Susannah (Stevens) Shipley
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Susannah (Stevens) Shipley (abt. 1681 - aft. 1725)

Susannah Shipley formerly Stevens
Born about in Province of Marylandmap
Daughter of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married 1703 in Marylandmap
Descendants descendants
Died after after about age 44 in Baltimore County, Province of Marylandmap
Problems/Questions Profile managers: Dave Robison private message [send private message] and Jane Shipley private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 1 Sep 2011
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Contents

Disambiguation

The following persons are sometimes confused:

  • Susanna Stevens Shipley, born, say, 1681. Associated with Ann Arundel County, Maryland. This is the profile of the Susannah who married Richard Shipley and is named in his will. [1]
  • Susanna Stevens Lock, born, say, 1717. Associated with St. Mary's County, Maryland. Married William Locke.

Biography

Birth and Parents

Nothing is known of Susannah's early background, birth year or parents. When her husband Richard died in 1724, she was the mother of six children, all of them minors. [2]

Birth Year Estimation

If her oldest child was under 21 -- say age 20 in 1724, that child would have been born in 1704, and younger children born later. This would place Susannah's marriage no later than 1703. If she were age 18 at her marriage, Susannah's birth year would have been no later than, say, 1685. If any of her children were in fact adults in 1724, Susannah's own birth year would have been earlier.

Mike Marshall shows Susannah Stevens born about 1681. [2]

1703 Marriage to Richard Shipley

As estimated above, Susannah married Richard Shipley no later than 1703.

Mike Marshall estimates the marriage earlier, in about 1697 in St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, but there is no evidence to support this.

An Ancestry.com database shows Susannah's marriage occurring in 1703. [3] No evidence is provided for this, and this may also be an estimate based on the number of children and their minority evidenced in Richard's will.

1717 St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County

Richard Shipley and his wife Susannah appear briefly in the records of St. Anne's (or Middle River) Parish, Anne Arundel County. The parish roughly covered the area between the South and Severn Rivers, and the parish church was St. Anne's Church at the center of Annapolis, Maryland. [4]

Richard Shipley and Susannah appear as the parents of John Shipley, son, born 25 March, 1717. [5] Two months later, "John Shipley of Richard and Susannah, baptized 29 July 1717. [6] John apparently died early, however, not being named iln Richard's 1724 will. [1]

1716 Move to Baltimore County

Barnes reports that Richard Shipley was in Baltimore County by March 1716.[7]

1724 Death of Husband Richard Shipley

In 1724 when Richard Shipley wrote his will, his wife Susannah was executrix -- along with Benjamin Stevens. The will does not identify the relationship of Benjamin Stevens to Richard or his wife Susannah. Clearly Benjamin Stevens was a trusted friend, but there is no indication that he was a relative of either Richard or Susannah. [1]

Shipley, Richard., planter, Baltimore Co., 5th Oct., 1724; 24th Aug., 1725. [1]

  • To 4 sons, viz. Adam, Richard, Samuel and Peter, and their hrs., "Adam the first" equally after decease of their mother and when eldest comes to age of 21 yrs.; sd. sons to dispose of lands only to one another; shd. any die during minority, survivors to divide estate.
  • To dau. Lewis {sic Lois} and hrs., 25 A. of "Brother's partnership," laid out on pt. next Horsehead of "Talbotts Resolution Mannor"
  • Exs.: Wife Susannah and Benjamin Stevens.
  • Overseers; Bro. Robert and Benjamin Stevens.
  • Test: John Dorsey (son of E. Dorsey), Robert Shipley, Joshua Dorsey. 18,397

A review of the original will in the Maryland Records [8] reveals the following additional details:

  • Richard Shipley is a planter of Baltimore County
  • Daughter's name is "Lowis". She is to receive a portion of livestock including a heifer and horse and their increase.
  • Richard names "my two friends as namely my Brother Robert Shipley and Benjamin Stevens" as trustees in case there are differences among the sons. Clearly both are named as friends, however, "Brother" is clearly singular in construction and refers only to Robert.

*Richard appoints "my Loveing wife Susannah Shipley and my friend Benjamin Stevens Executors of my personal estate." Once again, the relationship with Benjamin Stevens is described as "friend."

