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Rebecca (Burgess) Rucker (1735 - 1842)

Rebecca Rucker formerly Burgess
Born in Orange County, Colony of Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married 1761 in Amherst County, Colony of Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 106 in Amherst, Amherst, Virginia, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 10 Jul 2011
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Contents

Biography

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo
Rebecca (Burgess) Rucker was a Virginia colonist.

Rebecca Burgess Rucker was 107 years old at time of her death. Not necessarily, refer to Research Notes below.

Rebecca Burgess Rucker had 6 children (documented). Rebecca and Anthony Rucker were mentioned 1 April 1799, when the sale of her dec'd father Thomas Burgess' 740 AC farm in Pittsylvania Co, VA was made to Rebecca's brother William Burgess by surviving heirs. The sale went through after the death of Rebecca's mother, Mary Warren Burgess.

Rebecca Rucker appears in the 1830 Amherst County, VA census, age 80-89. See Research Notes below for details.

The obituary for Rebecca Rucker was printed on 4 April 1842 in the Lynchburg Virginian newspaper.

Parents

  • Rev. Thomas Burgess (1714-1792)
  • Mary Warren (1715-1797)

Children (documented)

  • Ambrose (1767-1830)
  • Abner (1770-1839)
  • Armistead (1771-1825)
  • Ann (1778-1842)[1]
  • Amelia (1780-1815)[2] and
  • Absolom (1781-1867)

Children (undocumented) The following are absent from the will and settlement of Anthony Rucker's estate:

  • Alice (c1762-1839)
  • Mildred (c1773-c1827)
  • Mary Agnes (c1775-c1860)
  • Elizabeth (1776-1854)

Obituary

DIED - At her residence in Amherst County on the 23rd ult., Rebecca, relict of the late Anthony Rucker. She was born on the 10th of December, 1835 O. S. having lived some months more than 107 years. She had a presentiment of some time of her demise in this month, and spoke of it prophetically. Without any apparent sickness, the laws of the living body seemed strangely natural to finish their work and gently cease. About three weeks before this, after her devotions, as she lay at night (for she was not denied this spiritual exercise) she called her household and enquired if they saw a beautiful light; tho' lately her eyes had almost failed to almost total blindness, she thought then for a while, that she could see again, so bright within was the marvellous light of immortality: (we may rashly suppose confidently that this was an illusion from a physical cause.) Her intellectual faculties at this advanced age were unimpaired and continued clear. She had been a professor of the religion of the despised Jesus, before the remembrance, perhaps, of her eldest living offspring; also she was as long a member of the Episcopal church, her continued attachment to was expressed by desiring that her funeral service might be preached by one of the ministers of this christian order. The writer's heart is full whilst here recording that she bore witness through several generations of that newness of life "by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" in Christ. She lived to see the fifth generation; and He who had watched over her earliest helplessness, and with whom she had walked by faith, in peace, thro' many a trial, still continued with her, (an everlasting communion,) when the successions of the associates of her time, one by one were departed, her "great joy" and "sure support" in second infancy. What an overwhelming evidence of the priceless value of religion! Only a few minutes before the "weary wheels of life at length stood still," she gave testimony that she was about entering the promised world; and she finished her work of obedience regarding a dying relative's wishful love, she might naturally the more hopefully claim.
If indeed the most worthy are those who dare walk in the Christian "paths of pleasantness", then the virtues of the deceased pilgrim may be inferred,-- eloquently enough for eulogy. She was buried as she requested, by the remains of the companion of her youth. "The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible."[3]

Research Notes

If the 1830 Amherst Co, VA census is to be believed, then Rebecca Rucker age 80-89 in 1830 would be 91-101 years old at time of death. Certainly quite elderly for that time period but not 107. I realize the obituary is what most people use to calculate her age at death, but this gives a reason to question it.

1830 Amherst Co, VA It looks like RHECA RCKER 1 male under 5, 2 males 20-29, 1 f under 5, 1 f 15-19, 1 f 80-89 and 12 slaves.

If this theory is to be considered, then Rebecca's birthyear would have been closer to 1750-1752, and the first "proven" child born in 1770. Since a marriage record has not been found, and a guesstimate is used, it is possible that they married shortly before the birth of Abner Rucker and she would of been of "Marrying age".

Sources

  1. Anthony Rucker mentioned in the record of Bartlett Eads and Ann Rucker (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRDN-HN5?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=LRF8-KD5)
  2. Anthony Rucker mentioned in the record of Jesse Richeson and Amelia Rucker (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/LRF8-KD5)
  3. Lynchburg Virginian, 4 Apr 1843, p. 3, c. 4 (Library of Congress) https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024649/1842-04-04/ed-1/seq-3/

Acknowledgements

  • WikiTree profile Burgess-1781 created through the import of MarilynCardwellGedcomJuly2011.ged on Jul 10, 2011 by Marilyn Cardwell. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Marilyn and others.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Rebecca by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Rebecca:

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Comments: 1

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Burgess-1781 and Burgess-7441 appear to represent the same person because: Same husband. Similar birth date. One profile is orphaned. Please merge. Thank you.
posted on Burgess-7441 (merged) by Patricia (Sparkman) Thomas

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Categories: Virginia Colonists