Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary
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In reply to:
Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary
Cynthia Forde 11/19/05
You wrote:
"That Dr. Waller named a Mary Pomfrett, cousin, can easily be explained by the very common custom of naming one's spouses relatives as cousins, aunts, uncles."
I agree.There are many possible explanations for Dr. John Waller naming a Mary Pomfrett as cousin.One possibility might be that the John Waller who married a Mrs Mary Waller was a relative of Dr John Waller, and through the marriage Dr John Waller became "cousin" to the Pomfrets.
"Do you have the dates of the women named Mary Pomfret
who married a man named John Waller? I would like to investigate them more thoroughly."
The only documented John Waller - Mary Pomfrett marriage I've come across is the one in 1169 which you mentioned in your message.Do you have reason to think that there was more than one marriage between a John Waller and a Mary Pomfrett?That would be interesting.
"I am writing a book about Edward Herndon (my ancestor) born 1678 who family tradition tells us married Mary Waller of the Dr. John Waller family:"
Good luck with your enterprise.I believe very little is known of Edward Herndon: we don't know his date of birth (not even the year), nor the names of his father or his mother, nor the name of his wife.John Goodwin Herndon arbitrarily decided that he must be a son of the William Herndon who together with Robert Bagby claimed headrights in 1673/4, but as JGH acknowledges, there is no evidence for this.The earliest mention of Edward Herndon in the surviving documents, as I believe, is 1722. John Goodwin Herndon assumes that earlier records must have existed and been destroyed, but it is equally possible that Edward Herndon first appears around 1722 because that was the period when he either came of age (if born in VA) or arrived in VA (if he was an emigrant).We know that his will was probated in 1758, which would fit well with a birthyear of around 1700.I expect you know all this but I offer it in case it is of interest.
"There are no ship and passenger records of a Mary Waller traveling to Virginia; but there is a Mary aged 34 with a different last name. It raises the question that 34 year old Mary Waller (if indeed this is the same Mary Waller, daughter of Dr. John Waller and Mary (Pomfret)may have been married and widowed."
This is how myths get started, you see.You're trying so hard to find evidence to fit what you want to prove (rather than looking for evidence to learn what really happened), that you're prepared to invent a wholly hypothetical marriage and widowhood for Dr John Waller's daughter, in order to explain away the passenger Mary's inconveniently different surname.
"1.)Edward Herndon deeded land to Mrs. Mary Waller in 1724 that becomes the property of Mrs. Ann Waller Lewis."
John Waller patented land in the name of his daughter Mary Waller in 1720.She married Zachary Lewis and the land thus became his property.Edward Herndon patented some adjacent land in 1727, and gave it to his son Edward Herndon Jr in a deed of gift in 1739.In that deed of gift, the parcel of land being gifted is identified as being adjacent to Mrs Mary Waller's (now Zachary Lewis's) and Capt. Larkin Chew's.That was the way land was identified in VA in those days.It's called "metes and bounds".(See "Measuring America" -- v. interesting book).
"2.) The Waller name is used in the Herndon family to this day."
Perhaps.I wouldn't be surprised if there were little Waller Herndons and Digges Herndons being christened all the time ever since John Goodwin Herndon wrote his book; but there seem to have been no occurrences of the Waller name in the Herndon families of 17th-18th century VA.
"3.) The distinctive Pomfrett name even in the Waller family, occurs in the Herndon family and several times in connection with Waller."
I believe the first occurrence of "Pomfret Herndon" was the one born in 1734, whose parents are said to have been John Herndon and Sarah Pomfret.
I agree with you that John Waller's grandson Pomfret Waller could have been named after his great-grandmother; or he might have been named as a compliment to one of the VA Pomfrets with whom his father had dealings.We just don't know.
"The lack of a court record indicates the marriage took place in the Colony of Virginia or it would have been part of the vestry records in Walton, Bucks, England."
Nope.The lack of a record doesn't indicate anything at all.It's an absence of information, from which nothing can be concluded.
"6 November 1723 Dr. Waller’s will was proved having been written 21 August 1716; his will did not name a daughter, Mary Waller Herndon as a legatee, contrary to some Waller historians claims; the will did name Colonel John Waller’s daughter, Mary, as a legatee, probably to be part of her dowry. (Note: it is possible to not name a daughter as a legatees if they have been given a substantial dowry; but it seems odd that she was not mentioned. That raises the question that she may have died earlier than we believed)."
Dr John Waller's will is a delightful document.There is a transcript online in the Waller forum at http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?Canterbury,1716::waller::2063.htmlhttp://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?Canterbury,1716::waller::2063.html.As you say, he left a legacy to his granddaughter Mary Waller, and also to her siblings.He also left legacies to his three grandchildren John, William, and Graciana Waller, the children of his son
William.He even left a legacy to his brother Thomas "who liveth in Virginia", and to his cousin Mary Pomfrett.No one is forgotten.Yet there are no legacies to any little Herndon grandchildren.The reason, you know, is because Dr John Waller didn't have any little Herndon grandchildren.
"1723Mary (Pomfrett) Waller arrived in Annapolis, Maryland (Immigration and Ship Records)to live with her daughter, Mary Elizabeth Waller Herndon. "
Nope.Dr John Waller's long affectionate will does not mention his wife except in the reference to his cousin Mary Pomfrett.She was undoubtedly dead by the time he wrote his will in 1716.
The name "Mary Waller" was not at all uncommon, and also seems to have been quite popular with various criminals as an alias.See Peter Wilson Coldham's book "The Complete Book of Emigrants".There's also a list of Waller emigrants at http://www.alleylaw.net/emigrants.htmlhttp://www.alleylaw.net/emigrants.html.A disturbing number of them seemed to have been sentenced to transportation.
"Mary Waller Herndon probably died about 1725-1726 when Edward Herndon married a second time to FNU Leftwich."
Dr. John Waller's daughter Mary can be presumed to have died before 1716, when he wrote his will.He mentions no grandchildren from her, so she can be presumed to have died without issue, perhaps unmarried, perhaps as an infant.
Edward Herndon's wife's name is not known.Perhaps she was a Leftwich, perhaps not.
Hope this helps.
James
More Replies:
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Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary
James Blair 11/19/05
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Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary
Cynthia Forde 11/19/05
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Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary
James Blair 11/20/05
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Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary
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Re: Dr. John Waller and Mary