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GrGrandmother of James Madison 4th US President
Isabella, whose surname and parents are uncertain, was probably born say 1655 based on having a son when she married John Madison. She died after 1725/26 when she was named in an account book of Ambrose Madison (grandfather of Pres. James Madison).[1]
Her first husband may have been named TODD since she had a son Thomas Todd when she married John Madison.[2] She married second circa 1680, at VA, John MADISON Jr, son of John MADISON Sr and Mary (surname unknown, not Ambrose).
The identification of Isabel's maiden name continues to generate lack of agreement.
A hand written tree ascribed to President James Madison identifies her as Isabel Minor Todd, although the word "Todd" is difficult to decipher. "Minor" is clearer.[4] Since James writes his wife's name as D.P. Todd and we know that Dorothea Payne was married first to John Todd, then we can assume the same order of naming was used for his great grandmother. So Isabella was not a Todd, and since middle names were not used then we can assume she was a Minor, if she was married only once previously.
Some sources identify Isabella's parents as Thomas Todd and Ann Gorsuch[5] One expanded version of the account also says that she was the daughter of Thomas Todd who died in Baltimore Co., MD in 1679. However, this Thomas Todd’s Will mentions 4 daughters, none of whom is Isabella (one is Avarilla). Although Isabella’s maiden name may have been Todd, it is highly doubtful that she was the daughter of this Thomas Todd who died in MD in 1679.
It is also unlikely her parents were John Minor b 1637 and wife Isabell Taylor b 1641, who had one daughter Isabella. Both were deceased at the time of Ambrose's will.
Possible husbands: Some have concluded that because middle names were not in much use at that time, she was therefore born Minor and had previously been married to a Todd.
One candidate for her first husband is the “Mr. William Todd, dec.” who died between 1692-1695 and whose orphans, Margaret Todd and Frances Todd, received a land patent of 500 acres in Stratton Major Parish, King & Queen Co., VA, on 25 October 1695. [Patent Book 9, page 10] This patent says that the land was originally patented to “Mr. William Todd” (the father) on 29 April 1693 and this (1695) patent was necessary to insert a course boundary line omitted from the previous patents. This patent suggests that this William Todd did not have any sons at the time of his death or otherwise the patent would have likely gone to the son(s) instead of to his two daughters. The 29 April 1693 land patent to William Todd is located in Patent Book 8, page 266 and says that this patent followed an order of the General Court in James City, VA, on 24 October 1692.
Another candidate for her first husband may have been John Todd b. 1664, Toddsbury, Gloucester, VA (s/o Capt. Thomas Todd and Anne Gorsuch).
King William County Genealogy & History: missing records history
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Categories: US President Direct Ancestor
Do you have a copy of the marriage from the international marriage records? Page #, dates, author and year of publishing? What you quoted below could be used as secondary sources.