Project Goals
Overall goals:
In each of these surnames there are many family lines which cannot be connected by historical documentation. The most distant known ancestor simply appeared, with no history showing where he came from (although other families of the same name might have been living in the area as well). The primary goals of this project are:
** to assemble a list of online family trees for the various lines of Frith, Firth, Thrift, & related surnames. Most family trees go back to only the 1800's, some to the 1700's, a very few earlier than that; a particular reason for this goal is to make the trees that extend farthest back easier to find. This list of family trees will be very helpful for people trying to see where they fit in, which lines they are related to, and who their earlier ancestors were. Please send me a link to your online family tree. If it is not online, please post it, or contact me if I can help. This list is on the project supplemental website at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~thriftzzfrithzzfirth/fam_tree_list.htm.
**to use the DNA evidence to show, for EACH surname, which lines are related, going back in time beyond the end of the paper trail. One reason for doing this is to gather, share, and focus family resources.
**to obtain clues as to where in the British Isles the various Thrift, Frith, Firth, etc lines, especially those which migrated to the colonies, may have originated.
Specific projects will be added according to the interests of project members. These will not succeed unless the people who are interested make a real effort to find more people to be tested, who are relevant to the specific project. Current specific projects include:
* to clarify the status of the TWO Robert Thrifts who are thought to be sons of George Thrift (descendant of Nathaniel Frith, Virginia, USA). It is thought that Robert T. Thrift was an illegitimate child of George (or possibly Robert) Thrift, by a woman named Flanagin, from whom he took his original surname.
One of George Thrift’s daughters, Jane Thrift Frizel, testified for Robert T. Flanagin at a court proceeding against George’s estate while another sister, Mary Thrift Minor, testified against Flanagin. Flanagin prevailed and was awarded a small sum. It is assumed by some that this case was to claim an inheritance, but the court records are lost. Flanagin was involved in several suits around this time but then disappeared from view. It is assumed by some that after receiving this inheritance, Robert T. Flanagin changed his surname to Thrift; this is not universally accepted. The first trace of Robert T. Thrift in Georgia occurs about 1802; he received a commission from the Governor of GA. On Sept. 11, 1804. The 1820 Washington Co, Georgia census shows that Robert T. Thrift lived adjacent to Jane Fizzle (claimed by some to be evidence that Jane Frizel and family moved from VA to GA with Robert). Three children of Robert T. Thrift of Georgia appear to be named after members of George Thrift’s family. However George Thrift and wife had a son named Robert (no middle initial), who stayed in Virginia with his own descendants. Therefore if Robert T. Thrift of Georgia was also a son of George Thrift, then Robert T. is presumed to be “baseborn.” Circumstances are detailed here. Much of the above is speculative, but can be addressed by DNA testing.
* to attempt to identify descendants or ancestors of Richard, Robert, or Thomas Frith of Jamestown, VA.
Richard Frith was among the first group of 100 planters in James Towne in 1607 [The Trve Travels, Adventures and Observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America: Volume I. From the London Edition of 1629.] Half of those colonists perished in the first year, but Frith was apparently among those who survived, and in 1609 he was named in The 2nd Charter of Jamestown VA, 1609, and invested 25 pounds in the Company for Virginia. In 1635 Robert Frith, age 23, came to Jamestown from London, England on the ship Assurance, and a week later Thomas Frith, age 17, came on the ship Elizabeth.
