Thomas Willoughby came to Norfolk, Virginia in 1610 and received a land grant in around 1625. Willoughby's son, Thomas II, was living there in the 1660s, and legend has it that his wife awoke one morning following a terrific storm (possibly the "Harry Cane" of 1667) to see a point of land in front her home, where there had been only water the night before. The Willoughby family, it is said, were quick to apply for an addendum to the original land grant, giving them ownership of the "new" property. The Willoughby's came to the new world in 1610 on a passenger ship named the Prosperous. They were one of the first settlers in that area. Unfortunately, Thomas Willoughby had only four daughters, so after that the name Willoughby was only carried on in middle names. There are several descendants of the Willoughbys.
