Agnes (Rolfe) Rice (abt. 1572 - 1639)

Born about 1572 in Hamptworth, Downton Parish, Wiltshire, England

Wife of Richard Rolfe Jr. — married about 1593 in Hamptworth, Downton Parish, Wiltshire, England

Wife of John Rice — married about 1600 in Hamptworth, Downton Parish, Wiltshire, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 1639 at about age 67 in Hamptworth, Downton Parish, Wiltshire, England

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Biography

Parentage

Agnes Rolfe was the daughter of Unknown Rolfe and Alice (Unknown) Rolfe. Her parentage is established by the 1604 will of her mother Alice, which refers to Agnes Rice (Agnes's name after her second marriage) and Agnes's then living children of her first and second marriages Honor Rolfe, Agnes Rolfe, Alice Rice, and Mary Rice.^[1]

Date of Birth

The Rolfe family tree in the 1912 NEHGR article about the Rolfes shows her date of birth as about 1573.^[2] This date is probably on the later side of reasonable estimates. Agnes had her last child, John Rice, in 1612. Assuming she could not have had a child after the age of 42, Agnes must have been born after 1570. At the other end of the birth range, at the time of her first husband, Richard Rolfe's, will in 1598, she had already had two children,^[3] which probably means she had gotten married before 1594. Assuming that she was at least 21 at the time of her marriage, she was probably born before 1573. That puts the estimated date of her birth between 1570 and 1573, with 1571 or 1572, being most likely.

Place of Birth

Both of Agnes's husbands were "of Hamptworth,"^[1] as was her mother, Alice, at least at the time of her will.^[1] It is therefore reasonable to assume that Agnes was born in Hamptworth.

Marriage to Richard Rolfe; Chlldren

Agnes married, first, Richard Rolfe, Jr. As discussed above, they were probably married about 1594, most likely in Hamptworth.

Agnes and Richard had two children, probably both born in Hamptworth:

1. Honor, b. about 1594
2. Agnes, b. about 1596

Agnes's first husband died about 1598. Agnes and her children are mentioned in RIchard's will dated that year.^[3]

Agnes's first husband, Richard Rolfe, died about 1598.^[4]

Marriage to John Rice; Children

Agnes married, second, John Rice. Her marriage to John Rice is established from (i) a bond dated June 14, 1606 in which John Rice and Agnes Rice (the former wife of RIchard Rolfe) bind themselves to pay Honor and Agnes Rolfe their shares of Richard Rolfe's estate when they reach the age of 16,^[1] and (ii) the 1604 will of Alice Rolfe discussed above.^[1] Based on the fact that Agnes's first husband died in 1598 and the fact that the will of Alice Rolfe shows that Agnes and John Rice had already had two children by 1604, Agnes and John were probably married about 1600.

Agnes and John had the following children, all born in Hamptworth:

1. Alice, b. probably about 1601,^[5] (ii) there is a record showing that Mary was baptized in 1603, and (iii) Alice is mentioned before Mary in Alice Rolfe's will.^[1] d. November 1614^[6]
2. Mary, bpt. April 2, 1603^[7]
3. Elinor, bpt. January 26, 1605,^[7] m. December 1, 1632 Augustine Smyth^[8]
4. Edith, bpt. January 15, 1608^[7]
5. John, bpt. June 17, 1612,^[7] d. prob August 1640^[6]

Agnes's second husband, John Rolfe, died in August 1622.^[6]

Death

Agnes died in May 1639, at about the age of 67, and was buried on May 6, 1639.^[6]

^{[1] [2] [3] [6] [7] [8]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} "Genealogical Research in England," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol LXVI (July 1912), p 246
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Genealogical Research in England," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol LXVI (July 1912), p 251
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "Genealogical Research in England," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol LXVI (July 1912), p 245
4. ↑ See profile for Richard Rolfe Jr.
5. ↑ No birth or baptismal record has been found for Alice. Her date of birth is estimated based on the fact that (i) Alice and her sister Mary Rice are mentioned in the 1604 will of Alice Rolfe,
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} Downton Parish Registers, Burials 1599-1655, dustydocs.com
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} Downton Parish Registers, Baptisms/Births 1599 - 1655, dustydocs.com
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Downton Parish Registers, Marriages 1601-1656, dustydocs.com