Philip and John Alexander farmed much of the land where Hunting Creek flows into the Potomac River.Hugh West oversaw the tobacco warehouse,a ferry and a tavern. In 1748,they joined with other merchants to petition the Va. General Assembly for the creation of a new "market town". By July of 1749, the community was laid out and named "Alexandria" in honor of the Alexander Family. The land at the northern end is now Reagan National Airport.Traditions in the Virginia family identify John with their ancestor, he was born 1603,entered the Univesity of Glasgow in 1630,emigtrated to Virginia in 1636 and died in 1677. He was thought to be the 4th son of William Alexander the Poet and the First Earl of Sterling.

Lloyd,
Have you read Pippinger's book on this John Alexander? It is rather interesting and if this is your line, you should be able to get this through interlibrary loan. He does not believe that this John was the son of Sir William. He states material that says that that John Alexander married to Agnes Graham of Dartmore died soon after being released from debtor's prison in Scotland. My line is the Somerset Co. MD line, but there may be some connection with the Virginia line.
Helen

Hi Helen: I have not read Pippingers' book on this John Alexander. I am researching the Mecklenburg Va. line,and saw some letters that alluded to a connection through marriage to the Watts family in the Stafford area, I believe. the Virginia Heraldica stated: Alexander: Stafford County; according to the family tradition,which has not been proven by documentary evidence, John Alexander the first of the name in Virginia,was the fourth son of William Alexander the poet, and first Earl of Stirling, born 1580, died 1640 and married Janet Erskine, daughter of Sir William Erskine. John Alexander obtained a grant of 1,500 acres in Northampton County in 1659. In 1664 as John Alexander Sr.;he patented land in Westmoreland County. He died in 1677 and had issue, John Robert and Phillip, who may have been the John and Phillip Alexander whom Alexandria Va. is named for.

Yes, I've read all that material too, but after reading the life of Sir William and especially this Pippinger's work, I am inclined to go along with him. We know that Sir William married about 1601 and John was 4th son. I would not think that he would venture to America so late in life and then marry and start a family. Pippinger evidently does not think so either. He supposedly died soon after being released from debtor's prison---I believe about 1641. I don't have the material in front of me, but he quotes some source of reference. You might like to get this book from interlibrary loan. It is very interesting.
Helen Smith

Do you possibly have documention for the descendants of John Alexander, Virginia, 1603-1677? I am a descendant of the John Alexander that settled Bee Tree Creek, Asheville, North Carolina in 1784. The generations I have observed from your John Alexander go as such-----John Alexander 1603-1677, John Alexander b.1628 d.1677, Robert Alexander b.1650, d.1704, John Alexander b. 1732. Do you have any infromation on this line. I have documented John Alexander's line from 1732 but I have been waiting for a long time to get documentation on generations before John Alexander 1732.
If you could point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Ed Alexander

Hi Ed: The Alexander Family Records,"Among the early colonists,the Alexander family was conspicuous for worth,ability and service toward the progress and establishment of the nation.
1.John,Lord of the Isles-Margaret,daughter of Robert II, King of Scotland. From this marriage are descended all of the Alexanders.Their third son, named Alexander,had issue,Alexander,second son, who married,1480,and his son,Thomas obtained "Menstrie",1505.
Andrew Alexander,son of Thomas of "Menstrie"--Catherine Graham,1500,and had Alexander,who married Elizabeth Douglas,and their youngest son,Andrew succeeded to "Menstrie",1544. His son, Alexander of Menstrie--Elizabeth Forges. Their oldest son was William Alexander of "Menstrie", whose eldest son Marion Contee,1567, and their only son, William, Lord of Stirling--Janet Erskine. Their son, John Alexander, was the emigrant to Virginia, 1659.
Sir William "the poet", had a son who married and during the lifetime of his father, leaving an infant, who became the second Earl of Stirling, but dying in 1640, the title passed to his Uncle, Sir Anthony Alexander, Third Earl of Stirling, who, dying without an heir, the title passed to his brother Sir Henry, Fourth Earl of Stirling, in whose family it remained until it passed to his brother John, who emigrated to America. and died in 1667.

Hi Lloyd: Thanks a lot for answering my inquiry. Do you know how I could get a copy of the original record that you quoted from? I would really appreciate it if you could point me to the source.

Thanks again,

Ed

Hi Ed: I have collected several similar and sometimes different and conflicting papers. I am sure you know, that even geneologists admit, the Alexander family is sometimes very confusing. Maybe this will help you:
Virginia Heraldica
The City of Alexandria Va. Office of Historic Alexandria
William and Mary College Quarterly
I made a typo with the qoutation marks,please ignore. I
attempted to piece together what I have gathered to give
you a starting point.

Thanks Lloyd;

I will check this information out. I suppose you would find the first at the Virginia Library, the second in Alexandria, and the third at William and Mary? Am I on the right track?

Thanks again,
Ed

HiEd: You are on target!
The Library of Virginia ,Richmond, (has a web site)
The City of Alexandria,http://ci.alexandria.va.us/oha/lyceum/ly-historic.html
The DAR,www.dar.org/natsociety
The Virginia Historical Society,www.vahistorical.org
The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov.
Please remember I am researching the Mecklenburg line and not the "John the immigrant line".
The Hon, Mark Alexander wrote a letter to the Hon, Hugh Blair Grigsby,of Charlotte Co.,Va. on July 2,1876, giving a brief history of his own family in his own words.
I have other letters and papers to document that line to their landing at "The Head of the Elk", in the years between 1685 and 1715. The Elk River is at Elkton MD., where they landed and separated after leaving Ireland and Scotland.