Re: John H. Humphreys GA>TN – early 1800s
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In reply to:
Re: John H. Humphreys GA>TN u2013 early 1800s
Lori Tigert 9/19/10
Hi, Lori,
Good to hear from you.
There is not a definite answer at this time to the question of whether Mary White was the mother of Susannah Wood. She could be, but it is also possible that she was not. More evidence might help resolve the issue.
Numerous references can be cited to show that Susannah Wood Adams was definitely tied into the Humphries family of Brunswick/Lunenburg Co., Va., but whether that was as a step-sister or half-sister to the children of John and Mary White Humphries is not clear.
Mary (Polly) White was a remarkable women.She was married at least 3 times, to John Humphries, Richard Wood and William White.She outlived 2 of her husbands (John Humphries and Richard Wood) and convinced both of them to leave their property to her.It was not common for women at that time to be allowed to administer their own property, even in widowhood. So she must have been a woman with a very forceful character.
Widow Mary Humphries married Richard Wood on 7 May 1741. This is known from Order Book 1 of the Brunswick Co., Va. records.Richard Wood left his will proved 4 Sept 1746 at Brunswick Co.The will mentioned wife Mary and Richard's "only daughter" Susanna.In the will, Mary received the plantation she had brought to the marriage that she had inherited from her first husband, John Humphries.Susannah received a patent to 200 acres in Brunswick Co. that Richard Wood had filed for prior to his death.This land adjoined Mary's land.Richard's will also stated that Susannah would receive a slave woman Jenny, but only after "the Death of her Mother."Until then, Richard's "wife" was to have the use of Jenny "during the term of her Natural Life." This statement would seem to imply that Mary was Susannah's mother.
One problem with this identification is timing.Mary Humphries and Richard Wood were married in May of 1741.So that means a daughter might have been born in early 1742.No one knows exactly when Susannah Wood married John Adams, but their first child was born ca. 1756. If they were married the year before, say, 1755 and Susannah was born in 1742, she would have been barely 13 years old at the time of her marriage.Many girls married at 15, but 13 was a little young, even for that day and time.
Mary and Richard's marriage date is known with certainty.Perhaps Mary was pregnant when she was married, and so Susannah was older than 13 when she married John Adams.But another possibility is that Richard Wood already had an infant daughter Susannah when he married Mary Humphries.Richard said in his will that Susannah was his only daughter, but he did not say she was his only child.That leaves open the possibility, at least, that he was married to someone else before he married Mary Humphries. If he had had a wife before Mary Humphries,that woman could have been Susannah's mother.
So more needs to be known about Richard Wood and where he was and what he was doing before he showed up in Brunswick Co., Va. in 1741 to marry Mary Humphries.
Lou Poole did a lot of research on the Humphries and related families in Brunswick Co. He found a Richard Wood living in Henrico Co. as early as 1732.This could be the Richard Wood who was in Brunswick Co. in 1741.Also, A Richard Wood shows up in the records of Lunenburg Co. after 1746, when the first Richard Wood is known to have died.Could this other Richard be the first Richard's son? Remember that Richard Wood's will stated that Susannah Wood was his only daughter, not his only child.Perhaps Richard did have other children and in that case, he may have had another wife before Mary Humphries.Even though Mary was called Susannah's mother in Richard's will, this could have been used as a term of endearment or respect for the only mother Susannah had ever known.
It may not be possible to prove things either way; nevertheless, if more research indicates that Richard did have another wife before Mary Humphries, then that would heighten the possibility that Mary Humphries Wood was not Susannah's mother.No evidence of an earlier wife would not disprove that idea, but it might help build a case.
So, in summary, it appears that Mary could be Susannah's mother, but I don't think it can be said to be a certainty with what is known now. More research into the origin of Richard Wood may help.As far as I know, no one knows anything about him before he married Mary Humphries.Also, more research into the other Richard Wood who lived in Lunenburg Co., Va. after 1746 may be helpful.It has to be acknowledged that even this research may not reveal anything of further use.In that case, people will just have to decide for themselves.Perhaps, someday, a mitochondrial DNA test for an all female line of descent from Susannah Wood matched to an all-female line of descent from one of Mary White's sisters could be performed.That would be quite an undertaking, though!
I'm not sure this helps you solve the problem you started with (whether Mary White was the mother of Susannah Wood), but these are some of the facts to be considered.
Charlene