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Facts and Events
Conflicting Information on Richard Steele
There is considerable doubt that this Richard Steele was the father of Samuel Steele of Augusta County, Virginia based upon the following account. More research may be necessary to conclusively prove the parentage of Samuel:
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jennings/manuscript/timeline.htm
Reprinted with Ernest Thompson's permission:
- I am a descendent of Samuel Steele and Margaret Fulton. I regret to tell all that there is almost no possibility that the very famous Sir Richard Steele, author and playwright, and his wife Mary Scurlock were the parents of our Samuel Steele. The life of Sir Richard is extensively documented in at least three biographies (e.g., Life of Richard Steele by Aitken) and there is no record indicating he had a son either by Mary or anyone else including his first wife Margaret Stretch. Sir R. and Mary did have a child in 1709, but it was a daughter named Elizabeth. The theory that the Steeles of Steele's Tavern in Augusta Co. were descendents of Sir Richard has been around for 40 -50 years and seems to have a life of its own. Much as we might like to think we are descendents of Sir Richard (I know I would) we will have to look elsewhere for the origins of the Steeles of Augusta Co.
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