Abstracts of Marriage License Bonds (1772-1792)- York County, Virginia Lyon G. Tylor William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol. 1, No. 1. (Jul., 1892), pp. 48-59. pg. 48 Abstract of Marriage License bonds. On File In York County Clerk's Office. __________ Made by the Editor. __________ In the absence of regular statistics on the subject, probably there is no better way of arriving at a knowledge of the capacity of a people to read and write than is afforded by the old mar- riage license bonds, which the great and the low had equally to sign preparatory to an entrance on the marriage state. I give here the names of partied to such bonds in York County, from 1772 to 1792, and the witnesses, indicating by a mark those in- capable of writing: (1) 28th Dec., '72. A. Purdie to marry Peachy Davenport; security, Thos. Everard. 23d Jan., '72. Edwd. Watts to marry Mary Abercrombie. 17th March, '72. R. Brown to marry Mary Tomkins; se- curity, D. Thompson. 6th Feb., '72. William Patrick to Lucy Curtis, dau. of Edmond Curtis; security, Nicholas Presson; witness, William Russell. 8th Jan., '72. Thos. Powell to Mary Hobday; security, John Moss. 8th Dec., '72. John Moreland to Fanny Stroud; security, Joseph Stroud; witness, Ro. Ruffin, Jr. 18th November, '72. Ant'y Geoghegan to Martha Lavia. wido; security, Rich. Charlton; witnesses, James Galt, James Nicholas. 21st Dec., '72. Lewis Loyd to Anne Moss; security, Thos. Smith. __________ (1) The frequency with which the names of Thomas Everard and Robert H. Waller appear as witnesses is due to the fact that they were Clerks of the Court. Page 49 15th Oct., '72, Robert Howard to Elizabeth Curtis, spin- ster; security, Edmund Chisman. 28th Mar, '72. Thomas Powell to Elizabeth, Digges; se- curity, John Jameson; witness, John Brown. 24th March. John Brown to Anne Geddy; security, Will Russell; witness, John C. Littlepage. 10th Feb., '72. Willis Walker, x his mark, to Sarah Hun- ter; security, Joseph Hughes, x his mark; withness, Thos. Everard. 14th May, '72. Rueben Lilburn to Elizabeth Presson; se- curity, Nicholas Presson; witness, Thos. Everard. 11th Feb., '72. Wm. Moody, Jr., to Barbary Bryan; se- curity, William Moody; witness, Thos. Everard. 22d April, '72. Sanford Pallison to Eliza Bryan; security, William Moody. 10th Oct., '72. Richard Deadman to Mary Ware, widow; security, Wallis Lennox. 5th Sept., '72. Ransone Foster to Elizabeth Coman; se- curity, Thomas Brammer. 21st Jan., '72. William Gunter to ______; security, Thomas Russell; witness, William Digges, Jun. 15th May, '72. Wm. Simmons to Ann Blasingham; secur- ity, John Blasingham, x his mark; withness, Thos. Everard. 15th March, '73. Wm. Cary to Sarah Dudley; security, Will Russell. 18th March, '73. James Dudley to Lydia Hill, spinster; security, Chas. Hausford. 7th January, '73. John Moss to Sarh Gibbons; security, L. Smith; witness, Will Russell. 13th January, '73. William Robinson to Frances Williams, spinster; security, Peter Robinson; witness, Jno. Robinson. 13th April, '73. John Richardson to Elizabeth Hayes; se- curity, Jno. Sorrell. 8th April, '73. Stephen Mitchell to Margaret Maitland, pg. 50 dau. of Alexander Maitland; security, Henry Mann; witness, Thomas Everard. 18th Feb., '73. Allen Jones to Lucy Moss; security, James Southall. 9th Feb., '73. James Nicholls to Elizabeth Wyatt secur- ity, James Galt. 15th Oct., '73. Pennuel Penny to Mary Burfoot; security, Edward Allen; witness, William Russell. 