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Descendants

Overview

Joseph Bridger died in 1686 and Hester died by 1711.  Many of their descendants continued to live in Isle of Wight County in the 1700s, serving as Burgesses, county militia leaders, and county officers.  Some descendants moved to North Carolina, and their descendants later moved to Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia.  Joseph and Hester’s descendants now live all over the United States and in other countries.

Joseph and Hester Bridger had seven children and 34 grandchildren.  Some dates of birth and death for these and succeeding generations are imprecise and subject to conjecture.  Certain dates and details of Joseph’s life published in books and online are known to be incorrect.  Although the Bridger Family Association does not have conclusive genealogical information for some of the children and grandchildren of Joseph and Hester, our consensus is the information below is best to date. (References 1, 2, 3)

Children and Grandchildren

Joseph Bridger, Jr. (1654-1713)/ Elizabeth Norsworthy (1656-1727)

Joseph Bridger III (1672-1751) / Martha Pitt (8 children)

William Bridger (1674-1730) / _______ Godwin (6 children)

Robert Bridger (by 1691-1764) / Mary _____ (8 children)

John Bridger (by 1691-____) / (widow) Dickerson

Jane Bridger

Hester Bridger

Elizabeth Bridger

James Bridger

Martha Bridger ( ca. 1658-after 3 May 1712)/ Thomas Godwin Jr. (1657-1714)

Thomas Godwin III (by 1685-____) / Mary Godwin (10 children)

Joseph Godwin

Edmond Godwin / Mary Mills

Samuel Godwin (20 May 1688-     ) / (1) Mary Jessy (2) Catherine Scott (10 children)

Martha Godwin

Elizabeth Godwin

William Godwin / Ann Pitt

James Godwin / Sarah Kinchen (3 children)

Mary Godwin

Samuel Bridger (after 3 Aug 1662-by 1713)/ Elizabeth Godwin Webb Woory (___-1717)

No known children

Mary Bridger (after 3 Aug 1662-before 28 Aug 1697) / Richard Tibboth

No known children

Elizabeth Bridger (after 3 Aug 1662-1717)/ Thomas Lear (1657-before 1 Nov 1695)

John Lear

Thomas Lear Jr.

Elizabeth Lear

Martha Lear / (probably Thomas) Godwin

Hester Bridger (after 27 Sep 1665-     ) / George Williamson (1668-1722)

George Williamson Jr. / Frances Davis

Robert Williamson / Selah Mercer

John Williamson

Thomas Williamson / Olive Exum (2 children)

Hester Williamson / (1) (probably Reuben) Proctor (2) William Bidgood (7 children)

Mary Williamson

Patience Williamson m. Robert Exum (2 children)

Elizabeth Williamson  / (probably Nehemiah) Joyner

Julianna Williamson

daughter Williamson / Jacob Darden

William Bridger (1678-1730) / Elizabeth Allen (1674-by 1730)

Joseph John Bridger

Martha Bridger

William Bridger, Jr. (ca. 1700-1732 / Martha Smith (1 child)

Samuel Bridger

Arthur Bridger

Mary Bridger 

James Bridger (1713-1774) / Sarah ____ (1 child)

2014 Bridger Cousins in Malmesbury, England

Public Service

Children

Joseph and Hester’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continued to serve Isle of Wight County (References 4, 5, 6):

Joseph Bridger, Jr. (1654-1713)

  • Captain in county militia

    Samuel Bridger (1663-1713)

    • 1693-1695, 1698 – Lt. Col. in the county militia
    • 1702 – Justice of the Peace
    • 1710 – President of the County Court

    William Bridger (1669-1730)

    • Colonel in the county militia
    • 1698 – Sheriff
    • 1714, 1718, 1720-22 – Burgess
    • 1722 – Clerk of Court
    • 1724-1730 — Vestryman of the Old Brick Church

    Grandchildren

    Joseph Bridger III (1678-1751)

    • 1732 – Sheriff
    • 1735-1747 – Vestryman of the Old Brick Church

    Major William Bridger

    • 1710 — Justice of the Peace
    • 1724 — Parish Vestryman

    Joseph Bridger Jr.

    • 1746 — Vestryman

    James Bridger

    • 1758-1761, 1762-1765, 1766-1768 – Burgess
    • 1768 – Coroner
    • 1769, 1770, 1772, 1773, 1774 – Burgess
    • 1772 – Colonel in the county militia
    • 1766, 1768, 1769, 1772 – Justice of the Peace
    • 1777 – Vestryman of the Old Brick Church

    Joseph Godwin

    • 1710-1712, 1712-1714, 1723-1726, 1727-1734 – Burgess

    Thomas Godwin Jr.

    • 1710-1712, 1712-1714, 1723-1726 – Burgess
    • 1731, 1732, 1734 – Sheriff

    John Lear

    • 1718, 1720 Burgess (Nansemond County)

    Great-Grandchildren

    James Allen Bridger (child of James Bridger and wife Sarah)

    • 1772 – Justice of the Peace

    William Bridger

    • 1780 — 2nd Lieutenant in the county militia

    Col. Joseph Bridger

    • 1752 — Trustee, town of Smithfield
    • 1756-1757, 1758-1761, 1762, 1763 – Burgess
    • 1764 – Sheriff
    • 1766 — Justice of the Peace
    Click to read about a 1691 petition of Joseph Bridger, Jr.

    References

    1. Carrell II, William P. The Bridger Family of Virginia: Its Foundational Generations in America.  To be published.
    2. Capps-Owens, Doris Bridgers and Linda Bridgers Boyette. Bridger Family Chronicles From The Old World to the New, Volume 1. Self-published, 2011.
    3. Brayton, John A. Colonial Families of Surry and Isle of Wight Counties, Virginia, Volume 7, The Pitt Family of Bristol, Gloucester, Charlestown, Massachusetts and Isle of Wight County, Virginia.  By author, 2002.
    4. Bulletin of the Virginia State Library, Vol. XIV. April, July 1921, Nos. 2,3. Justices of the Peace of Colonial Virginia, 1757-1775. Richmond: Virginia State Library. 1922.
    5. Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, editor. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Volume I, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
    6. The Colonial Virginia Register, compiled by William G. and Mary Newton Stanard, Joel Munsell’s Sons Publishers, Philadelphia, 1902.