John Lloyd, First American Lloyd Ancestor

John Lloyd is one of the farthest-back researched ancestor I have found. He was born on January 5th, 1704 in London, England to parents unknown. January 5th was Christmas Day in that time. He was apprenticed to a boot and shoemaker at the age of 14, in 1718 in London. He married at 20 years of age in 1724, to an unknown woman and was then demoted to being a journeyman - it was against the law to promote to master craftsman if you marry without your master's permission.  He and his wife had a child and both died suddenly.

John came to the USA on March 10th, 1726, through the port of Baltimore, Maryland on the “Rappahanock”, Charles Whale, Captain, as an indentured servant, serving a 14 year indenture, for stealing from Samuel Peters. I do not know much about John at all until he completes his sentence and marries Prudence Emrey in Orange County, Virginia in 1742. Other than her name, nothing else is known of Prudence. Her last name is actually somewhat of a guess, another version is Embry. He is shown in the 1750 Frederick County, VA census.  On the basis of family tradition, the family origionally came from the Cardiff, Glomorganshier, Wales.  John's father was from Wales, therefore the name has the double 'Ll' spelling.  

His first son, Thomas was born on October 2nd, 1744 near Winchester, Virginia. Other children followed: John b. February 27th, 1747; daughter, Alcey b. January 29th, 1749; James b. September 14, 1752; Lydia b. April 24th, 1755; George b. February 4th, 1758; and Joseph b. in 1761.

Thomas Lloyd was part of the Militia Unit of Frederick Co, Virginia from 1176 – 1780. He died December 1, 1805. His wife was Patience McCracken.

John Lloyd, Jr. married Sarah (Sally) Steward in approximately 1768. He died approximately 1785 in Green Co., Virginia. The only other child I have information on is George Lloyd, who lived in Frederick Co., Virginia throughout his life.

John and Prudence and family moved to the Shenandoah Valley around 1750 or earlier. On September 2, 1755, John was fined for missing a general muster in Captain William Cocks unit in Frederick County, Virginia. John was appointed Reader at McKay’s chapel on November 13th, 1767. In 1768, John’s salary was set at $6.00, and Edmund Taylor was appointed assignee of John Lloyd at McKay’s Chapel in 1769. Later in 1772, John was exempt from payment of Parish levies. In 1783, John Loyde was on the Tax List in Essex Co, Virginia.

So, this is the early American beginings of our Lloyd story. How can we learn more? Where do we go from here?

For immigration records, William Filby’s Passenger and Immigration Lists Index and New World Immigrants: A Consolidation of Ship Passenger Lists and Associated Data from Periodical Literature are sources I have on my list of places to check out.
For the census, counties kept records pre-Revolutionary War times, such as tax lists, church rolls, and court records. Land and marriage records from the counties would also be a great resource.