<h3>Information about Colonel Thomas Avent</h3>
<p><img class="caption" src="images/stories/signature_avent_thomas.jpg" border="0" alt="Thomas Avent Signature" title="Thomas Avent" align="left" />"This surname, like so many, has been spelled in many ways.  Variants have included Aven, Avens, Avert, Avin, Avings, Avint, Avente, Avante, Advant, Advent, Event and even Evans!  There may have been  other spellings, but they all refer to the same family, which was one of the important land-holding and slave-owning families of Colonial Virginia."  David Avent, Tallahassee, FL.</p>
<p>A letter dated 30 September 1969 from Herbert A. Elliot, Registrar of "The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia: to Mrs. Travis H. Clark, R. 1, box 28, Moorehead, MS, 38761 states, "I know of no proof that Colonel Thomas Avent was of Huguenot descent, in fact, all available evidence indicates that he was not."  Another letter from Mr. Elliot to Mrs. Clark dated 14 November 1970 states, "I have examined the Avent record you left with me Sunday before last as presented by the Nanticoke Chapter to the NSDAR 1 March 1948.  [These are the five pages of charts drawn by John Smith Avant, which on page one state Joseph Avent was born in France and descended from the Conde, Freeman and Bartlett lines.]  An example of inaccuracy in the papers you left with me, the names given are all English names and no French names.  This paper has Joseph Avant born in Brunswick County, Virginia Colony August 24, 1720..  Officially there was no Brunswick County until 1732.  A check of the records of Albemarle county did not list the name of Avant or any variation of the name.  chronologically the Virginia and French references contained on page one of the records are perfect, but historically, they are completely inaccurate...I do not know who compiled the records or the source from which they are taken, but I suspect that this is the work of Sandy Miller...it is a complete fake."  This same opinion was independently reached by Charles H. Hamlin about a year later.  English genealogist, P. WIlson Coldham comes to the same conclusion.</p>
