Therefore it is reasonable to conclude Margaret, the wife of Hugh (French),
etc was not Margaret the daughter of Daniel Gaines.
Please read the will of Daniel Gaines (quoted below). You will note in
it he did have a daughter Margaret who appears to have been newly married. As
you read further down in the will you will note Daniel had no natural
grandchildren on the date in 1682 when he signed his will. In his will he make a
provision should all his children die without issue that his land should go to
his step-grandson John Smith.
After you have read the will, go back and look
at the information on Margaret, the wife of Anthony Prosser. In the
will of Symon Miller were learn she had a son Anthony by Prosser who was
born at the time Prosser signed his will. [making about 12 years old at the
time Gaines signed his will] Anthony Prosser died about 1719 so he was
living when Gaines wrote his will. Certainly Daniel Gaines would have
made his residual heir his grandson before he would a step grandchild. The
wife of Hugh French was not Margaret the daughter of Daniel Gaines. Who she
was is a mystery.
Sparacio, comps., Will Abstracts of (Old)
Rappahannock County, Virginia 1682-1687 (McLean, VA: The Antient Press,
1990) p. 39-41
Will of Daniel Gaines In the name of God
Amen, I Daniel Gaines of the Parish of Sittenburne in the County of Rappa:
being in good health of body & sound & perfect memory Praise be
therefore given to Almighty God ...
Impris. ...debts pd...Orphants of Colnll John Catlett deced to be paid out
of the negroes and other goods that did belong to the sd Colnll Catlets
Estate the Negroes & Goods to be pd as they were appraised to me as may
appear by Inventory. Item...Son, Bernard all my land that I now live upon to
him & his heirs lawfully begotten & that he shall not let sell or
mortgage any part or parcels of the same so long as his two Sisters, Margaret
& Mary or their heirs be alive. It is my will that if all my
Children die without heirs of their bodies then my land to fall to my
Grandson, John Smyth & to his heirs forever Item I give to my Daughter
Mary the Mare colt that now sucks on Mare Betty and all her increase to her
& her heirs for Ever Item It is my will that the Mare Heifer & hogs
that I have given to my Grandson in Law John Smith be & remain to his
proper use forever Item. It is my Will that the first living Child that my
Negro Cate doth bring be given to my Daughter Margaret and to her heirs for ever & if it lives to the age of three
years to be in lieu of a man
Servant, otherwise to be in no stead Item I do give to my Son, Bernard my
Silver hilted sword & Belt & my Seale Ring Item I give unto my dear &
loving Wife, Margaret, one third of all my Estate in lieu of her Dower Item. My will is that the other two parts of my Estate be deviced (divided)
between my three children, Bernard, Margaret and Mary and no part of it be
apprised but to be inventoried and delivered in kind Item. It is my will
that my Daughter Margaret have a good feather bead & furniture at my
death in full of her part of my bedding Item It is my will that my Daughter
Mary have the use of so much housing & land as she needs so long as she
continued unmarried Item. It is my will that as soon as it can a man
Servant be bought with Tobacco for my Daughter Margaret in part of he [sic
her] porcon Item. It is my will that my Wife, Son Bernard and Daughter Mary
keep their shares together for their maintenance doing their best by their Endeavors
to Increase the same as long as my Wife continues Widowed or so
land as either of my Children continue unmarried and at the day of Marriage
of my Wife or of either of my Children then my Children's part to be
delivered them in kind Item My will is that my two Children Bernard &
Mary have as many things apiece out of my Estate as my Daughter Margaret
hath had already & the rest to be divided between them equally by my loving
Kinsman, John Catlett & Sons in Law John Smyth and Ralph Rowzey
and not to go to Law one with the other Item It is my will that my Estate be
inventoried within ten days after my decease Item I give to my dear &
loving wife Twenty Shilling to buy her a Mourning Ring to ware for my sake
& to my two Daughters each of them a Ring of Ten Shillings price Item It
is my will that if I die having no tobacco in my house that my Servants bee
& romaine together till they make a good crop of Arenoco Tobacco out of
which my Wife having first taken her Thirds then my Son Bernard &
Daughter Mary have out of the rest each of them as much as my Daughter Margaret
hath already then if any be remaining over & above to be divided equally between them all three Item. It is my will that my Children
have their Estate at the death or day of Marriage of my Wife whether they be
of age or not Item It is my will the Children of Colnll John Catlett remain with my Wife
till they come of age or not Item I nominate & appoint my
dear and loving Wife my sole Executrix of this my last Will and testament.
and Guardian to my Children so long as she lives a Widow. IN Witness
whereof I the said Daniel Gaines to this my last Will & Testament do set
my hand & Seale this Eighteenth of August in the year of our Lord One
thousand Six hundred Eighty & two
Signed Sealed & delivered and declared Daniel Gaines
presence of Wm Murrow
John Catlett Wm Browne
Wee the Subscribers do hereby testify and declare upon or Oaths wee did
see Capt Danll Gaines with menconed sign seal & deliver this
...Recorded 1 die 8bris Ano 1684
