According to Black's Law Dictionary a spinster is a woman who has never been
married. This was clearly the usuage in colonial Virginia.
HBG
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clay Gullatt" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] "Spinster" in 1670
She must have owned her property outright since the contract protects her
property shouldn't she show up on the Surry Co. tax lists if there are any
for that period?
Clay
--- On Tue, 6/1/10, Bonnie Flythe <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Bonnie Flythe <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] "Spinster" in 1670
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 1:06 PM
I am not sure about the term spinster, but have seen other marriage
contracts. The ones I have seen were much more recent, but the very fact
that Elizabeth was acting on her own indicates that she did not have or need
a guardian. If she was under age 21, a guardian would have some control over
her property and the guardian's name would appear in the document. She seems
to be an adult woman who controlled her own property.
Bonnie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lou Poole" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 5:45 PM
Subject: [VA-ROOTS] "Spinster" in 1670
> Was there a legal or at least formal definition of the term "Spinster"
> in 1670? What I'm trying to get at here, is what was the age
> connotation of using the term "Spinster"?
>
> The following record comes from Surry County in 1670/1:
>
> "Whereas John Hunicut & Elizabeth Warren Spinster both of his County
> have contracted togeather to enter Marriage Sudainly & for ye. better
> clearing of all doubts & Scruples that May arrise as aspersions cast
> in ye. way to either of theire discreditts & for ye. pr:vention
> thereof I John Hunicut doe by these pr:sents before Marriage doe
> Alinate & make over unto ye. sd. Elizabeth Warren & to her heirs all
> such cattle Chattles & household goods as she stands possessed of by
> ye. divission made & by ordr. of ye. Courte att Southwarke as may More
> att large apeare as witness my hand ye 24th. febry. 1670 John Hunicut.
> Witnes hereunto Joh. Corker ye. Marke of Jane Warren (O) Acknowledged
> in Cort ye 7th. Mar. 1670 & record. 13th. Teste GW" [Haun, Weynette
> Parks, Surry County, Virginia, Court Records, 1664-1671, Book II, p.
> 87.]
>
> If there was a legal definition in VA law at this time, I can't find
> it in Hening's. And an Internet search yields nothing better than
> something like "an unmarried woman beyond the conventional age of
> marriage."
>
> The interpretation of that term is kind of important. If Elizabeth
> Warren, Spinster, was over the age of 21 (actually over the age of
> 17-18) she was not the daughter of who everyone thinks she is. She
> was the daughter of Thomas Warren of Surry County, but everyone seems
> to think that she was the daughter of Elizabeth (Spencer)
> Sheppard-Warren. If she was over the age of 15-16 then it probably
> means that Thomas Warren was married to a second wife, prior to his
> marriage to Elizabeth (Spencer) Sheppard-Warren.
>
> Thanks in advance for any knowledgeable insight into this question.
>
> Lou Poole
>
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