CHAPTER IX Genealogical Data ABSTRACTS OF MARRIAGE BONDS: MINISTERS' RETURNS. THE records of Marriages and of Wills preserve data of the highest historical and genealogical importance to any community. They are the chief public sources of genealogical informa- tion, in the early days of this country. They are, in some aspects, of even greater importance than the records preserved in private family Bibles. Because of either the failure to keep such private records, or their loss, or existence in remote and unknown places, resulting sometimes from the moving and scattering of families, the sole reliance of many for genealogical data is upon the public sources of in- formation. In Lunenburg the will records and deed records are practically intact from the beginning in 1746. In Colonial Days the prospective bridegroom made applica- tion to the Clerk of the County Court for a license to marry. At the time of doing this he entered into what is known as a "Marriage Bond," which was a conditional bond payable to the King. This bond the groom signed along with some person as his surety. It set out the names of the contracting parties, and fre- quently the name of the female party's father or guardian. All such bonds were acknowledged before the Clerk, and filed in the Clerk's office as official papers. Furthermore, during the days of the Established Church the right to perform marriage ceremonies was the exclusive pre- rogative of the parish ministers. In fact, it was contended, and generally admitted, that technically no valid marriage ceremony could be performed except by clergymen of the Established Church. 385 386 THE OLD FREE STATE The Parish Ministers kept Registers of the Marriages they celebrated, as well as of the persons born and those who died within their respective parishes. Sometimes, it seems these books, known as Parish Registers, were regarded as public or semi-public records, belonging to the office rather than to the incumbent of the office, and were passed on to each successor in the office, in order. In other instances, however, it seems that each minister kept his own Register, treated it as his own prop- erty, and presumably took it with him upon removing from the parish. Which course was pursued in the case of Cumberland Parish is not known, but no register for this parish has been found. If any is in existence, its discovery would be an historical and genealogical find of the first importance to this section. Inasmuch as, until the law, hereafter mentioned, providing for the return and recording of certificates showing marriages celebrated, was enacted, the marriage bonds and Parish Registers were the only evidence of a public character of such marriages, and inasmuch as no Parish Register for Cumberland Parish is known to be in existence, the only remaining public source of information respecting marriages in Lunenburg from 1746 to 1781 is the marriage bonds. Unfortunately many of these have been mislaid, lost or destroyed. These early marriage bonds were filed in bundles or packages designated by letters, and the bonds were classified for these bundles according to the first letter of the family name of the groom. Whole bundles for certain periods are missing, and in other cases, it seems certain, many are gone. Abstracts of all such as remain, containing all essen- tial information, have been made, and are embodied herein. Not only are there no records of the marriages celebrated by the Rectors of Cumberland Parish during the Colonial period, but there are no records of the marriages performed by dissent- ing ministers; that there were numbers of such marriages before the enabling act of 1780 seems certain. Indeed that act itself recognized the fact, confirmed such marriages and authorized dis- senting ministers to be licensed to celebrate marriages. Beginning in September, 1781, the marriage records are in bet- ter shape, but even in this improved condition they are far from satisfying. The