2d Dec., '73. James Moir to Elizabeth Diddip; security, Archie Diddip. 29th January, '74. Thomas Presson, junior, to Susanna Patrick; security, Curtis Patrick. 20th Oct., '74. Robert Nelson, brother of Thomas Nelson, jr., to Mary Grymes, spinster; security, Thomas Everard. 4th Feb., '74. James Davis to Elizabeth Fuller, spinster; security, Harry Lee; witness, Thos. Everard. 12th July, '74. John Baptist to Betty Whitaker; security, Willian Inge. 16th Dec., '74. Thomas Orsell to Catharine Blasingham; security, John Blasingham, x his mark. 13th January, '74. Richard Garrett to Mary Morland; se- curity, John Morland. 29th Aug., '74. Thomas Cowles to Elizabeth Crawley, spinster; security, John Crawley, enclosing a neat note by Sarah Camp to the clerk, as guardian of Elizabeth Crawley. Witnessed by Jesse Cogbill, Edward Walker. 23rd Sept., '75. Starkey Robinson to Ann Mennis; security, Thomas Everard. 11th Jan., '75. Beverly Randolph to Martha Cocke; secur- ity, James Cocke. 23d May, '75. Thomas Gibbons to Martha Lester, spin- ster, dau. of Benjamin Lester, deceased; security, Stephen Mitchell, enclosing a note in a beautiful hand by Thos. Archer of Yorktown. Page 51 16th Oct., '75. Ambrose Jackson to Mary Cobb; security, Ben. Valentine. 23d March, '75. Charles Graves to Molly Powell; security, Peter Powell; witness, Thomas Everard enclosing a note in a neat hand-writing from Wm. Graves. 25th May, '75. Thos. Skinner to Elizabeth Ryan: security, Serafino Fornicola; witness, Thos. Everard. 3d April, '75. Wm. Bowen to Mary Rudder, spinster; se- curity, Thos. Skinner. 6th Oct., '75. Isaac Winfrey to Mary Graves. 7th June, '74. Nathan Yancy to Sarah Wingham security, Thos. Mallicote. 16th Dec., '76. W. Hunter to Eliza Hunter Davenport, dau. of Joseph Davenport; security, Thos. Everard. 4th March, '76. Chas. McFadden to Jane Lyppetit; se- curity, Samuel Barton. 1st July, '77. Wm. Mallory to Martha Sweney, widow; se- curity, John Hardyman. 15th Dec., '77. John McClary to Sarah Hansford; secur- ity, Thomas Everard. 8th Feb., '77. J. J. Cuthbert of the state of Georgia to Catharine Blair, widow, of this county; security, James Hub- ard; witness, Ben. Waller. 24th November, '77. Wm. Howard to Ann Chisman: se- curity, Thomas Everard. 22d April, '77. Thomas Badget, x his mark, to Sarah Mil- ler; security, David Brooks. 26th Feb., '77. Samuel Major to Ann Timson. daughter of Samuel Timson; security, Thomas Everard. 12th May, '77. Henry Howard to Martha Sclater, widow; security, Thomas Russell. 3d Feb., '78. Chidly Wade to Ann Kerby; security, Wil- liam Kerby. 3d Feb., '78. Harry Charles to Frances Kerby, dau. of William Kerby; security, Chidley Wade; witness, Jacob Bruce. Page 52 31st March, '78. William Meade to Elizabeth Boweles; se- curity, Thomas Brister. 3d July, '78. Benj. Lester to Sarah Hansford; security, Whitehead Lester. 25th April, '78. Mallory Todd to Anne Robinson; secur- ity, Thos. Everard. 28th April, '78. William Baker, x his mark, to Rebecca Boweles; security, Pinkethman Musgrove, x the mark of Pink- ethman Musgrove. 15th July, '78. Pinkethman Musgrove, x his mark, to to Elizabeth Holloway, widow; security, Dudley Jones, x his mark. 20th Jan., '78. Edward Boatwell to Frances Parsons; se- curity, James Parsons. 31st Jan., '78. William Meade to Elizabeth Bowles; se- curity, William Meed. 29th Jan., '78. John Williams, x his mark to Alice Banks; security, Randolph Moss. 16th April, '78. Zohn Glenn to Margaret Cunningham; security, Thomas Skinner. 