Alexander Bagwell and Thomas Maddux Connections

Prepared by Bob Ellis
Copyright 2004 Bob Ellis. All rights reserved

Alexander Bagwell and Thomas Maddux Connections

Prepared by Bob Ellis
Based on the Research by Judy Stell
And Supplemented by His Own

Note: Judy Stell posted her research results on Alexander Bagwell on the GHOTES website in May 2004.

Abstract:

The generally accepted Bagwell genealogy identifies the one and only wife of Alexander Bagwell as Neomy Maddux, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Maddux. This paper sets forth my findings that: Alexander Bagwell was married three times; Neomy was his last wife and was neither the mother of his children nor a Maddux by birth; Thomas Maddux also married three times and that Alexander Bagwell married one of his daughters, but not one named Neomy.

Note: The surname is spelled variously in the records, to include Mattockes, Maddocks, Maddox, and Maddux. I use "Maddux" in this paper.

Methodology:

The primary research effort consisted of:

1. Review of original documents as contained on microfilm and published books (such as the Northampton County Orders) by Judy Stell and her research colleagues that Stell generously shared with me; and

2. My review of data obtained from published material and through the Internet.

General Background

The traditional version of the life of Alexander Bagwell is that he was born about 1670 in Virginia to John and Ann Bagwell. He was a grandson of the immigrant Henry Bagwell. He married Neomy Maddux, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Maddux1, and they had five daughters: Rebecca; Sarah; Anne; Margaret, born about 1705, and Mary, born about1707. Alexander died in Northampton, County and was buried there about 8 Jan 1722/1723.

Thomas Maddux was born about 1651, probably in Northampton County, to the immigrant Alexander Maddux and his wife Elizabeth (Maiden Name Unknown). He died in Northampton County in 1713.

Based on Stell's review of Northampton Orders 1710-1715, p. 147 and other court records, it appears that Alexander Bagwell did marry a daughter of Thomas Maddux d. 1713 Northampton Co., VA. However, she may not have been a daughter by Thomas Maddux' last wife, Rebecca, she was probably deceased before 1713, and her name was probably not Neomy.

The following is the detailed report of this research effort. Footnotes in green indicate Internet sources other than GHOTES contributors.

Conclusions and Rationale:

Conclusion 1: Thomas Maddux had three wives, the first probably was the widow of a William Smith2, the second was the twice widowed Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt3, and the third was Rebecca (Rebacca), not further identified, who became his widow.4

Rationale re: the widow Smith:

By 1678, Thomas Maddux reportedly was married to the widow of William Smith, who had died in perhaps 16685. Thomas was born in about 1651, which means he was but 17 years old when Smith died. It seems unlikely he would have married the widow Smith while he was still a teenager. He probably married her at a more mature age of at least 21. See Additional Comments re: sons named Thomas in Conclusion 2 below.

Additional Comments re: the widow Smith:

  • Stell has identified four men named William Smith in her work on this effort. Two are not of interest because one died in 1636 (too soon) and the other in 1709 (too late.) The other two died in about 1668 and 1671, leaving widows Elizabeth and Sarah, respectively.

  • The William who died in about 1668 appears to have been married to the multi-widowed Elizabeth (Maiden Name Unknown) Denham Thompson Marriott Smith. While Stell has not found the year of death for this William, she points out that Elizabeth was married before Thomas Maddux was born, thus is probably too old to be the widow Smith he married.6

  • William, son of Thomas and Sarah Smith, wrote his will in 1671, and it was proved in 1674 in Accomack County. His wife was Sarah Browne. In his will, he named his eldest son Thomas but listed other children under the phrase "each of my children." The unnamed ones were under age when the will was written. Thomas Browne and John Michael, Jr. served both as witnesses to and overseers of William Smith's will7. Browne was a devout Quaker8. John Michael, Jr. was the brother of Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux.9

Conclusion 2: Thomas Maddux had at least five children: two sons named Thomas by different wives, the first by the widow Smith and the second by Sarah Michael; and three daughters by the widow Smith, one of whom was named Margaret, and the other two married Alexander Bagwell and Benjamin Johnson, respectively. These two married daughters were deceased by 1713.

Rationale re: sons named Thomas:

A. In his 1680 will, Edmund Kelly gave a cow calf to Thomas son of Thomas Maddux and a cow calf to 'god son' Thomas son of Phillip Fisher.10

B. In his 1702 will, Samuel Higginson gave swords to James Watt and Thomas Maddux JR. and left residual estate to Mr. Thomas Maddux and his daughter, Margaret Maddux.11

C. On 15 December 1713, "Thomas Maddux an Orphan Came into Court and made Choice of Mr. John Powell for his Guardian..."12  On 19 April 1715, the Northampton County Court recorded three discharges from the estate of Thomas Maddux, one of which was John Powell for Thomas Maddux's part of his father's estate.13 In May 1716, Maddux, discharged Powell as his guardian.14

D. Based on the bequests made in 1680 and 1702, it is clear that in both of those years, Thomas Maddux had a son known as Thomas Maddux Jr. The son mentioned in Kelly's 1680 will would have been of age by 1713, and would not have required a guardian or have been called an orphan. Therefore, it appears the first Thomas Maddux Jr. died sometime after 1680 and the Thomas Maddux Jr. who selected John Powell to be his guardian in 1713 was the second child of Thomas Maddux Sr. to bear that name. (It was not unusual for parents to reissue a given name following the early death of a child.)