improvement in the marriage records was due GENEALOGICAL DATA 387 to the act passed in October, 1780,* entitled "An act declaring what shall be a lawful marriage." By the first section of this law it was enacted: "For encouraging marriages and for removing doubts concern- ing the validity of marriages celebrated by ministers, other than [those of] the Church of England, Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that it shall and may be lawful for any minister of any society or congregation of Christians, and for the society of Christians called Quakers and Menonists, to celebrate the rights [sic] of matrimony, and to join together as man and wife, those who may apply to them agreeable to the rules and usage of the respective societies to which the parties to be married respectively belong, and such marriage as well as those heretofore celebrated by dissenting ministers, shall be, and are hereby declared good and valid in law." By Section II, a lawful license or thrice publication of banns in the respective parishes, or congregations was required, except in the case of Quakers and Menonists. The act authorized a fee of 25 pounds of tobacco, and no more to be paid in current money at the rate which shall be settled by the grand jury. Sec. IV of the act required a register of all marriages to be preserved, and required the minister celebrating the same to trans- mit a certificate of every marriage, to the Clerk of the County wherein the marriage was solemnized, within three months there- after, "to be entered upon record by such Clerk, in a book to be by him kept for that purpose, which shall be evidence of such marriage." Sec. V authorized the courts of the different counties to grant "license to dissenting ministers of the gospel, not exceeding the number of four of each sect, in any one county," to perform marriage ceremonies, "within their counties only." By an act of October, 1784,(t) the restriction as to the number of ministers that might be licensed to celebrate marriages was removed, but marriages by itinerant ministers were prohibited. *X Hening, 361-2. (t)XI Hening, 503. 388 THE OLD FREE STATE Section four of the act of 1780 clearly indicated that the legislature intended a separate marriage register to be kept by the Clerk, in which he was to enter the certificates of marriages returned by the ministers, who were required to make return of every marriage celebrated within three months after the cere- mony. But neither was a separate book provided, nor did the ministers regularly make their returns as the law provided. They seem to have made the returns when the spirit moved them; at least such was the case with some who made returns of mar- riages one and even two years after the event, while others were quite prompt and regular in so doing. Furthermore, they seem to have paid no great attention to the provision of the law which restricted the right to perform marriage ceremonies to the coun- ties within which they resided. Many of the ministers, quite clearly it appears, made up their returns from memory, often omitting dates, and sometimes reporting the same marriage twice, but with discrepancies as to date and initials or other details. The ministers' certificates when returned were recorded pro- miscuously in various books, principally will books, and few of the lists are referred to in the Indices, and no effort is made to index the names of the contracting parties. To compile a list of the marriages therefore, it has been necessary to search through these volumes page by page and copy the certificates of the various ministers, and bring these together and compile the list of each from the various certificates recorded from time to time. Valuable as these lists are, they in no instance give more than the names of the contracting parties and the date. The law did not require and the ministers did not report the names of the parents of the contracting parties. Both the marriage