Rachel (Beard) Freeborne (abt. 1646 - aft. 1731)

Born about 1646 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Ancestors

Wife of Neale Clarke — married before 1665 (to before 3 Jul 1676) in Anne Arundel, Province of Maryland

Wife of Robert Proctor — married after 1667 in Anne Arundel, Maryland

Wife of Richard Kilburne — married about 1698 in Anne Arundel, Colony of Maryland, British Colonial America

Wife of Richard Freeborne — married before 1705 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Descendants

Died after 9 Nov 1731 after about age 85 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

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Biography

Rachel Beard, daughter of Richard Beard and Rachel Robins, was born about 1646. She lived most of her life in the growing town of Annapolis where her third husband, Robert Proctor ran a tavern. Rachel inherited the tavern on his death and continued to run it for many years.^[1] She m. (1) Neale Clarke, who d. by 3 July 1778, m. (2) John Stimpson, who d. by 23 Jan. 1688/9 m. (3) Robert Proctor, m. (4) Richard Kilburne, who d. 1698, m. (5) by 1705 Richard Freeborne, who d. testate by 13 Jan, 1713.

Marriage #1

Children of Rachel and Neale Clarke:

1. Neale Clarke, born about 1664 married first Ann married second Jane Jones (source needed)
2. Rachel Clarke, born 15 Aug 1667, married first John Crosse married second Thomas Robinson
3. Ruth Clarke, born about 1668 married first Joseph Williams married second Robert Edney
4. Elizabeth Clarke, born about 1670
5. Richard Clarke, born about 1673 married Elizabeth Mariarte

Marriage #2

Children of Rachel and John Stimson:

1. Rachel Elizabeth Stimson, born Sep. 24, 1681 married first Charles Greenberry and married second Charles Hammond.
2. Comfort Rebekah Stimson, born Oct. 7, 1683 married John Dorsey

Clues from Land Records

Rachel was the widow of Richard Kilburne when she decided it was time to write out her will. The complete document was written into the land records of Anne Arundel County as a deed of gift instead of the probate records because she was still alive at the time. An abstract of the 3 page document follows: Be it known unto all men by these presents that I Rachell Kilburne of the towne & port of Annapolis in the County of Anne Arundel widow . . .

• to my loving daughter Rachel Greenberry 3 feather beds & furniture, 6 chairs, 1 round table.
• to my loving daughter Comfort Simpson 5 feather beds & furniture, 1 large cupboard with drawers, 1 small ditto, 6 chairs, 1 round table, 2 other tables, 1 large long table, 6 pewter dishes, 2 pewter platters, 2 dozen napkins, a large tablecloths, 2 large towels, 1 large silver porringer, 1 small silver tankard, 1 large silver cordial cup, 2 silver punch cups, 6 silver spoons, my horse Simp, my mare called Gandy, 1 seal skin trunk, negro woman called Ann, her daughter Mary & her daughter Cath and also all my houses & lots lying within the port of Annapolis, excepting the lot with the further stable and along with the said stable which I give to my grandson Joseph Williams.
• to Comfort Simpson 4 lots belonging to me in the ?? and 1 large copper & 1 small brass kettle containing about 10 gallons, 1 large iron pot containing about 20 gallons and ditto containing about 8 gallons, two small ditto about six gallons each with pot hooks & rack belonging to them & three pair of andirons.
• to my loving daughter Ruth Williams two good feather beds and furniture, one negro woman named Susana, 1 mulatto girl named Cress & 2 large silver tumblers, 1 silver dram cup & a table cloth, 2 dozen napkins, 2 towels, 6 pewter dishes, 2 doz. pewter platters and what time my indentured woman named Margret shall have to serve at the time of my decease.
• to my son-in-law Wm. Kilburne 1 feather bed & furniture, a silver spoon with his name on it, 1 gold ring, an iron pot of 3 gallons, an iron spit.
• to daughter-in-law Elizabeth Killburne 1 feather bed & furniture, 1 gold ring, a silver bodkin, an iron pot of 3 gallons & an iron spit.
• I give my shallop (a small boat) & appurtenances (if not worn out before my decease) to be sold for the good of my son-in-law William Kilburne.
• to Mr. Charles Carroll 30 shillings to buy him a ring. (he was one of the richest men in Annapolis)
• to Henry David Sr. £5
• to my granddaughter Rachell Clarke a gold ring & a silver bodkin.
• I Rachell Kilburne have put my loving daughters Ruth, Rachell and Comfort and my grand children Joseph, William and Rachel Clarke and my son & daughter-in-law Wm & Rachel Killburne and Mr. Charles Carroll and Henry Davis Sr. in full and quiet possession of all the aforementioned lands & goods & chattles according to the terms of my last will.
• I give £6 to each of my children and £6 to each of the parents and guardians of my grandchildren Joseph, William and Rachell Clark & £6 to the parents & guardians of my son & daughter-in-law William & Elizabeth Kilburne & £6 to Charles Carroll & Henry Davis Sr. (the rest is very confusing).

