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Cecily Jordan v. Greville Pooley dispute

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Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Colony of Virginiamap
Surnames/tags: Jordan Pooley
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Note: 19 Aug 2023: The US Southern Colonies Project is currently reviewing and revising this page. Please coordinate all proposed changes via Comments or the free-space page(s) provided in Cecily's profile.

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Contents

The Supposed Contract Between Mr Grivell Pooley and Mrs. Sysley Jordan

About three or four days after Samuel Jordan's death, the expectant Cicely is said to have agreed to become the wife of Reverend Greville Pooley. She apparently consented to marry after the birth of her child, but then desired it not be revealed so soon after her husband's death. However, Reverend Pooley spread the word of the engagement, and this made the young widow so irate that she refused to go through with the wedding. Reverend Pooley sought to hold her to her promise, initiating the first breach of promise suit in America.[1][2]

Captain Isaac Madison was examined on 4 June 1623 regarding the supposed contract between Mr. Grivell Pooley and Mrs. Sysley Jordan. Mary Madison and Sergeant John Harris were examined on 17 November 1623.[1]

The case reached London by 21 April 1624,[3] where the Council for Virginia returned it to Virginia, "not knowinge how to decide so nice a difference" and desired "the resolution of Civil Lawiers".

The matter was resolved 3 January 1624/5 when Pooley withdrew his suit and gave bond that he would make no further claim.[1]

Reverend Pooley later married, and he and his family were killed in an Indian attack.

[review]
After Samuel Jordan died, Cecily @23 was left with daughter Mary @2, her eldest daughter Temperance Bailey @6, and another child soon to be delivered. Reverend Greville Pooley @46, who had conducted Samuel Jordan's funeral service, proposed to Cecily only 4 days afterwards. She apparently consented, feeling the need for a protector, but subject to the engagement being kept secret due to the timeliness of Samuel's death and her pregnancy. However, Rev. Pooley "spread the word" of the engagement, and this so ired the young widow that she refused to go through with the wedding. Soon afterwards Cecily accepted another proposal of marriage and became engaged to William Farrar who had been living at Jordan's Journey since the massacre. Undaunted, the enraged Rev. Pooley brought suit for breach of promise to compel Cecily to marry him. When the Parson sued on 14 June 1623, he accused the lady of having jilted him and alleged that it was nothing short of "Skandelous" for Mr. Farrar, his rival, to be "in ordinary dyett in Mrs. Jordan's house and to frequent her Company alone." This was the celebrated case of its day. William Farrar, trained for the law in England and the executor of Samuel Jordan's estate, was enlisted by Cecily to represent her.[4]

The Governor and Council could not bring themselves to decide the questions and continued the matter until 27 Nov 1623, then referred the case to the Council for Virginia in London, "desiring the resolution of the civil lawyers thereon and a speedy return thereof." But they declined to make a decision and returned it, saying they "knew not how to decide so nice a difference." Reverend Pooley was finally persuaded by the Reverend Samuel Purchase to drop the case. As a result on 03 Jan 1624/25, the Reverend Pooley signed an agreement freely acquitting Mrs. Jordan from her promises. Cecily then formally "contracted herself before the Governor and Council to Captain William Farrar."[4]

The Governor and Council of the Colony were so stirred by the extraordinary incident that they issued a solemn proclamation against a woman engaging herself to more than one man at a time. Passage of this law for the protection of Virginia bachelors gave Cecily a place in history. And there is not in Virginia any known record that this edict has ever been revoked.[4]

That the first breach of promise case in this country was filed by a parson is commentary on the times. Although ministers were carefully selected, the salary was very small and Pooley can hardly be blamed for being alert to a chance to feather his nest. The small poplulation afforded little choice of a desirable mate, and insecurity and terror following the Great Massacre the year before would have led any widow to feel need for protection. Due to insecurity of plantation life throughout colonial times, widows often remarried soon after their husband's death, sometimes before settlement of his estate.

See Behold Virginia … for an accounting of these events.

The facts are more mundane. There was a shortage of women of quality in the Jamestown Community, and in the early days of the colony, marriages were made only within social class. Indentured servants and freemen married within their own social class, so it was for planters and adventurers of purse. Rev. Greville Pooley had, at the time, limited prospects and what lay before him was the recently widowed parishoner at whose funeral he had officiated (Samuel Jordan). He grabbed her hand pledged his troth, and then speaking the words for her, without her permission, pledged her troth to him. Subsequently she found relief from William Farrar, who was subsequently (after the massacre) a resident of Jordan's Journey. In fact and in deed, bother Cecily Jordan and William fferrar were listed jointly as heads of house in the Jamestown Muster of 1624/25.

