Which Echols Went to America?
Appearance
There is a record of the 1650 christening of a "John Eckles" son of "John Eckles"; however, this occurred in Nantwich, England. It is highly unlikely all of the following hold:
- John Echols (born 1619) is the father of John Echols (born 1650)
- John Echols (born 1619) traveled to America in 1635 (substantiated by Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry)
- John Echols (born 1650) is christened in England in 1650 (substantiated by FamilySearch)
Despite the christened John Echols in England also being son of a John Echols, it seems likely that either:
- John Echols (born 1619) traveled to Virginia in 1635 (age 16) and later had a son in Virginia (in which case the christening is an unrelated coincidence); OR
- John Echols (born 1650), not John Echols (born 1619), was the first in the line to travel to America and the Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry for "John Ecles" traveling to America in 1635 is unrelated.
Currently, I believe that the first theory is better supported as the second theory would require a separate John Echols to arrive in America shortly after the first; however, I do not see any proof of this.