Sarah

• General Notes
  • From Frederic Z. Saunders:
    
    Note that Donna Valley Russell, *First Families of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 1649-1658,* Vol 1, The Landowners, (New Market, MD: Catoctin Press, 1999), incorrectly made statements that William AYRES widow was Sarah MARSH. As noted above, William's first wife was Sarah -?-, who predeceased him, and his second wife was Martha -?-, who secondly married Anthony SALWAY. Her information will be corrected in her second volume which is to be out shortly (or already out?).
    
    She stated that William AYRES married "(1) Sarah who d. by 1651, (2) Martha. But this is not consistent with another patent stating that Sarah, widow of William AYRES, married Thomas MARSH [q.v.]."
    She later stated that in a patent dated 5 Oct. 1653, that William AYRES referred to his deceased wife Sarah, citing ABH:348 and 5:338-339, with the comment that "Samuel CHEW stated there are rights on the records that pertained to my father-in-law William AYRES, deceased, which land has not been taken up; there may be warrants to Sarah MARSH for the same. 6 June 1663 Sarah MARSH, widow of William MARSH, demanded warrants for these rights for 1150 acres dated 5 Oct. 1653."  Under Thomas MARSH, she listed that he married "(1) Margaret (2) Sarah MARSH, widow of William AYRES [q.v.]." citing again as the source Patents 5:339 ABH:348. In this recorded dated 5 Oct. 1653 William AYRES demanded land due to him by assignment. He also made assignments of his own on the same date, one of 500 acres unto Thomas MARSH of Severn, Merchant and his heirs.   5:338-9 does contain the statement by Samuel CHEW regarding his father-in-law being William AYRES, and that there were still rights in land not taken up that may be warranted by Sarah MARSH. Following this is a reconfirmation of what happened in ABH:348, stating that "Sarah MARSH according to this assingment" (the one just preceding by Sameul CHEW) "delivered warrant for the said rights" that were still due to William AYRES upon record of 5 Oct. 1653. There was an order to the Surveyor General to lay out 1150 acres for Sarah MARSH by 31 January next (1664). There was nothing that stated she was the the widow of William AYRES.  Apparently it was interpretted by DVR (and perhaps others) that Sarah MARSH's right in the land was as the widow of William AYRES. As shown by ABH:348 William AYRES assigned the 500 acres on 5 Oct. 1653 to Thomas MARSH "and heirs." As Thomas MARSH died in 1656, the rights would then belong to Thomas' widow Sarah. Sarah's rights in the land were from being the widow of Thomas MARSH, not William AYRES.