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Subject: [LDR] Re: Dem Fassitts
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2003 15:23:00 EDT
Craig and all,
Regarding John Fassitt and his marriage, possible marriages per Craig's
message/response below. I think some of the confusion might come from Rhoda's
second husband, John Franklin, whose will mentions son Ebenezer and a Franklin
Fassitt.
First, fortunately John Fassitt's marriage to the infamous Rhoda on June 2,
1661 (note the date) is recorded in one of the few remaining Hungar's Parish
records. That was when Accomac was Northampton Co. (My notes on these folks
are ALL in storage in Virginia, but I believe a transcript of the records are in
the William and Mary Quarterly somewhere).
Second, this John Fassitt's will was written August of 1673 and probated in
October of 1673, clearly naming wife Rhoda and one daughter Elizabeth and four
sons: John, William, Charles and Thomas. From the abstract it appears all of
the children are under age 18, in keeping with the marriage only being 12
years old (course with Rhoda who knows what went on before!). Craig posted an
abstract of the will to this list, along with several other will abstracts in
November of 1999. Here it is:
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS/1999-11/0942614624
FAWSETT, JOHN - 15 Aug. 1673 - 16 Oct. 1673 - To eldest son John Fawsett
planta. where I now live - Wife Rhodeah to have use of same until John arriving to
18 years. To son William (under 18) 1/2 of 500 A. & the other1/2 to my son
Charles (under 18). To son Thomas (under 18) & son Charles atract of land called
James Neck purchased of John Cropper at the head of Occahannock Creek, being
245 A. To dau. Elizabeth. Wife Exec. Mr. ThomasTeackle & Mr. Southy Littleton
to be assistants. Witt: Richard Kellam,Joseph Foxcroft.
Third, the Miles file link has three children agreeing with the above
(William, John & Elizabeth), but no Thomas or Charles. Instead we have Franklin and
Ebeneezer.
http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/d9/i0028307.htm#i28310
"John Fassett Sr. and Tabitha Franklin had the following children:
2 i. Franklin2 Fassett<A HREF="http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/sourcesh.htm#f25587b">(25587)</A>; was born circa 1660.
3 ii. John Fassett<A HREF="http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/sourcesh.htm#f25588b">(25588)</A>; was born circa 1662.
+ 4 iii. <A HREF="http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/d9/i0028091.htm#i28091">William Fassett Sr.</A> was born circa 1663.
5 iv. Ebenezer Fassett<A HREF="http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/sourcesh.htm#f25589b">(25589)</A>; was born circa 1664.
6 v. Elizabeth Fassett<A HREF="http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/sourcesh.htm#f25590b">(25590)</A>; was born circa 1666.
Given the absence of earlier parish records, it is possible that John Fassitt
had an earlier marriage, but I personally suspect that all the children named
in the will were his and Rhoda's. It would be interesting to see if in the
actual will there are some nuances not apparent in the abstract that might
confirm this. I do not know what happened to son John Jr., but I believe that
since son William (my line via Eliz. Whittington) named a daughter Rhoda (mine)
that she was probably his mother (from whom I believe he did have trouble
getting his share of the estate).
However...where did the name Tabitha Franklin come from? Well, let's put
our thinking caps on and recall Rhoda's various liaisons. First, we think first
anyway, she marries John Fassitt in 1661. He dies in 1673 and she begins (or
continues -- who knows) her open cohabitation with next door neighbor John
Cropper who is married to Gertrude Bowman daughter of Edmund, one of Accomac's
magistrates/justices (I forgot exactly what they were called). John Cropper
and Rhoda are basically run out of Virginia (escape more legal action) and move
to Somerset Co., where they some more kids and he dies November of 1686
(according to ocmuseum.org -- genealogy link, family search, Cropper family --
summary of John's will is there). His widow the long-suffering Gertrude (or maybe
she was happy to get him out of her hair) challenges the will because it favors
the children John Cropper has with Rhoda, who is his executrix.
Later court records summarized at the above link, indicate that Rhoda, still
quite charming apparently, has married John Franklyn, said by somebody here to
have been Gertrude Bowman Cropper's attorney. Here is a summary of John
Franklyn's will that I found. It mentions Franklin Fassitt and son Ebenezer. It
is possible that this is where some of the confusion occurs. Oops forgot to
also mention that there is a court record of Rhoda having an illegitimate child
in Accomac County sometime around the beginning of her period with Cropper.
