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pronunciation for a person with a Scotch-lrish brogue accent. Understanding Protestant England’s relationship with the Scotch and Irish of that period, it is not hard to accept the theory that the Lotts brought the accepted religion of the United Kingdom with them when they immigrated to this country.
This brings us to the question, where did our Lotts come from? Before we get into this subject, let us explain that there were Lotts in this country before our line of Lotts arrived. Many records of these can be found in the northeast coastal states - this is where the Dutch, German, Jewish, etc. theories originated. To reduce the confusion, we have labeled these Lotts as ‘‘Northern” Lotts and our line as “Southern” Lotts.
We feel comfortable in saying that “our” Lott ancestors probably first settled on or near the Virginia coast in the mid 1600’s. To summarize research already done, we find a “John Lotte” on October 9, 1657, signing as a witness in Surry Co., VA, where Thomas Swann and Thomas Drue were binding themselves to John Flower of London. On March
18,	1662, we find a “William Lott” buying land and settling on Roger Womsley’s land tract in the James City County and Charles City County, VA area. It is assumed he was in this country for some period of time prior to this 1662 date.
According to the World Book Encyclopedia, the first settlers of the Baltimore, MD area started arriving in 1661 and many were of English origin. Researchers, Hilton W. Lott and his wife Gloria, in their 1988 publication, “The Story of My Lotts” state that a William Lott came to America from England during the time Charles Calvert, aka Lord Baltimore, was the Governor of Maryland. If so, he undoubtedly came through the port city of Baltimore and later moved into nearby Virginia.
We next find what is possibly the same William Lott on April 29, 1680 living in neighboring New Kent Co., VA Thirty-four years later in 1714 in New Kent Co., we find a “John Lott” landowner. Interestingly, we also find John Joyner in the same county in 1715 and his relationship to John Lott will be discussed later. Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Lott believe that the above William Lott is our first “Lott” ancestor in America, although they cite few sources in their paper. Assuming this William Lott was age 21 in 1662 when he was old enough to own land, he would have had to be bom in or before 1641.
Hilton Lott also notes there was a “Mary Lott” that emigrated from England to America in late 1662 and later appears in nearby Isle of Wight County, VA land records on June 7, 1666. In 1683 and 1696, Mary Lott is also buying land in nearby New Kent Co., VA. He feels she is somehow related to this William Lott, possibly even his wife/widow.
Of great interest is information found at the Weymouth Library in Dorset County, England. In the Somerset and Dorset County notes and Queries (Vol.9, p. 203, 1904-1905) by F.W. Weaver & C.H. Mayo, we find a list of English merchant sailors captured by the Turks of Algiers near Gibraltar. The list of names and petition dated Feb. 26, 1662 asks for English Churches to collect donations to offer to the Turks for the prisoners’ release. On Sept. 16, 1662, permission was granted to a delegation to retrieve the captives. On the list are two names of particular interest - “John Lot of Bristol” and “Hatten Watts of Bridgewater” England.
Then, on September 24, 1667, we find a “John Lott”, who at Bristol, England, indentured himself for four years to Samuel Hatten, a planter in Virginia! Following this
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