Court records verify the identity of Riley Truitt's wife

https://familylocket.com/genealogy-research-is-still-hard/
Nicole Elder Dyer, "Genealogy Research in the 21st Century Part I: Genealogy Research is Still Hard", 20 March 2020.

Before the mass digitisation of extant records, Ruth Dryden's Research Notes for Worcester County, Maryland, asserts, without evidence, Riley Truitt's wife was Margaret Newbold - "Invent. of Riley Truitt 1770 Worc. Co. filed by Mrs Margaret Newbold Truitt adm. and John and Thomas Newbold".

Multiple trees across multiple platforms cite this research.

Are these multiple trees "victims of the the random search-and-click hunting encouraged by the slot-machine effect." ?

An image of James Truitt's will made October 1770 Worcester, Maryland and recorded 1775 in Sussex, Delaware, which contains a trove of information, is available on Ancestry.

The will verifies the identity of Riley Truitt's wife, Maja:

"I give and bequeath to my grandson James Truitt son of Ryley Truitt to him, his heirs and assigns forever the plantation whereon his mother now dwelleth and also a small tract of Pennsylvania survey adjoining it to be by him immediately possessed except the use of one * part thereof which my will is that his mother as her right of my dower should possessed [sic] and occupying [sic] during her natural life, and I do hereby bar her from making any sale thereof and as for a large iron pot and hand mill which Maja Truitt now has in possession I do hereby give them to the heirs of my deceased son Ryly Truitt to be by them possessed as his estate."

James also made arrangements to be buried on his mannor plantation -

"I desire that some convenient time after my decease my body to be decently buried on my manner plantation at the discretion of my executor hereafter mentioned and I doe order that all my funeral charges and all my other just debts shall be paid out of my personal estate.

I give and bequeath to my son Peter Truitt to him, his heirs and assigns forever my manner plantation called Late at Night containing 100a. be the same more or less and seventy acres on the North End of a tract of land called Truitt's Adventure, also my gun and a * iron kettle and half my wearing apparell".

Source: Sussex Co. Court House Georgetown, De Wills Book B No 2, 556 imaged FamilySearch.

Probate records are reliable sources that accurately identify an individual as the information was filed in court and the individual had to make an oath, the information was correct. The records of the Prerogative Court, Maryland show: 

• Inventory - the nearest kin James by his x mark Truitt and Peter by his x mark Truitt.

• The greatest creditors Levin Crapper, Thos & Wm Lightfoot.

• 14 June 1770 then came Maja Truett Adm. of Ryly Truett and made oath on the Holy Avangales [sic] of Almighty God.

Source: Maryland State Archives > Probate Records > Worcester > Inventories > 1777 and earlier > Liber 103, folio 291.

Riley Truitt's unexpected death was probably the impetus for his father James to make his last will and testament in October 1770. An analysis of James Truitt's will suggests Maja may be Riley's second wife. James devises land to son Peter and grandson James, skips grandsons Purnall, Newbold and Thomas [sons of Riley] and bequeaths eighty acres of land to Riley, son of Riley. James will further states if Riley dies without lawful heirs, Purnall inherits. The occurrence of skipping the next eldest son in favour of a younger son is not unusual in colonial wills when the testator has eldest sons from his first, second and subsequent marriages. Consequently, this premise could be applied to James will and the bequests made to his grandsons.

While no birth dates exist for the children of Riley Truitt, it is reasonable to assume their listing in the administration accounts follows their birth order because it is not unnatural for a mother to name her children chronologically. The final administration account for Riley Truitt’s estate, filed 7 June 1771 by Maja Truitt states “… seven children (she being the widow) James, Newbold, Purnell, Thomas, Molly, Reyley and Francis minors”.

Source: Maryland. Prerogative Court Ac. 1008 Vol 66 Accounts 1771-1772, 34 imaged FamilySearch > DGS 7795483 > 820.

Riley Truitt's estate was administered and finalised in Worcester, Maryland however a case file opened for Truitt, Riley (decd) 1785-86 (minors Francis, Riley) in Sussex, Delaware contains only guardianship papers. Likely, Maja is deceased. Riley and Francis, under the age of twenty-one years but fourteen years or older were by law, allowed to chose their guardian. On 7 September 1785, Riley, minor son of Riley deceased, appeared in the Orphans Court and chose for his guardian his brother Thomas, who posted bond with Clement Jackson surety. On 8 February 1786, Francis, minor son of Riley deceased, chose for his guardian George Messick with William Lofland surety. The reassignment of guardianship provides a minimum year of birth for Riley 1767, and Francis, 1769.

Source: RG 4545 Sussex County Register of Wills Probate Records C.1680-c.1925,  RG4840.009 Truitt, Riley (decd) 1785-86 (minor Francis, Riley) imaged FamilySearch DGS > 104189337 > 337.

No evidence has been located to confirm Riley Truitt, son of James, married first Margaret Newbold. However, the Administration Bond filed 16/3/1770 by Maja Truitt, shows her sureties are John and Thomas Newbold. Maja, is not a derivative of Margaret. During this period, several women with the christian name Major [var.] have been investigated. There is no evidence that Major wife of 1st William Fountain (will made January 1769) and 2nd Samuel Fountain or Mager wife of Charles Brown (will made 7 December 1772) were referred to as Margaret in court records created by the deaths of their husbands.

Source: Worcester County, Maryland Administrators Bonds Liber J.W. No. 6 1762-71, 428 imaged FamilySearch > DGS 5080350 > 455.

Copyright. This is an original and creative work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. This paper forms part of a series of papers identifying kinship relationships among the early families of Delaware and Maryland and their subsequent migrations. If you wish to include any of the material contained in, or derived from this paper, place quotation marks around the extracted portion and credit it as follows: Sarah Baird, "Court records verify the identity of Riley Truitt's wife", 2023.