Penelope Finnell Eidson

There is a serious question about Penelope's parentage. Finniegirl1959 (below) believes that she was the daughter of Elias Sr's son Elias (who died in 1706) and a first wife named Anne Parker, while other sources have her on the tree as the daughter of Elias Sr's son Henry Wilson. However, there is then a conflict with Henry being her father as well, since Penelope's daughter Elizabeth "Betty" Eidson married George Wilson, Henry's son. It is highly improbable that Betty would have married her mother's brother.

From family tree of finniegirl1959 on Ancestry.com at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/741179/person/-2054481891/media/1?pg... :

Virginia Colonial Records 1600--1700’s Vol. 1 Richland County records 1704--1724 page 322.

In April 1721 John Fennell of Sittenbourne Parish , Planter sold to his brother Elias Fennell 80 acres. The deed saying that the land was part of that bought by John Fennell the elder in 1682 and was bounded by a Craske, William and Bridgett Dixon and James and Henry Wilson. Witnesses were John Davis, John Jeneng and William Clarry.

August 4,1735 the will of William Marks was written in Richmond county Virginia, it named as executor Elias Fennell, friend and John Deane. Witnesses William Dickson, Edmond Hazle and Creighton Davis. The son of William Marks [John] would marry Hannah Eidson, stepdaughter of Elias Finnell. Elias’s father John had witnessed the will of this William Marks father who was also a William Marks in 1706.

Elias Fennell is listed in later Richmond County records, deeds and court orders and minutes in 1716 thru 1737. He die in 1739 leaving a will dated October 1739. He named no natural heirs. He left his estate to his wife Penelope and friend John Marks, husband of his step daughter Hannah, daughter of Edward Eidson and Penelope Wilson Eidson Fennel. Penelope Wilson daughter of Elias Wilson and Anne Parker had first married Edward Eidson, who died 5 Feb 1732. They were known to have had seven children. Penelope married second Elias Finnell in August 1734. After the death of Elias Finnell Oct.26,1739 she married Alexander Newman. But that marriage had problems and she lived by herself after receiving a court order for her support.

Will Book 5 page 340 October 26,1739 To my loving wife Penelpoe Feniel all my lands on this side of the main road that I now live on and all that land on that side of the Coach road joining to Richard Barnes during her natural life. I give all the rest of my land on the other side of the Main and coach road to John Marks, and the above lands after my loving wife Penelope Feniels death to him and his heirs lawfully begotton and for want of such heirs then I give all my lands to Ann Dozier and Frances Thornton to be equally divided between them and thie heirs lawfully begotton. I give to francis Davis my young gray mare that’s now in Mulbery Island forever. I give to Boyce Eidson my gun forever. I give to John Marks my Buckenier gun forever. I give to my wife Penelpoe Feniel my two negros Tobey and Jamey to her and her heirs forever and also all my personal estate forever excepting after her death one feather bed, furniture and bedstead and my large Cubard to John Marks. In case my wife should die before my horse Codey is dead or my servant man is free named David Man, then I give the said horse and servant to John Marks. My horse Codey I give to my wife and not John Marks. My wife Penelope Fenil to be my executor. Witness’s Richard Barnes, William Brockenbrough and David Twindale.

In the inventory of Elias Finnell's estate, David Man is identified as a shoemaker, and two other servants were named Philip Thomas and William Woodbern.

The will of Elias Finnell was probated Jan.7,1740

Penelope Wilson Finnell from Ancestry.com Personal Tree by Finniegirl1959, added this on 18 Jan 2012

She married first Edward Eidson born Oct.1680 in Dublin England, and by him had seven children. He died Feb. 5,1732 in Richmond County Virginia. Will Book 5 page 184 State of Virginia, county of Richmond has the Last will and testament of Edward Eidson:

To son Joseph all land bought of Capt. Spicer known by the name of Old Court House (This was the land and house owned by the first John Fennell) to him and his heirs of his body lawfully begotten and failing such heirs to my son Boyce and heirs of his body lawfully begotten. My will is that my loving wife Penelope Eidson have half the land I now live on with the plantation during her natural life. [He made bequests to his son John, Boyce and daughters Sarah, Hannah and Betty]. I give and bequeath all the remainder of my estate real and personal to be equally divided between my loving wife Penelope Eidson and my son Edward whom I do hereby constitute and appoint Exrx and Exr. of this my last will and testament.

Penelope had not remarried by Aug, 1734 when Edward Eidson's estate was presented by Penelope and Edward Eidson Jr. for division by Richard Barnes, William Jordan and James Wilson.

She married second Elias Finnell, son of John Fennell/Finnell of Richmond County Virginia, neighbor of her father Elias, son of Elias Wilson [note from PW: what is the evidence for this? That Elias died in 1705 and Penelope is listed as having been born in 1708--this needs resolution]. John Fennell/Finnell her father-in-law had been a witness for the will of William Marks 1706, as Elias Finnell was a witness for William's son William in Aug. of 1735 father of John Marks husband of her daughter Hannah Eidson. Her third husband was to be Alexander Newman whom she married sometime around 1741. The marriage was not one she wanted to stay in, and in 1744 Penelope filed suit against her husband Alexander for separate maintenance, and was awarded 1,000 of tobacco each year by May 1 for her maintenance. [Richmond County Virginia Order Book 12 page 4,13,21,391,435.]

Elias Wilson made surety for payment [from PW: Who was this Elias Wilson? The Elias son of Elias, whom finniegirl1959 posits as her father, died in 1705]. Alexander Newman was quite a bit older than Penelope Wilson Eidson Finnell; she was his second wife and he had children already grown when they married.

May of 1715 Edward Eidson of Cople Parish, Westmoreland County, Virginia, bought 210 acres of land from John and Hester Gower for 9,000 of good tobacco.This land was in Sittenbourne Parish, Richmond County Virginia, next to Elias Fennell/Finnell.

In 1744 John and Edward Eidson requested a division of the property left to them by their father. Proof of Penelope's marriage to Alexander Newman is found in the suit filed in 1745 in Chancery Court by George Wilson and wife Betty against Alexander Newman and Penelope his wife, and Edward Eidson, administrators of Edward Eidson. Richmond County Order Book 12 page 740.

I have added some of the family connections of Penelope Wilson, from her father Elias to the Eidson family to my Ancestry file. The Morton family also played a part in Penelope's family history as did the Newton, and many of the first families of Virginia.

Comment in response to above: "Penelope Wilson, ?daughter of Elias Wilson and Anne Parker"

"eidson" added this on 7 Apr 2012:

Those of us who have researched the Eidson family for a lot of years have tried to find out who Penelope was. I agree with the marriages you have attributed to her and these were published in "It's Spelled E-I-D_son" by Wanda Carroll Eidson a few years ago. We have continued to attempt to find out the ancestry of Penelope. What leads you to the conclusion that Penelope was a daughter of Elias Wilson and Anne Parker?