E. Since the second Thomas Maddux Jr. was able to discharge his guardian in 171615, we estimate his year of birth as 1695, which indicates he was the son of Thomas and Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux. (James Watt Sr. died in 1686, and we know that his widow Sarah Michael Yeardly Watt married Thomas Maddux by 1689.) That she wrote her will the same year of his birth may indicate that she died shortly after childbirth. Thus, when Thomas Maddux Sr. died in 1713, this Thomas Maddux Jr. would have been an orphan and in need of a guardian.

Additional Comments re: sons named Thomas:

  • The wife of Phillip Fisher wife was Elizabeth Maddux, sister of Thomas Maddux. Kelly thus left cow calves to cousins, suggesting he had some familial relationship with the Maddux siblings. Another interpretation is that the cousins may have been of similar age.

  • Thomas Fisher, son of Phillip Fisher and Elizabeth Maddux, was born in either 166416 or 167417 meaning that he was either 16 or 6 years old at the time of the bequest.

  • If we accept, for argument's sake, that two cousins were of similar age, we might be able to estimate when and perhaps to whom the elder Thomas Maddux was first married.

    • By 1678, Thomas Maddux was married to the widow of William Smith, who had died in 166818. Thomas was born in about 1651, which means he was but 17 years old when Smith died.

    • It seems unlikely he would have married the widow Smith while he was still a teenager. Assuming he waited to a more mature age of at least 21, a child by that union would have been no more than 7 or 8 years old in 1680. This is consistent with Thomas Fisher being closer to 6 years of age than 16 in 1680.

    • It also suggests that the mother of the first Thomas Maddux Jr. was the widow Smith.

  • James Watt was the son of James Watt and his wife, the widow Sarah Michael Yeardley. (Sarah later became the next wife of Thomas Maddux.) Young James was born in 1685, and was 17 years old at the time of the bequest.19

  • Higginson used the term "Thomas Maddux JR" in regard to his bequest of swords to James Watt and Thomas, but refers to Mr. Thomas Maddox (no suffix) and his daughter Margaret Maddux20. I interpret this to mean that "Thomas Maddux JR" and Mr. Thomas Maddux, father of Margaret, are two different people.

  • Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux wrote her will on 20 March 1695 (new calendar). In the will, she left bequests to her three daughters by Yeardley, and asked that Thomas Maddux be the guardian for her son. She does not mention children by Maddux.21

  • For reasons not clear to me, the orphan Thomas Maddux changed his guardian to John Harmanson on 18 May 171522, then reselected John Powell on 20 September 171523. On 16 May 1716, Thomas Maddux discharged John Powell as his guardian.24

Rationale re: daughter named Margaret:

A. In his 1702 will, Samuel Higginson gave swords to James Watt and Thomas Maddux JR. and left residual estate to Mr. Thomas Maddux and his daughter, Margaret Maddux.

B. The Ancestry.com listing for Northampton County Wills states that Higginson made Thomas Maddux, Jr. and his daughter Margaret residuary legatees25. Stell's review of the records in Marshall26 shows that Margaret was the daughter of "Mr. Thomas Maddux" and not the daughter of Thomas Maddux Jr.

C. As stated above, we interpret Higginson's words in regard to his bequest of swords to James Watt and Thomas Maddux JR to mean that Thomas Maddux JR and Mr. Thomas Maddux, father of Margaret, are two different people.

Additional Comments re: daughter named Margaret:

  • That Higginson gave her surname as Maddux indicates that she was unmarried, and perhaps not yet of age. Based on our comments above about Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux's will, it seems unlikely that Margaret was Sarah's child, and thus more likely that she was the child of the widow Smith.

Rationale re: two other daughters two married Alexander Bagwell and Benjamin Johnson, respectively, and they both were deceased by 1713:

A. As reported under Conclusion 5, above, Thomas Maddox died in early 1713, and on 19 January 1713, "his Administratrix Rebacca Maddux" presented the inventory of his estate to the Court. On that same day, the Court granted Rebecca Maddux's petition and "Ordered that Messrs Alexander Bagwell and Benjamin Johnson as marrieing the Daughters of Mr. Thomas Maddux Deceased Repaire to the Clark Office and there to Enter into bond with good Security for that part of Mr. Thomas Maddux Estate that belongeth to their Children between this and the next Court and they pay Cost." (Underscore added.)

B. As stated under Conclusion 5 below, we know Alexander Bagwell had married the widow Elizabeth Roberts by 1712. Also, Stell noted that no where in the Court Orders cited above were the wives of either Benjamin Johnson or Alexander Bagwell shown with any of the accountings or distributions from the Maddux estate. Furthermore, the usual wording, such as ‘in right of his wife' is not used, but "for their children" and "for his children" are used. This suggests that the wives of both Benjamin Johnson and Alexander Bagwell are deceased by 1713.

