some researchers believe
that the name "STRONG" originated by one of our ancestors being simply a "Strong Person" in
his town or village. Other researchers look at the meaning of the word or name "STRONG" and
look at it's evolution in the English Language. In many dictionaries on the "English Language",
the word "STRONG" refers to a Foreigner or Stranger.
The publication, "A Middle English Dictionary (12-15th
Century)", by Frances H. Stratman,
(pub. Oxford Univ. Press, 1978), states that "STRONG" was previously "STRANG, which
was "STRONGE, STRANGE and ESTRANGE", all referring to a Foreigner.
One explanation given by some researchers is that during
the 12th Century in Medievil
England, there was a family named Estrange. A John LeStrange V became Lord LeStrange in
1299 and his name was changed from "LeStrange" to "Strange". Although no proof exists of this
being an ancestor to our Strong Family, it is always a possibility.
Our Strong Ancestor's obviously came to the New World
from England, not only because
our surname is of English origin, but because virtally all settlers in Virginia were of English
Origin. And although we do not know for certain when our Strong ancestor came to America, it
is believed that it was John Strong, who was apprenticed in the city of Bristol in England. On
October 23, 1672 a Thomas Fisher took on John Strong as an apprentice for four years in the
British Colony of Virginia. And this John Strong was believed to have been the Ancestor of our
John Strong of New Kent County, Virginia.
Mr. James Rolff, in his book, speculates that the
ancestor of our John Strong might have
been a William Straunge. This William Straunge was an indentured servant of Sir George
Yeardley. Around 1619 Sir Yeardley returned to England where he was knighted and made
Governor of Virginia. He then returned to Virginia in the same year of 1619. Sir Yeardley had
employed William Strong (Straunge) while in London, and they returned to Virginia. This
William Strong was born in the year 1601 in England and arrived in Virginia in 1619. A lot of
information on this William Strong is located in Mr. James Rolff's book.
Another researcher, Robert Strong, who helped in the
writing and research of the Strong
Family Association of America's publication of "Strong Family Histories Vol. V." believes that
our Strongs go back directly to the John Strong of England who came to Virginia in 1672.
"Chapter One"
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