Nicholas Gentry I 
1657 - 1735
" The Old Red Coat"

The patriarch of this line, Nicholas Gentry, was born to Samuel and Margaret Drapper Gentry in England.  Whether it was Sussex or Essex is in question as is the exact year of his birth, between the years of 1655 and 1657. 

On December 3, 1676, along with 1,130 other soldiers of King Charles II, Nicholas and his brother Samuel, boarded either of two ships, the "Rose" or " Dartmouth", bound for the american colony of Virginia to help put down the rebellion started by a disgruntal colonist.  One early descendent, Richard Gentry,  referred to the brothers as the " Two Old Red Coats " in his reminisenses of the family history. 

Arriving in America two months later, February 11, 1677, the kings troops found the uprising over and it's leader Nathanial Bacon, dead. See " Bacon Rebellion"
The brothers remained in service of the British throne for another six years, at a place called Mattapony Garrison.

In about 1683 the brothers mustered out of King Charles army. With 6 years back pay, they both acquired land in Jamestown, Virginia.  Land Book records for the Colony of Virginia, lists a patent of land in favor of Samuel Gentry, describing it as being situated in New Kent County, adjacent to the lands of Nicholas Gentry.  This document dated October 21, 1684.
Before the Revolutionary War, The Vestry of the Parish acted in the capacity of the colonies County Courts.  They, in addition to handling spiritual affairs, supervised land boundary disputes, saw to the poor, the roads and etc.  Such records in St. Peter's Parish Vestry book have the following entries for Nicholas :
     1689  Nicholas Gentry was one called to ' remark ye bounds of each man's  land  ( review land boundaries.)
     1701  Nicholas Gentry was paid for having helped with the clothes and  funeral charges of Mable Wood.
     1709  Nicholas Gentry appointed Overseer in keeping roads in order.
     1709  Complaint lodged by Nicholas Gentry
St. Peter's Registrar also lists three children born to Nicholas and Lucy.  They were Nicholas, Elizabeth and Mable.

Old land books of Virginia speak of Nicholas owning land in 1684 near Totopotomoy's Creek.  In 1736 Nicholas was registered a land grant of 400 acres in Hanover or New Kent county, Virginia.

He was married to Lucy CORNELIUS about 1684. This researcher has not taken up Lucy's lineage at this time.  This date is a quesstimate come to by the dates of his discharge and the approximate birth year of his first son.  I do wonder about the 10 year gap between  children, Elizabeth and Nicholas.

Joseph GENTRY        b. abt. 1685
Elizabeth GENTRY     b. 6/29/1689
Nicholas GENTRY II  b. 3/30/1699 d. 2/20/1799
Mable GENTRY         b. 12/3/1702
Samuel GENTRY       b. 1704
James GENTRY        b. 1706
David GENTRY        b. 1708 

The original home of the Gentry's was in the west end of New Kent on Totopotony Creek.  The early Gentry families of Virginia are found in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Hanover & Louisa counties.  The formation dates of Hanover and Louisa counties, show that the family did not move to these counties, or to parishes of the same name, rather these counties moved to them and the parish was the same. 
Hanover County was cut from the western part of New Kent County in 1720, and St. Peter's Parish was in that part of New Kent which was made Hanover County, Virginia.  In 1742 Louisa County was created from the part of Hanover County where the Gentry homestead was located.

Nicholas died in 1736  in Hanover County, Virginia