Poindexter Descendants Association

The surname Poingdestre seems to be indeginous to the Bayeux district of Normandy as early as the 1100's A.D. In the 1300's it appears in records on the Isle of Jersey less than 20 miles west of the Normandy coast. Our immigrants to America came from Jersey and France. Today many Poindexters in America descend from George Poingdestre (born Jersey 1627), who arrived in the Colony of Virginia in 1657. He first settled in Middle Plantation (Williamsburg) and received a land grant Gloster County in Virginia. Later, with his wife Susannah, he built his plantation home, Criss Cross (or Christ's Cross), which still stands, located midway between Williamsburg and Richmond in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia.

Another Poindexter immigrant arrived from France in the 1700's and has living descendants in the U.S. Another Poingdestre was a seaman or fisherman tha settled in the matitime islands of Canada. The pronounciation of his surname had changed, possibly due to his occupation or the heavy Scottish accents of the Newfoundland peoples. He and his descendants use Puddester as their surname. At least one more Poingdestre came to New England and his descendants use Pendexter as their surname. It is believed that however spelled, they all descend from the branches in Jersey.

The Poingdestre family has held many leading offices in Jersey since medieval times. The family held a fief on the island since the 1300's until the 1800s. George Poindexter was a member of the fief branch of the family in Jersey. Over the past few hundred years, many Poingdestre's have emigrated to other lands, including England, Scottland, Canada, New Zealand, France, Australia, and South Africa, not mention the United States.

Please explore our web site, especially the Family History Section. If you are a descendant or are researching this family, consider joining our association and share with other members also researching the family's history. If you are a male with the Poindexter surname, you may want to participate in our DNA project. Members have access to our password protected area that includes a membership directory, past newsletters and the bylaws.