Person:John Saunders (14)

ARNOLD & BEAMAN: VRRI The following was submitted to the author by Paul A. Saunders of Matthews, NC: John Saunders, the eldest son of our immigrant ancestor, Tobias, served as Justice of the Peace in Westerly, Washington Co., Rhode Island, as did his father. Both men officiated at several weddings, but John had one wedding which was quite unusual. It was described thusly in "The Narragansett Historical Register", Vol. I, 1882-83: "A SINGULAR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. -- To all people to whom it may concern: this may certify you that Nathaniel Bundy, of Westerly, took ye widow Mary Palmister of said town, in ye highway, with no other clothing but shifting, or smock, on ye evening after the 26th of April, 1724; and was joined together in that honorable estate of matrimony, in ye presence of John Coles, Peter Crandall, James Coney, Moses Downing, George Stillman, Mary Crandall, Mercy Hill; and was so joined together as above said, ye day and year above mentioned Per me, JOHN SAUNDERS, Justice Registered ye 29th day of April,1724. Per JOHN BABCOCK, Town Clerk" Nelson Byron Vars, author of "Records of Tobias Saunders And His Descendants", has this to say about the subject: "Of this seemingly very strange ceremony I have learned of four, one in South Kingstown, two in Westerly, one in Hopkintown [sic] -- the record of one I found in Westerly I copied and sent to the Newport Historical Magazine and was published. But I have never seen published any explanation of the strange ceremony. "Therefore I will give such information as I have received, believing it to be correct. The law was in substance this --If a married man died leaving a widow and unpaid debts, the man who should marry her became responsible for the first husband's debts. But a way of escape was provided, if they would comply with the requirements, which were as follows: That the bride-to-be (widow) should be married in the public highway, with no other clothing on but her shirt; thereby representing"in the figure" that she was a poor wanderer without any home or friends, utterly destitute. It was also required that the ceremony should be performed where at least three roads met --that is, at the corners of the roads, showing still further in the figure that she had come thus far and was now at a loss which road to take. She is there met by a man, who seeing her destitute and friendless condition, offers to marry her and take her to himself and his home. "As above stated, it was required to be where three roads met, that is at least three corners. But if that was not convenient, then it was provided that the bride-to-be (widow) should walk across the road back and forth at least 4 times, thereby representing the four corners of the road."

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Abstracts of Westerly Wills, in Rhode Island Genealogical Register. (Princeton, Massachusetts: A. G. Beaman)
   7:311.

   WILL:
   Dated Feb. 24, 1743/4; proved Westerly April 30, 1746, p. 58-60, Westerly Probate Vol. 3/5 1745-1762.
   Names wife Sarah;
   sons: John, Samuel & Joseph > 21 but under 30; daughters:
   Mary Haley, Hannah Potter, Elizabeth Brown, Susannah Berry & Prudence Varse;
   grandson Waite Saunders son of son John;
   grandson Lemuel Varse son of daughter Prudence.
   Witnesses: Elisha Stillman, Benjamin Stillman & George Stillman.

2.   LAND:
   -Nov. 7, 1727 Mary Button, widow, to John Saunders, the 7th Lott out of my father, George Lanphear's farm. Witnesses: William Hern, Thomas Burdick. [Westerly Deeds 4:212]
   -July 19, 1728 John Saunders Sr. to son John Saunders Jr., laborer, 100 Acres bounded: land now in possession of James Pendleton, land I bought of widow Mary Button, Nicholas Saterly, Wm Clark, John Maxson; after his father's decease he ye sd John Saunders Sr. reserving to himself the use of above sd land during his natural life. If John Saunders Jr. dies without heirs, the above mentioned land to be divided between his 2 brothers: Samuel Saunders & Joseph Saunders. Witnesses: James Pendleton, Moses Downing. [Westerly Deeds 5:161-2]
   -Dec. 8, 1729 John Saunder to Richard Berry, cordwinder, 8 Acres + 61 rods, bounded by said Saunders, Stephen Babcock, 47 rods which I sold to Nicholas Saterly. Witnesses: Theodaty Rhodes and Edward Saunders Jr. [Westerly Deeds 5:133-4]
   -Aug. 30, 1731 John Saunders Sr. to son John Saunders Jr., husbandman, 100 Acres bounded by: William Clark. Witnesses: Theodaty Rhoades, Daniel Peckham. [Westerly Deeds 5:291-2]
   -Nov. 22, 1733 John Saunders to son Samuel Saunders, 46 Acres, part of Tract that did belong to George Lanphear late of Westerly deceased, 7th Lott in Number. Witnesses: Edward Bliven, Richard Berry. [Westerly Deeds 6:223-4]
3.   MISC:
   -From South Kingstown Land Evidence 1723-1735 p. 166: John Saunders of Westerly Esq. for good causes me moving to his son Samuel & Prudence Saunders & to my [?] Richard Berry of South Kingstown cordwainer all lands that was my first wife's father's Samuel Belcher of Braintree, MA, yeoman, & the said John Saunders & is son & daughter have estate. Dated May 3, 1727; witnesses: George Stillman & Deborah Stillman. Page 166-7 We the sons & sons-in-law & daughters of the abovesaid John Saunders release claim we have on estate of our grandfather abovesaid Samuel Belcher to our brother-in-law Richard Berry; signed John Saunders Jr., Peter Brown, John Haley, John Potter. Dates May 4, 1727, May 15, 1727 & rec. May 29, 1727. Witnesses: Nicholas Satterly, Moses Downing, Samuel Helme & Rouse Helme. [RIGR Vol. 9:2 p. 182]