Mary Beverley [13038]

  General Notes:

There is great controversy over the identity of John Langhorne's wife. Most agree that she is a "Mary" but the agreement ends there.

1. Support for the name, "Mary Rice":

During October 1736 in a case before the court in Warwick County (?), Virginia (Sir John Randolph's reports, Vol 1, 1725-1745, case R109 by Randolph, B53 by Barrandall (whatever all of that means)) John Langhorne was a defendant in Jones vs Langhorne. The action was to recover the possession of slaves belonging to the estate of Mary Rice. Mary Rice was married to a Myers with four children and the suggestion is that Myers died and she remarried to John Langhorne.

Circumstantially, the Rice family have a history in Warwick County, Virginia, apparently close to the Langhornes living at "Gambell".

2. Support for the name "Mary Beverley".

The first son of Maurice Langhorne 1719 was William Beverley Langhorne born about 1790, suggesting a relationship with the Beverley family. According to David Hackett Fischer in his book on the sociology of colonial America, "Albion's Seeds", he says naming practices were such that the first born son would often (but not always) be named after a grandfather (either one), provided he was reputable, and the first son would also carry the maiden name of his mother as a middle name, considered an honor to her. Note that William Beverley Langhorne is the name of Maurice Langhorne's first born son. A clue, not evidence. (Second or third son gets dad's name). The second son was named Maurice Cary Langhorne. This would seem to indicate that this family followed the rules more often than not.

Thomas Litten in his article on the Langhorne family claims that Mary Beverley is the name of John's spouse. (see notes under John Langhorne - this family)

Mary married William Jones [13040] [MRIN: 4333] in 1694. (William Jones [13040] was born about 1678 in Northampton County, Virginia.)

Mary next married John Langhorne [23775] [MRIN: 8065], son of Maurice Langhorne [10387] and Anne Cary [10388], about 1718. (John Langhorne [23775] was born in 1695 in Warwick County, Virginia and died in 1767 in Warwick County, Virginia.)