April 6, 1999: Scanned and transcribed by Matt Young from the 1957 edition of History and Genealogy of the Ricks Family of America.

The ancestral home of the family was at Brancaster Castle, Norfolk County, England, certainly as early as 1525, the time of Henry the VIII. The coat of arms of the family is laid in Mosaic in the pavement of the Castle Church and can be seen today.

The coat of arms herein was made from a painting from the records in Heralds College, London, England.

The first one of the name of this branch of the family was Isaac Ricks, who was born in England in 1638, and a tradition exists that he came from England and landed at Jamestown, Virginia, and settled in Warrasquyeake, one of the eight shires of Virginia, which was changed in 1737, to Isle of Wight County, which included the present counties of Nansemond and Southampton.

These counties were peopled largely by Puritans and Quakers whose records began in 1663. The land and court records of these counties were destroyed by fire many years ago, and genealogical records are very meagre.

Isaac Ricks was a Quaker, and was a member of the Quaker Church, located at a place called Chuckatuck, situated on the western branch of the Nansemond River, in what is now Nansemond County. At this point, about ten miles from Suffolk and near the line of Isle of Wight County, was the Quaker Church built by Robert and Abraham Ricks in 1702.

It is not known exactly in which county Isaac lived, whether in Isle of Wight, or Nansemond County, but very likely he lived near the church, as he was a constant attendant as the records show.

The following transcript is from the publications of the Southern Historical Society. The many changes in spelling the name will be noticed, but it is as written on the church books. Here follows the records from the old church books, which are deposited in Baltimore, Md., for safe keeping;

"Isaac Rickesis and Kathren, his wife, their children nativities as follows:

"Isaac Rickesis, son of afore Is and Kathren was born the seventeenth day of the sixth month in the year 1669."

Willaim Rickesis son of sd Is and Kethren was born on the fifth day of the eighth month, 1670."

"Jno. Rickesis son of sd Is & Kathren was born the thirtieth day of the tenth month, 1672."

"Abraham Rickesis son of sd Is and Kathren was born the third day of the tenth month, 1674."

"Jacob Rickesis son of sd Is and Kethren was born the seventeenth day of the first month 1677."

"Robert Rickesis son of sd Is and Kethren was born the fourteenth day of tenth month, 1679."

"Friends Book of records per mee, Isaac Rickesis in the year 1700."