Additional Comments re: Edmund Kelly:

  • Kelly was born about 163727. He bought 150 acres in N9628. He married the widow Frances Johnson about 166529, and in 1682 left 200 acres on N96 to "the child that Elizabeth (his daughter), wife of Jephtha Johnson, goeth with."30 He also left 250 acres in N97 to his step grandson, Obedience Johnson, son of Jephtha Johnson31. (Whitelaw noted that Kelly had acquired considerable acreage from the Henry White patent, which explains how he left more land than he is shown to have purchased.) Note the Johnson connections: Edmund was married to a widow Johnson, and his daughter Elizabeth married Jephtha Johnson.

  • As mentioned above, Thomas Maddux JR and Thomas Fisher were cousins, the children of Thomas and Elizabeth Maddux and Phillip and Elizabeth Maddux Fisher. This suggests to me that Kelly was either related to the Maddux and/or Fisher families or was a close friend, and since he called Thomas Fisher his godson and did not further describe Thomas Maddux JR., his connection may have been closer to Fisher. I have yet to find it, however.

  • James Watt Sr., husband of Sarah Michael Yeardly Watt, was a witness to the 1680 will of Edmund Kelly32. James Watt died the following year, and his widow Sarah next married Thomas Maddux.

Additional Comments re: Samuel Higginson:

  • There seems to be scare information about Samuel Higginson in Eastern Shore records. He wrote his will on 10 March 1702 and it was proved in Northampton County, Virginia on 28 April 1703. He was a chirurgeon33. In addition to the swords left to James Watt, Jr. and Thomas Maddux, Jr. mentioned above, he left also one Frances Page her petticoats34. Witnesses were Thomas Savage, George Marshall, and Obedience Johnson. Thomas Maddux qualified as the administrator of the will35. The Thomas Savage named in the will may have been the son of Captain John Savage and his second wife Mary Robbins36. He probably was the same Thomas Savage, Sr. named as an appraiser of the 1710 estate of Jacob Johnson37. George Marshall served as a witness for the 1708 will of Obedience Johnson, son of Thomas Johnson and husband of Temperance Dolby.38

  • Higginson apparently owned no property on the Eastern Shore because his surname name does not appear in Whitelaw. The closest Whitelaw comes is a Robert Higgnott, who sold some N97 property to a second party who in 1678 sold to the Edmund Kelly mentioned above. Whitelaw further stated that "the name Higgnott appears variously as Higgason and other spellings, and for many years the branch at the south end of the tract, on which there were located a mill, was called Higgason's Branch. This is the land Kelly left to his step-grandson Obedience Johnson39 mentioned above.

  • While I am aware of no other mention of Samuel Higginson in Virginia or Maryland records, there was a Samuel Higginson in New England. That Samuel was a physician born in 1650 in Connecticut40. He was the grandson of Rev. Francis Higginson41, one of the first four Puritan ministers in Massachusetts.

  • Who Frances Page was to Higginson is also a mystery. Stell found no other Pages in the area. She did find that a few years later, one Frances Page had a bastard child and that an Obedience Johnson informed the court that he would take care of her and the child. Stell also noted that the wording in the Order Book did not indicate he was the father42. It seems logical that the Obedience Johnson mentioned here is the same one who witnessed Higginson's will.

Additional Comments re: John Harmanson and John Powell, guardians of Thomas Maddux, Jr.

  • Both men had connections to Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux, Thomas Maddux's 2nd wife:

John Harmanson was the brother of George Harrmanson43, who married Elizabeth Yeardley. Eizabeth was a daughter of Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux, and thus was a step-sister of Thomas Maddux, Jr.

John Powell married Elizabeth's sister Sarah44, so he was married to a step-sister of young Maddux.

  • Powell also had Bagwell ties. He was born to Nicholas Powell and his new wife, the widow Agnes Johnson Stratton.45 Agnes' previous husband Thomas Stratton was the half brother of John Bagwell, the father of Alexander Bagwell. In 1700, his sister Elizabeth Powell married William Bagwell, son of Thomas Bagwell and Anne Stockley, and a cousin of Alexander Bagwell46

Conclusion 3: Alexander Bagwell was married to a woman named Neomy when he died in 1722 at age of about 52.

Rationale: Alexander Bagwell's 1722 will mentions his wife Neomy and "son-in-law" Nathaniel Maddux.47

Additional Comments:

  • The term "son-in-law" was often used to describe what today we call a step-son, i.e., the son by a previous marriage of a person's current, or "now" spouse. Because he called Nathaniel Maddux "son-in-law," some have assumed that Nathaniel Maddux was a child of Bagwell's widow Neomy, and that Neomy was the daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Maddux. Overlooked in this is that if Neomy were the mother of Nathaniel then she was a Maddux by marriage, not by birth, and thus was not the child of Thomas and Rebecca Maddux.

  • Data available to me reflect there two men named Nathaniel Maddux, both of whom were descendants of Alexander Maddux:

Nathaniel, son of Alexander2 Maddux and his wife Mary Bell, was born c. 169148. His maternal grandfather, Thomas Bell, was a neighbor of Alexander Bagwell49. He was also the grandson of Alexander Maddux and his first wife, Elizabeth50. This Nathaniel would have been about 31 years of age when Alexander Bagwell died. His father died circa 1717, thus making it possible that Bagwell could have married his mother. However, Nathaniel's mother was not named Neomy!

