On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 10:04:30 AM UTC-7, chapm...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, January 8, 2001 at 12:23:04 AM UTC-5, douglasr...@hotmail.com wrote:
> > Dear Charles:
> >
> > Thank you for post below regarding the colonial immigrant, Diana
> > Skipwith, wife of Major Edward Dale, of Lancaster Co., Virginia. I'd
> > be glad to share my comments on this matter.
> >
> > As your recent article in TAG pointed out, Diana Skipwith is known to
> > have appeared under her maiden name in records dated 1655, whereas her
> > husband, Edward Dale's eldest daughter, Katherine (Dale) Carter, was
> > evidently born about 1652. Under normal circumstances, one would
> > conclude that if Diana witnessed under her maiden name after
> > Katherine's birth, that Diana couldn't possibly by Katherine's mother.
> > This would presumably be an open and shut case.
> >
> > However, there was a rare custom among high born Englishwomen of this
> > period to use their maiden names after marriage. As the daughter of a
> > knight and a English baronet, Diana Skipwith was one of the highest
> > born English women ever to come to the New World. Due to her high
> > station then, we should not be surprised to see her using her maiden
> > name after marriage. As such, one must seek other evidence to prove or
> > disprove whether or not Diana was Katherine's mother. In this case,
> > there are no less than ten pieces of evidences which suggest that Diana
> > was Katherine's mother.
> >
> > First, research indicates that Diana Skipwith was born in 1621, in
> > England. If she was still single in 1655, as claimed, she would have
> > contracted her marriage to Edward Dale after she had attained her 34th
> > year. This is highly unlikely. The vast majority of Englishwomen in
> > this period were married before their 30th birthday.
> >
> > Second, statements in print suggest that Diana Skipwith's husband,
> > Edward Dale, and her brother, Sir Gray Skipwith, may have immigrated at
> > the same time to Virginia following the death of King Charles I in
> > 1649. If so, it is entirely possible that Diana and Edward were
> > married in England, prior to their appearance in Virginia.
> >
> > Third, Katherine (Dale) Carter had a large family which is well
> > documented in a Carter family prayer book. Among her children, we find
> > a child named Edward for her father, Diana for her mother, and Henry
> > Skipwith for her mother's father. Unless Katherine (Dale) Carter was
> > Diana Skipwith's daughter, it would be difficult to explain the
> > appearance of the name Henry Skipwith Carter among her children.
> >
> > Fourth, the names of the godparents of Katherine (Dale) Carter's
> > children are recorded in the Carter family prayer book. In colonial
> > times, relatives were often employed to serve as godparents. In this
> > case, we find that Diana Skipwith herself served as a godmother as did
> > Diana's brother, Sir Gray Skipwith's widow, Anne Skipwith, of Middlesex
> > Co., Virginia. It would be odd to find Dame Skipwith as a sponsor for
> > Katherine (Dale) Carter's child, unless she had some connection to
> > Katherine (Dale) Carter herself. If Diana Skipwith was Katherine
> > (Dale) Carter's mother, then Dame Skipwith would have been Katherine
> > (Dale) Carter's aunt by marriage.
> >
> > Fifth, there was an long epitaph of Edward Dale's life recorded in the
> > Carter family prayer book. The epitaph states clearly that Edward Dale
> > married Diana Skipwith "early in life" and presents her as his only
> > wife. Presumably the term "early in life" is prior to his 30th
> > birthday. If so, we must assume that Diana was also no more than 30
> > years old herself when she married Edward Dale. This suggests a
> > marriage in or before 1651.
> >
> > Sixth, the death records of Edward Dale and his widow, Diana, are also
> > recorded in the same prayer book. No mention is made of any wife for
> > Edward Dale except Diana Skipwith.
> >
> > Seventh, Edward Dale's will bequeathed his wife, Diana, a life interest
> > in certain property and named his daughter, Katherine, and two Carter
> > grandchildren as his executors. Had Diana been Katherine's step-
> > mother, the usual protocol would be for Diana to hold the executorship
> > to safeguard her interests against her step-children's rights. Since
> > Diana was not named executrix, one must presume that either Diana was
> > too ill to serve as executrix, or else that Diana was Katherine's own
> > mother and that Diana did not need to have her interests safeguarded.
> >
> > Eighth, we find that Diana Skipwith joined her husband, Edward Dale, in
> > conveyances to two of their married daughters, Katherine and
> > Elizabeth. This shows that Diana had a strong interest in Katherine
> > and Elizabeth's future, which one would expect if Diana was their blood
> > mother.
> >
> > Ninth, in one of these conveyances, Diana Skipwith names her son-in-
> > law, Daniel Harrison, who was evidently married to her daughter, Mary
> > Dale. This reference would suggest that Diana had at least one child
> > by Edward Dale. If so, under normal circumstances, we would normally
> > suppose that she married Edward Dale before her 30th birthday which
> > event took place in 1651. Inasmuch as Katherine Dale was born about
> > 1652, Katherine's birth would appear to fall after Diana was likely to
> > have been married to Edward Dale.
