Last month, when I began my deep dive into the Perkins family early in Virginia, I had no idea that weeks later, I would still be writing about this same branch of the family, albeit collateral lines. Cousin Eugene was right on with the early Perkins and Purkins history that he kindly shared with me all those years ago.

Today, we are at the last, I think, of the stories about the ancestors in this branch of the family. Peter Ransone is the immigrant ancestor of this family.

Peter’s birth year is unknown,  but is estimated to be c1615 in England. No evidence as to the name of Peter’s wife has been found and he died at a relatively early age, as he is called deceased on 24 January 1658 in York County Court minutes.

Peter Ransom/Ransone is first mentioned in Virginia on 29 December 1642, when he was a witness to a land transaction.

However, it is possible that Peter might have grown up in Virginia as one Thomas Purefoy reportedly married one Lucy Ranson in England, and arrived in Virginia in 1621, with Lucy and their children following. It has been SPECULATED that Lucy might be Peter Ransone’s mother because the Purefoy family settled in Elizabeth City County, which is where Peter served as a representative to the House of Burgesses on 26 April 1652 and again on 25 November 1652.  A possible warning flag, though, is that I can’t find the source that identifies Thomas Purefoy’s wife’s name.

Peter probably died sometime in 1657 because on 24 January 1658, York County Court records include this entry [Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Series 2, Vol. 5, York County, 1657-1659, Footnote 6]:

The difference between George Hull, guardian to the orphans of Mr. Peter Ransom, dec’d, & Daniel Tucker, atty. of Mr. Jonathan Newell is ref. to the next court.

Oftentimes, guardians of minor children were family members. Is it possible that George Hull might be the brother of Peter’s unknown wife? That’s a loose end I will have to investigate.

Peter Ransone was granted a large tract of land on 9 June 1653 :

the 1100 acres formerly granted to Edmond Dawber on North River of Mobjack Bay was deserted and granted to Peter Ransom.

There is reference made to Peter Ransone’s will, but I have not found an image or even a transcription and it may have been filed in a burned county.

Children:

1. William, born c1640; died before 1684 as only George and James are called sons of Peter Ransone in a land patent.
2. George, born c1642; died between 19 March 1674, when he wrote his will, and 7 September 1675, when it was proved in Middlesex County, Virginia; married Margaret.
3. James, born c1645; died c1706; married Unknown

George and James Ranson are the progenitors of all the early Virginia Ransone family as it is believed that William Ransone died either unmarried or had no surviving children to inherit legacies from their grandfather.