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Rebuttal follows the letter
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"Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 08:56:52 -0600
From: "Carey Bracewell" <cbrasul@prismnet.com>
To: BRASWELL-L@rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <000301c0644b$daa14220$61afc6d1@n6e9l6>
Subject: [BRASWELL] JOHN RIGGS of Isle of Wight County, Virginia
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Geoff Riggs, Chepstow, South Wales
Guild of One-Name Studies
RIGGS Surname Study
Dear Geoff,
According to his deposition taken in Isle of Wight County
Court 9 Jan 1689/90 {Will & Deed Book 1, Vol. 2, p. 300), JOHN
RIGGS was born 23 Feb 1675. My guess is that he immigrated as an
indentured servant and was sold into the service of JOHN COLLINS as a
houseboy. The cited documents shows that RIGGS and MARY COLLINS, wife
of JOHN COLLINS were present when one JOHN WHITAKER made his
nuncupative will.
Evidently RIGGS stayed on with the COLLINS household after his
term of indenture expired. Certain it is that he managed to
ingratiate himself with RICHARD TOWLE(Y?), paramour of MARY COLLINS'
daughter, SUSANNAH. Why? TOWLE named his "loving friend"
JOHN RIGGS his executor in his will, signed "this 5th day of
9ber{November}, 1692 {Deed Book 1, 133}. RIGGS apparently also won
over SUSANNAH and RICHARD's daughter, ANN, by whom he had a son, JOHN
RIGGS (Jr.) Some background information:
"... Rev. BRACEWELL had two sons in America, ROBERT, JR
(b.ca. 1650) the elder. A member of the ruling class in Virginia, the
Reverend was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1653.
Vicar BRACEWELL-- or more likely, his designated children's
guardians-- arranged a suitable marriage for his ROBERT JR, namely
SUSANNAH BURGESS, a wealthy planter's heiress and daughter of the
abovementioned MARY COLLINS.
The marriage failed. Indeed, there is no evidence it was ever
consummated. ROBERT, JR sold his patrimony in Isle of Wight County as
soon as he came of age and left the county, never to return. SUSANNAH
consoled herself in the arms of RICHARD TOWLE, a poor farmer from her
neighborhood by whom she had at least five children who were given
the name "BRASWELL". Her eldest daughter, ANN, seems to
have formed an extra-legal alliance with the aforementioned JOHN
RIGGS by whom she had at least one child, JOHN RIGGS (Jr), the
grandson named in SUSANNAH's 1714 will (Will Book 3, p. 304).
Daughter ANN and grandson JOHN RIGGS are listed together in that
document, each given only a shilling . As mentioned in the E-mail
letter cited, Geoff, further evidence of ANN "BRASWELL's"
connection with JOHN RIGGS is her witness signature on the 1695 will
of JOHN NEWMAN, as "ANN R BRASSELL" (IW Wills, Deeds, etc.
Vol. 2, p. 368).
This is all I know about this JOHN RIGGS. Hope your readers find him interesting.
Carey
Rebuttal
Carey states:
"My guess is that he immigrated as an indentured servant
and was sold into the service of JOHN COLLINS as a houseboy."
Rebuttal
Carey failed to mention in his "guess"
any documentation that caused him to assume John Riggs immigrated nor
from where he immigrated; nor from whom he was bought; to whom
he was indentured and the term of his indenture. Carey also failed to
mention, in the words of Mary Collins, in a document, named John
Riggs as her GRANDSON! John Collins was previously married and yes,
we are checking it out.
"Evidently RIGGS stayed on with the COLLINS household after his
term of indenture expired."
Rebuttal
What evidence does he have that Riggs stayed on
after his term of indenture expired? What was the term of indenture?
Why would John Collins have an indentured grandson?
Certain it is that he managed to ingratiate himself with RICHARD
TOWLE(Y?), paramour of MARY COLLINS' daughter, SUSANNAH."
Rebuttal
He has no proof that Susannah was the paramour of
Richard Towle. This conjecture, according to Carey, is based on the
smudged, illegible will
of Richard Towle and Carey's highly developed imagination.
"The marriage failed."
Rebuttal
How does he know this? There is absolutely no
evidence to support the "failed marriage" statement! None!
"Indeed, there is no evidence it was ever consummated."
Rebuttal
What does he consider "evidence?" Aside
from their children there should be none!
"ROBERT, JR sold his patrimony in Isle of Wight County as
soon as he came of age and left the county, never to return."
Rebuttal
Again, another statement he cannot back up with
documentation. For example, 22 Apr. 1670 Robert received a land grant
of 800 acres; 9 Feb. 1673 Robert sold 100 acres to James Bagnall; 1
Mar. 1674 sold Bagnall 100 acres; 9 Apr 1674 sold James Bagnall 300
acres; 9Apr. 1674 bought 100acres of land from Bagnall; 9 Sep 1674
sold 7000 lbs tobacco and 100 acres of land; 27 Mar 1696 gave Power
of Attorney to "loving wife" Susannah. The last recorded
date of his return, at this point, is 1702 in which he witnessed a
deed for Owen Bourn on 9 April, 1702 (Deed Book 1, page 351). Don't
forget to check the Time Line section.
Notice that each date is also an underlined hyperlink that take you
directly to complete (not condensed or references) pertinent wills
and deeds.
SUSANNAH consoled herself in the arms of RICHARD TOWLE, a poor farmer
from her neighborhood by whom she had at least five children who were
given the name "BRASWELL".
Rebuttal
Here he goes again. Poor nymphomaniacal Susannah,
according to Carey, ravishing the poor farmer, Richard Towle, into an
early grave, but not until she had at least five of his children! Did
this woman with such an insatiable appetite not even help raise Poor
Richard from a lowly farmer
to at least a middle-class gigolo by giving him, for his services, at
least an acre or two out of her several thousand! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
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