bonds and the ministers' returns of mar- riages celebrated are sources of genealogical information of the first importance, and they supplement each other in such way, that while there is some duplication, in producing both lists, it is regarded as the safer course to pursue. The abstracts of the marriage bonds are as prepared and cer- tified by the Clerk; while the ministers' lists of marriages per- formed are carefully compiled from certified copies of all the GENEALOGICAL DATA 389 separate returns made by the ministers. The Clerk of the County, Mr. Yates, has prepared for the writer certified copies of every return made by ministers of marriages celebrated from the forma- tion of the county down to 1851. It is from these certified copies, now in the writer's possession, that the lists have been compiled in the form in which they appear herein. "The following are abstracts of marriage bonds covering the foundation of Lunenburg County until 1850. The bonds do not give the names of parents, dates of marriage, or ages of parties. Name of Husband Name of Wife Name of Surety Date James Farmer Elizabeth Harding George Farmer 4/15/1794 James Clayton Milley Murrell Bailey George 3/30/1792 Benjamin Evans Elizabeth Weatherford Joseph Weatherford 8/ 9/1791 Joseph Eddings Elizabeth Kirk Jas. Kirk ll/16/1790 Asa Cabaniss Sally Brown Francis Brown 7/ 7/1788 Lewis Cantalow Alice Crymes John Glenn 4/ 9/1784 Edward Eppes Elizabeth Cobb John Robertson l0/ 8/1787 Thomas Eggleston Ann Watson Richard Wilton 9/10/1763 Matthew Crenshaw Polly Fears James Griffin 1792 Littlebury Ellis Mary Barnes Jonathan Zachary 1/26/1785 Edward O. Chambers Amy Hurt William White 1/ 8/1796 Edward Elam Jenny Pamplin John Pamplin 5/12/1791 Bartlett Estes Susana Estes Thomas Estes 1/13/1791 Richard Claiborn Mary Cook Henry Cook 7/ 4/1786 Shem Cook Nancy Moss John Hawkins l1/17/ 88 John Cook Elizabeth Cousins Jeremiah Glenn 3/13/1778 William Gober Lucy Campbell George Campbell 4/18/1785 Tyree Glenn Rachel Moon William Glenn 5/12/1785 Lewis Evans Ann Callihan Nicholas Callihan 5/11/1788 James Garrott Polly Johnson Caleb Jackson 9/ 8/1796 William Garrott Nancy Talley Wm. Farguson 1/ 3/1797 John Gosee Elizabeth Tucker Robt. Davis 2/16/1796 David Jerrott Judy Mizes Drury Alien 12/10/1786 Cannon Jones Green Elizabeth Goodwyn Blackwell Joel Blackwell 8/15/1796 Ewen Cameron Francis Buford Duncan Cameron 12/16/1797 Thomas Cheatham Polly Rolette Field Clark ll/21/1797 Ashley Davis Mary Cross James Trotter 12/17/1785 John Glenn Sarah Bacon Wm. Taylor 7/12/1770 James Dismang Dolly Wright Parsons Wright 1/ 2/1790 Nathaniel Garrett Pleaner Hight David Garland 3/20/1770 William Crenshaw Sarah Hight Julius Hight 2/ 9/1790 390 THE OLD FREE STATE Name of Husband Name of Wife Name of Surety Date Henry Collier May Cooke Michael McKee 8/11/l776 Travers Elder Sally Skinner Charles Gee 12/22/1790 Thomas Estes Ann Buford William Ragsdale 5/25/1791 James Crafton Francis Staples John Crafton 12/10/1778 Daniel Crenshaw Nancy Jennings James Jennings 6/11/1789 James Eastham Anne Farmer Richard Claiborn 4/24/1768 Elam Farmer Polly Harding Robert Harding 9/10/1795 Lodowick Farmer Betsy Knight William Tayler lO/l1/1787 James Farguson Mary Parrish William Parrish 12/17/1792 John Folkes Nancy Newby John Newby 9/13/178- Anthony Griffin Susannah Crenshaw Jeremiah Terry 1/14/1795 Mark Evans Winifred Andrews Peter Andrews 12/12/l795 Benjamin Gee Bridgett Gee Nathan Gee 2/20/1793 Ambrose Ellis Sicily Stokes Henry Stokes 10/12/1769 Daniel Gunn Jemima Winn B. Snead ll/ 9/1786 George Cole Mary S. Crafton John Crafton 11/ 9/1797 Wm. Dozer Elizabeth Stokes Wm. Hunley 1775 Wm. Carter Mary Scott Robert Scott 6/10/l779 David Callahan Katy Hightower Richard Hightower 11/ 9/1786 Robert Dixon Anne Bacon Bartlett Anderson 10/30/1764 Jeremiah Glenn Anne Blagrove Edward Jordan, Jr. 1/28/1765 Charles Gee Sally Wilson Jesse Gee 3/12/1787 Peter Eppes Peggy Baker Cowan Phillip W. Jackson 5/ /1793 William