When doing your family genealogy, you might find that you’re related to someone famous… such is the case in my family tree.
When doing your family genealogy, you might find that you’re related to someone famous… either a professional athlete, or historical figure, or actor. You may have met someone who proudly exclaims that they’re related to George Washington, or they’re a direct descendant of royalty.
Today’s story starts all the way back to the 1600’s. Major Jasper Farmar married first Mary Gamble and they had a son, Jasper Farmar Jr. When Mary died, Major Jasper married the widow Mary Batsford in 1671. She brought into the marriage her three children William, Edward, and Katherine Batsford. Major Jasper and Mary had a daughter Sarah, and had a son Edward Farmar born in 1672.
Jasper Farmar Jr. married his step-sister Katherine Batsford on or about 06 July 1674. Together, they had a son, Thomas Farmar born in 1674. When Jasper Jr. died at sea on his second voyage to Pennsylvania in 1685, the Widow Katherine remarried Captain Christopher Billopp. Billopp had two daughters from a prior marriage, Anne and Mary. Katherine’s son Thomas married his step-sister Anne in 1703. Mary married twice; once to Reverend Brooke, who was lost at sea en route to England in 1707, and second to Reverend William Skinner of Perth Amboy.
Katherine died before April 1700. When Captain Christopher Billopp wrote his will on 25 April 1724, he devised his Indians Land plantation in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey to his daughter Anne (Billopp) Farmar. The will also devised his Bentley Manor (New Jersey) to his daughter Mary (Billopp) Skinner of Perth Amboy during her life only. However, if Mary should pass away with no sons, then the property would pass to Anne (Billopp) Farmar’s second son, Christopher, or to his surviving brothers in succession, so long as they adopt the surname Billopp. Mary had no children when she died in 1725. Thomas and Anne’s son Christopher had died, so Thomas Farmar, Jr. qualified as heir and, accepting the terms of his grandfather’s will, changed his surname from Farmar to Billopp.
By tracing Jasper Jr.’s branch of the family tree, you find Jane Waddington Wyatt, who many may know as the actress in the 1950’s sitcom Father Knows Best and several motion pictures.
If you’re a big Star Trek fan, you may know her as Amanda Grayson, the mother of Spock, who first appeared in the episode Journey to Babel (1967) and in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
Jane would be my ninth cousin, as we share the same 8th great grandfather, Major Jasper Farmar, who died 333 years ago while moving his family to America.
And in another 212 years on 06 January 2230, Spock will be born.
Live long and prosper.
Philip Farmer is the author and publisher of “Edward Farmar and the Sons of Whitemarsh,” a 500-page, 155-year biographical history of the Farmer family’s immigration from Ireland into Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Harlan County, Kentucky.
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