Individual Details

Research by Fletcher Freeman on the arrival of the Barfield's to Virginia -

In the 1600's, the London Company, owners of the Virginia Colony in the New World, gave a headright of fifty acres of land to anyone who transported, at his own cost, one person to the Virginia Colony.
The first mention of a "Barfield", was in 1643, when Philip Taylor received land in Northampton County, Virginia for the transport of a Thomas Barefield according to the book Early Virginia Emigrants. Cavaliers and Pioneers Vol I, (1623-1666) shows a Thomas Barfield transported Oct. 14, 1640 by Phillip Taylor who received 1000 acres in Northampton County, Virginia in 1643. Northampton County was across the Chesapeake Bay and northeast of Nansemond County.
On April 12, 1653, a Robert Brasseur received the headright of 1200 acres on the Nansemond River in Nansemond County, Virginia, for transporting twenty four persons, including a Jon. Barefeild. (Cavaliers and Pioneers, p. 244)
"The Bristol Registers of Servants Sent to Foreign Plantations, 1654-1686" listed a Richard Brafield, grocer, as receiving a servant for 4 years in Virginia and then again a Richard Brafield received another servant for 4 years in Barbados. Both entries were dated October, 1659.
On Oct. 30, 1662, John Barefeild received two patents for 150 acres each (300 acres) on the south branch of the Nansemond River for transporting 6 persons to Virginia. (Cavaliers and Pioneers, p. 494 and p. 504 of patent Book 5)
Back over in Northampton County, were Thomas Barfield came earlier, an Ester Barfield was transported around 1664 by John Beauchamp and Richard Cooke. . In 1668, a Lt. Col William Kendall imported a Wm. Berefield and received land in Northampton Cty., Va. Then in 1673 Wm and Mary Kendall, son and dau. to Wm Kendall received land in Accomack Co. Va. for importing Wm. Benefeild (or Berefeild). In 1678 a Seayward Bearfeild was imported by Edwin Thacker. A Wm. Brafeild (Brayfeild) died in April 1664 and left his land in Eliz. City Co to his son Wm. who apparently died in 1689 without heirs.
On Oct. 8, 1672, John Barefeild received 450 acres in Nansemond Co. Virginia by Somerton Swamp for transporting 9 persons, two of whom were negroes and hence probably his slaves. This grant bordered an area that later became Bertie County, North Carolina. (Cavaliers and Pioneers Patent Book 6, p. 113)
On April 20, 1694 Richard Barefeild received ninety acres in the Up. Par. of Nansemond county for importing two persons. Later in 1694, on 14 Nov., the will of James Loadman, Perquimans Pct., N.C. names among the legatees Jane Barfeild and Richard Barfeild of Somerton which was in Nansemond Co. Va. This is of interest because it shows Richard to be living on or near the land obtained by John Barfield in 1672--"Somerton Swamp".
English duplicates of lost Virgina records by Des Cognets lists only three Barefields in Virginia according to the 1704 rent rolls, all of whom were in Nansemond County:
Rich'd Barefield 900 acres
Tho Barefield 100 acres
John Barefield 300 acres
As seen in Cavaliers and Pioneers, John Barfield Sr. acquired 750 total acres and then his son patented 400 "lost acres". This would explain why John is shown with only 300 acres in the 1704 Quit Rents.
Volume III of Cavaliers... makes reference to land owned by Richard Barefield in the "Up. Par. of Nansemond Co. on the E. side of Saram Sw." in 1702 and 1706 as boundary lines of someone else's land.
April 19, 1715: John Barfield acquired 100 acres on the S. side of the Chowan river at the mouth of Tuscete Branch of the S. side of Horse swamp.
On July 11, 1719, John Barefield's land "in Up. Par. of Nansemond Co; on S. Side of Somerton Sw." is used as a reference for land acquired by a Leonard Langston. (Cavaliers and Pioneers, patent book 10, p.215)
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol IV 1732-1741, has a patent dated June 20, 1733 to John Barfield (Barefield) of 400 acres on SE side Sumertion Sw. being "surplus L. found within bounds of a pat. to John Barfield, father to sd John Barfield for 450 acres dated 8 Oct 1672." The same book also references the land of John Barfield "on the S. side of Sumertion Sw., up the Cypress Br." in 1737.
The Vestry book of Upper Parish, Nansemond County, Virginia 1743-1793, shows that John Barefield "Processsioned the Chapple Land" on February 18, 1747/48 and that he processioned land on March 6, 1752". Processioning was a Church of England sponsored delineation of land boundaries. This John was probably the son of the John who arrived in 1653, or John Jr.'s son.

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From: "The Yazoo Herald" edition printed 12 November 1986.
Barefield family hails from Cork, Ireland and Virginia - written by Earl Barfield of No Mistake Plantation in Yazoo County, Mississippi.

"Around 1670 three English brothers sailed from Cork, Ireland on a trip to the new world of America. New land and new opportunities awaited them. John, Jesse and a bachelor brother, Richard were just three of many who would be making this trip.

They landed in Virginia and were ascribed land in what is now southern Nansamond County bordering the territory of the Carolinas. Very soon they migrated south and established plantations on the Chowan River off the Albemarle Sound.

Richard returned to England and never married.........."

Birth	Abt 1630	England, United Kingdom
Death	Aft 1686	(prob.), Sumerton, Nansemond, Virginia, British America

Spouse	Jane Loadman ( - )
Child	Richard Barfield (1670 - 1728)
Child	Thomas Barfield (1670 - )