Estate

Administrative bond was posted 24 August 1725 by Susanna Shipley with Robert Shipley; the estate was inventoried on 30 November 1725 by Jos'h Dorsey and john Dorsey and valued at L147..3.6 and signed by Susanna Shipley, extx, with Peter and Robert Shipley, brothers of the deceased. [7]

After 1725 Death of Susannah

There are no records of Susannah's own death. She was living, and named as executrix when her husband died, and signed the inventory of Richard's estate on 30 November 1725, so it may be assumed she died after that date. [7]

An Ancestry.com database shows Susannah's death occurring on 5 January 1727/28 in Anne Arundel County,Maryland[3], having survived her husband by three years. No evidence has been found, however, for this.

Children

Richard Shipley identifies five children in his 1724 will. The sons are named in order Adam, Richard, Samuel, Peter, which may well be their birth order. To this list is added John, who is presumed to have died before 1724. All of the children of Richard Shipley and his wife Susanna were minors at his death in 1724. Birth years estimated by Mike Marshall. [2]

  1. Richard Shipley, b. Bef 1708, St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County. Maryland , d. 20 Feb 1781, St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County. Maryland[2]Named in 1724 Richard Shipley will. [1]
  2. Lois Shipley. Marshall has her born abt 1708 in St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County. Maryland [2]. Named in 1724 Richard Shipley will. [1] Died after 1767, Anne Arundel County, Maryland [2]
  3. Adam Shipley, born about 1709, St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. [2] Named in 1724 Richard Shipley will. [1]
  4. Samuel Shipley, b. Abt 1712, St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County. Maryland, d. Aft 1725, Baltimore County, Maryland [2]Named in 1724 Richard Shipley will. [1]
  5. Peter Shipley, b. Abt 1714, St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County. Maryland, d. 16 Aug 1737, Anne Arundel County. Maryland - Inventory [2] He is named in 1724 Richard Shipley will. [1]
  6. John Shipley was born 25 March 1717 in St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County [5] and baptized there 29 July 1717. [6] He is not named in his father's 1724 will [1] and is presumed to have died young.

Research Notes

Was Susannah actually Susannah Stevens?

Many popular genealogies show Susannah as Susannah Stevens. This appears to reflect an assumption that Benjamin Stevens, named in Richard's will, was her father or brother. Wills naming a relative often identify the relationship, but no relationship with Benjamin Stevens is shown in the will. [1]

There has been discussion that her "Last Name at Birth" in WikiTree should actually be "Unknown."

Was Susannah the daughter of Benjamin Stevens?

A Benjamin Stevens who lived in St. Mary's County had a daughter named Susannah, which has prompted the assumption that the Susannah named in Richard Shipley's will was the daughter of Benjamin.

A reference in the 2002 and earlier editions of "The Shipleys of Maryland" states, speaking of Richard Shipley, that "about 1703, he married Susannah Stevens, daughter of Benjamin Stevens, a relative of the wife of his brother Robert. Her name is verified from the Will of John Stevens, her grandfather (MD) Will 20-663: 28 May 1733." [9]

There are, however, a number of difficulties with this statement.

  1. The will referred to is not the will of John Stevens, but of his son Benjamin Stevens, of St. Mary's County.
  2. This Benjamin indeed a daughter Susanna, but her married name was Lock, not Shipley.
  3. Benjamin Stevens' family is clearly based in St. Mary's County, Maryland, while Charles Stevens' family is based in Anne Arundel County.

Benjamin Stevens' will was written in 1737. It is possible that Susannah was first married to Shipley and after his death in 1724 married Lock, but there is no indication this was the case, and it contradicts the undocumented report of her death in 1727.

Was Susannah a daughter of Charles Stevens, Jr?

Susannah is often treated as a daughter of Charles Stevens, Jr, of Anne Arundel County. There are many reasons for doing this:

  • Charles' mother was named Susannah and it is reasonable that he would have had a daughter by the same name.
  • Susannah's ties are to Anne Arundel County, as were Charles'.
  • The Dates and places match.
  • There is a tradition of making Susannah to be Charles' daughter.

However, Susannah Stephens is not listed by Rutherford as a child of Charles Stevens.

Sources

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Richard Shipley Will 1724. Cited by Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Profile for Susanna Stevens Accessed 26 April 2022 jhd
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Profile for Susanna Stevens Accessed 26 April 2022 jhd
  3. 3.0 3.1 Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, querie. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=worldmarr_ga&h=1163291
  4. F. Edward Wright. Anne Arundel County Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuries. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications. St. Anne's Parish Records are pages 65-104
  5. 5.0 5.1 Wright, St. Anne's Parish, 79
  6. 6.0 6.1 Wright, St. Anne's Parish, 80
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Robert W. Barnes. Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1989. p. 578
  8. Original Image of Richard Shipley Will found at Ancestry.com. (Requires subscription). Accessed 27 April 2022 jhd
  9. The Shipleys of Maryland 2002, Volume 1, page 7. Baltimore MD, Gateway Press, 2002.

