Sarah Comfort Marvel

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM LEVIN WILSON'S ADDRESS TO THE KNOWLES FAMILY REUNION ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1896

In giving the history of any family the surroundings make it necessary to give a partial history of other families. Especially is this true in America, where they marry and intermarry in all families and among all nationalities.

The Knowles and Marvel families have long been connected. Both were English. Andrew Marvel was a Member of Parliament about the middle of the seventeenth century and did his whole duty. There was not gold enough in the King’s exchequer to make him swerve from the right. He was an author and poet of considerable note. It is a well known fact that the Marvels and Knowles came at or about the same time, constituting a part of the colony of Sussex County, Delaware. The Marvels turned their attention to the raising of peaches and fine horses. From the first they made their brandy which became an indispensable article for the family and for public gatherings. They were fond of a well-trained saddle horse and in their estimation speed was an addition to his other good qualities. And no young man in all that country rode a finer horse and more richly mounted saddle than did David Marvel, who was himself dressed in the finest blue broadcloth.

There was also living in the same country a wealthy French family by the name of Prettyman, whose daughter was the prettiest girl in all the land. To her, after obtaining the consent of her parents, young David made suit and Miss Comfort Prettyman became the wife of David Marvel. Their family occupied the front in society, being composed of daughters, with only one son who was born in 1763, and they named him Prettyman. This boy when he grew to manhood was very small and an expert rider of race horses which he made profitable as a business. And when he wished a wife he sought and obtained the hand of Miss Lavina Rogers, whose near relative was Governor of Delaware. His cousin Elisha married her sister Orpha.