Nathaniel, son of Lazarus2 and Margaret Maddux, was born after 1710 and before 1735 when his father died. Lazarus2 was born in Somerset County, MD. Nathaniel was the great-grandson of Alexander Maddux and Ellinor White, descending through Lazarus1 and Sarah Maddux, and then Lazarus2 and Margaret Maddux51. This Nathaniel would have been under 12 years old when Bagwell died, and his father was still living. Thus it is unlikely this is the Nathaniel mentioned in Bagwell's will. Also, his mother's name was not Neomy.

  • Nathaniel Maddux mentioned in Bagwell's will could have been a son-in-law as we use the term today if he married one of Bagwell's daughters. Bagwell did not name any grandchildren in his will, nor did he use surnames for his daughters. Three of Bagwell's daughters, Sarah, Margaret, and Mary, were underage and unmarried in 1722. Ann married in William Jacob after her father died. This leaves Rebecca as a viable candidate for being the wife of Nathaniel, and thus making him Alexander Bagwell's "son-in-law."

Conclusion 4: The complete identity of Bagwell's widow Neomy likely will escape us, but she probably was not a Maddux by birth.

Rationale: The name "Neomy Maddux" shows up in the records but once, and that was in 1718, when Simon Teague lists a Neomy Maddux as a cousin. In my review of given names in the Maddox and Bagwell families from 1600 to 1722, I did not find another use of Naomi or Neomy as a given name. I did find it in four families on the Eastern Shore, however: Cozier (also spelled Coizer, Cosier & Crozier), Hinman, Isaac, and Johnson.

As stated above, some have assumed Alexander Bagwell's widow Neomy was a Maddux because of the 1722 reference to "son-in-law" Nathaniel Maddux. Had she been Nathaniel's mother, she would have been a Maddux by marriage, not by birth.

Additional Comments:

  • Maddux-Teague connection: Simon Teague was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Teague. Richard was a witness to the 1660 will of Alexander Maddux, father of Thomas.

  • Re: Neomy Crozier:

Bartholomew Croizer Jr, who died in 1733, had five children by his wife Luranna, to include a daughter named Neomy. This Neomy's husband, however, is listed as a Bryant52. (There may be some confusion here, because Neomy Johnson, born in 1718, married Henry Bryant53.) It is possible that Neomy married a Bryant first, then Alexander Bagwell.

Bartholomew is one of the "cousins" listed by Simon Teague in 1718. He also knew the Maddux family because he was a witness to the 1695 will of Thomas Madddux's wife, Sarah Michael Yeardley Watt Maddux.54

  • Re: Namoi Hinman

    • Naomi was the daughter of Richard Hinman, whose sister Sarah was the second wife of Timothy Coe. Coe was first married to Elizabeth Teague, sister of Richard Teague, and thus the aunt of Simon Teague55. This would make her a "cousin" of sorts to Simon. However, Stell noted that Nathaniel Maddux of Somerset County, MD and his Bagwell wife (I think it was Rebecca) may have had a daughter Neomy, and if so, this would be the Neomy Maddux mentioned in the 1718 Teague will56. This does not eliminate the possibility that Naomi Hinman was the last wife of Alexander Bagwell.

    • The Hinman family had connections to Bagwell, Crozier and Smith families:

  • Bartholomew Croizer and William Smith were witnesses to the 1659 will of John Bagwell, Alexander's father.

  • Richard Hinman's mother was the widow Sarah Smith Hinman, the widow of Thomas Smith;

  • Richard's guardian in 1663 was William Smith, thought to be his step-brother.

  • Re: Naomi Isaac:

A John Isaac wrote his will in 1713, and mentioned his wife Naomi and a granddaughter also named Naomi, according to one source57. Another source notes that a man with the surname Isaac died in 171358, leaving his wife, the former Elizabeth Dolby, and a son named John. Also, Elizabeth's sister Abagail, wife of Richard Smith, died in 1713. The Isaac family is only one I have found that recycled the name Naomi or Neomy. It is possible that Alexander Bagwell may have married the widow Naomi Isaac.

There are conflicts with this idea, however. While the 1713 year of death for John and Unknown Isaac suggests they are the same person, in 1705 John Isaac's wife was the widow Anne Hall59. Elizabeth Dolby Isaac's other marriage was to a Johnson.60

 

  • Re: Neomy Johnson:

I have found two Neomy Johnsons. One was the daughter of Benjamin Johnson of Somerset County, MD, and she was mentioned in his 1720 will. She was the last daughter mentioned, which may mean she was the youngest61. The other Neomy was born to Jeptha Johnson and his wife Robinson Parramore in 171862, and thus could not have been the wife of Alexander Bagwell. However, either or both may have been named after Alexander's wife.

The surname Johnson turned up frequently during this research. I will discuss the Johnson connections later in this paper.

Conclusion 5: Alexander Bagwell was married to the widow Elizabeth Roberts prior to his marriage to Neomy.

Rationale: Obedience Roberts, wife Elizabeth, died in 1709, and left 50 acres in N39 to his brother Thomas. There is no reference to children63. Northampton County records for 20 May 1712 reflects that Alexander Bagwell had married the Executrix of Obedience Roberts.64

Conclusion 6: Alexander Bagwell's five daughters (Rebecca, Sarah, Anne, Margaret, and Mary) are not the children of either Elizabeth or Neomy.

