Family:Rice Edwards and Elnor Unknown (1)

Rice Edwards and his wife were "admonished for incontinency before marriage" in the June 27, 1643 session of the Salem Quarterly Court.^S3 Later, in the 20 December 1647 session of the Court, "Rice Edwards and Henry Hagott (also, Haggett) of Wenham admonished for fighting together. [Witnesses, Phyneas ffisk and Ezdras Reade -- Files.]^S4

The agreement made between the children of Rice Edwards after his death (on 15 June 1683) is very important in establishing his children's names. The agreement is signed by Benjamin Edwards, who cared for his father before his death in return for a greater share of the estate, and sons John Edwards and Thomas Edwards, and "In right of Thy wife," by John Leach, John Coy, William Cleaves and Richard Lee. Donald Kenney's Essex Genealogist article states that Rice's daughters are "Bethia, who married John Knowlton; Mary, who married John Leach; Elizabeth, who married John Coy; Martha who married William Cleaves and Sarah who married Richard Lee."^S2

1.   Edwards, Rice, in Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. (1963)
   Online database, Accessed 15 Nov 2009.

   EDWARDS, Rice & 1/wf Eleanor _____ (1620-) 1/wf adm Ch. Boston, 1647; (deposed 1680, ae 60 y); by 1647, by 1680; Boston/Salem {Putnam's Mag. 1:134, 135; Salem 2:140; Sv.; Pope's Pioneers; Essex Co. Court Rec. 8:18; Essex Ant. 4:185; Cushing (ms) 155, 757; Reg. 56:60+}. Accessed online at online database. NewEnglandAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.

2.   Kenney, Donald S, "Rice Edwards, 1615-1683 of Salem, Wenham and Beverly", in The Essex Genealogist (Massachusetts). (Lynnfield, Massachusetts: Essex Society of Genealogists)
   2002, p. 100-108.

   This extensive and well-researched article makes the case that Rice Edwards had but one wife, and that her Christian name may never be definitively known. However, a good case is made that it is likely to be Eleanor. The article can be found on Google Books.

3.   "Salem Quarterly Court Records and Files", in Perley, Sidney, ed. Essex Antiquarian. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Antiquarian)
   Vol 4 p. 185.

   "Rise [also, Rice] Edwards and his wife admonished for incontinency before marriage. [Wit:?] Henry Walton and Mary Bourne."

4.   "Salem Quarterly Court Records and Files", in Perley, Sidney, ed. Essex Antiquarian. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Antiquarian)
   Vol 6 p. 29.

   See text