Elizabeth Rucker

The maiden name of Elizabeth, wife of Peter Rucker, is not known. Many people over the years have believed that she was a Fielding, with possible parents [https://www.geni.com/people/Edward-

Fielding/6000000000045347636 Edward Fielding] and Elizabeth Polteney of Bristol, England.

Some alternately believe that she was a Coghill.

However, according to the Rucker Family Society's report, written by Jean Brydon:

The surname Fielding came from Whitley's book and she has since admitted she was mistaken and that Fielding was not Elizabeth's maiden name. There is no evidence of a Fielding living near the Ruckers in Essex Co. The family Coghill has been researched and no evidence exists of a female named Elizabeth Coghill. Frederick Coghill's wife's maiden name was Goss, but we can find no Elizabeth Goss.

---

http://www.acreetree.net/yimm.html#English

Immigration Elizabeth Fielding Acree c1690 Orange Co. VA

The Misunderstanding

Elizabeth Pierce

The venerable "The Rucker Family" 1932, p. 236 indicates that Elizabeth Rucker b. abt 1708 married the James Pierce that died in Orange Co. in 1778, but this is a misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding comes from two Orange Co., VA records: 1) the will of Peter Rucker that mentions Elizabeth Pierce, and 2) the will of James Pierce that mentions a wife Elizabeth and executor Minor Rucker. Not a bad assumption that these two Elizabeths are the same person, but it is wrong.

The will was actually probated in 1818, not 1778 - the date of the original record is none too clear. One clue to the mis-date is that none of his daughters are married at the will date - you would not expect this if they were children of a wife born in 1708, as Elizabeth Rucker was. Additionally, almost all of his children survived past the 1850 census, and we know from the listings when they were born. For instance, James' daughter, Julia Ann can be documented in the 1850 and 1860 censes, in which she is 65 and 76 years old respectively; she therefore was born ~1784-1785. She is the first (and probably oldest) child listed in the will, so the others are even younger, and James obviously could not have died in 1778, years before any of them were born. Elizabeth, his wife, is also listed as late as the 1830 census of Culpeper Co., a remarkable life span if she is Elizabeth Rucker born 1708. The more probable explanation is that this James Pierce who died in 1818 is the one who married Elizabeth Crawford in 1782 in Culpeper Co., and is at least one generation removed from Elizabeth Rucker.

The Pierce who actually married Elizabeth Rucker was her neighbor, William Pierce b. 1705. The Numerous records above in Orange Co., VA feature a connection between William Pierce and the brothers of Elizabeth Rucker, and William's wife was also named Elizabeth. Since James must be related to the Ruckers in order to choose Minor Rucker as an executor, I have assumed that James is the son of Elizabeth Rucker and William Pierce, but he could as well be a grandson.

References

1. http://www.theruckerfamilysociety.org/peterrucker.html
2. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I3590...
3. http://www.acreetree.net/fam00275.htm
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71219802/elizabeth-rucker Unsourced, with unattributed photograph of an elderly woman attached
5. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fielding-339
6. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZ2L-VM2