Rationale: His last born was Mary, and she was born about 1707 when Alexander was about 37 years old, two years before the death of Obedience Roberts, thus prior to his marriage to the widow Elizabeth that preceded his marriage to the Neomy.

Conclusion 7: Alexander Bagwell was married to a daughter of Thomas Maddux, and had children by her.

Rationale:

A. Thomas Maddox died in early 171365, and on 19 January 1713, "his Administratrix Rebacca Maddux" presented the inventory of his estate to the Court.66

B. On that same day, the Court granted Rebecca Maddox's petition and "Ordered that Messrs Alexander Bagwell and Benjamin Johnson as marrieing the Daughters of Mr. Thomas Maddux Deceased Repaire to the Clark Office and there to Enter into bond with good Security for that part of Mr. Thomas Maddox Estate that belongeth to their Children between this and the next Court and they pay Cost."67 (Underscore added.)

C. The records further show that on 19 April 1715, the Northampton Court agreed to the request of Thomas James, who had married the widow Rebecca, to record "the three Discharges from Thomas Maddux Estate one of Benjamin Johnson for his Children part of the said Maddux Estate the second of Alexander Bagwell for his Children part of the said Maddux Estate the third is John Powell for Thomas Maddux part of his father's Estate…"68 (Underscore added.)

Conclusion 8: Alexander Bagwell's Maddux wife died before her father.

Rationale: Alexander Bagwell had married the widow Elizabeth Roberts by 1712 as mentioned above. Also, Stell noted that nowhere in the Court Orders cited above were the wives of either Benjamin Johnson or Alexander Bagwell shown with any of the accountings or distributions from the Maddox estate. Furthermore, the usual wording, such as ‘in right of his wife' is not used, but "for their children" and "for his children" are used. This suggests that the wives of both Benjamin Johnson and Alexander Bagwell are deceased by 1713.

Related Topics

The deaths of Thomas Maddux Sr. and the second Thomas Maddux, Jr.

The records show that Thomas Maddux Sr. died in 171369, and that his widow Rebecca ("Rebacca") was the Administrix of his estate as of 19 January 171370. It is from her petitions to the court that we know Alexander Bagwell and Benjamin Johnson had married daughters of Maddux, and that those daughters were deceased by 1713, and that there was a Thomas Maddux Jr. who was an orphan of Thomas Maddux Sr..

The records also record the apparent death of another Thomas Maddux in 1716/7 when Alexander Bagwell was appointed Administrator "on behalf of the children of the deceased."71 In March 1717, Bagwell petitioned the court "on the behalf of his child a certificate his [sic] granted him for obtaining a Letter of Administration in due form on the Estate of Thomas Maddux Late of this County deceased on the behalfe as aforesd …the Said Bagwell return an Inventory of the said Estate according his Oath to the next Court."72 This and a couple of other court records suggest that Alexander Bagwell took over as the Administrator duties from the widow Rebecca Maddux, who had married Thomas James in 171473. However, on 17 July 1717, Thomas James "as Entermarrying with Rebekah Maddux His Adm" presented to the court "the remainder part of the Inventory of the Estate of Thomas Maddux Senior deceased."74

The distinction made by referring to "Thomas Maddux Senior" suggests that Alexander Bagwell was administering the estate of Thomas Maddux Jr. Stell noted that:

"We hear nothing about Thomas Maddux b. 1695 after May 1716 when he turned 21. Alexander Bagwell's in court for adm. of Thomas Maddux in March 1717. The hang-up is the wording "children of the deceased" which means if this is Thomas Maddux b. 1695 who died in 1717, he's not yet 22 and has children (which we all know is a possibility) but if the children/child lived, they'd get the land."75

"After the 1717 probate for the estate of this Thomas Maddux, the Thomas Maddux estate already in court with Rebecca and Thomas James as administrators, was then called the estate of Thomas Maddux "Sr." The only other Thomas Maddux in Northampton County was the young son of Thomas Maddux Sr., who had just discharged his guardian, John Powell, the year before. As the only son in the distribution of the estate of Thomas Maddux d. 1713, Thomas d. 1717 would have inherited his father's land at N98. At his death and without a will, the land at N98 would go to his children, if he had any; and if not, to the heirs of his sisters/step-sisters (the children of Alexander Maddux and Benjamin Johnson)."76

While this matter is interesting, I have concluded it does not contribute to the matter under study, i.e., who were the wives of Thomas Maddux and Alexander Bagwell, and thus will not report further on it in this paper.

The Johnson Families

The surname Johnson showed up repeatedly during the research on Thomas Maddux and Alexander Bagwell.

George Johnson of Somerset County, MD died in 1681. His 1680 will mentioned his brother Benjamin, as well as a brother William back in England. This George comes from a powerful New England family, and I will cover him and his family below.

The Samuel Johnson living on the land Obedience Roberts left to his brother also had a son named Benjamin.

There was a Benjamin Johnson who in 1738 exchanged properties with Major and Lucresche Guy. However, I think Maddux's son-in-law was the one who died in 1720.

