Lee Hoffman/KY wrote:
<snip>
The Stubbs gave her name as Susannah Meriwether, daughter of David
Meriwether. The reasoning for their conjecture is that Thomas Meriwether
(s/o David) named his oldest daughter, Susannah, after his supposed sister.
However, Joe Oglesby (researcher of the Meriwether family) says that David
Meriwether did not have a sister named Susannah. Thus we have been without
a name for Nicholas's wife, unless we figure that the Meriwether
researchers just didn't have the right information.
I've been perusing the Sparacio transcriptions of (Old) Rapphannock,
Essex, and other counties and so far see nothing indicating a marriage
between a CATLETT and a MERIWETHER. Someone on this list seemed to have
definitive proof that there was a marriage between Susannah MERIWETHER
and Nicholas CATLETT. I've not seen this person offer any sources
whatsoever to support it.
IAC, Margaret Amundson notes in her article that Nicholas
"executed several
deeds with a wife Elizabeth, who gave her mother, Joanna Mathews, her power
of attorney to relinquish her dower in June 1672." For this, Margaret
cites Sparacio, "Deed & Will Abstracts of (Old) Rappahannock County,
Virginia (Part I of 1672-1676)". Just before this, Margaret also cites
Sparacios with a deed signed by Nicholas' wife, Susannah. Stubbs also
noted this deed, but fail to note the deed signed for Elizabeth by her
mother, Joanna Mathews. While it is not likely, could the "Susannah deed"
be a mis-reading by both the Stubbs and the Sparacios and the actual name
be "Elizabeth" instead of "Susanna"? Are these deeds in the Library
of
Virginia where they may be viewed? Anyone where they can double-check this?
I'll be posting some more things from the Sparacio books as soon as I
can. For now though, the p. 18 (Sparacio) reference is to a deed
between Nicholas and Elizabeth (his wife) to Robert ARMSTRONG, 400
acres, that Nicholas had previously bought from ARMSTRONG. Deed dated
7 Jun 1672. Presented in court 3 Jul 1672. Elizabeth CATLETT appointed
her mother, Joanna MATHEWS, to be her "Lawful Attorney" in acknowledging
Elizabeth's consent (or release of dower) to sell the property.
The p. 15 reference seems to be a typo in that it doesn't refer to
Nicholas and Elizabeth. That particular entry is on p. 18 of the
Sparacio book. There are a couple interesting entries on p. 15 though.
The first:
"The ear mark of NICHOLAS CATLETT Sonne of NICHOLAS CATLETT his Cattel
being a Cow Calf having a cropp and a hole in each eare and an under
keele in the right all the female increase be to him andand his heirs."
Nicholas has a son named Nicholas. And in 1672 (1 Jul if "primo" means
one (1)), Nicholas with the CATTLE is old enough to register the mark
he's using on his cow "calf". Was he 14 or older?
The other interesting entry on p. 15 is the beginning of the pre-nuptial
agreement between AMORY BUTLER and the recently widowed Mrs. Elizabeth
CATLETT (Elizabeth Underwood Taylor Slaughter Catlett). I never had
Latin as a language. Does "tertio" translate to a number, such as
"3"?
I don't know how the Sparacio's arranged their book of
abstracts, although
I note that the citation for the 1671-2 deeds with Elizabeth gives page 15.
But, the earlier deed of 1668 is cited from p. 18 of the Sparacio book.
One would think that if a 1671-2 citation is on p. 18, then an earlier
dated deed would be shown on an earlier page. Nothing earth-shattering,
but interesting none the less.
I think the 1668 reference (p. 18) is in error. On p. 99 of the book,
OLD RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY, VIRGINIA DEED ABSTRACTS (1663-1668) is what
appears to be the deed Margaret cited as p. 18 of DEED ABSTRACTS OF
(OLD) RAPPHANNOC COUNTY, VIRGINIA (PART I OF 1672-1676 TRANSCRIPT).
Nicholas sells to William GIBSON his interest (half of the patent), 285
1/2 acres, which Nicholas recieved from Roger CLOTWORTHY. Nicholas
signed with an "O" (note that this is not indicative that Nicholas had a
middle initial of "O" as previously reported to this list). Susanna
seems to have signed with either an "X" or a V". Stubbs reported a
"V". The Sparacios drew what looks like an "X" to me. The deed is
dated 28 Mar 1668 and recorded 12 "Die Martii 1667". Don't know why
there's a discrepancy in dates. I'm assuming that the latter date
translates to 12 Mar 1667/8. The deed above this one is dated 1667 and
recorded 1667/8. And the deed following it is dated 1667 and recored
"12 die Martii 1667."
Both Stubbs and Sparacio may be right. But this indicates that
Susannah
died and Nicholas married again -- this time to Elizabeth (whose surname
may have been Mathews), daughter of Joanna Mathews. Anyone know anything
about them? Was Elizabeth's maiden name Mathews? Did Elizabeth also die
before Nicholas? She is apparently not named (which may or may not have
meaning) in court records where David Catlett indicates he is Nicholas's
son and heir.
Or Nicholas (the elder) was married to Elizabeth (the daughter of Joanna
MATHEWS) and Nicholas (the sonne of Nicholas) was married to Susanna or
Susannah. If the elder Nicholas was the eldest son of John and born
before John emgigrated to Virginia, his birthdate would have been before
1650 and more likely to have been born about 1645. He'd certainly have
been old enough to have had a son by 1672. Given this scenario, would
the younger Nicholas have been old enough to have registered his calf's
earmark though by 1672?
Dunno.
Then again, the elder Nicholas may not have been a son of John. The
name Nicholas does appear as a name in the family in England, according
to Avant. For instance, see Nicholas, son of Nicholas CATLETT b. ca.
1596 of Teynham and Norton, Kent, England and Sarah -----.
My $.02 FWIW.
-- Karon
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