Tabitha Truitt ¹⁶⁹⁵

  Research Notes:

From: Raymond Ruch Jan 2002

I'm descended from Tabitha Truitt who married John Parker - of this connection I'm certain. Tabitha had a son John, who had a son Charles that married Ann Selby. Charles is the father of Sophia Ellen (Eleanor)Parker who married Samuel Truitt.

Some think that Charles (who married Ann Selby) is the son of John Parker and Tabitha Truitt, but I believe I can prove there's another generation between them.

As far as the question of which Parker Tabitha Truitt married, I have the Will of John Parker in which he names his wife as Tabitha. The Will was written in 1730. I wasn't aware that there were conflicting opinions. The Will, of course, does not identify her as Tabitha TRUITT.

Here's what I wrote a while back concerning the parents of Charles Park who married Ann Selby. I welcome corrections and comments on my logic, etc. I've also learned since I wrote this that "cousin" at that time often meant nephew or niece as those terms weren't commonly used yet. I think you can see why I question if Ann Truitt could have been the wife of John Parker, rather than Samuel. In my original wife of I said Philip Parker when I should have said Philip Truitt, sorry for any confusion.

THE QUESTION: WHO WERE THE PARENTS OF CHARLES PARKER THAT MARRIED ANN SELBY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND?

BACKGROUND: AT ONE TIME WE HAD THE FATHER OF CHARLES AS JOHN PARKER AND HIS WIFE ANN. THEN, WITH SOME NEW INFORMATION, DECIDED THAT CHARLES WAS THE SON OF JOHN AND TABITHA TRUITT PARKER. THIS WAS QUESTIONED SINCE WE ALL HAD CHARLES BORN ABOUT 1730 AND HIS MOTHER TABITHA TRUITT PARKER BORN ABOUT 1665, MAKING HER ABOUT 65 WHEN CHARLES WAS BORN. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT TABITHA WAS YOUNGER THAN ESTIMATED AND THAT CHARLES WAS OLDER THAN ESTIMATED. RATHER THAN LEAVE IT AT THAT I DECIDED TO DO SOME FURTHER LOOKING. BELOW IS WHAT I FOUND. IT IS ALL BASED ON FOUR SOURCE DOCUMENTS:
1) THE 1708-1718 (DATES VARY) WILL OF CHARLES PARKER (WIFE ELIZABETH);
2) THE 1745 WILL OF TABITHA TRUITT PARKER;
3) THE 1771 DEED FOR SALE OF LAND BY CHARLES AND ANN PARKER OF WORCESTER CO., MD;
4) THE WILL OF JOHN PARKER (HUSBAND OF TABITHA TRUITT).
I DO NOT HAVE ORIGINAL COPIES OF THESE RECORDS, ONLY VARIOUS SOURCES SUMMARIES AND TRANSCRIPTIONS.

To distinguish between these Charles and Johns I will use their wife's name with theirs:

Charles Parker (Elizabeth): Son of George Parker and Florence Cade, wrote his will in 1708-1718

John Parker (Tabitha Truitt): Son of George Parker and Florence Cade, born 1665, and brother of Charles Parker (Elizabeth)

John Parker (Ann), son of John and Tabitha Truitt - named in both their wills. I have no documentation yet that his wife's name was Ann, but will use that to distinguish him from his father, since I have seen his wife listed as Ann

Charles Parker (Ann Selby), married Ann Selby. Lived in Worcester County, MD, died there in 1788, and the subject of this document.

John Parker (Tabitha Truitt) listed sons John and Charles in his 1730 will. His wife Tabitha Truitt Parker, in her 1745 will mentions sons Charles and John (made a bequest of cattle to grandson Charles Parker,son of my son John Parker.) So we know that John (Tabitha Truitt), and their son John (Ann) both had sons named Charles Parker. Which one married Ann Selby?