A Benjamin Johnson of Somerset County, MD wrote his will in 1720. His will suggests strongly to me that he was one who married the daughter of Thomas Maddux: one of his four sons was named Maddux, and one of his five daughters was named Neomy83. His widow was named Frances. Because Frances survived him, and I believe Benjamin's Maddux wife died before 1713, Frances would have to be his second wife.

One began with Col. Thomas Johnson, an early ally of Col. Edmund Scarburgh.

Another appears to begin with Jeptha Johnson. These two may be connected, but my analysis of the given names in these two families revealed there were differences in naming patterns. For example, while there are three generations of men named Obedience in Col Thomas Johnson's lines, there are no Jepthas. There is one man named Obedience in Jeptha's lines but there are three generations of Jeptha's.

Yet another Johnson family, who were Quakers, lived at Muddy Creek.

Then there was the line of George Johnson, who died in Somerset County, Maryland in 1681. George of Somerset was the son of Captain Edward Johnson, a leading Massachusetts Puritan."87 George Johnson came to Massachusetts with his parents, but returned to England and become a merchant. In 1655, he was admitted as a freeman of Canterbury, England by birth. Later he left England for Maryland, and settled in Somerset County, where he died in 168188. The reminder of his immediate family remained in New England. His 1680 will mentioned his father and grandfather, several other Johnson siblings who were in New England, and two Maryland Quakers, George Johnson of Muddy Creek and Levin Denwood.89

The Migration North to Maryland

In the email to GHOTES that introduced me to Stell, she asked: "As long as I'm at it. Can anyone explain the will of Alexander Maddux II (s/o Alexander and brother of above Thomas Sr.) of 1717 Somerset Co., MD. All the witnesses are Northampton people…Witnesses were: Luke Johnson (d. 1733 NH & his friend Thomas Marshall exor), Thomas Marshall (d. 1760 NH), Anthony Seady (d. 1718 NH, Luke & John Johnson wit.) and Thomas Savage (d. 1721 NH). I know Thomas Marshall went to Somerset on occasion and administered his sister's estate there in the 1650's, but have a hard time seeing these four men trooping to MD to witness this will?"

The following includes extracts from some of my previous write ups done for my family and not intended for publication, which means sources are not cited.

Maryland authorities apparently started recruiting settlers from Virginia's Eastern Shore early on. While researching my Revell connections, I found that on 20 Nov 1637, the Accomack court found it necessary to forbid anyone from leaving the "plantation of Accomack without a special licence" from the commander.

The next migratory wave was a result of the English Civil War. Maryland's Catholic leadership found itself increasingly isolated on both sides of the Atlantic. Cecil Calver began a series of political moves designed to save his interests in Maryland. He opened the door to anyone who would settle there. He replaced his Catholic governor with William Stone, a Protestant who had been living in Accomack/Northampton since 1627. Stone, in turn, opened the doors in 1648 to Virginia's Puritans who settled on the Severn River in 1649 near what became Annapolis under the leadership in part of another of my ancestors, Richard Bennett.

George Fox began his Quaker movement in north of England in 1646 and it spread quickly to Virginia. The Quakers were persecuted from the outset, and in 1658 the Virginia Assembly banned them altogether.

The isolation of the Eastern Shore resulted in many Quakers settling there. Unfortunately for them, other colonists began settling in what would become Accomack County, pushing the Quakers northward. Col. Edmund Scarburgh, sometimes known as the King of Accomack, detested the Quakers, and he did everything in his power to drive them north of the Pocomoke River. His power as a commissioner allowed him to ensure the Quakers kept moving northward.

Alexander1 Maddux's widow Ellinor White Maddux married a neighbor named William Bozman in 1661, and Bozman soon moved his new family to Somerset County Maryland. Alexander2 Maddux and his step-brother Lazarus Maddux went with the family. The year is significant, because it was the same year that Lord Baltimore initiated an effort to populate the lower part of the Maryland Eastern Shore.

There were many settlers on the Virginia Eastern Shore who wanted to resettle in Maryland. Many were Quakers trying to get away from Col. Scarburgh. In November 1661, Lord Baltimore opened an area below the Choptank River for settlement. Col. Scarburgh had a great deal of personal interest in this since he owned over 3,000 acres in the area. He managed to get himself appointed as a Commissioner with the authority to grant lands to whoever would take an oath of loyalty to Lord Baltimore. His fellow commissioners were Randall Revell and John Elzey.

Randall Revell moved to Somerset County, and in May 1662 reported that the settlement was well established.. Scarburgh apparently intended to annex the Manokin area into his Kingdom of Accomack, and he must have thought Revell was his agent to make that happen. He wrote to Revell in January 1663 and staked his claim. That letter ended up in the hands of fellow commissioner John Elzey, who turned it over to the Maryland Council. On 4 February, the Maryland governor issued a new commission putting Elzey in the senior position, removing Scarburgh, and replacing him with Stephen Horsey. Revell, who was named the first resident executive officer of the settlement in November 1661, also was relieved duty by Lord Baltimore.

It appears that William Bozman took his family, to include Alexander2 Maddux, to Somerset County and was a part of this settlement. Apparently, Alexander maintained close ties with some of his Accomack family friends. I just can't answer why. One possibility was that there was a Quaker connection-both the Maddux and Bagwell families had them, but I have not found one that would answer Stell's question. Perhaps the witnesses were just close to the family.

