John Page (Middle Plantation)
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Colonel John Page (December 26, 1628-January 23, 1692), a resident of Middle Plantation on the Virginia Peninsula, was a member of the House of Burgesses and a wealthy landowner in the Virginia Colony. He is considered one of the major people who helped his small community obtain the siting of the new College of William and Mary (founded 1693) and the designation as capital of the colony in 1698.
These events resulted in the renaming of Middle Plantation as Williamsburg in 1699, perhaps most well-known as the birthplace of democratic governmental principals among the patriots before and during the American Revolution. In the early 21st century, Colonel Page's tiny Middle Plantation is the modern home of the restored colonial city now known as Colonial Williamsburg, one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world.
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[edit] Biography
John Page was born on December 26, 1628 in Bedfont, Middlesex, England. He became a merchant, and in 1648, he married Alice Lucken (1625-1698).
The Pages emigrated to the Virginia Colony around 1650, and originally lived in the New Towne section at Jamestown.
The Pages settled in York County in 1655. In 1662, the Pages had a large brick cross-plan house built in nearby Middle Plantation. A wealthy landowner, Page owned 330 acres (1.3 km²) in Middle Plantation, including much of what is now Duke of Gloucester Street, Nicholson Street, and part of Francis Street in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg. In 1672, Page patented 3600 acres (15 km²) in New Kent County which became Mehixton Plantation. He donated land for the first brick Bruton Parish Church which was completed in 1683, and was located immediately adjacent to the site of the present larger restored structure. In 1683, he came into possession of a tract of land which originally belonged to his brother Matthew in James City County known as Neck of Land. It is also known that he owned property at Jamestown in New Towne section.
John Page was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses starting in 1665. He played a pivotal role in supporting the efforts of Reverend Doctor James Blair in the founding of the College of William and Mary in 1693, which was located at Middle Plantation. Beginning in 1677, he is believed to have been an early advocate for moving the capitol to Middle Plantation, which eventually occurred in 1699, seven years after his death. (Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg in honor of King William III shortly thereafter).
Colonel John Page and his wife Alice Lucken Page are buried at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.
[edit] Family
The Page family was one of the First Families of Virginia, which later included Man Page III, his brother U.S. Congressman and Virginia Governor John Page, and later descendants such as U.S. Ambassador to Italy Thomas Nelson Page, and Virginian Railway builder William Nelson Page.
Colonel and Mrs. John Page named their eldest son Francis, and he also built a substantial brick home at Middle Plantation. (Present-day Francis Street in Williamsburg is said to be named for him). Another son, Matthew Page, was born in Virginia in 1659 and became a planter. He was one of the original board of trustees of the College of William and Mary, a member of the Governor's Council, and was active in public affairs. He died on January 9, 1703.
Their grandson, Mann Page I (1691-1730) (son of Matthew Page), also became a planter and wealthy landholder in Virginia, owning nearly 70,000 acres (280 km²) in Frederick County, Prince William County, and Spotsylvania County among other locations. In 1725, Mann Page I began the construction of Rosewell Plantation, the Page mansion on the banks of the York River in Gloucester County. Mann Page I's wife Judith Carter was the daughter of Robert Carter I. Mann Page I son John Page married Jane Byrd-a granddaugther of Colonel William Byrd I. John Page great grandson was Confederate General Richard Lucian Page.
Because of the propensity of First Families of Virginia to marry within their narrow social scope for many generations, John Page is counted as a progenitor of many other FFV families. These include the families of Chiles, Tyler, Pendleton, Burwell, Nelson, Randolph, Walker, Carter, Harrison, Waller and many others.[1]
[edit] Legacy
Several sites of the Page family have historical and archaeological significance.
- The site of their property at Jamestown has been identified by the Jamestown Rediscovery project.
- Colonial Williamsburg has an extensive archaeological study underway at the John Page home site at Middle Plantation (now Williamsburg).
- The ruins of Rosewell Plantation, the home of early members of the Page family and one of the finest mansions built in the colonies, sit on the northern bank of the York River in Gloucester County. In one of its rooms, which are all of cubic dimensions, Thomas Jefferson, a friend and the college classmate of John Page, is said to have drafted the U.S. Declaration of Independence. In 1916, a fire swept the mansion leaving a magnificent shell which is testament to 18th century craftsmanship and dreams, and the site ongoing archaeological studies.
