Orin,
No, I haven't seen any wife ever listed on any of Zachariah Sr.'s deeds.
On Saturday I searched the index to Washington Co., VA deeds 1776-1841 and
Russell Co., VA 1787-1798 but found no listing for Zachariah Wells. I
ordered some film from Salt Lake -- Wilkes Co., NC index to grantees and
grantors 1779-1926, and a batch of records from a submitter that has
Abigail married to Zachariah Sr. Hopefully there will be something in
these rolls.
I did find something interesting though on the Lee County VA Death Index:
Edward Pennington age 91 yrs 5 mos d. 5 May 1860. Parents Micajah and
Rachel Pennington b. Ash Co., NC.
I believe Micajah Pennington was a friend of Zachariah Sr.'s as they are
listed on deeds together in Wilkes Co., NC and I believe moved together
(probably with a number of other families) to Lee Co., VA.
John
----------
From: Orin R. Wells <ORWells(a)bigfoot.com>
To: Michele Ostendorf <johnoste(a)azmail.net>
Cc: ZachariahWells-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: James Osborne, Abigail Osborne
Date: Friday, December 05, 1997 1:28 PM
Reply to note from John Ostendorf (masquerading as Michele Ostendorf):
>It must be remembered that both NC and VA were states that strongly
protected a married woman's right to a portion of the land acquired
during
marriage. As you read through the deeds of the day, you see a
wife's
name
mentioned often. The fact that there is no wife listed on
Zachariah's
deeds is something that cannot be ignored and suggests that she was
already
dead making any reference to a daughter Abigail in the will of James
Osborne proof that he was not Zachariah's father in law.<<
Interesting point. I do not recall from any of the earliest deeds if her
name ever shows up on a deed. You are closest to that, have you seen it
even on the very earliest deeds?
Orin R. Wells
Wells Family Research Association
Kent, Washington
<ORWells(a)bigfoot.com>
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wellsfam/wfrahome.html