Ann (Rowley) Marders (abt. 1700 - abt. 1795)

Born about 1700 in King George County, Colony of Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1795 at about age 95 in Culpepper County, Virginia, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Ann (Rowley) Marders was a Virginia colonist.

Anne was born about 1700, the daughter of William Rowley and Mary King. Anne Rowley married William Marders about 1718 and had nine children. She died about 1795, perhaps in Culpeper County, Virginia.

When he died in 1750, William Marders' wife's name was Ann. In all likelihood, she was a daughter of William, Sr. and Mary (King) Rowley of what would become Brunswick Parish in King George County, VA.^[1] This identification is based on a number of clues.

Furthermore, when William Marders, Sr. died in 1750, his Westmoreland County, VA land passed by law to his eldest son, James, Sr. The documents dealing with William Sr.'s estate indicate that William, Sr. had wanted his son, John to have half of the land. James, Sr. honored that wish by granting his brother half of the land, providing William, Sr.'s widow, Ann, took her dower interest out of John's half.^[2] In due course, Ann bought John's remaining interest, leaving Ann and James, Sr. each with half the property.^[3] The deeds effecting these transactions were recorded in Westmoreland County, VA, where William, Sr.'s land was largely located at that time. The bond and deed granting John half of the property was witnessed by Berryman, Skinner, Elms and Rankins, all Westmoreland County, VA, neighbors of William Marders, Sr. When, two years later, John transferred his interest to his mother, that deed was witnessed by Anthony and John Griffith and William Rowley, Sr. and recorded in Westmoreland County, VA. The Griffiths were neighbors of William Rowley, Sr.'s Dogue Creek property, leaving the impression that the document was executed at William Rowley, Sr.'s residence. Ann Marders may have executed the document while visiting her father, William Rowley' Sr.

When William Rowley, Sr. died in 1754, his will provided a bequest to his daughter, Ann Mardis.^[4] When Ann Mardis' brother, Col. William Rowley, Jr. died in 1774, his will provided bequests to his sister, Ann Mardis and to Samuel, Aaron and Moses Marders.^[4] Col. William Rowley, Jr.'s heirs (of whom there were many) all appear to be family members: a brother, Moses; three sisters; and a large number of nieces and nephews and their spouses. It is reasonable to assume that the Marders males listed in the will were Col. William Rowley's nephews and Ann's sons. Among those listed as a witness to the will was William Marders.

Lastly, in 1755, "Ann Marders, widow" recorded in Westmoreland County, VA, the binding of her son, Moses Marders, to Thomas Smith as an apprentice "Carpenter and joyner."^[5] This Moses was probably the Moses to whom Col. William Rowley, Jr. bequeathed a slave in his will. Whether this Smith was related to William Marders, Sr.'s tenant mentioned earlier is unknown. It is more likely that Moses was a son of Ann's brother-in-law, Joseph Smith.

In 1774, William Marders' widow, Ann, inherited 5 slaves from her brother, Col. William Rowley, Jr.^[6] These may have been used on Ann's half of William's property. The 1783 personal property tax list indicates that Rowley Marders, Ann's son who was living on Ann's property, had 5 black tithables in his household.^[7]

Ann Rowley Marders is last noted in the Virginia records in 1795.^[8] Her death date and burial location are unknown. Ann's brother, Moses Rowley died in King George County, VA, in October 1807.^[9]

Research Notes

• The attempt has been made to merge her with another Anne (Rowley) Mardis (Rowley-25), but this is an error. These are two different women: one born in Connecticut and one born in Virginia. Their husbands' names are different and their children aren't the same. At the moment they appear to have the same death date and location. but it doesn't appear that the death record applies to the Connecticut woman.

• Ann Rowley Marders' birthdate is uncertain. A rough estimate can be gleaned from the fact that John Marders, whom Ann referred to in a deed as "My son," received half of his father's land in 1750. Similarly, on March 2, 1749/50, the King George County Court ordered William Marders, Sr. to pay John Marders for seven days attendance at court as a witness for William Marders in his suit against Samuel Kendall.^[10] These are the earliest documented references to William Marders, Sr.'s son, John Marders. If John were an adult at that time, which seems all but certain, he would have been born in 1729 or earlier. James Marders, Sr., as heir at law of his father's estate, was clearly older than John, although by how many years is unknown. Moses Marders, given his apprenticeship date, was younger than James and John. The ages of the other children are unknown. Based on the little evidence available, it seems likely that William Marders, Sr. married Ann Rowley in the 1720's, suggesting that Ann was born about 1705 or earlier.

Sources

1. ↑ LOV, King George County, VA, Court Order Book: 1721-1734, page 238.
2. ↑ LOV, Westmoreland County, VA, Deeds and Wills, Book II: 1747-1753, pages 213-216; in the deed, James refers to "my brother, ye said John Marders."
3. ↑ LOV, Westmoreland County, VA, Deeds and Wills, Book II: 1747-1753, pages 446-450.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} King George County, VA, Will Book A: Page 50.
5. ↑ LOV, Westmoreland County, VA,Court Order Book: 1752-1755, page 214a; this listing of Ann Marders, "widow" conclusively excludes her as James, Sr.'s wife, Ann, as James, Sr. was very much alive at the time.
6. ↑ Library of Virginia (LOV), King George County, VA, Will Book 1: 1752-1780, pages 23-24.
7. ↑ LOV King George County, VA, Personal Property Tax Records: 1782-1830.
8. ↑ LOV, Culpeper County, VA, Deed Book R: 1791-1794, pages 514-515. This deed, dated November 16, 1795 and recorded in 1796, nonetheless appears in the volume dated 1791-1794.
9. ↑ LOV, King George County, VA, Court Order Book 8B: 1809-1822, page 35.
10. ↑ LOV, King George County, VA, Court Order Book: 1735-1751, page 653.

• Richmond, VA, Library of Virginia (LOV), King George County, Will Book 1: 1752-1780, pages 354-8.

Acknowledgements

• Biography and sources provided by Allen Mardis Jr, June 29, 2021