Family talk:George Orvis and Elizabeth Unknown (1)

If the ages for Elizabeth's children are correct or even close to correct, I don't believe that she could have been born in 1638.--Neal Gardner 13:22, 21 April 2010 (EDT)

This from a discussion page about wife of George Orvis:

3. George's wife Elizabeth Harrison, Gaylord, Weyborne, Wilburn, Carpenter, Bronson, Orvis....etcetera, etcetera. This one is an extreme sore spot. I think that what has happend here is that a cycle of misinformation has been used and reused over and over and the more it gets used, the more it is believed.

Here is what I have found so far(which some still needs to be proven, but it at least gives you the impression that her name truely isn't known yet). Let's start with what we know for fact: George Orvis married Elizabeth Carpenter, widow of David Carpenter, about 1652 in Hartford, Connecticut. So now we can cross off the names Carpenter and Orvis, we know where they came from. According to David Carpenter's Will dated 20 January 1650-1, he mentions wife, Elizabeth and children; Elizabeth, David and Mary. No other children mentioned would lead us to believe that Elizabeth Carpenter (Orvis) was his only wife that gave him children. Now according to George Orvis' probate record dated 1 June 1665,"...The Debts & legacies of ye Children of her first husband being discharged, the rest of the Estate to belong to ye Widow to bring up ye younger children." This statement can safely bring us to the conclusion that before her marriage to George Orvis, Elizabeth's first husband was David Carpenter. In Elizabeth's (Brunson) will dated 6 April 1694, she accounts for children; Samuel Orvis, Roger Orvis, Mary (Orvis) wife of Samuel Scott, David Carpenter, Mary Hinman (this is Mary Carpenter; just a note: two daughters by the name of Mary from the same mother, and both living?!?!, possibility of one being Mary and the other Marie? who knows), and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Hill.

She listed three Orvis children and three Carpenter children and no Bronson children.

So now, we know that Elizabeth first married David Carpenter, second George Orvis and third & last Richard Bronson. As for the Harrison, Gaylord, Weyborne(all variations included), etcetera, etcetera...we'll see. No proof as yet that her maiden name was Harrison.