walnut valley plantation was established in 1636 when william newsum, jr. was granted 550 acres of land in surry county, virginia. newsum was an english colonist who had paid for eleven other colonists to travel to virginia, a practice which carried the promise of land from the english crown. for each person whose passage was paid, the colonist who paid for it would receive 50 acres of land. out of the eleven people newsum brought to virginia, he is known to have married three (possibly four) of them. these women were penelope ramsey, sarah fisher, elizabeth wilson, and gertrude. gertrude was newsum's final wife, outliving him.