28th Feb. '78. Aug. Davis to Martha Davenport; secur- ity, John Barret. 22d March, '84. Gideon Johnston to Frances Moore, widow; security, John Sclater. 18th Decemeber, '84. William Balsom to Mary Davenport; security, Penuel Penney. 19th May, '84. Wyatt Coleman to Mary M. Shields; se- curity, Richardson Taylor. 8th November, '84. Wm. Roane to Frances Burt, spinster; security, James Vaughan. 17th May, '84. Robert Armistead of Elizabeth City to Hannah Patrick, spinster; security, Wm. Smith, witness, H. Nicholson. 18th Dec., '84. Thomas Hansford to Elizabeth Lilburne, widow; security, Merritt Moore. Page 53 29th Oct., '85. Lewis Charles to Mary Allen; security, Robert Moreland. 1st Sept., '84. John Sandwich Terry to Mary Ellis, spin- ster: security, William Ellis. 13th Dec., '84. John Russell to Martha Howard, spinster; security, Robert Sheild; witness, R. Waller. 25th March, '85. John Chapman, Jr., to Mary Ellis; se- curity, Daniel Ellis. 29th Nov., '84. James Hughes to Ann Stanhope, spinster; security, Philip Bullifant. 30th July, '84. Harman Plitt to Lucy Cole, spinster; se- curity, William Cole, Jr. Jacques Daumas to Mary Smith, spinster; security, Peter Armadon. 22d Dec., '85. William Coleman to Elizabeth Holt, spin- ster; security, Wm. Holt; witness, R. H. Waller. 12th March, '85. William Long, x his mark, to Mary Hubbard; security, Wm. Mahone; witness, R. H. Waller. 7th Sept., '85. William Stroud to Susanna Cooke; secur- ity, Thos. Wharton. 22d Sept., '85. William Hardrick to Ann goodwin; se- curity, John Moss. 10th Dec., '85. Thos. White, x his mark, to Sally Davis; security, Wm. Mahone; witness, R. H. Waller. 20th June, '85. Thomas Hunt to Sally Langster, orphan of Enoch Langster; security, Robt. Manson. 31st Jan., '85. Thomas Dawson to Mary Garrow, daughter of John Garrow; security, John Elliott. 25th Aug., '85. Samuel Booth to Anne Harris, spinster; security. William Long, x his mark. 21st Dec., '85. Richard Booker to Ann Major, widow; se- curity, N. W. Nicholson. 18th July, '85. Kinchin Stacy to Margaret Mason, spin- ster; security, John Stacy. Page 54 22d Feb., '85. Henry Watkins to Mary Freeman, spinster; security, Thos. Hunt. 18th Feb., '85. William Cole, Jr., to Mary Hubbard, widow; security, John Cole. 11th Nov., '85. Francis Lee, Jun., to Rachel Baptist, spin- ster; security, Edward Baptist. 21st Dec., '85. Hawkins Reade to Elizabeth Pescud, widow; security, James Davis. 21st May, '85. Benjamin Powell, Jr., to Nancy Cobb, spin- ster; security, Charles Graves. 1st Aug., '85. John Jacob Oteer, to ________ _____; security, John C. Druidt. 21st Feb., '86. John Moss to Mary Holmes, widow; secur- ity, Thomas Newman. 15th Dec., '85. Will Russell to Mary Campbell, spinster; security, Benj. Waller. 11th Oct., '85. Boaz Booth to Francis Harrison, spinster; security, Moody Barham. 15th Jan., '86. Philip Bidgood to Margaret Randall, widow; security, George Safony. 4th Feb., '86. Charles Copland to Rebecca Nieolson; se- curity, Robert Nicholson; witness, Wm. T. Allen. 20th Feb., '76. Francis Charlton to Mary Powell; secur- ity, Lawrence Gibbons. 14th April, '86. Warner Lewis to Sarah Shay; security, John Shay, x his mark; witness, William T. Allen. 22d April, '86. Colin Campbell Wells to Agatha Dicken- son, spinster; security, Philip Bidgood; witness, R. H. Waller. 19th April, '86. Edm'd Monday, x his mark, to Mary Hill, widow; security, William Jones; witness, R. H. Walker. 