James Warner (abt. 1603 - 1673)

Born about 1603 in Hoveton, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Lee (Harris) Warner — married about 1671 (to 1673) in Ann Arundel County, English Colony of Maryland

Descendants

Died 13 Feb 1673 at about age 70 in Stewart Corner, Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jane Shipley [send private message]

Biography

James was a Friend (Quaker)

Birth and Parents

James Warner's birth place and parents are unknown. See Research Notes.

Name: James /Warner/^[1]

Virginia

Before moving to Anne Arundel County, Maryland Colony, James Warner spent some time in the Elizabeth River, South Norfolk County, in the English Colony of Virginia.

First Marriage to Ann

He married 2 times:^[2]

1. Ann (Unknown), b: ca. 1610, possibly married in England. She is believed to have been the mother of his 2 daughters:
   1. Catherine Warner, b: ca. 1635 in Lower Norfolk, Virginia
   2. Johanna Warner, b: ca. 1647 in Lower Norfolk, Virginia
2. Elizabeth (Lee) Harris, b: ca. 1605. The widow of William Harris, who died in Maryland after September 1669. She was a Quaker. She married James Warner in about 1671. They had no children together.

1649 Warden of Sewells Point Puritan Church

James was the elected Warden of Sewells Point Puritan Church, Elizabeth River Parish, Lower Norfolk County, Virginia to August 15, 1649. One source notes that "James Warner was a church warden of the liberal variety." In late 1651, he moved to the Severn River area in Anne Arundel County, MD. The first Colonial settlement on the Severn, and in Anne Arundel County, was settled in 1649 and called Providence (also called Towne Neck). It was abandoned in about 1670 because Annapolis had a better harbor. This "lost town" was in the Carr Creek watershed near Greenbury Point, across the river from Annapolis. It was on what are now grounds of the US Naval Station Annapolis.^[3]

1651 Quaker in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

At some time around 1651, possibly the reason for his leaving Virginia, James Warner and his wife, Ann (Unk.) Warner, converted to the Quaker religion. Apparently Ann's convictions were not as strong as her husband's, as witnessed by a 1657 letter:^[4]

Letter, 14 Nov 1657, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland:

Robert Clarkson, 14 Nov 1657, wrote of other members of the [Quaker] faith, then stated; "...Ann Warner haith been unsetled in her convinsment by hearckning to Ann Covell. In soe much that, at a private mmeteing at my house, shee denyed the light in us, to be Christ, to the greefe of our spirits, which greefe brake forth into teares from Milcah..."

Soon after this meeting, he said that she was against meetings. However, she did not deny the faith, but had wanted to be convinced "before she fell into practise"... I hope shee doth abide in her convinsment."

1661 "Waldridge" in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

In 1661 Henry Ridgely and James Warner, a neighbor in South River Hundred, received jointly a warrant of 600 acres of land which they called "Waldridge" on the north side of South River which bordered the plantation "Broome".

Death of Ann

Sometime between 1658 and 1670, James Warner's first wife, Ann (Unknown) Warner, passed away, leaving him a widower.

Second Marriage to Elizabeth

About 1670 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, James Warner married his second wife was Elizabeth, the widow of William Harris. She was born before 1640 and died after 1673 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. ^[5]

In about 1671 he remarried to a Quaker widow, Elizabeth (Lee) Harris. She was about his age and the widow of plantation-owner, William Harris. They had no children together. Elizabeth survived James' passing in 1673.

1673 Will and Death

James Warner Died before 25 May 1673, the date of his estate's probate in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. ^[5]

James Warner's will was written and signed just before his death on 13 Feb. 1673 and it was proven 25 May 1673 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. In it he gave to "Wife Elizabeth, Exec," his estate, real and personal during her life. To dau., Johanna Sewell and heirs., said estate at death of wife. To sons [sons-in-law] Samuel Howard, and Philip Warner and Henry Sewell, personality. Witnesses: Abraham Child, John Jacob. ^[6]

Warner, James,A. A. Co.,13th Feb., 1673; 25th May, 1673. ^[5]

• To wife Eliza., execx., estate, real and personal, during life.
• To dau. Johanna Sewell and hrs., sd. estate at death of wife afsd.
• By codicil: To sons Samuel, Howard, and Philip Warner, and son Henry Sewell, personalty.
• Test: Abraham Chilld, John Jacob.

