ancestral location

St. Briavel's (pronounced "Brevels") stands on the edge of a limestone plateau above the valley of the River Wye and overlooks an ancient ox-bow of the river. It lies on the B4228 Chepstow-Coleford road. The village is sheltered behind the crumbling walls of its 12th century castle which is now a flourishing Youth Hostel.

Castle Mound at Ruardean, England, looking north toward the Wye Valley and viewing the ruins of a Hathaway manor house. This is the place where the Hathaway name and family began.

Read information from James Family of Rodmore Farm starting from 1292 through 1920 when the Farm was sold. Also enjoy a story from John and Mary Hathaway about their visit to the Barn.

The Speech House was built in 1676 as a hunting lodge for Charles II (his arms can still be seen in the stonework above the exit door to the Verders Court). It soon was recognized as the administrative center of the forest and the largest room became the Verders' Court. It became the place one went to talk or to make a Speech-hence the "Speech House".

In 1666 a "William Hathaway" purchased 100 acres of land along Dragon Creek in Lancaster County, Virginia from William Downing. The smeared and difficult-to-decipher, hardwritten deed can still be viewed in the Lancaster County Court House. In the early 20th century a researcher found this deed and assumed that the 100 acres in the deed was Enon Hall and, therefore, the William Hathaway in the deed was assumed to be the progenitor of our Hathaway family in Virginia.

Binley Farm in Kingscote, Gloucester, England

IN 1772, Capt. John Hathaway moved about 12-14 miles above Warrenton (Virginia) and built Hatherage, a long rather narrow stone house.

View the original purchase map and the present map of Freeport and surrounding towns.