Notes for CORNELIUS (d'Aubigne) DABNEY:
A. There are two different views on the Origin of the Dabneys of Virginia.
1. The earliest view was that the original founders of the family were Huguenots who first fled to England, married there and then came to America. Tis was a persistent tradition in all branches of the family for many years and was widely promulgated by the publication in 1888 of W.H. Dabney's book, "The Dabneys of Virginia". This belief began to be questioned, however, when it was learned from Old Colonial Records that there was a Dabney in Virginia certainly as early as 1664 when he received land-grants, at least twenty one years before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. In fact, Cornelius, the first immigrant who had established himself, learned the language of the the Indians and had been made agent of the colony to the Indians and must have been in Virginia Ten or Twenty years before 1664.
2. The second theory was that the Virginia Dabney's were originally Norman-French and came over with William the Conqueror. Three are numerous Dabneys in England whose genealogies, given by Captain Daubeney of England, show their origin from a Knight D'ALBINI who served with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The "Roll of the Battle Abbey"' ( A DOCUMENT) shows two D'ALBINIS, one a Knight and one a Soldier. But we do not put too much reliance upon it, for Freeman has shown that this Roll was prepared some two centuries later by priests to flatter important families.
3. Finally, in "The Origin of the Dabney Family of Virginia" written and researched by Charles William Dabney, quotes his uncle Captain Charles William Dabney, of Aldington, in writing to W. H. Dabney who says: "we came to be of the same origin as the Daubeneys of England, who are descended from Sir William D'AUBIGNE', Knight, who came over to England with William The Conqueror." The father of Robert Lewis Dabney, wrote from the university of Texas in 1887 to W. H. DABNEY: "The tradition which I heard from my parents was that the stock from which we were sprung emigrated from Cambridge shire or Norfold, England, and that they were of the same lineage as the Daueneys still to be heard of there." footnote, page 635: These statement of my uncle and father are confirmed by the Later investigations, as are those of Judge William Pope Dabney and of Mrs. William L. Dabney and of Col. Payson. Judge William Pope Dabney refers with pride, in writing to W.H. Dabney, to the daubeneys who served under william the conqueror, whose names appear on the roll of batt Abbney and adds: "Among the nobles who took care that Wily King John should keep the terms of MAGNA CARTA (1215) is also found the name of Daubeney." Mrs. William L. Dabney, of Chicago, wrote: "Three of our ancestors served under King Richard in the first in the Crusade." Rev. John Blair Dabney says his grandfather William, told him "That the patriarch of the Virginia Dabneys was an English farmer, who settled in this state at an early stage of our colonial history and he concludes" I have no doubt ...that all the Dabney's of Virginia derive their origin from this old Englis farmer."
Charles W. Dabney goes on to say that he researched the Daubeneys of England where there i 1924. One of the things he found was that a Chapel in St. Peter and Paul Church in south Petherton was devoted to the dAubeneys, one being Sir Gils Daubeney, Knight, Sheriff of Counties Buck, Bedford, etc about 1445.
Name changed to Dabney on immgration to Virginia.
References;
(1) Bevier Family, page 59.
(2) Information supplied by Florence Wilkins, Rt. # 1, Box 460, Duncan,
Arizona.References;
(1) Bevier Family, page 59.
(2) Information supplied by Florence Wilkins, Rt. # 1, Box 460, Duncan,
Arizona.