Children

1. Johanna Warner, b. 1643, d. Bef 1695, Anne Arundel County, Maryland (Age < 51 years) ^[5] Named as Johanna Sewell in father's 1673 will.
2. Catherine Warner, b. 1652, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, d. Aft 1706, Anne Arundel County, Maryland (Age > 55 years) ^[5] Not named in James Warner's 1673 will.

Catherine Warner's status as a daughter of James is established in a court case. Newman writes, "Philip Howard at the death of his father in 1703, was made t4he executor of the estate, but he soon become involved in a lawsuit regarding the estate of his maternal grandfather, James Warner of South River. James Warner by will left "Warner's Neck" to his daughter Jane Sewell, with the provisions that it would descend to and remain always in the possession of his heirs. Her husband, James Sewell, sold it to Samuel Howard. This sale was contested by the other Sewell heirs. The court eventually decided in favor of the conveyance, inasmuch as Samuel Howard by rights of his wife [Catherine] was an heir. ^[7]

Research Notes

Was James Warner the son of Thomas Hoverton Warner?

Marshall estimates that James Warner was born about 1620 in England. ^[5]

Others state that James Warner was born in about 1603 but not in either Maryland or Virginia as there were no European settlers in either area at that time. Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607. He was no doubt born in Hoveton, Norfolk, England, where his parents: Thomas Warner and Elizabeth (Southerton) Warner lived and died.

Did James Warner have a wife named Joan?

Marshall shows James Warner with a first wife was named Joan, born about 1624 in England, and who would have been the mother of James Warner's children. She died about 1669 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S-2050775427 Page: Ancestry Family Trees http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=13232476&pid=13010005
2. ↑ Wikigen: James Warner. Mention is sometimes made of a "Joan" as a possible 2nd wife, but as Ann Warner was still alive until at least 1658, this is unlikely.
3. ↑ See preceding Note. See also: Rootsweb - Warner Archives 2012
4. ↑ Cited on Wikigen: James Warner Note 6.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Profile for James Warner Accessed 26 Jan 2022 jhd
6. ↑ MARYLAND CALENDAR OF WILLS: Volume I. Warner, James, A.A. Co., written 13th Feb, 1673, probated 25 May, 1763. ARUNDEL GENTRY-NewaranPage 122
7. ↑ Harry Wright Newman. Anne Arundel Gentry, Maryland Pioneer Series, 1933. Page 2146

See also:

• Vital Data and Family Connections: - Worley Levi Sewell Senior, History of the Sewell Families in America (Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham, AL, Privately Printed in 1955, Stuart Daily News, Inc., Stuart, Florida), 42.
• Jane Baldwin Cotton, The Maryland CALENDAR OF WILLS, Wills from 1635 (Earliest Probated) to 1685, Volume I (Kohn & Pollock, Baltimore, Maryland 1904), Page 81. Died: 13 February 1673 Probated: 25 May 1673. Entered by Gail Byler 9-23-12.
• See Find A Grave Memorial# 146580481 - James Warner For birth & death dates. Has wrong birth-place (Maryland had no European colonists in 1603 - I have notified F.A.G.)
• Wikigen: James Warner
• Rootsweb - Warner Archives 2012
• Source: S-2050775417 Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900.
• Source: S-2050775419 Title: Family Data Collection - Individual Records: Ancestry.com
• Source: S-2050775427 Title: Ancestry Family Trees

Acknowledgments

• ____ created through the import of Bishop Family Tree.ged on 18 February 2011.
• ____ created through the import of LaBach Family TreeApril28_2011.ged on 05 May 2011.
• Warner-873 created through the import of 2010-09-14.ged on Jul 28, 2011 by Bob Carson.
• Warner-989 created through the import of My Family File.ged on Aug 31, 2011 by Jane Entwisle.