Cecily (Unknown) Sherman (abt. 1637 - bef. 1704)

Born about 1637 in Varina Parish, Henrico County, Colony of Virginia [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 1 Feb 1704 before about age 67 in Varina Parish, Henrico County, Colony of Virginia

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Cecily (Unknown) Sherman resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

Cecily was born about 1624 in Henrico Virginia.

Her first husband was Isaac Hutchins. They married about 1642.^[1] He predeceased her about 1656.

Her second husband was (____) or Henry Sherman. They married about 1657. He predeceased her.^[2]

She passed away before 1 Feburary 1703/4, presumably in Varina Parish, Henrico County, Virginia.^[2]

Will & Death

Last Will and Testament of Cisly Sherman^[2]
Varina Parish, Henrico County, Virginia.
6 August 1703.
1 Feb 1703/4 (proved).

[transcription from FindAGrave memorial]

In the name of God, Amen, I, Cisly Sherman, of the parish of Varina in the county of Henrico, being brought to the [----] of my mortality and the fraility of this temporall life by the gracious hand of Almighty God visiting me with a grevious sickness, yet of sound and perfect memory, praise be to God, therefore, I make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner following, viz:

I assign my soul to God that gave it in the hopes of His acceptance and through the Merit of His beloved love, my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and my body to the earth to be interred in such place and deasent manner as my hereafter named executor shall think fit.

Item — I give and bequeath to my daughter, Elizabeth Trent, my feather-bed and furniture whereon I lye to her and her heirs forever.

Item — I give and bequeath to Rebecca Trent half of my wareing apparrell and five pounds sterling.

Item — I give and bequeath to Susanna Trent the other half of my wareing apparrell and five pounds sterling when she comes to seventeen years of age.

Item — I give and bequeath to my daughter, Anne Branch, wife of Christopher Branch, twenty shillings.

Item — I give and bequeath unto Anne Branch, the daughter of Christopher Branch and Anne his wife, one cow by the name of Brindy and her increase to her and her heirs forever.

Item — I give and bequeath to Mary Branch, the daughter of Christopher Branch and Anne, his wife, one cow by the name of Flora and her increase to her and her heirs forever.

Item — I give and bequeath to Cisly Branch one heifer two years old and her increase to her and her heirs forever.

Item — I give and bequeath unto my beloved grandson, Henry Trent, all of the rest of my goods and chattels, cattle, negroes, household goods, money, debts owed to me and whatsoever and appoint him to be my executor.

Signed: Cisly Sherman (her mark).
Witnesses: Henry Gee, John Blackman, Thomas Akins, William Blackman.
Executors: (my beloved GrandSon) Henry Trent.

On 1 February 1703/4, her Will was proved in Court by the oaths of Henry Gee, Thomas Akins, and William Blackman.^[2]

Research Notes

Vital Statistics

Birth
An unsourced birth of about 1624 in Jordan's Journey, James City Incorporation, Colony of Virginia was previously listed.

An unsourced marriage to Hutchins of 1642 in Henrico County, Colony of Virginia was previously listed.

An unsourced death of Feb 1703 in Henrico County, Colony of Virginia was previously listed.

Purported Origins - Knowles

She was previously attached to unsourced parents:

• John Knowles (abt.1597-abt.1655)
• Mary (Broadnax) Knowles (1620-1685)

• Her maiden name may have been Cecily KNOWLES. See below:

  From "Virginians: The Family History of John W Pritchett," at http://www.virginians.com/redirect.htm?topics&3326:

  In 1685 William Giles and Bethania, "his wife, only daughter and heiress of Capt. John Knowles," sold 125 acres to John Crowley for 2,200 pounds of tobacco. Then a minor, Bethania appointed "loving friend Henry Sherman" her attorney to relinquish her dower right in the land.  Henry Sherman and John Sherman witnessed the deed. John Crowley was then Henry Sherman's son-in-law, the husband of Ann Sherman.
  
  

  The phrase "loving friend" then suggested a non-blood relation. The most likely connection would be for Henry Sherman to be Bethania's uncle, the husband of John Knowles' sister. Since we know Henry Sherman was married to Cicely, she would then have been Cicely Knowles, or Nowell as the name sometimes appeared.
  
  

  This is indeed the case. Among the legatees of the will of Cicely Sherman was her granddaughter Susannah Trent. Susannah married 2nd Daniel Nunnally and was the mother of not only Sherman Nunnally but also Nowell Nunnally.
  