> >
> > Tenth, the theory is presented in Mr. Ward's article that Edward Dale
> > may have had an earlier wife before he married Diana Skipwith by whom
> > he had his daughters, Katherine and Mary. It is further suggested that
> > the unknown first wife may have been a relative of Vincent Stanford.
> > This theory is based on the fact that Vincent Stanford left a sizeable
> > bequest to Mary Dale in his will. However, it is doubtful that Vincent
> > Stanford had any blood tie to Mary Dale at all, as in his will, he
> > carefully referred to another legatee as his niece, whereas he made no
> > claim to kinship to Mary Dale. Had Mary Dale been related to the
> > testator, one would presume he would have stated that fact just as he
> > did for the other legatee who he identified as his niece. Since
> > Vincent Stanford did not refer to Mary Dale as his kinswoman, it is
> > inappropriate to conclude that Mary Dale's father might have had
> > earlier unknown first wife, or that the Dale and Stanford families were
> > related by blood or marriage.
> >
> > Regarding the matter of women using their maiden names after marriage,
> > I've located two contemporary examples of women who used their maiden
> > names after marriage. One is widow Mary Kemp, of Gloucester Co.,
> > Virginia who signed two powers of attorney about 1700, one as Mary Kemp
> > and one as Mary Curtis. The editor of Virginia Magazine of History and
> > Biography who reported these powers of attorney stated that Curtis
> > was "doubtless" Mary's maiden name, suggesting that he was aware of the
> > custom for women to use their maiden name's after marriage. The second
> > example I've found is a Chancery suit dated about 1610 in England in
> > which Anne Clere, widow, was sued by the executor of her late husband,
> > William Gilbert's estate. Research shows that Clere was Anne's maiden
> > name. A second chancery suit states she remained a widow for three
> > years and then married (2nd) Okeover Crompton. Like Diana Skipwith,
> > Anne Clere was the daughter of a knight and came from a family with
> > high born relations. Anne (Clere) Gilbert is the maternal grandmother
> > of the colonial immigrant, Elizabeth (Alsop) Baldwin, of Milford,
> > Connecticut.
> >
> > In closing, I wish to state that should anyone know of any other
> > examples of English women using their maiden names after marriage, I
> > would appreciate it greatly if they would forward those examples to me
> > for inclusion in an article I'm preparing on Diana Skipwith. Also, I
> > wish to thank MichaelAnne Guido for her invaluable contribution to the
> > history of the Skipwith and Dale families. When Ms. Guido learned of
> > my interest in Diana (Skipwith) Dale, she generously shared her
> > extensive research files with me. Her files clarified several points
> > discussed above. I'm most grateful for her assistance. I also wish to
> > thank Gary Boyd Roberts and Jerome Anderson, both of the New England
> > Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, and my co-author, Dr. David
> > Faris, with whom I consulted at length about the Diana Skipwith
> > problem.
> >
> > Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
> >
> > E-mail: royala...@msn.com
> >
> >
> > In article <20010103114758...@ng-cj1.aol.com>,
> > cmw1...@aol.com (CMW12635) wrote:
> > > Diana Skipwith married Edward DALE, of Lancaster Co., VA. An
> > article I
> > > composed which was published in the January, 2000 issue of TAG
> > pointed out
> > > contemporary records which called into question whether Katherine
> > Dale, Edward
> > > Dale's daughter, could have been a daughter born of his marriage to
> > Diana
> > > Skipwith.
> > >
> > > I'm advised that Mr. Douglas Richardson has researched this topic and
> > I would
> > > certainly be interested in his comments, etc.
> > >
> > > Charles Ward
> > > CMW1...@aol.com
> > >
> >
> >
> > Sent via Deja.com
> > http://www.deja.com/
> Recently, I ran across some rather interesting and significant information: It concerns Margret Skipwith (Baroness Tailboys 1st marriage and 2nd marriage to Peter Askew). It shows the continual use of her first married name by the recorder. Please see below:
>
> Anent thi s Sir John Clifton, let us add a little bit of interesting
> family history,accidentally discovered in the Colyton church Register,
> as to his second marriage . We there read,dated 20 July,1579
> “ John Cleftown,of Barrenton,in the Countye of Som’
> sett,Knyghte,
> was wedded unto the Ryghte Honora ble the Ladye Margerette
> Taylboyes,of Collocombe,wydo.
> ”
> This was the Lady Margaret Tailboys
> ’ “ third venter.
> ” She had been married twice previously,but the cautious recording scribe in the
> Register must have had j ust ideas of precedency,forhe gives her the
> superior title of her first husband.
> She was the daughter of Sir Wm. Skipwith,Knight,and wife,first,
> to George (the second Lord Tailboys) ,who died in 1540,and,secondly,
> she wedded Sir Peter Carew, Knight, of Mohuns -Ottery, who died
> in 1575.
>
>
> Gale