She was harbored by a man named Taylor if memory serves. I wonder if that
might be Franklin Fassitt below or it could be a first child with Cropper, though
he gave his surname to their children it appears? Or if possibly Rhoda was
pregnant with Franklin when John Fassitt died, and he failed to mention that
possibility in the will (or it was mentioned but not abstracted). A look at
the time of the appearance of Franklin Fassitt in any records might be
instructive as to determining his age. Again, without looking at the actual will it is
hard to know, but the implication in the summary below is that Franklin has a
daughter Elizabeth.
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2624402&;
id=I544159258
> MARYLAND CALENDAR OF WILLS: Volume 6
>
> Franklyn (Franklin), John, gent., All hallowes Parrish,Somerset Co.,8th
> Feb., 1726-7;
> 24th Nov., 1727.
> To Capt. Wm. Fassitt and hrs., 1/3 pt. of 500 A., according to patent in
> testator's name; and personalty.
> To Mr. Joseph and hrs., 1/3 of 500 A. .
> To Jonathan James and hrs., 50 A. .
> To dau. Mary Collins, 200 A. , where she now lives, during life; to pass to
> her 4th son Thomas Collins on condition he lives with testator during his
> life, otherwise sd. land to fall to hrs. at law.
> To Franklin Fassitt and granddau. Elizabeth Fassitt, personalty.
> To dau. Elizabeth Walton, 1s., and to her child. (unnamed), 12 lbs. in
> country produce.
> To son Ebenezar, ex., and hrs., 600 A. The Exchange, 125 A. Long Accor, 111
> A. marsh; and residue personal estate.
>
Again, it might be helpful to view the actual will above to check on nuances,
as well as see if there is a record of a will for Rhoda? Maybe in St. Mary's
Co. where they are for a while? It is very frustrating being here in
California away from all of my notes and handy libraries with the Court book
abstracts.
So that's all I can suggest about what appear to be discrepancies between
John Fassit's will and the info at the Miles site.
My best to you all,
Janet Hunter
In a message dated 10/17/2003 8:13:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
writes:
> >Hi - can someone straighten me out. I read on the Miles Files that
> >according to the Massey family William Fawcett who m. Elizabeth
> >Whittington was son of John Fassitt Sr. and Tabitha Franklin.
>
> This appears to be in error, though to be honest I don't know exactly
> what happens before Capt Wm marries Elizabeth Whittington without
> referring to my mother and her notes. I just do the web pages
> <chuckle>.
>
> Regarding Tabitha Franklin, I guess my mother would have something. I
> had her placed in the wrong century, mentally speaking, when I first
> responded... but COUSIN JANET probably has an idea. I think at one
> point working backwards it seems Tabitha Franklin is related to Anne
> Southy of Virginia. But I'm vague on it.
>
> About
>
> http://www.espl.org/MilesFiles2/d9/i0028307.htm#i28310
>
> This page appears to be in error. I don't think John Fawset (the
> Attorney of Accomack) lived to be 91 and died in 1712. He died in the
> late 16xx leaving Rhodeah Lamberson/Lambertson Fawset as his widow.
> William, his son, married a Whittington (3 daughters, who are
> mentioned in his will) and then Mary Rouse (rest of the children).
> Hence the later family names Rouse Fassitt, from Mary Rouse, and
> Lambert/Lambart Fassitt, from Rhoda; then there's the infamous Southy
> Whittington, but we'll leave him to another time....
>
> I can't stand the way the notes are set up on these gen log pages,
> where the link takes you to 300K of further links wherein you search
> for the note you originally clicked on. Bah. So I didn't follow the
> note appended to this tidbit about John the 91 year old.
>
>
> Other places I have read (including the fight over his estate in
> Accomack court records) that John Fassitt Sr. m. Rhoda Lamberton
> (the wild one) and had William Fassitt who m. Elizabeth Whittington
> and had Rhoda Fassitt who m. William Bowen.
>
> Yep, this is more like it. Can you give me a cite for the fight over
> his estate?
> ---
>
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