Rebecca (Stillwell) Heady (1731 - abt. 1804)

Rebecca has been speculated as Rebecca Aston, born 12 October 1735, daughter of John Ashton and widow of Jeremiah Stillwell, who died 18 February 1749. The dates would work for the Rebecca Stillwell who married Thomas Heady 24 June 1749, although the marriage date seems a bit rushed for a recent widow. Moreover, many researchers say it was Rebecca Ashton's father-in-law, another Jeremiah Stillwell who died in 1749, not her husband Jeremiah.

The Heady Family Newsletter (vol 1, no. 1, November 1971) speculated Rebecca as a daughter of Nicholas Stillwell, apparently unaware she was a widow at the time of her marriage to Thomas Heady: "We have yet to prove it, but we believe Rebecca's father was Nicholas Stillwell, who died 15 May 1759 at Shrewsbury, N.J. & her brothers Richard, Joseph & Elias migrated to Pa. and Ky. also."

This remains the single best clue to Rebecca's identity, although she would have been a daughter-in-law, not daughter, of Nicholas Stillwell, and a sister-in-law of the Stillwells who were her neighhors in Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

Her marriage bond says she was a widow.

"Know all Men by these Presents, That we Thomas Heady of Monnahok in the Province of New Jersey and Joseph Sheldin of the County of Burlington -- are holden and do stand justly indebted unto his Excellency Jonathan Boliho (?) Esqr. Governor of New Jersey -- in the Sum of Five Hundred Pounds current of Lawful Money of New Jersey, -- to be paid to his said Excellency the Governor -- his Successors or Assigns, for the which Payment wel and truly to be made and done, we do bind ourselves our Heirs, Executors, and Adminxistrators, and every of them jointly and serverally firmly by these Presents, Sealed with our Seal and Dated this twenty fourth day of June -- Anno Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Nine. The Condition of this Obligation is such, That whereas the above bounden Thomas Heady -- hath obtained Licence of Marriage for himself -- of the one Party, and for Rebecca Stillwell of Egg Harbour Widdow [the word Spinster was scratched out] of the other Party: Now if it shall not hereafter appear, that they the said Thomas Heady and Rebecca Stillwell -- have any Lawful Let or Impediment, or Precontract, Affinity or Confanguinity to hinder their being joined in the Holy Bonds of Matrimony, and afterwards their living together as Man and Wife, then this Obligation to be void or else to stand and remain in full Force and Virtue. Sealed and Delivered in the Presence of Joseph Sheldon Thomas Hedden

There seems to be disagreement about the parents of Rebecca Stillwell who married Thomas Heady. Some online trees show them as Joseph and Sarah (Shepherd) Stillwell. But John E. Stillwell adduces a private letter as evidence that Joseph and Sarah's daughter Rebecca married a Mr. McDonald instead:

https://archive.org/details/stillwellgenealo02stil/page/108/mode/2up

On the other hand, more online trees place Thomas Heady's wife as the daughter of Nicholas Stillwell and Rebecca Throckmorton. An article in the Heady Family Newsletter from 1971 stated, "We have yet to prove it, but we believe Rebecca's father was Nicholas Stillwell who died15 May 1759 at Shrewsbury, NJ & her brothers Richard, Joseph & Elias migrated to PA and KY also." There still seems to be no proof. But I have yet to see *any* evidence that places his wife as the daughter of Joseph and so reliably falsifies the private information of John E. Stillwell.