Mary (Jordan) Foster (1625 - abt. 1698)

Born 1625 in England

Wife of Arthur Bailey I — married 1654 in Surry Co., VA

Wife of Christopher Foster — married 1658 in Surry County, VA

Descendants

Died about 1698 at about age 73 in Surry, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Nalani Briggs [send private message] and Fred Ryan [send private message]

Biography

Child: Edward Bailey

MARY JORDAN, b. 1626,Surry Co., VA; m. (1) ARTHUR BAILEY, 1654., (2) CHRISTOPHER FOSTER;

ARTHUR BAILEY LANDS:

"Arthur Bailey, Merchant" was granted a half acre of land (6 pole by 14 poles) in James City Island. ((need source))

1637/8 January 200 acres Henrico County in consideration of four headrights and 300 acres in consideration of five headrights and his own personal adventure.((need source))

800 acres for the transportation of sixteen persons including their servants ((need source))

Sold 1,000-acres to Ann Hallom, widow of Robert Hallom, within the year. Her patent for the 1,000-acre tract referred to Bailey as a merchant. ((need source))

“Busby, Tho., Arthur Bayly's servant, 1637, by Arthur Bayly and Tho. Crosby, Henrico Co.” ((need source))

Not until the creation of Surry County in 1652 does he reappear - he witnessed a deed in December 1656. ((Need source))

He was then married to Mary Jordan and their son, Edward, was an infant. We know of no other children. Arthur was dead by 1658 when his widow was the wife of Christopher Foster

source of all of the above: "This research was mostly compiled by C. Tennyson Bailey, Donna Beers, and Jeanette Bailey".

Edward Bailey was mentioned in the will of Col. George Jordan:

WILL OF LT.-COL. GEORGE JORDAN.

Attorney-General of Virginia in 1670.*

Lt.-Col. Geo. Jordan's will, dated May 28th, 1678, was proved ia Surry County Court, 9 br., 1678, by the oaths of William Thompson and Lt.-Col. William Browne.

Thomas Jordan qualified as administrator, C. T. A.

I recommend my soule to Almighty God, who gave it, be- seeching him for the mediation sake of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world, that he will receive me into the arms of his mercy, and pardoning my manyfold sins, that he will grant me a joy- full resurrection and number me amongst his redeemed, and my body to be buried by my wife and children in Major Browne his orchard, & that at my buriall theire may be noe drunkenness nor gunns, but a good and decent funerall to en- tertain my friends and neighbours, and as for what worldly goods it hath pleased God to trust me with, I dispose of, &c. All debts I owe in Va., great & small, to be paid first. I give unto my two God-daughters, Col. Thomas Swan's Children, a piece of plate worth three pounds stere. J give to Sarah Sowerby, George Norwood & George Briggs, alsoe God-Chil- dren, each a silver spoon, worth ten shillings. And it is my will that the 15th day of every October there shall be a sermon of mortality preached at my house, it being ye day that my daughter, Fortune Hunt, dyed, & that all the neighborhood have notice of it, that they may come, leaving it to the discre- tion of my exor. what entertainment he will give, & some times

William and Mary Quarterly. 289

when that day shall fall upon Sunday, I desire that the Holy Communion may be given. And whosoever in time to come shall enjoy my land in this Co., although it be a thousand gen- erations hence, he in possession shall perform this sermon & prayer : Wherein if he fayle, the land shall fall to the informer ; that shall give notice to any Court of Justice of his failing, & I doe further give unto five such poore people as the vestry shall find most to need it, one barrell of corne in the yeare for seaven years after my decease; & to the Church a baptisme bason of silver worth three pounds sterling. After payment of my debts as above, the rest of my personall estate to be di- vided into equal parts, & out of one halfe I give unto my Cos- sen Edward Bayly, six hundred pounds of tob° & the rest of that said halfe shall be equally divided into seaven parts & shall be paid to these seaven persons following: Chr. Foster Walter Flood, George Jordan, James Jordan, River Jordan. Eliz. Jordan & Thomas Flood.

The other halfe of my said personall estate, as alsoe all my land in Virga., I give & bequeath unto my nephew, Thomas Jordan, & to his heirs for ever; he or they performing the above said sermon ; and in case of his decease before this will be proved, then all that I have given to him, I give to my brother, Arthur Jordan, to be equally divided amongst my seaven nephews and my neece Eliz. Jordan, only a mourning ring to himself ; but still the above said sermon to be preached yearly by a lawful minister unto the end of the world. I pray to God Almighty to bless this poore Colony & this County, es- pecially wherein I have now lived about 43 years. Since.

Since the making of this, my will, above written, I have given my nephew, Edward Bayly, a seate of land for ever, cald the white marsh, & I doe therefore take back the six hun- dred pounds of tob° mentioned in my will above said and doe give it equally between Christopher Flood (?) & Walter Flood. I give unto Donall Roome five hundred pounds of tob°. I give also unto Katherine Maddison five hundred pounds of

290 William and Mary Quarterly.

tob° towards the cure of her legg, if shee be not sent out of this parish by the vestry before the cure be effected.

Sources

• Boddie, John B., Southside Virginia Families, vol. 1
• Nugent, Nell M., Cavaliers and Pioneers, vol. 1