Elizabeth Terrell, partner of John Terrell

John Terrell, his wife, Sarah Terrell, and his mistress, Elizabeth Harrison

1729-1738 , Carolina County, Virginia, American Colonies

Excerpts copied from "Tidewater Virginia Families," pp. 271-272"

"John Terrell was reported to be the son of William and Susannah Terrell by his great nephew, John D. Terrell.* He probably grew up in St. Paul's Parish and lived as an adult in Caroline County. He married Sarah, but her maiden name is not known. John was called into court several times for his relationship with Elizabeth Harrison.** It was reported that he had taken Elizabeth into his home, even though he had a wife, Sarah Terrell.

Three children were born to John and Elizabeth out of wedlock. Each time, John and Elizabeth were tried by the court and placed under a bond of 50 (pounds) sterling money not to meet. Even this did not stop them, and they left the colony in 1738.

The court was forced to bind out the three children, to be raised by other families.
They would be required to help with the family to pay for their keep. Finally in 1749, Sarah Terrell asked the court to allow her separate maintenance from her husband. John sold land in Caroline County in March 1751, and in April of that year (1751), the chancery court ordered John to place two Negroes, Beck and Amey, and one grey mare in the possession of John Mauldin, in trust for Sarah. She was to "receive the profits from these for her maintenance during her separation and until she shall cohabit with the defendant or until the time of her death."

It would have taken an act of the General Assembly to have granted her a divorce, but the county court could grant her separate maintenance. Sarah was granted permission to take over her husband's estate because he had "fled the colony" with Elizabeth Harrison. A number of the citizens of the colony of Virginia, who did not feel they could comply with the marriage laws of the colony went to North Carolina to live. John apparently went to Edgecombe County, North Carolina, and settled there with Elizabeth Harrison. He was granted 500 acres in Edgecombe County. Whether he realized all of the profits from the sale of his land in Caroline County or whether he was required to turn some over to his wife, Sarah, is not known. There was no mention in the Caroline records of children of Sarah and John. John had the following children: Lohamar, married Jacob Bledsoe; Hezekiah, married Phoebe Martin; Jeptha; John, married Susanna Douglas; Anne, married William Martin; and Agnes, married Robert Washington (of the Surry County Washingtons). There is no information as to whether any of these children were those who were born in Carolina County.

John appears to have always lived in the same area, although he patented almost 3,000 acres of land, and though the boundaries of Edgecombe County changed a number of times. The last record of him was found in Franklin County, North Carolina, and he is believed to have died there, between 1780 and 1789."

• John Dabney Terrell, 1773-1850, was the son of Col. Harry Terrell (the son of Joel Terrell, see Dicken for his line of descent). In his later years he wrote from memory, a family sketch in which he named William as the parent of his grandfather, Joel Terrell. "William lived and died in Hanover County, on the Pamunkey River...I cannot remember who he married. Of his daughters, I remember nothing; his sons of whom I have heard were James John, Joel and Timothy."
  • The laws concerning the consequences of adultery were exceedingly strict in the colony of Virginia. The General Assembly had enacted laws that called for severe punishment of women who had illegitimate children. The woman was whipped in public, unless the father stepped forward and claimed the child and thus, supported it. The colonists did not want their parish levies raised in order to support bastard children, and strict enforcement of the law did a lot to minimize the problem. A number of references in the court records ordering men to "keep the bastard child off the parish" meant that they must support the child to keep the parish from having to assume the responsibility."

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Sep 6 2021, 19:35:57 UTC

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Mar 14 2023, 22:03:49 UTC