Mary (Claiborne) Rice (1694 - abt. 1760)

Born 9 Dec 1694 in Hanover County, Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Edward Rice — married 1710 in New Kent County, Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1760 at about age 65 in Goochland, Goochland County, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chet Snow [send private message]

Biography

Mary was possibly the daughter of William Claiborne III and Elizabeth Katherine Dandridge, both of Prince William County, Virginia. Her paternal great-grandfather (William I) was born in Kent, England and emigrated to Virginia as a young man. He had a tobacco plantation there. In 1735 he married Elizabeth Butler, from Essex, England, in New Kent County, Virginia. Young Mary was named for her great-aunt, Mary Claiborne, born about 1630, in New Kent, Virginia, who married Colonel William Harris.

Mary was still just a teenager when she married 20-year old Edward Rice, also of New Kent County, Virginia, in 1710 (b. 1690 in St. Peter's parish). His father, Thomas Rice, was from Bristol, Somerset, England and was also an early Virginia immigrant and planter.

The couple had at least 7 children as follows:

1. Elizabeth Rice b: 1740 in St. James Northam Parish, Goochland, Virginia
2. Miss "Sally" Rice b: in Hanover, Virginia (died as a child)
3. Edward Rice, Jr. b: about 1718, in Goochland, Virginia
4. Charles Rice, Sr. b: 1715 in St Peters Parish, Virginia,
5. Claiborne Rice b: 1730 in Goochland, Goochland, Virginia
6. Baker Rice, b. ? in Goochland, Virginia
7. Thomas Rice, b. 1756, in Goochland, Virginia

As can be seen from the above list, at first they lived in Edward's home parish of St. Peters, then in Hanover, then moved to St James Northam parish, Goochland Co., Virginia, in the 1720s. Mary died in Goochland, Virginia, in about 1760. Her husband died there in about 1770.^[1]

Research Notes

Documentation for this person is limited and in some cases confusing. Husband Edward's will makes mention of wife Mary without surname.^[2] She is mentioned as if alive, yet her profile here says she died in 1760. Some suggestion has been made that she was a Ballou/Ballow, citing an indenture in 1754 between Susanna Ballow widow of Leonard Ballow of Albemarle Co and Clayborn Rice of Goochland Co. Clayborn apparently bought 300 acres of Leonard's land for 40 pounds.^[3] The indenture (no original source cited) is said to indicate that Clayborn's mother was Leonard's daughter.^[4] Yet from the same source,^[5] and also from Chet Snow's Bio above, Mary and Edward are shown as parents of a Claiborne Rice b. 1720 or 1730. The fact that his given name was Claiborne tends to refute the Ballou argument. Another possibility is that young Mary Claiborne was raised in the Ballow household.

Will

WILL OF EDWARD RICE GOOCHLAND CO, VA
probated 1770

I, Edward Rice, Sr. of Goochland County ... First I desire that all that part or parcel of land that my son, Edward settled from his then Spring Branch up to Mr. Zachariah Haden's line may be sold to discharge all my just debts.
Next I desire that my beloved wife, Mary, may have and possess the other part or parcel of my land with the plantation containing by estimation one hundred acres being the same more or less during her natural life and after her decease, I give it to my two grandsons William and Josias Baker to them and their heirs forever.
I likewise lend all the remainder of my estate to my beloved wife, Mary, during her life and at her decease to be equally divided amongst all my children, except five pounds worth I desire my wife may make out to my granddaughter Susannah Smith in any of the goods she may think most proper to dispose of to that amount or as much under as my wife thinks fit. And lastly, I do appoint my two sons Charles and Edward Rice, Executors of this my Last Will and Testament
in Witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand and affixed my seal this first Day of May, One thousand Seven hundred and sixty-nine.

+ + +

Several Mary Claibornes are named in a 224-page Claiborne Family on-line PDF document^[6]. Among them is another Mary Claiborne, wife of this Mary's husband's grandfather of the same name, Edward Rice, who they declare was not of their Claiborne family (see page 14). Whether these two identical husband-wife combinations have proved confusing to researchers is not clear.^[7] There were other Mary Claibornes as well, including a sister of William Claiborne III, not yet listed here on WikiTree (as of 2/27/2018)

On page 28 of Our Southern Cousins^[8] is the following documentation for William III (with research comments in italics)

+ + +

21. Capt. William (III) CLAIBORNE "of Romancoke" (William (Jr.) ("the younger") CLAIBORNE, WILLIAM CLAIBORNE, THOMAS CLAIBORNE/CLAYBORNE *, Thomas (Sr.)) was born 1671.

"Adventurers of Purse and Person"^[9]: "WILLIAM (William, William) born 1671, of "Romancoke," in the Parish of St. John's in Pamunkey Neck, King and Queen County (formed from New Kent, 1691, and after 1702 King William) was of "full age" by 10 August 1692 when he acknowledged a deed to "Bestland" in accordance with an agreement made by his mother and his guardian, John Claiborne, 3 May 1687, when the plantation was sold to Richard Covington of South Farnham Parish, Essex County. He owned 3000 acres in King William County, 1704, was a justice of King and Queen County, 1699, and was named justice and lieutenant colonel of militia on the formation of King William County, 12 March, 1701/2.