Luke Johnson was the son of Thomas Johnson and grandson of Col. Thomas Johnson. He was a witness for the will of his uncle, Obedience Johnson90. This particular Obedience Johnson is not related to the one connected to Edmund Kelly, however.

A Thomas Marshall was connected to both the Maddux and Bagwell families. He sued Alexander Bagwell to collect a debt from the estate of Thomas Maddux, Jr. He was one of the persons named to appraise the estate of Alexander Bagwell. Alexander's daughter Margaret selected him as her guardian91. After her first husband died, Margaret married Jacob Marshall, the younger step-brother of Thomas Marshall.92

I have nothing on Seady, and did not research him. A Thomas Savage served as an appraiser for the estate of Jacob Johnson93. Jacob Johnson was a witness to the will of Captain Phillip Fisher, Thomas Maddux's brother-in-law. Other witnesses were Obedience Johnson and Alexander Bagwell94. Jacob also was married to Temperance Johnson, daughter of the Obedience Johnson mentioned above95. Savage married Alicia or Elisia Harmanson, daughter of Thomas Harmanson Sr. and Johanna Andrews96. Alicia/Elisia was the sister of John Harmanson, who was the short term guardian of Thomas Maddux, Jr.97

The Graft Connection

Thomas Maddux's second wife, Sarah Michael, was a daughter of John Michael, and Englishman born in Graft, Holland. That town shows up repeatedly in connection with one of the Johnson families. Graft today is twenty miles inland in North Holland. I became curious about the attraction of Graft to the English.

Today, the area is known as Graft – De Rijp, and is an administrative area encompassing Graft, De Rijp, and three other villages. Graft, which dates back to about 1216, was primarily a farming community. In the early 1600s, however, a number Graft citizens formed De Rijp to take advantage of its open connection to the sea. It soon became the largest herring port in North Holland, and by 1654 it began whaling operations98. So it appears the attraction was simply a maritime one.

Graft - De Rijp is now inland because a De Rijper named Jan Leeghwater, a miller, began building mills that resulted in reclaiming land from the sea99.

The records sometimes included the word "bestevare" or "bestevar" in connection with men from Graft. Fort example, one Syvert Derrickson of Graft appointed Skipper John Johnson "bestevar of Graft" to have power of attorney in a matter. I found on the Internet a British citizen who has lived in Graft - De Rijp for over twenty years, and she advised that the term means "master seaman."