10th April, '86. John Moody to Mary Dickeson Chapman, spinster; security, Walter Chapman; witness, R. H. Waller. 19th Nov., '87. Wm. Jordan, x his mark, to Mary Wood, spinster; security, Thomas Newman; witness Ro. Saunders. Page 55 17th April, '86. James Stevens to Rebecca Baptist, spin- ster; security, John Moss, Jr; witness, Edward Power. 18th Dec., '86. James Dixon, Jr., to Elizabeth Cary Mills; security, John Chisman; witness, R. H. Waller. 27th Nov., '86. Robert Patrick, son of William Patrick, to Mary Curtis, daughter of Edmund Curtis; security, Thos. Charles. 6th March, '86. Thos. Minson to Sarah Curtis; security, Henry Curtis. 8th May, '86. Edward Power, son of John Power, to Frances Bryan; security, Fred'k Bryan. 5th Dec., '95. Pierre Gordett, x his mark, to Pruden Blackstone, widow; security, William Clutherdale. 10th June, '86. Anthony Peters, x his mark, to Ann Car- ter, spinster; security, James Ashly, x his mark. 20th June, '86. Thos. Breud to Elizabeth Ratcliffe; secur- ity, David Morton. 13th July, '86. Richard Mears to Anne Penny; security, William Carter; witness, William T. Allen. 18th Sept., '86. Thomas Holloway to Amey Morris, spin- ster; security, B Dedman. 18th Sept. Claude Vial, of the county of Hanover, to Rose Lilly Powell; security, R. H. Waller. 18th Dec., '86. Johnson Mallory Ross to Mary Lester, spinster; security, John Hoy. 2nd May, '86. John Taylor, x his mark, to Elizabeth Moore, spinster; security, Minotree Orrell. 26th Dec., '86. Edward Brooks to Lucy Jackson; security, Philip Bidgood. 10th Dec., '86. Richard Brown to Rachel Warrington, spinster; security, James Southall. 15th Nov., '86. Robert Gillett, x his mark, to Sarah Cast- ley; security, William Richardson, x his mark; witness, Wm. T. Allen. Page 56 15th Nov., '86. Alexander Kevan to Felix Scouvement; se- curity, David Morton. 9th May, '86. George Williams to Elizabeth Hill; secur- ity, Colin C. Willis. 21st Dec., '87. James Hill, Jun., to Sally Graves; secur- ity, Juxon Saunders. 7th Nov., '87. Higginson Lee to Elizabeth Wynne, daugh- ter of Thos. Wynne; security, Humphry Harwood, of York County. 21st May, '87. James Williams, x his mark, to Rachael Roberts; security, Rich'd Hansford. 10th Nov., '87. Abraham Cuttiller, x his mark, to Mary Francis, spinster; security, Robt. Gillet, x his mark; witness, William T. Allen. 7th Dec., '87. Jno. Harris of Gloster, to Frances Tyrie of Yorktown, widow; security, John Moss; witness. R. H. Waller. 21st June, '88. Gerard Roberts to Elizabeth Baptist; se- curity, Wm. H. Baptist. 15th Oct., '87. Allen Chapman, bond as guardian of Ann Elizabeth, William, Mary and Charlotte Palmer, orphans of Ben. Palmer; securities, John A. Rogers and Thos. Powell. 17th January, '88. Matthew Peters, x his mark, to Mildred Peters; security, Absalom Hubbard; witness, Wm. T. Allen. 28th May, '88. Kemp Charles to Elizabeth H. Cosby, spinster; security, Edw'd Charles. 7th May, '88. John Grant to Sarah Newman; security, Benjamin Moss. 24th Aug., '87. William Henley to Polly Taylor; security, Matthew Moody; witness. G. Dunlevy. 20th June, '87. John Daingerfield to Frances Southall; James Southall. 1st Feb'y. '88. Thomas Powell to Mary Patrick, spinster; security, Robert Patrick. 6th July, '87. Adam Craig to Mary Mallory, daughter of William Mallory of Poquoson; security, Will. Russell. Page 57 March, '87. Silvanus Prince to Elizabeth Myers, widow; security, Jno. Prince. 