"A testimonial to the services of William Claiborne during Bacon's Rebellion, issued at "Green Spring" by Governor Berkely, 29 March 1677, was entered on the records of King William County, 20 July 1703, "on motion of Col. Wm. Clayborne, sonn to within mentioned Col. Wm. Claiborne, Junr., deceased." The name of his wife is not known. His will, 29 Octrober 1705- 10 January 1705/6, named son William and daughter Elizabeth, sister Mary Claiborne (who married Henry Fox - see P. 29), the eldest son of "Cousin" Thomas Claiborne, son of Capt. Thomas Claiborne, sister Ursula Gough, her husband William Gough and son Clayborne, his cousin Eunice Coakes, and others. (notably young daughter Mary - see screen shot image of 1894 Virginia Magazine of History and biography) "

"Virginia Carolorum" ("The Declaration of Ye People") "Thomas Story, Recorder of Philadelphia, and a friend of William Penn, visited a member of the Society of friends, one Edward Thomas at Bangor House on the 21st day of 11th month (O.S.) 1698, accompanied, he writes in his journal, by 'Captain William Clayborne, grandson of Colonel Calyborn who subdued the emperor of the Indians of those parts, and his people between the Mattapony and Pamunkie." In March 1699 , he went to the house of William Clayborne at Pamunky Neck, and held a meeting at Ramoncock, at which was present Captain Clayborne, Major Palmer and Doctor Walker."

ROMANCOKE, seat of the estate that belonged irom 1653 to 1925 successively to CLAIBORNE'S, Custises, and Lees. The present frame house by the Pamunkey succeeds the ante-bellux house burned in 1925. On part of this estate William Claiborne spent his last years. George Washington purchased Romancoke about 177o and in his diary often referred to it as 'my Quarter.' He gave it to his stepson, John Parke Custis, through whom it descended to Captain Robert E. Lee, youngest son of General Lee. Not far from Elsing Green is the Romancoke estate which was granted to William Claiborne, secretary of state of Virginia, by the Assembly in recognition of his military service in the campaign against the Indians in 1624. It was Secretary Claiborne's great-great-grandson who married Mary Burnet Browne and lived at Elsing Green. Romancoke continued to be a Claiborne family seat for four generations. It then passed by purchase to the Custis family, and later became the home of Captain Robert E. Lee. The original house was burned many years ago.

(Without citing sources, the narrative continues.)

William married Catherine DANDRIDGE, daughter of John DANDRIDGE.

(Narrative is here interrupted by inclusion of two email communications)

From: "Nathaniel B. VanKirk" (jack.vankirk@mcione.com) Subject: RE: William Claiborne William Claiborne's descendants also served in the House of Burgesses, and most of his descendants intermarried with the descendants of the Lord De La Ware(Governor of Delaware and Virginia), as well as the Randolph, Spotswood(Governor of VA), Beverley(Governor of VA), Dandridge (family of George Washington's wife), Bolling(descendants of Pocahontas), and many other prominent Tidewater Virginian families. My family personally came from the William Claiborne's grandson, William Claiborne III's marriage to Catherine Dandridge, 1st cousins of George Washington's wife.

From: Sherron Westerfield: I am looking for information about one of my ancient grandmothers, Elizabeth Dandridge (unfortunately, a rather common first name in the family), and her father, John,another common family name. My Elizabeth would have been born c1671, possibly in King William Co., VA. She married William Claiborne III (1671-1705). His family home was "Romancoke."

In my research I've found quite a bit about the VA Dandridge family and have it in my data base, including back into England. Will gladly share what I have with you. I will appreciate any help you may be able to provide in my search. Many thanks.

(end of email communications)

They had the following children:
+ 45 M i. William (IV) CLAIBORNE.
+ 46 F ii. Elizabeth (dau of Wm III) CLAIBORNE died 1759/1761.
47 F iii. Mary (dau of Wm III & Eliz Dandridge) CLAIBORNE.
48 F iv. Catherine (dau of Wm III & Eliz. Dandridge) CLAIBORNE.

(the + symbol indicates more information is forthcoming. Descendants are listed for Williiam IV and Elizabeth, but none for Mary.)

+ + +

It remains uncertain whether Edward's wife Mary, as mentioned in his will, is the Mary Claiborne, daughter of William III named as a young child in his will.

Sources

1. ↑ researched and added by Chet Snow, October 27, 2014.
2. ↑ http://hindskw.cts.com/KennethHinds/8694.html
3. ↑ http://hindskw.cts.com/KennethHinds/8668.html
4. ↑ See note on Family Search profile for Mary Claiborne: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9HFV-GFT
5. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9HFV-GFT, accessed 28 February 2018
6. ↑ Our Southern Cousins: http://oursoutherncousins.com/claiborne%20family.pdf
7. ↑ http://hindskw.cts.com/KennethHinds/8668.html
8. ↑ Our Southern Cousins: http://oursoutherncousins.com/claiborne%20family.pdf
9. ↑ Adventurers of purse and person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5; Author: Virginia M Meyer; John Frederick Dorman; Order of First Families of Virginia, 1607-1624/5. Third Ed., 1987.

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mac518&id=I1803
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sunkist1&id=I355

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Lee Hoffman for creating WikiTree profile Claiborne-113 through the import of LHH WIKI.GED on Jun 17, 2011.

• Thank you to Vicki Norman for creating WikiTree profile Claiborne-168 through the import of Vicki Norman family tree v2 (3).ged on Aug 1, 2012.