Proof of early age brides in Northumberland County, VA

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Proof of early age brides in Northumberland County, VA

Legg inn av Gjest » 14 jul 2007 22:20:02

Hi Everyone:

Well, I now present proof that girls were married in Northumberland
County, Virginia at extremely early ages. I did say that I had most of my
research in storage and my husband did pull it all out so that I could provide proof
of my statement that there were cases where girls did marry in Northumberland
County at extremely early ages. We consider it disgusting, but that was the
culture in Northumberland County at that time. You must not assume that because
one part of the colonies had a certain type of culture and values that all of
the colonies were the same. Northumberland and Lancaster Counties were
isolated areas. There were many deaths and they ran out of people to marry, that
is the simple fact of it. Today, we would consider it to be child sexual
abuse. When I first came across mention of girls marrying at extremely young ages,
I thought that it was a mistake, but found that it wasn't. Mr. Preston
Haynie of the Northumberland County Historical Society told me that there was some
type of law/ruling that a girl could marry young and at the age of 12, she
could decide if she still wanted to remain married to her husband. I do not have
documentation of this statement by Mr. Haynie, but that was what I was told.

First, I will start with Jane Presley, first wife of Richard Rogers and then
wife, of Christopher Neale.

Jane Presley, daughter of Peter was born on June 29, 1664, (St. Stephen's
Parish Birth and Death Register, page 136).

Jane Presley married Richard Rogers, (Northumberland County, VA Record Book
22, page 267a-269).

The Rogers children births from the St. Stephen's Parish Birth and Death
Register, page 79: (Not all of the births of the 7 children of Richard Rogers and
Jane Presley were recorded)

John Rogers, son of Richard, born December 18, 1676
William Rogers, son of Richard, born February 12, 1679
Jane Rogers, daughter of Richard, born April 12, 1686.

Richard Rogers died before August 18, 1697, as on that date Jane Rogers and
Thomas Banks (second husband of Elizabeth, sister of Richard) presented his
will to the court (Northumberland County, VA Order Book 1678-1698, page 783).

Jane Presley Rogers married second by February 19, 1697/98, Christopher
Neale, (Northumberland County, VA Order Book 1678-1698, page 814).


Now, for the proof that all of the Rogers children were Jane's. On May 20,
1703, Jane Presley Rogers Neale and her husband, Christopher Neale were granted
administration of the estates of her three deceased children, Richard, John
and Hannah Rogers, (Northumberland County, VA Order Book 1699-1713, page 249).
The son, William appears to have died at an earlier age as there is no
additional mention of him. There were three additional children of Richard and Jane
Rogers: Elizabeth, Jane and Ellen, (Northumberland County Record Book
1718-1726, pages 234-236.)

NOTE: John Rogers was born on December 18, 1676, and died between his
father's death and May 20, 1703, making Jane Presley 12 years old when she gave birth
to John.

Also, this information is also available in "The Farish family of Virginia
and Its Forebears," by John Frederick Dorman, published in 1967, The Rogers
family information starts on page 53, and the reference pages on the Rogers family
start on page 135.

Now, additional proof of early age marriages in Northumberland County, VA.

Jean Parker, daughter to Tolson and Jean was born February 20, 1777, (St.
Stephen's Parish Birth and Death Register, page 139). Jean appears to be the
youngest child.

On June 10, 1788, a marriage license Bond was recorded in the Northumberland
County, VA courthouse as follows: Spencer Mottrom Pickren and Jean Parker, 10
June 1788, consent of Toulson Parker, father of Jean. Richard S. Corbell,
security. (I have seen this marriage bond in the courthouse and it also appears
in "The Marriage License Bonds of Northumberland County, Virginia from 1783 to
1850," listed and indexed by Stratton Nottingham, Genealogical Publishing
Company, Inc. Baltimore, 1976, page 81). Jean was only 11 years old at the time
of her marriage and according to family tradition, she was pregnant at the
time with Jane, my great-great-great grandmother.

Then Toulson Parker's will, written February 9, 1795, proved November 14,
1796, (Northumberland County, VA Record Book #15, 1794-1799, page 331, mentions
all of his living children, which I will not list, in what appears to be the
order of their birth), and following the list of children, his will states:

Grand daughter, Jane P. Pickren-fifteen pounds specie when she arrives to the
age of eighteen years.
To Spencer M. Pickren-one shilling sterling.

Well, now I think that I have made my case. Is this adequate
documentation for you Will? I think that you owe me an apology, Will!!! You need to
stop being so rude. If I say that I have information and will pull it out, I mean
what I say, you can take me at my word.

Joan Burdyck






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