  

  Another posited Knowles daughter is Mary Knowles, who is said to be the wife of Robert Burton of "Longfield." Among their children was Nowell Burton.
  
  

  We do not know the name of the father of John, Mary, and Cicely Knowles, although it may have been John, as Henry Sherman and Robert Burton both had a son of that name.

Purported Origins - Farrar

• If she is the Cecily who married Henry Sherman, then her birth date is too late for her to be the daughter of John Ferrar and his wife. They have been disconnected as her parents. -- Fiscus-32 14:22, 21 March 2020 (UTC)

More Research Notes

"From www.virginians.com" (either the bio or the following note).

NOTE: It has been speculated that she was Cecily Farrar, born about 1625, a daughter of William and Cecily Farrar, but there is no evidence to support this conclusion. Further, Mrs. Cecily (______) Hutchins Sherman was not mentioned in the extensive wills or other records of the wealthy Farrar family.

Cecily m Sherman:

• Cecily's husband's (Henry) will passed probate on 27 September 1695 in Henrico, Virginia, United States.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} County Court, Henrico County, Virginia, County Court records, deeds, wills, settlements of estates, etc., (Henrico County, Virginia), 1677-1787, 1697-1714.; database with images, FamilySearch (image 186).
3. ↑ Will of husband Herny Sherman: "Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900"
   Henrico County, Virginia, Court Records; Author: Virginia. County Court (Henrico County)
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62347 #2629870 (accessed 8 January 2024)
   Name: Sisty Sherman; Gender: Female; Relationship: Wife; Item Description: Record Bk, Vol 3, 5, Deeds, Wills, Settlement of Estates, 1694-1699; Vol 4, Orphan Court, 1677-1739; Others Listed (Name)
   Relationship: Herny Sherman
   Sisty Sherman Wife
   Elizabeth Sherman Daughter
   Henry Frent Son-in-law
   Ann Sherman Daughter
   Christopher Branch Son-in-law
   Ellexsander Frent Grandson.

See also:

• Dorman, John Frederick; Meyer, Virginia M. Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5. The Dietz Press, Inc., Richmond, VA (1987)
• Original data: Hopkins, Walter Lee,. Hopkins of Virginia and related families. Richmond, Va.: J.W. Fergusson & Sons, 1931. "Richard Cox (John, Sr., Emigrant), will dated July 13, 1734, pro. July 13, 1734, Henrico Co.; m. Mary Trent, dau. of Henry and Elizabeth (Sherman) Trent, and gr. dau. of Henry and Cicely (-------) Sherman. Depositions taken taken in 1687 show that Henry Trent was about 45...
• https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/11877/dvm_GenMono001309-00079-0?pid=150&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D11877%26h%3D150%26ssrc%3Dpt%26tid%3D86702404%26pid%3D340039152074%26usePUB%3Dtrue&ssrc=pt&treeid=86702404&personid=340039152074&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
• https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FLHG-PlantaAnce7thCenColonists&h=84722&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
• Find A Grave: Memorial #136207307 for Cecily Sherman (unk–1704) (memorial only, no gravestone photo)..

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecily_Jordan_Farrar
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Farrar_(settler)
• Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly. Vol. II. Cobb-Hay
• Four generations of the family of Strangeman Hutchins and his wife, Elizabeth Cox, as known January 10, 1935
• https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FLHG-PlantaAnce7thCenColonists&h=84722&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt&_gl=1*11cimwm*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE2OTc1MDk4MTAuQ1B1QzR1aUVfSUVERmFNemlBa2REYVVCakE.*_gcl_au*NzE1Mjc2OS4xNjk4NDMyNzg5*_ga*ODk4NzE5NDM2LjE2NDIzMTQyNTE.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*NWFkZWE2NjItNWUzZC00MTlhLWE5NTctZTY1ZDkwZjE3ZTZkLjY4MC4xLjE3MDQ3Njg4NjQuNDQuMC4w*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*NWFkZWE2NjItNWUzZC00MTlhLWE5NTctZTY1ZDkwZjE3ZTZkLjMxMC4xLjE3MDQ3Njg5MDAuMC4wLjA.
• Also see: Burial: "U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current"
  Original data: Find a Grave. Find a Grave®. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi; URL: Find A Grave: Memorial #136207307
  Ancestry Record 60525 #112195801 (accessed 8 January 2024)
  Cecily Sherman burial (died in Feb 1704) in Henrico Parish Church Cemetery, Varina, Henrico County, Virginia, United States of America.