William Bobbet, The Immigrant, Land Sales
by
Marsha Berry
There are some circumstances that point to why William
Bobbet may have had to sell 95 of his 96 acres of land on 12 May 1703, after
owning the land for 30 years, from 27 Oct 1673 to 12 May 1703 near Hopewell,
Virginia.
Planting tobacco year after year for 30 years on the same
land can use the land up.
"An overdependence on the tobacco crop was felt as early as
1702 when war in Europe interrupted world markets, causing tobacco prices to
drop." Seven River Commission History, Maryland and Virginia.
"Eighteenth Century Hurricanes The Early Eighteenth Century
brought several major storms to the Middle Atlantic Coast-
the first severe hurricane hit Virginia in the late fall of
1703. Ten tobacco curing barns belonging to one planter were destroyed and a
great number of large trees were blown down."
From Electronic Journal Number 1 - Brinkley
If tobacco brought less than a quarter penny in 1703, a
small tobacco farmer could not be successful.
And, after 9 years of a time gap from 1703 to 1712, when we
so far do not read about William Bobbet and his family, they must have done
some type of work to exist.
William Bobbitt and his sons may have been amongst those
who developed and worked with others to hold on and to again build up the
tobacco and other businesses from 1703 to 1712 in the Jones Hole Swamp area
which is located 11 miles south of Petersburg to Templeton and south of
Templeton a few miles, Prince George County, Virginia.
"In those days "swamp" meant an area around a slow-moving
stream. It was a valuable piece of land."
Source: Cash/Malone/Wynne Genealogy
William Bobbit did have the funds to have a survey taken on
18 June 1712 for 90 acres of land south of the Jones Hole Swamp area.
Survey for William Bobbit 18 June 1712
Prince George County Virginia
90 acres on South Side of Jones Hole Swamp
Source: Prince George County Virginia Surveys, 1710-1724
Page 2
"The period was one of extreme inflation, at least in
tobacco prices, and therefore highly favorable to a debtor.
In 1710 tobacco brought one penny per pound, up from a
quarter penny in 1706.
In 1715, however, the average market price had jumped to
two shillings per pound. In 1716, tobacco jumped to eleven shillings."
Source: Sentell Family History, chapter 2
Marsha Berry