Farley Martha Bailey Wm. Rucks ll/ 9/1780 John Granger Agness Roberts Henry Gill 2/21/1781 Jonathan Epperson Sarah Parrish Wm. Parrish 12/28/1789 James Eubank Sally Thompson Johnson Wood 12/14/1797 Thomas Estes Ann Wilson Benjamin Estes 12/13/1792 Martin Elam Mary Philips Edward Waller 6/ 9/1775 Ben Reives Calis Mary Pinnell Wm. Gee 7/21/1763 John Christian Elizabeth Moore Wm. Christian 2/18/1772 James Cordegill Mary Ann Johnson Christopher Billups 6/ 9/1785 William Farguson Dolly Garrett Wm. Garrett 12/17/1795 Godfrey Clark Mary Pollard James Harris 3/12/1789 Horatio Farguson Rebecca Dicks Wm. Dicks 12/20/1785 Shadrick Clarke Rebecca Crymes Thos. Crymes l2/11/1788 John Cunningham Mary Hill Pettipool Edward Jordan l2/ 2/1771 John Calliham Nanny Jarrett Peter Jarrett 4/ 2/1792 Theodowick Carter Sally Ealbank Jacob Royster ll/10/1763 John Carelon Sarah Moore Jeffrey Murrell 12/19/1778 William Degraffenreidt Elizabeth Robertson Joseph Jeter l2/ 2/1772 Sherwood Callaham Mary Ussery John Ussery l0/ 3/1786 Henry Davis Nancy Fullerlove Sam Ward l2/11/1786 John Christopher Nancy Ussery Samuel Ussery 12/19/1787 GENEALOCICAL DATA 391 Name of Husband Name of Wife Name of Surety Date Abraham Cocke Agnes May Thos. Chambers 4/11/1767 David Garland Lucy Sturdivant John Moody 3/24/1792 George Farmer Nancy Farmer James Farmer 5/ 8/1794 Thrower Freeman Jincey Cabaniss Hamlin Freeman ll/ 7/1797 William Ellis Sarah Briggs Chappell Obed Clay 2/ 1/1780 Herbert George Sarah Hill Thomas Taylor 12/21/1785 John Farmer Nancey Crymes Leonard Crymes 9/14/1797 Jeremiah Farmer Polly Knight John Knight 8/16/1788 Seth Farley Sarah Crafton William Crafton 2/ 3/1778 Thomas Fears Elizabeth Toombs Philip Rowlett 3/11/1784 Peter Edwards Patsey K. Fisher Thomas Edwards 7/18/1797 Gideon Flournoy Gracey Tarry Samuel Tarry l2/ 2/1786 Clement Freeman Elizabeth Malone Robert Hamlin 12/29/1786 Wright Gregory Margaret Bragg John Bragg 11/13/1794 Thomas George Betty Wrenn David Abernathy 2/27/1783 Charles Gee Lizzie Skinner Sam Skinner 9/15/1789 Matthew Green Ann Downing William Downing 7/ 3/1775 Lod. Farmer, Jr. Elizabeth Herring Benjamin Farmer 10/27/1779 Benjamin Estes, Jr. Jeane Hawkins John Wrenn 1/22/1796 John Estes Mary Estes John White 1/23/1778 Coleman Edmundson Francis Bowers Sanford Bowers 9/ 8/1790 Matthew Estes Martha Hawkins William Wrenn lO/19/1795 Hamlin Freeman Lucy Hazlewood Samuel Ussery 3/27/1797 James Griffin Christian Crenshaw Daniel Crenshaw 1/ 4/1785 Thomas Ferguson Hanah Binkle Daniel Taylor 3/12/1787 Joseph Gregory, Jr Peggy Evans Joseph Gregory 5/ 8/1780 Anthony Fullerlove Nancy Thaxton Wm. Thaxton 1/12/1787 William T. Garland Martha Broadnax Edwin Broadnax 12/29/1786 James Foster Susanna Wells Thomas Reed Batchellor Spinster Roderick Gordan Susanna Stokes Ellis Jonathan Zackary l2/21/1787 Thomas Crafton Mary Sammons James Sammons 2/10/1785 Matthew Callahan Molly Callahan John Ussery 12/22/1797 Thomas Crenshaw Sarah Potters Jno. Patterson 8/10/1786 John Davis Sophiah Barnes Richard Clayton l2/12/1786 Jeremiah George Sarah Callaham John Ritchie 9/22/1787 James Glenn Mourning Winn Samuel Winn l2/ 4/1789 Asa Grisham Elizabeth Hudson William Hudson ll/ /1785 John Crafton Sally Staples Thomas Staples 2/ 9/1787 Francis P. Cornell Elizabeth Russell Richard Russell l/ll/1786 Lewis Caudle Crisy Taylor Benjamin Moore 12/30/1787 Henry Embry Ann Peterson John Ragsdale 3/31/1780 Edmund Gregory Fanny Boswell W. Boswell 10/13/1785 392 THE OLD FREE STATE Name of Husband Name of Wife Name of Surety Date Roger Gregory Frances Long Drury Daniel 3/30/1776 Coalman Green Nancy Crymes D. Green 6/14/1792 Dyer Phillips Lotty Hurt Moses Hurt, Jr 7/18/1781 Robert Phillips Lucy Meanly John Kirk 8/ 8/1793 Anthony Phillips Lillian Buford Thomas Walker 3/26/1779 Joseph Peace Elizabeth Bishop Garrett Mason Garrett 2/ 7/1791 William Peasley Lucy Sanders Richard Swepson ll/ 8/1764 Drury Ragsdale Elizabeth Sturdivant Joseph Dunnavant 1/30/1790 Joshua Ragsdale