24th Dec., '87. John Campbell to Elizabeth Wright, daughter of Benjamin Wright of Yorkhampton parish; security, Thos. Dawson. 20th Aug., '88. Wm. Moore, x his mark, to Frances Bap- tist, security, William Drewry. 14th March, '87. Peter Powell to Sarah Timson; security, Charles H. Graves. 15th March, '87. William Throckmorton, x his mark, to Elizabeth Phillips; security, Harwood Burt, Jr. 22nd March, '87. Martin Goodwin to Elizabeth Goodwin; security, John Moss. 1st May, '87. J. Moss and Joanna Beverly, widow; secur- ity, Matt. Wade. 17th May, '87. Minitree Orrell, x his mark, to Anna Crea- dle, spinster; security, John Slaughter, x his mark. 23rd Nov., '92. Henry Crawley, x his mark, to Esther Dixon; security, Pinkethman Musgrove, x his mark; witnesses, John Camm, Wm. T. Allen. 23rd April, '92. John Lee of Warwick parish in Warwick Co., to Lucy Wynne of Yorkhampton parish, daughter of Thomas Wynne; security, Wm. H. Wynne. 27th Sept., '92. John Stoak to Elizabeth Manning, spin- ster; security, Francis Thompson. 22nd October, '92. Nathan Fletcher to Eliza Drewry, widow; security, Thomas Hunt. 11th July, '92. Reuben Gillet, x his mark, to Winifred Macklin; security, Robert Gillet, x his mark. 11th July, '92. William Gray to Rebecca Pate; security, Thomas Allen; witness, Jno. Camm. 20th Aug., '92. Richard Tool to Ann Powers, spinster; security, Richard C. Walters. 25th '92. David Jameson, Jr., to Mary Mennis, spinster. Page 58 daughter of Charles Mennis, deceased, and Mary, his wife; se- curity, David Jameson; witness. F. Mennis. 21st Nov., '92. Joseph Bartley, x his mark, to Mary Ross, widow; security, William Bartley; witness, John Camm. 12th Dec., '92. Aaron Russell to Susanna Stroud, spinster; security, Clayton Patrick. 18th May, '92. Daniel Elis of James City to Nancy Burt. daughter of Philip Burt; security, Benj. Robertson. 8th June, '92. John Fox to Nancy Rogers; security, Wil- liam A. Rogers. 25th May, '92. Thomas Dillard of King and Queen, to Elizabeth Burt, spinster, of York, daughter of Philip Burt; se- curity, Thomas Burt; witness, John Camm. 31st May, '92. Thos. Mutter to Ann Southall, spinster; security, James Southall. 21st May, '95. John Wright, x his mark, to Mary Cox, spinster; security, H. Reade; witness, Wm. Waller. 16th April, '92. Henry Jordan to Anna Chellys; security, Jno. Fox, x his mark. 11th May, '93. Thomas Blasingham, x his mark, to Mar- garet King, widow; security, Mark Miller, x his mark; witness, John Toomer. 1st April, '92. George Morriss, x his mark, to Nancy Car- ter; security, David Poe, x his mark; witnesses, Benjamin Wal- ler, John Camm. 29th May, '69. Peyton Randolph; bond, binding Harrison Randolph, an infant under the age of twenty-one years as a writer or clerk to Thomas Nelson. In this list, there are 330 names, not counting the witnesses, of whom 33 make their mark, which indicates that ninety per cent of the whole free population could read and write, including free negroes, probably 95 per cent. of the white. Such a result ought to be expected from a county which had three known free schools in three of its parishes, private schools, tutors, educated men from the English schools and universities and immediately Page 59 on the boundary line the College of William and Mary with its Grammar school, which was in all respects a free school. (1) (1) The study of the York Records proves the great progress of the Colony in literature. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************