Individual Details

John was possibly the son of Nicholas Pledge, found in the colony of Virginia:
Nicholas was an immigrant by 1636. One of 22 persons transported by Edward Garner of Henrico Co to the Virginia Colony. Mr. William Clarke filed a patent on the basis of that transport for 1100 acres previously granted to Edward Garner as he had married Edward Garner's widow, Dorothy, and the land was due her. This claim was allowed on 29 Sep 1636.
This patent is recorded twice. The first is the above date in 1636 and is in PB 1, p.392. The same was recorded again on 6 May 1638, PB 1, p.547.
Nicholas Pledge remained in Henrico Co - probably the area that became Goochland in 1729. He is not listed in the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls, but likely deceased as he's believed to have born about 1618.


John Pledge has been assigned a birth year of 1650 in most printed material. I believe he was a few years older than that. Court records prove that Esther was both his daughter and was born in 1664, making it doubtful that John Pledge was born much after 1640, perhaps even earlier.

John Pledge was ordered to outfit one man for the militia for defense against the Indians in 1679 in Henrico Co.

Virginia Land Patent Book 8, p.111 Patent to John Cannon, 158 acres. Henrico Co, North side James River, adjacent John Pledge on the 4 Mi. Creek. 12 Oct 1690. Import of pers: John Brodnax, 3 times & Anthony Bourn

A John Pledge is named in 1686 in the Henrico Co Court Records, p.361, 1677-1692. Nicholas Perkins and Abraham Childers charged him with stealing pigs. [Esther Pledge & husband John Cannon were possibly called upon to testify in this case. See Esther's notes.]

Henrico Co Record Book No. 2 (VA Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 1, p. 77)
p.241, Aug 1687
John Field having to this Court arrested John Pledge but entered no petition at the request of sd Pledge, order is granted him ag't the sd Field for a non-Suit according to law ith Costs
John Pledge being to this Court Summin'd as an Evidence for John Cannon ag't. Jno Field defend't & having attended one day, hath order granted him ag't ye sd Cannon for forty #'s tob. according to law with Costs

Message Board Post:
p. 447 Henrico County Virginia Deeds 1677-1705
"John Pledge of Henrico co., to John Cannon and to heirs, lawfully begotten, of body of his wife Esther Cannon, 50 acres, on Four Mile Creek, next to John Cressy, John Pledge and Francis Redford. 27 June 1687.
Wit: John Hartford, Edmund Leptrot
Signed: John Pledge recorded 1 August 1687


His land was located on Spring Branch near Four Mile Creek in Henrico Co, north of the James River. He was a near neighbor of John Cannon as cited in Cannon's will - John Pledge and John Redford were appointed overseers of the will and witnessed it in 1696. At least 100 acres of this land was sold to Nicholas Perkins as Perkins' will dated 13 Jun 1711, gave to his son Abram Perkins "the plantation I bought of John Pledge, 100 acres" The books imply that the elder John Pledge had sold this land to Nicholas Perkins, but I found the following deed which suggests it was instead his son unless both father and son had wives named Dorothy:
HENRICO CO VA DEEDS 1706-1737;
p.19/181 1 Sep 1709 John Pledge sold to Nicholas Perkins Sr, land in Henrico Parish on the North side the James up Four Mile Creek, adj sd Perkins and John Cannon. 50 acres descended to me as heir of my father John Pledge, dec'd, and another 50 acres was purchased of sd. Cannon. Wit: Wm. Frogmorton, Noel Burton, John Pleasant. Dorothy, wife of John Pledge, relinquished dower rights.

Death

Henrico County, Virginia

Child	Esther Pledge (1664 - )
Child	JOHN PLEDGE Jr. (1675 - 1720)

Father

NICHOLAS PLEDGE ( - )