Leniza Maddox John Ragsdale 12/ 2/l789 Thomas Rudd Elizabeth Ingram Sylvanus Walker 3/ 6/1783 Hardy Bose Petty Brooks Minor Winn 12/25/1792 Charles Rudder Lucretia Matthes John Matthes 8/15/1785 Matthews Potter Hannah Willson Vallentine Brown 2/12/1795 Matthew J. Rowlett Elizabeth Potter Stephen Johnson 1/ 6/1794 Elisha Rhodes Sally Perritt Joel Perritt 12/28/1785 John Richardson Elizabeth Gunn Daniel Winn 12/21/1795 William Pettypool Katherine Moore Ussery Moore 8/ 2/1794 Seth Pettypool Elizabeth Ladd Thomas Ladd 1/28/1792 James Robertson Charity Tatom Frederick Nance 1/ 8/1794 John Robertson Molly Weatherford Benjamin Weatherford 7/27/1781 Isham Pettypool Rhody Bowers John Bowers 4/ 8/1795 John Pettypool Lucy Clarke Benjamin Clarke 2/11/l790 Richard Ragsdale Rebecca Pollard William Burchett 11/ 5/1785 Henry Pettypool Jenny Green John Richie 10/11/1788 John Ragsdale Martha Gee Nathan Gee 12/18/1792 Benjamin Ruckes Carranham Crafton Seth Farley 4/14/1785 John Pittman Sally Farmer Jeffry Murrell 3/ 9/1787 Thomas Pike Elizabeth Haymore John Taylor 3/20/1786 John Ragsdale Sally Scarberry Wm. Ragsdale 12/25/1783 David Ragsdale Frances Brammer Richard Hite 12/26/l781 James Radford Anne Shelburne William Bush 7/ 5/1789 Archibald Philberd Susanna Nance Hezekiah Philberd 9/ 9/1796 Sterling Neblett Betsy Coleman Edward Ragsdale 9/23/1797 John Parrish Lucy Bundle James Parrish 12/22/1790 William Pegram Agnes Rhodes William Rhodes 1/29/1779 Lewis Page Sally Justice Daniel Justice 2/13/1778 John Ragsdale Mary Jones Thomas Garland l2/ 3/1792 William Richards Carmin Lester Bryant Lester l0/ 9/1788 James Nance Martha Sammons Wm. Degraffenreidt 3/11/1791 John G. Newbill Susanna Parham Thomas Newbill 10/14/1795 Jno. Northington Mary C. Booker Jonathan Booker 11/30/1795 Frederick Nance Susanna Christopher Thomas Starke 9/27/1775 John Nash, Jr Anna Tabb James Tabb 11/ 1/1780 GENEALOGICAL DATA 393 Name of Husband Name of Wife Name of Surety Date William Neblett Sally Love Sterling Neblett 4/18/1792 John Roberts Rebecca Sammons James Sammons ll/l2/1789 John Ragsdale Sacience Williams William Taylor 5/ 4/1780 Philip Roberts Elizabeth Davis Nevil Gee 1/ 2/1796 John Roberts Susanna Pettus Wm. Hatchett 1/21/1788 William Pulley Lucy Thompson David Thompson l0/ 4/1790 William Pennington Delphia Smithson Wm. Walker 11/25/1780 Samuel Overthroe Elizabeth Gill John Moody 2/ 8/1796 John Ritchie Patty Green Menry Pettypool 11/22/1788 Joseph Ragsdale Sarah Shelburne Richard Ragsdale 11/l7/1791 Freeman Harper Reese Fanny Brown Wm. Brown 1/23/1797 George Phillips Ann Brown Robert Blackwell 2/ 9/1768 John Russell Pheby Hudson Stephen Smith 6/30/1787 Christopher Robertson Constant Edmundson Wm. Taylor 3/22/1787 Buckner Overby Sally Hudgins John Riggins 12/29/1787 Taylor Oldham Polly Cabaniss John Bishop 11/26/1788 Benjamin Organ Susannah Edmundson William Neblett 2/21/1792 James Old Louisa Tucker Nelson Tucker 2/ 2/1796 Samuel Peace Betsy S. Jones Lemuel Jones l0/l1/1797 Edward Rudder Cincy Chambers Chambers 12/17/1787 Peter Reaves Ann Tucker Daniel Clay 2/22/1793 Soloman Newby Willey Fowlkes John Fowlkes l0/ 8/1789 Thomas Newbill Gracey Powell John Powell 11/12/1795 Freeman Overby Amey Hambey John Taylor 7/ 2/1785 James Parrish Pattey Dixon James Laffoon 3/27/1791 James Parrish Mary Taylor John Parrish 3/25/1788 Joel Parrish Susannah Maury Metcalfe De- Graffenreidt 5/16/1788 Davis Paylor Sally Tombs Wm. Tombs ll/ 9/1786 John Parker Jenny Wright Julius Hite 4/ 8/1797 Charles Parrish Jenney Williams Thomas Ussery 2/ 9/1789 Charles Patterson Regina DeGraffenreidt Tscharner De- Graffenreidt 4/30/1785 John Parrish Nancy Landrum Richard Landrum 2/30/1785 John Beevers Frances Willson Abraham Estes ll/ 1/1790 Thos. Neathery Mary Wells Jesse Wells 2/11/1796 John Norvell Polly Booth Nathaniel Booth 9/25/1795 William Neal Eleanor Neal William Scott 12/20/1785 James Pugh Nancy George William Wrenn 2/19/1784 Peter Potts Gracy Broadway Robert Manden 11/l3/1793