The Washington herald., 1907-08-11
BY THOMAS FORsYTHE NELSON.

10 TIC Al4lpltI nanny AIthouBh flchaEu
Amber, the emigrant. did not bring the
Amber name into Virginia until a little
more than 100 years after the founding
and settlement Of jamestown, yet within
the next hundred years that site and al
most il not all of jamestown Island, had
become the ancestral home Of all who
bear the name and carry Amber blood in
Virginia
Richard Amber. the emigrant in 17l6
was the son of John Amber, Of York,
England. and Elizabeth Bickerdike his
wife. In 1729. about dozen years after
his arrival in Virginia, he married Eliza
beth Jaquelin, the daughter OF Edward
JaQuelin and Martha Cary, his second
wife. Of James City, Va
The Jaquelin family were of County
Kent. England. Edward Jaquelin, born
ICES, died 1870, was the son of John Jaque-
In and Elizabeth Craddock. his wife, and
emic rated TO Virginia in 1857. where he
married Rachel -, a charming and
wealthy widow, who had buried her first
husband, Richard James, IN 1897. and her
second husband, William Sherwood, some
time prior TO her third marriage with Ed
ward Jaquelin, in l707 There was no issue
TO this third marriage, and upon the
death OF Rachel -, Edward Jaquelin Sc
lected for his second wife Martha Cary.
the daughter Of William Cary and grand
daughter of Miles Cary, who had emil
grated from Bristol. England, prior 10
lfl6. It is Elizabeth Jaquelin then, the
great-gra nddaughter of the emigrant
ancestor OF all who carry the Amber
blood in Virginia. and through her Cary
blood she unites in bonds of kinship al
most cvery family in Virginia who may
have either attained wealth or achieved
distinction Edward Jaquelin died in 1870,
rcputed 10 have been one OF the wealthiest
men in the colony. and about 100 years
later Col. John Amber died. leaving an
estate which yielded upon settlement S349.-
geo.
If one confines his search TO the sew
e.al meager references in print concern
ing the JaQuclin-AmbleT families, 10 be
found in Bishop Meade's work, or to the
historical magazines that have recorded
some surface searching among the records,
notably that which appears in the VIII
lam and Mary Quarterly, vol 10, page 167,
he viii form a very indefinite ana er-
roneous idea Of the Amber family and
its influence within the sphere of its ac-
tivities. Indeed, il will be strange II the
inference be not drawn that the wealth
Of Richard James and of William Sher-
wood was diverted from the legal and
proper channels. and through this mar
riage of Edward Jaquelin 10 the charm
ing widow, James Sherwood, into the pos
session Of the Amber family when Ed
ward Amber welded Elizabeth JaQuelin.
The origin OF the wealth and influence
Of the Amber family is. however. easily
traced. Richard Amber was himself 4
successful merchant. He inherited the
wealth and estate OF his uncle. Arthur
Bickerdike, likewise q successful mer-
chant, and whose fortunes he followed
when he came 10 the then young colony
OF Virginia. His wife also inherited. with
her two sisters. the wealth OF Edward
Jaquelin, but none of the estate Of either
Richard James or Of William Sherwood,
on jamestown Island, can, by the records.
be traced into Amber hands. except by
deed of purchase. The Jaquelin family
IN England were wealthy, and with
wealthy and influential connections. Some
of this wealth can, by the records, be
traced 10 the JaqUelin sisters, as may be
seen from the will of Edward Fraunces,
OF Jamaica, in 1740, and IN the settlement
OF the estate Of James Fraunces, of Lon
don and Jamaica, in I7S7 The Amber
family in Virginia had early attained
prominence in the affairs of the colony,
and this prominence in Virginia was en-
hanced by their connections In England,
Is is shown by a letter Of introduction
brought by Lord BOtetourt TO Edward
Amber. when be came to Virginia as gov
eTnor of the colony.
Edward Amber married Mary Cary,
and hts brother Jaquelin Amber welded
Rebecca BuTwen uniting wealth 10
wealth, and business ability and most
honorable distinction 10 q likewise large
and influential family connection, at
which time tie amber mansion on
jamestown Island became the central
point about which wealth and beauty was
wont 10 fit in the zenith days OF its gran
deur, and Of which now remain but the
fragments Of crumbling walls Of the Am
bier mansion, and OF the old church OF
still earlier date. to mark the spot where
was planted the first settlement Of Vir-
ginia-
Original records, one Of which is IN the
handwriting and signed with the sigma
herewith. and many others, all OF which
could not be included in the space as
signed to this sketch, but have been freely
consulted in preparing this bit of interest
ing family history. These, when followed
TO the present day and studied, but serve
70 show how completely the conflicting
emotions Of Joy and sorrow are inter
woven into the lives Of every human
being.
The Amber Family in America.
FIRST GENERATION.
Richard Amber, born q December. 1880;
enigrant to Virginia in 17l6; died Febru-
ary 1866. He was the son of John Amber
and Elizabeth Bickerdike. of York, Eng
land. He married, in l72e, Elizabeth
Jaquelin. born October, l7O9. died 25 Sep
tember. 1885, the daughter Of Edward
JaQuelin. and his second wife. Martha
Cary, Of James City, Va. They had issue:
Cd Elizabeth, born, 1731; died, l740; % Ed
ward, born. 1888; died. 1853. m. Mary Cary;
GO john born 81 December, 1875; died in
the Barbados May. 1866; (D Richard,
born, 1875; died. l7i5; % Martha, born
l7SS: died, 1873. 90 Mary, born. l74O; died,
1763; % Jaquelin, born I742: died, 179S; IN.
Rebecca Burwell; (9 George, born, I7i4;
died. 1850; (9 Richard, born. I74s; died,
1879.
SECOND GENERATION
Edward Amber, b. 1873, d. 80 Oct, 'I76s.
lie was the son OF Richard Amber and
Elizabeth Jaquelin, his wife He mar
ried in l754, Mary Cary, b. 1792. d. 1872.
She was the daughter OF Col Wilson Cary
and Sarah -, Of Elizabeth City Coun-
". Va They had issue: % Elizabeth.
b. 80 Nov. 1884 d. 26 June, 1876; o. Rich
ard. b. Sept. IIJ6. d. 26 Aug. l75s: %