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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