This chapter probably should have been named after John Choice, who is the earliest known progenitor for this family. However, John is rather a common name in the Choice family, and there is comparatively little information available concerning him. I do not know whether John was the immigrant ancestor for this family. The earliest American record available concerning John refers to his marriage in Accomack County, Virginia, discovered by Hattie (Choice) Schroder (HCS). This was included in Hattie's genealogical notes which were forwarded to me by her daughter, Harriet Choice (Schroder) Earle (CSE) of Greenville, South Carolina, who uses her middle name Choice. Choice also forwarded information concerning her immediate family which appears later in this chapter and on her Family Chart:

The first record is in Accomac, Va., where it is recorded that John Choice married Abigail Tully in 1702, (Wills, Vol.1, Oct. 1972). John Tully came to Virginia about 1646, and the Will of Francis Tully of Princess Ann, Lower Norfolk, Va., is dated March 26th, 1698. It is assumed that the Choices and Tullys came over at the same time.

The wills to which Hattie refers were probably for the State of Virginia. It is my understanding that Accomack County was formed from Northampton County, Virginia. Perhaps further records concerning John's family could be found in Northampton County's Archives. Both Accomack and Northampton Counties are isolated on the southern tip of a peninsula of land which is bordered on the west by Chesapeake Bay, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. It is the type of area in which a seafaring man might locate his home.

But, I do not know John's occupation. According to the book, NAMES ON THE LAND (see bibliography), "Accamack shifted to Northampton in 1643, but a section of it was returned as Accomack twenty years later." Spelling is as it appears in the book.

I assume that the family of John Choice originated in England; some family members think they originated in Wales; others think the family may have belonged to the Quaker religion. The Quakers are an avenue I have never pursued.