John Dancy
(b. 1602)

Many of the ancient records of Virginia were lost or destroyed during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Consequently, little is known about the early Dancys, including John.

John Dancy, son of John Dancy, of Worcester, England, was the first documented Dancy to arrive in the Colonies. Born in 1602, he sailed¹ from London in 1621, on the ship George¹, under the muster of Captain George Sandis, and landed at Virginia. On the ship's passenger list he is shown as 'Sandis servant'. John is shown as living at James City, Virginia in the Virginia Muster - January 20 - February 4, 1624/5.

He later settled in Charles City County, about 10 miles west of Jamestown. English and Virginia records show the name spelled Dansey until about 1640 when the spelling is generally Dancy and on occasion, Dancey. John married Alice (maiden name unknown) and their oldest child was Francis.

John was  indentured for the first two years in the Colonies, as recorded in The Complete Book of Emigrants  1607-1660².

In the book Cavaliers and Pioneers , by Nell Nugent, who was head of the Department of Archives, Richmond, Virginia, John Dancy is mentioned frequently in connection with his several tracts of land and in connection with tracts that adjoined his property. In his lifetime John acquired 1250 acres of Virginia land. Entries in ancient Virginia records include the following:

John Dancy, 350 acres, James City County, 4 June 1636
John Dancy, 100 acres, James City County, page 363
John Dancy, 100 acres, James City County, 25 May 1637, page 431
Edward Morecraft and John Dancy, 700 acres, James City County, 20 May 1638, page 559
John Dancey(Dancy), 700 acres, August 1642, page 813

In the Virginia Magazine of History is found the following entry regarding John:
"A Court at James City, Virginia, the 6th of February 1627, John Dancy, aged 25, bourne in the city of Worchester, England, sworne and examined, sayd that about two of the clock, in the night time, on the 14th of January past, he this examinate being a sleeper in the bed at Grindon's Hill, one Rich Littlefield, in bed with him, jogged the examinate and calling upon him looke yonder and then this deponent sayd why, what is there, and sayd Littlefield answered, there is Mills coming out of the store." The article further states it was found three days later that there had been stolen by Mills, seven pairs of shoes and one shirt, which were recovered.

Note: The court record is the only known proof of the birthplace and age of John Dancy.

¹Sailed on the ship George, under the muster of Captain George Sandis (Documentation - Boyer, Carl, 3rd, Editor, Ship Passenger Lists: The South (1538-1825), Newhall, California, 1979). 

²The Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660, by Peter Wilson Coldman, Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1987, lists John Dancy, along with others, as indentured to George Sandis. Indenturing was 'servant status', and in this case is presumed to have been for payment of passage to the Colonies.

            This profile is based , in part, on the Dancy Family research of  Fenton M. Dancy, 1961




Posted September 6, 2000

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