Cecily's appeal was her availability, her social class, her wealth, nothing is known of her appearance, and there is no mention in the records of her "flirting", nor would she have had to as there was a shortage of upper class females, and available women were in high demand.

Such that about 1619, recruiters were sent throughout England to recruit wives with offers of dowery's and promises of marriages to men of quality. Indentured servants either married other indentured servants or chose wives from amongst the native population.

Pooley continued as minister for Fleur-Dieu Hundred until his death in 1629, but he does not seem to have been a very peaceful parson, for he was brought into court twice, ironically by William Farrar, for trouble with settlers. At the March 1628 Court "Yt is thought fitt the Mr. ffarrar (then Councilor) at the next meeting of the Court do bring down Mr. Pooley and Edward Auborne to aunswer to such things as shall be objected against them." And on another occasion, after a disagreement with Captain Pawlett, he was brought into court to answer charges against him; however in this case Pawlett was required to apologize. Pooley married and had a family but they are said to have met a tragic death at the hands of the Indians.[4]

During the course of the lawsuit in which he successfully defended Cecily, William Farrar performed the duties of executor of Samuel Jordan's estate in 1623 (Jordan's will does not survive). At a Court held on 19 Nov 1623 and presided over by Sir Francis Wyatt, Governor, and Christopher Davison, Secretary, records indicate that a warrant was issued "to Mr. Farrar to bring in the account of Mr. Jordan his estate by the last day of December." Another warrant was issued to "Mrs. Jordan, that Mr. Farrer put in security for the performance of her husbands' will." An abstract of the orders were to be delivered to Sir George Yeardley.[4]

As Told by Willison

From Behold Virginia … by George F. Willison:[5]

[Note] 3. Jordan died a year later, and there was a rush for the hand of his young wife, led by the Reverend Greville Pooley. Jordan had been in his grave only a day or two when Pooley sent Captain Isaac Madison to plead his suit. Cicely replied that she would as willingly take Pooley as any other. But as she was pregnant, she would not engage herself, she said, "until she was delivered."
But the amorous Reverend could not wait and came a few days later with Madison, telling her "he should contract himself unto her"—and spake these words—'I, Grivell Pooley, take thee, Sysley, to my wedded wife, to have & to hold till death us do part and, thereto, I plight thee my troth.' Then (holding her by the hand) he spake these words: 'I, Sysley, take thee, Grivell, to my wedded husband, to have & to hold till death us do part.' "
Cicely said nothing, but they drank to each other and kissed. Then evincing some delicacy about her situation and condition, she asked "that it might not be revealed that she did so soon bestow her love after her husband's death." Pooley promised but was soon boasting of his conquest, very foolishly, for "Sysley" now engaged herself to William Farrar, on of the Deputy Treasurer's younger brothers.
Enraged, Pooley brought suit for breach of promise. The case too much for the the authorities at Jamestown, who referred it to London, meantime issuing a proclamation against "certain women within this Colony [who] have, of late, contrary to the laws ecclesiastical of the realm of England, contracted themselves to two several men at one time, whereby much trouble doth grow between parties. . . ." Ministers were ordered to give notice that whoever "shall use any words or speech tending to the contract of marriage, though not right and legal, yet may so entangle and breed struggle in their consciences, shall for the third [! ! !] offense undergo either corporal punishment, or the punishment by fine or otherwise, according to the guilt of the person so offending."
The jilted Pooley soon found solace in a bride, it appears, but met a tragic death in 1629 when Indians attacked his house, and "slew him, his wife, and all his family."

Research Notes

  • Needs Style Review: Much of the profile was copied verbatim from Mayes without clear attribution.[4] Review, reliably source, and rewrite or quote. Spratlin-29 16:29, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Farrar Role

  • But, William Farrar, the administrator of her late husband's estate, and her future husband, fought to have Cecily released from her engagement, causing the first breach of promise suit in America.[citation needed]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kingsbury, Vol. 4, pp218-220; digital images, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/recordsofvirgini04virg/page/218/mode/2up).
  2. ↑ McIlwaine, pp41-42; digital images, FamilySearch (https://archive.org/details/minutesofcouncil00virg/page/41/mode/1up).
  3. ↑ Neill, p383; digital images, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/historyofvirgini00neil/page/383/mode/1up).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Mayes. Text may have been copied verbatim without attribution. Review, reliably source, and rewrite or quote.
  5. ↑ Willison, pp390-391; digital images, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/beholdvirginiafi0000geor_i9z7/page/390/mode/1up).

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Categories: Jamestown, Virginia Colony