Person:Abigail Davis (2)

Abigail's Marital Troubles

In Jun 1658 the Grand Jury found Edward Richmond guilty of "living with Abigail Davise contrary to the law of this Collony ... guilty of fornication and to be whipt or to pay forty sh. according to law : The sayd Edward Richmond doth acknowlidge to abide the law in payment of forty sh" and against "Abigall Davise for living with Edw. Richmond Contrary to the law of thie Collony ... the defendant ... pleads guilty ... owned herself to be the same woman Abigall Davise : and that she hath a childe by Edw. Richmond : The Court doe judge her guilty of Fornication : and to be wipt or pay forty s. according to law : she ownes to abide the law in payment of forty s."

Edward and Abigail "owneing the Rightousness of the sentence of the Court agains them for living together in fornication : That now this Court would be pleased for the prevention of the like Temptation now to declare themselves condissending to the two parties marrying together : which the Court doe Consent unto : for there is Testimony that they have been twice published according to law ... therefore the Court Declares under the hands of the Court or by their names herto anexed that the said persons are married together before and in the presence of the Court Leagaly."

1. ↑ William Davis, in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
   v2, p 318.

   (quote) ABIGAIL, b. say 1633; m. (1) say 1655 against her will to Richard Ussell and the marriage declared unlawful 20 May 1657 [RICR 1:360]; m. (2) at Newport court [blank] June 1658 Edward Richmond (Richmond sued Ussell for "tresspass" as early as 24 June 1656 [RICT 1:18]; on [blank] June 1658, "Abigall Davice," having lived with and had a child with said Richmond, both pled guilty to fornication, and inasmuch as "they have been twice published," the court declared them legally married [RICT 1:45-46]

2. ↑ Richmond, Henry I. Richmond family records. (London: Adlard & Son, 1933-1938)
   v1, p 92.

   giving dom, several court records about Abigail's marital difficulties (gives wrong parents)

3.   MARRIAGE:
   May 27, 1657 Abigail Davis petitioned Assembly to declare her forced marriage to Richard Ussell unlawful which they did later in the year; declared her wish to marry Edward Richmond.