4 MAR 1700/01 signed Rachell Kilburne with her mark which was a large R and witnessed by George Stanly, Thos. Brannock & Kath Cullen. ^[2]

Rachel apparently decided she had left a few things out of her will and another document was entered into the record on 13 SEP 1701. The new one added a statement at the beginning to give the mill formerly called Proctors & the land with it to Rachel Greenbury and Comfort Stimpson. It also added a statement that son-in-law William Kilburne be under the tuition of Col. John Hammond until he is 18 and her daughter-in-law to be under the care of Rachel Greenberry until age 18 or marriage The will ended with a request that her old horse Dobbins shall never be used after her decease but that he shall be fed and looked to.^[3]

In a deed dated 6 JAN 1715 Rachel is now Rachell Freeborne of the city of Annapolis and is not called a widow when she gives new information about her daughter Rachel Clark who was Rachel Robinson in 1701. By 1715 she is Rachell Edney formerly Rachell Robinson and her mother gives by deed of gift a negro man named Silvanus about 20 years old.^[4]

A year later on 3 MAR 1716 Rachell Freeborne conveyed 2 lots located in Annapolis to Charles Carroll, Esq. for £60. Both lots were on the main street of the town, Duke of Gloucester Street. ^[5]

Rachel was still alive and apparently having some concerns about the deed of gift she signed in 1701 because there is a very strange deposition entered in the land records on 6 JUN 1724. John Clarke (the son of Neal) was to deliver a letter & 12 pence to Col. John Dorsey and his wife Comfort to void her deed of gift. Col. Dorsey refused to take the 12 pence, but Comfort did take it. ^[6]

Rachel was a widow again by 31 AUG 1726 when she sold a 400 acre tract located on the Magothy River for £40. This land was part of her inheritance from the innholder, Robert Proctor, her third husband.^[7]

The items left to her daughter, Comfort, in the 1701 deed of gift that Rachell wanted to make void appear again in a deed dated 17 JUN 1724 that was not recorded in the land records until 12 APR 1727. In it she gives much of the furniture and slaves mentioned in the previous deed of gift to Comfort to her 3 sons instead, Greenberry, Joshua & Vincent Dorsey. The deed states the items were in the possession of her son-in-law ,Charles Hammond, in trust for the use of Comfort if the three boys die before they are of age and after Comfort's death to Ann Hammond.^[8] John Dorsey was apparently having finanicial troubles at the time of this deed.

Rachel must have been over 80 years old on 21 OCT 1729 when she conveyed 150 acres called Turkey Quarter to her son for the natural affection she had for Neal Clarke. The deed states that he was dwelling on this quarter.^[9] The last deed in the property records dated 9 NOV 1731 transfers all the real and personal estate of Rachel Freeborne to her daughter Rachel Hammond, the wife of Charles Hammond providing that she has uninterrupted use of it until the day of her death. The deed was signed in the presence of John Brice and & Robert Kinnick.^[10]

There are no probate records for Rachel Freeborne so her exact date of death is not known. She was a remarkable character in a growing colony.

Research Notes

Conflation between Rachel Beard other Rachels

• The Find a Grave memorial for Rachel Beard includes bio for Rachel, daughter of Joseph Morley, who married Robert Proctor, Sr. "Rachel's sister, Ruth married John Gaither, and they had children. On ancestry, there is a DNA match with Robert Proctor, Jr's daughter (Rachel Proctor Cross) and John Gaither's son John Gaither Jr." This discussion does not apply to Rachel Beard, because John Gaither and Robert Proctor, Sr. married sisters, both daughters of Joseph Morley. ^[11]

• Rachel Beard's memorial also indicates that she was the same Rachel who married John Stimpson about 1680 and he was deceased by 10 SEP 1694 when she signed a deed of conveyance for a tract called Intack sold to Andrew Norwood for £120.

• Rachel Beard's memorial indicates that she was the widow of Neal Clark, whose Will was probated on July 3, 1678.

• "Rachel was also married to Richard Kilburne and Thomas Freeborne according to the book "Colonial Families of Anne Arundel County, Maryland" by Robert Barnes on page 61"

• "Rachell, the Wife of Thomas Freeborne" appears in Archives of Maryland, vol XXVI Sep 1704 - Apr 1706, Proceedings of the Upper House, May 18th 1705, when the Sheriff of Ann Arundel County is ordered to take her "into his Custody" and bring her in for questioning.^[12] This would suggest that, at least in 1705, Rachel was the wife of Thomas Freeborne and not his son Richard.

Sources

1. ↑ Anne Arundel County Genealogical Society, 1999
2. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber WT 1 folio 118-120
3. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber WT 1 folio 197-200
4. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber IB 2 folio 262
5. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber IB 2 folio 364
6. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber RCW 2 folio 245
7. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber SY 1 folio 223
8. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber SY 1 folio 267
9. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber TI 1 folio 62
10. ↑ Anne Arundel Deeds Liber IHTI folio 356
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105769356/rachel-freeborne: accessed 02 April 2023), memorial page for Rachel Beard Freeborne (1650–1724), Find A Grave: Memorial #105769356; Burial Details Unknown.
12. ↑ Rachell, Wife of Thomas Freeborne Maryland Archives