Ralph Albritton was born in 1656. As a young adult, he lived in York County in Virginia's Tidewater region, on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula, between the York and James Rivers that empty into Chesapeake Bay. Around 1680, Ralph Albritton married a woman named Mary, and the couple settled in the portion of York County designated by the Anglican Church as Charles Parish. Between 1682 and 1700, the parish register recorded the births and deaths of their children.

Despite intense research, details about Ralph Albritton's origins remain elusive. He was probably related to other Albrittons who lived in York County during that era. In particular, although not a son, Ralph may have been a nephew or other close relative of Francis Albritton (or Albrighton) who died in York in April 1667. At present, however, no documentation confirms Ralph's relationship to Francis or to any of the other Albrittons of York County.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Ralph Albritton's descendants spread throughout the South and then westward across the continent, with concentrations in Pitt and Greene Counties, North Carolina, eastern Georgia, Wilcox County, Alabama, and in various locales in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In the 1970s and 1980s, several researchers published genealogies that focused on the descendants of Ralph's grandson, James Albritton Sr. These works included unproven hypotheses proposed as questions for future investigation. Once in print, however, casual researchers often treated these tentative ideas as established fact, fueling widespread inaccuracies in later publications and in the family trees now common on commercial genealogical websites.

This webpage focuses on the descendants of Ralph Albritton during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Its goal is to present accurate, well-documented information on these early Albrittons and to dispel common misconceptions. Because family research is a constantly evolving process, new findings can reshape long-held assumptions. The material presented here reflects the best interpretation of the documentation currently available, though future discoveries may require its revision.

The expertise, advice, and encouragement offered by Annie Crenshaw in prepartion of this Albritton material is greatly appreciated.