Acknowledgements

  • WikiTree profile Stevens-2842 created through the import of ROBISON Gedcom of DRR Ancestors and Descendants for WikiTree 01 JUL 2012.ged on Jul 1, 2012 by Dave Robison. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Dave and others.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Susannah by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Susannah:

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Comments: 12

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You stated "A reference in the 2002 and earlier editions of "The Shipleys of Maryland" states, speaking of Richard Shipley, that "about 1703, he married Susannah Stevens, daughter of Benjamin Stevens, a relative of the wife of his brother Robert. Her name is verified from the Will of John Stevens, her grandfather (MD) Will 20-663: 28 May 1733."

I reread the Shipleys of Maryland & it DOES NOT say this. It says "Susannah Stevens, a relative of the wife of his brother Robert(Shipley) whose name is verified from the Will of John Stevens. her grandfather."

https://archive.org/details/shipleysofmaryla00ship/page/n49/mode/2up

So she could still be a Stevens but not the daughter of Benjamin of St. Mary's Co.

posted by Nancy Yeager
You are indeed correct, the document to which you linked says exactly what you says it does. But the version of the "Shipleys of Maryland" that you quoted from in archive.com is the 1938 edition while the document I quoted is the 2002 edition. I obviously was wrong in adding "and earlier editions" because 1938 is earlier than 2002, and it does not say what the 2002 edition says.
posted by Jack Day
edited by Jack Day
[Comment Deleted]
posted by Nancy Yeager
deleted by Nancy Yeager
I've just re-edited this profile. I very much appreciate the reference to the original will, which I located and referenced in the text. The geographical distance is compounded, as by the time of the will, Richard Shipley and family were farther north in Baltimore County (I suspect the portion that became Howard County when Howard was created), even more distant from St. Mary's County.

For the moment I'm leaving Susannah's LNAB as Stevens, but am inclined to agree that when the dust settles (which it really has not, yet), it will need to be changed to Unknown.

posted by Jack Day
edited by Jack Day
There is also a Stevens-14126 (married name "Locke") to be considered as somebody ELSE figures out which Susannah is which; pretty sure it won't be me.
posted by J Stewart
Hi, neither PM approved or rejected the merge proposal for Stevens-1974 and Stevens-2842. It seems clear from these messages that the two profiles were NOT duplicates but I accidentally merged them based on the messages below and the fact that both profiles had the same birth and death years (although clearly they should not have). I only realised the mistake when I was cleaning up the bios. I have now fixed the mistaken merge - I have created a new profile for Susanna Stevens, daughter of Benjamin, (Stevens-8961). Any questions PM me, I will stay as profile manager for Stevens-8961 for a while to ensure no further errors. If anyone wants to take it over, let me know Leigh
Hi, Leigh -- just came across this. Thanks for recreating the profile for Susanna Stevens of Benjamin!
posted by Jack Day
Really tried to get better documentation for Susannah's relationship to her likely father Charles, but it's not out there, and remains a weak link. But she clearly is not the daughter of Benjamin of St. Mary's County, as the Shipley book asserts. Disproving that does mean some progress, but I wish I could have proved her parentage as well!
posted by Jack Day
I'm doing a thorough revision of profiles of Charles Stevens Sr and Jr and the women associated with them based on all the research I could muster -- see http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Stevens_--_Colonial_Maryland. If you want edit access to that file for your own research, let me put you on the trusted list so you can get citations and all!
posted by Jack Day
As I research the Benjamins and daughters Susannah, it is appearing that the St. Mary's Susannah is different from the Anne Arundel/Baltimore Co. Susannah. Therefore rather than recommend a merge of the two Susannahs, I'm proposing that the two Susannahs we now have be used to profile the two different Susannahs -- and this one be the St. Mary's Susannah.
posted by Jack Day
Stevens-2842 and Stevens-1974 appear to represent the same person because: Appear to be same person
posted by Patricia Stenbak
Stevens-2842 and Stevens-1974 are not ready to be merged because: Need correct parents decided upon (and preferably sourced) before these profiles can be merged.
posted by Jayme (McClary) Hart

Rejected matches › Ann Stevens (bef.1689-)

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