- The father, Samuel Bonum, died testate in 1726 in Westmoreland County. His names his son Samuel and the child his wife carryiing. He appointed George Eskridge as guardian to his children, which duty was later assumed by Lindsay Opie. Opie's account of his guardianship was settled in 1738 or 1739 (Westmoreland County Fiduciary Accounts 1742, p. 89 according to Elizabeth Combes Pierce, writing in April of 1935.)
The account includes payments to Mrs. Bennett and a Mrs. Chatten for board, a wig for John Johnson (this cannot be his uncle John Johnson who died in 1721, and who had no children.). It also pays money to Mr. Thomas Bennett and then a payment to "Aunt and Uncle Thomas and Elizabeth Bennett."
In her 1935 article in the William & Mary Quarterly, Elizabeth Combes Pierce uses the above account as absolute proof that the maiden name of Mary Ball's mother was Bennett. Such a conclusion does not hold water.
Samuel Bonum, the orphan, on his mother's side, had but one uncle and one aunt. The uncle, John Johnson who was the brother of Elizabeth Johnson, died in 1721 with no children. Mary Ball, his mother's half sister was the only other sibling of Elizabeth Johnson.
This means that the "aunt and uncle" here is probably Elizabeth Bonum, wife of Thomas Bennett. Benjamin Hugh Bennett, in his 1960 book titled *A History of the Richard Bennett Family of Westmoreland County and Iredell County, N.C." comes to the same conclusion, and the Elizabeth Bonum was the sister of Samuel Bonum.
Thomas Bennett testate in Westmoreland County in 1763. His will named his wife Elizabeth and children Mary, Thomas Jr., William, Daniel, Charles, Joseph and Solomon Bennett.
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/VA-NORTHERN-NECK/2010-03/1267986234
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| Notes |
- From Eskridge Family Genealogy Forum, submitted by Sara Washburn: "Colonel George Eskridge, a Deputy to the Virginia House of Burgesses for many years in the first half of the 18th century, was guardian to Mary Ball, the mother of George Washington. It is stated that Col. Eskridge, who died in 1735, came to America about 1670, probably from Lancashire. He married, first, Rebecca, daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Philpot) Bonum. Rebecca (Bonum)Eskridge had a brother, Samuel Bonum, whose wife was Elizabeth Johnston, the half-sister of Mary Ball. Col. Eskridge married, second, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Vaulx.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/i/t/Donna-L-Ritter/GENE51-0001.html
By age thirteen, both of Marys parents had died, and family friend George Eskridge was appointed her guardian. For the next decade, she lived with Eskridge and family and her married half sister Elizabeth Bonum. Not much is known about her life at this time, but we know that she could read and write, and that she was an avid horsewoman.
After marriage, Mary lived at Pope's Creek Plantation, later called Wakefield. The next year, on February 22, she gave birth to her first child, George, named for her guardian George Eskridge. While living at Wakefield, she gave birth to two more children, Betty and Samuel, who were named for Mary's other guardians, her sister and brother-in-law. Also at Wakefield, Augustine's daughter Jane died at age 13.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nymwcdar/index_files/Page773.htm
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Abt 1648 - 1748 (~ 100 years)