"Selby Families in America" by Donna Valley Russell (1990) says "Ann Selby married Charles Parker, the son of John. He was so-called on 21 Dec 1771, when he and his wife Ann sold 400 acres of Armenia to John Rousby Whittington. This land had come from John Parker, reversionary legatee of his cousin Charles Parker of Accomac County, by his 1718 will. The land on the Pocomoke River in Indian Town. Apparently he did not sell the full tract, as he paid tax on 210 acres in 1783, as did his son Selby Parker. Charles also owned a tract called America, of which he sold 20 acres each to his sons Selby and John Parker in 1776." Her source was Dryden "Land Records," page 23.

Another version of the same (I assume the same deed - note there are some differences) deed "12/24/1771 Charles Parker of Worcester to John R. Whittington of Somerset Co., 20 acres of America, patented to John Parker for 400 acres and assigned to Charles Parker of Accomac Co., Va, grant on 8/25/1698 to Charles who devised to John of Worcester County, father of Charles, who was heir-at-law and oldest son of John who DIED INTESTATE. Ann wife of Charles...."

The two versions of the deed agree on the fact that Charles and Ann sold property obtained by Charles (Ann Selby) from Charles' father, John Parker. Was this John (Tabitha Truitt) or John (Ann)? This John had received the land sold by Charles (Ann Selby), from Charles Parker his"cousin." Later I will explain that it clearly was actually received from his uncle. Perhaps the most important word in the above deeds (assuming that the original does have that wording) is that John, father of Charles (Ann Selby), DIED INTESTATE. SO CHARLES' (ANN SELBY) FATHER DIED WITHOUT A WILL. John (Tabitha Truitt) definitely had a will - so I say he can't be Charles' (Ann Selby) father.

Going a step farther I tried to find where the land came from in the first place. All sources seem to agree that John (Tabitha Truitt) and Charles (Elizabeth) were the sons of George and Florence Cade Parker. The best source I've been able to find for the will of Charles (Elizabeth) Parker is on the Internet "Ancestors of Margo Doughty . It says "Charles's (Elizabeth) will was probated 2 Feb 1708/9 in Accomack Co., VA. In his will written 16 Jan 1708/9, Charles Parker named a wife Elizabeth and mentioned children but not by named (sic)...To wife Elizabeth all my real estate for life then to my children, should they die to my cousin (obviously his nephew) John Parker, son of my brother George Parker, land in the Indian Town upon Pokamoke River near my brother John Parker's land, being 200 acres and land on Seaside called Rumly in Somerset Co, Maryland and for want of heirs to Bennit Parker, son of my brother George Parker. Should my wife die without heirs by methen to MY COUSIN (OBVIOUSLY HIS NEPHEW) JOHN PARKER, SON OF MY BROTHER JOHN PARKER LAND IN THE INDIAN TOWN NEAR THE GREAT BRIDGE ON THE POKEMOKE RIVER, CONTAINING BY PATENT 400 ACRES AND FOR WANT OF HEIRS TO CHARLES PARKER, SON OF MY BROTHER JOHN. To me it is clear (but I may be missing something) that Charles (Ann Selby) was the son of John (Ann) and the grandson of John (Tabitha Truitt). To summarize:

1) Charles (Elizabeth)Parker left land in about 1708, later sold by Charles (Ann Selby), to his nephew John (Ann).

2) This land was eventually sold by Charles (Ann Selby) in a deed that says he obtained the land
from his father, John, who died intestate. John (Tabitha Truitt) definitely did not die intestate as
I've seen many extracts of his will.

3) Most sources list Tabitha Truitt's date of birth around 1670 give or take a few years. Charles
(Ann Selby) had children born as late as 1772 (and guess what he named him - another xxxxx
Charles). Charles and Ann Selby also had a son Selby Parker born ca 1752. So Ann Selby probably was born around 1730 and not much earlier. Of course, it is possible that Charles (Ann Selby) was quite a bit older than his wife, but with all the above taken into account I don't think he was. ¹⁶⁹⁹

Tabitha married John Parker Sr. about 1691 in Somerset County, Maryland, USA.¹⁶⁹⁹ (John Parker Sr. was born on 1 Dec 1665 in Accomack County, Virginia, USA ¹⁶⁹⁹ and died on 12 Jan 1731 in Somerset County, Maryland, USA ¹⁶⁹⁹.)