Endnotes

  1. Virginia Meyer and John Dorman, "Adventurers of Purse and Person" Dietz Press, Richmond, VA, 3rd Edition, 1987.The record cited by the authors is Northampton Orders 1710-1715, p. 147. (From Stell.)
  2. Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al.
  3. Ghotes 4-660, 9 Oct 02, "Dr.Bill" drbill@shorelineonline.net William S.Burton,M.D.
  4. Northampton Co. Order Bk. 1710-17, p. 145) [p.127] From Stell 14 March 04
  5. Stell, 19 Mar 04 & Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al. "In Jim Marshall's NH Wills & Adm., it appears he found a reference dated 11/30/1668 which refers to deceased estate and his widow and children and his orphans are named in 1671 along with a will which Jim didn't find and by 1678 Thomas Maddux had married the relict of Wm. Smith."
  6. Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al
  7. Stell, 19 Mar 04 email & Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al.
  8. Whitelaw, p. 439
  9. GHOTES: Tilney Family Journal & Ghotes 4-660, 9 Oct 02
  10. Stell, 11 March 2004 email
  11. Marshall, NH Wills & Admin., p. 172, from Stell, 17 April 04 email
  12. NH Vol 15:139. p. 121 of the book
  13. NH 15:201. p. 169
  14. NH15:247, p. 206, from Stell 14 Mar 04 email
  15. NH15:247. p. 206 from Stell 14 Mar 04
  16. GHOTES: mkmiles: Some Fishers of the Eastern Shore: Fourth Generation
  17. Lois & Dave Stephens, dsteph1@hotmail.com: 29/07/2003, Updated: Wed Aug 6, 2003
  18. Stell, 19 Mar 04 & Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al.
  19. Ghotes 4-660, 9 Oct 02, "Dr.Bill" drbill@shorelineonline.net William S.Burton,M.D
  20. Marshall, NH Wills & Admin., p. 172, from Stell, 17 April 04 email
  21. Stell to GHOTES, 9 Mar 04; Stell, email dtd 20 Mar 04; Gerry Hammond h7140@comjcast.net
  22. NH15:206 p. 174 from Stell, 14 Mar 04
  23. NH 15:224 p. 188 from Stell, 14 Mar 04
  24. NH15:247. p. 206 from Stell 14 Mar 04
  25. Ancestry.com-Virginia County Records, Volume VI, Northampton Conty Wills, Order Book # 14
  26. Marshall NH Wills & Adm., p. 172, from Stell via 17 April 04 email
  27. drives@garlic.com, 2001
  28. Whitelaw, p.489
  29. drives@garlic.com, 2001
  30. Whitelaw, p. 491
  31. Stell, 19 Mar 04 email combined with Whitelaw, p. 496
  32. Stell, 11 March 04 email
  33. Northampton County Wills, Order Book 14, found via Ancestry.com, Virginia County Records, Volume VI.
  34. Marshall, NH Wills & Admin., p. 172, from Stell vis 17 April 94 email
  35. Ibid.
  36. GHOTES Digest Vol. 4- No. 289
  37. Marshall, NH Wills & Admin., p. 195
  38. Bill Wilkins, billyghotes@BillWilkins.net, Feb 2002
  39. Whitelaw, p. 495-6
  40. Ancestry.com – American Genealogical-Biographical Index
  41. Ancestry.com – Page Family Tree, Dan Bennett, muzzikmann@msn.com
  42. Stell, email 17 April 04.
  43. Suddath and Freeman Families, Ancestry.com: Updated: 2004-05-17 19:51:18 UTC (Mon)    Contact: Robert Suddath, rasuddeth@uswest.net
  44. Whitelaw, p. 291
  45. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net & Stell, email 19 March 04
  46. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net
  47. (James H. Marshall, Abstracts of the Wills & Administrations of Northampton Co. VA, Picton Press, Camden, ME, 1994, p. 242)
  48. www5.familytreemaker.com/users/c/a/s/Patricia-A-Caster/ODT1-0008.html htmlDescendants of Thomas Maddox
  49. Judy Stell, Thomas Maddox Theories and Cites, email April 2004.
  50. www5.familytreemaker.com/users/c/a/s/Patricia-A-Caster/ODT1-0008.htmlDescendants of Thomas Maddox
  51. Karyn Ulriksen. valkaryn@valkaryn.net, Rootsweb.com
  52. Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al.
  53. Trina Schmidt, trinaartist@yahoo.com;
  54. Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al.
  55. Stell, email dtd 31 March 04, Teague, Smith et al.
  56. Stell, email dtd 17 Mar 04
  57. Ancestry.com search 24 Mar 04: Virginia County Records, IX, Northampton County Wills.
  58. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net, Feb 2002
  59. Whitelaw, p.92.
  60. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net, Feb 2002
  61. (20 June 1722 MCW5:113; 17:289; Vern Skinner's abstract shows children: Mary, Sarah, William, John, Maddux, Ann, Neomy, Lurach, Benjamin, Bartholomy; NOTE: this is likely what would be Balt. 100, Wor.) (From Stell 14 Mar 04)
  62. Trina Schmidt, trinaartist@yahoo.com & Kim Phillips Randolph, n2mypast@yahoo.com 
  63. Whitelaw, p. 167
  64. 20 May 1712 p. 65; Mackey, Howard and Groves, Marlene A., Northampton County Virginia Record Book Court Cases &c Volume 15 1710-1717 (Picton Press, Rockport, Maine 2003), pp 56-57
  65. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net
  66. Northampton Co. Order Bk. 1710-17, p. 145) [p.127]
  67. Northampton Co. Order Bk. 1710-17, p. 147) [p.129]
  68. (NH 15:201). p. 169
  69. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net
  70. Northampton Co. Order Bk. 1710-17, p. 145) [p.127] From Stell 14 March 04
  71. James H. Marshall, NH Wills & Adm., p. 217)From Stell 14 Mar 04
  72. NH16:4 p. 6 , From Stell 16 Mar 04
  73. Jean M. Mihalyka, Marriages NH Co. VA 1660-1854, 3rd Rev. Ed., from Stell
  74. NH16:28 p. 25, From Stell 16 Mar 04
  75. Stell email 17 Mar 04
  76. Stell, Alexander Bagwell summary
  77. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net
  78. Kim Phillips Randolk, n2mypast@yahoo.com, 25 Feb 2004
  79. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net
  80. Bill Wilkins, billyghote@BillWilkins.net
  81. NH Vol 15:139. p. 121 of the book, from Stell 14 Mar 04
  82. Whitelaw, pp. 166-7
  83. (20 June 1722 MCW5:113; 17:289; Vern Skinner's abstract shows children: Mary, Sarah, William, John, Maddux, Ann, Neomy, Lurach, Benjamin, Bartholomy; NOTE: this is likely what would be Balt. 100, Wor.) (From Stell 14 Mar 04)
  84. NH15:169 p. 150 form Stell 14 Mar 04
  85. Ghotes, sunnybrk9@aol.com
  86. Stell, 14 March 04 email
  87. Descendants of Gerard Johnson, Copernic search 25 May 2004
  88. rosef01, Frederick Rose, frederickrose@hotmail.com
  89. Stell: Teague, Smith et al
  90. Stell: Teague, Smith et al
  91. NH Orders Bk 18 1722-1729, film VA Archives; Stell, 20 Mar 04 & April 04
  92. Stell, Alexander Bagwell material, April 2004
  93. James H. Marshall, NH Wills & Admin., p. 195, from Stell
  94. Ghotes; Miles Files
  95. Whitelaw, p. 505
  96. GHOTES Digest 4-289 & GHOTES: Andrews Family Project
  97. Suddath and Freeman Families, Ancestry.com: Updated: 2004-05-17 Contact: Robert Suddath, rasuddeth@uswest.net
  98. www.webdoc.co.uk.cstg/twinning.htm & http://flagspot.net/flags/nl-nh-gr.html
  99. http://flagspot.net/flags/nl-nh-gr.html
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