Hi Cree, Thanks for being so long winded as I need all the small details to figure out these Marvel land questions! Very helpful information. I am familiar with the plat map on D. Mitchell Jones's website and it fits with everything I know about the Marvels. I would say then that the land Joseph MARVEL refers to in his 1786 will to his brothers, Thomas and Robert, is definitely not in Broad Creek Hundred. He did also have a court case over land with the BEVANS family that shows at least some of the BEVINS land to be in Indian River Hundred. Liber N No. 13 folio 38 Award in division of lands, 31 May 1783, between Mary BEVINS and Joseph MARVEL: Dispute between BEVINS & MARVEL over land of which they are each part owners; John BEAVANS, late of Sussex deceased, owned 49 acres in Indian River Hundred & his son John BEAVANS inherited it & and it was sold at sheriff's auction by Rhoads Shankland during ownership, to Joseph MARVEL; but Elizabeth BEAVANS, widow of of John deceased has 1/3 dower right to land. Divided by arbitrators Abraham ADAMS, Joshua COSTON, Robt WATSON MCCALLEY of Sussex: 17 acres of westernmost end benefit of 1/3 apple orchard during her life to Mary BEAVANS + payment of cost of MARVEL laying her 1/3 land. Witness: Eli McCalley, Betsy Macally (Abstract from Land Records of Sussex County, Delaware 1782-1789 by Elaine M. Mason and F. Edward Wright, p.6) There is one issue not related to the Newbold and Bevans question, but there was also a Miery Branch in Broad Creek Hundred, between Concord and Laurel and I have wondered if one of the Marvel deeds that mention Miery Branch refer to land in Broad Creek Hundred but so far I have not been able to make that work. All Marvel deeds that mention Miery Branch do seem to be in the Sheeppen Branch - Millsboro area. Thanks again, Nanette In a message dated 12/20/2008 3:04:13 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, lower-delmarva-roots-request@rootsweb.com writes: Message: 3 Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:49:03 -0600 From: "Cree & Susan Newbold" <newbold@comcast.net> Subject: Re: [LDR] Joseph MARVEL, died 1786 To: <LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <4EC827CF1D954FE8929EEFF97BB6B40F@CreeNewDell> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello Nanette -- The "Widow NEWBOLD" referred to Margaret NEWBOLD, widow of William NEWBOLD who died about May 1 1777. Margaret NEWBOLD, the former Margaret POPE, lived until May of 1789, when she died. They had 5 children I know of: --Thomas Newbold, who died young --Margaret Newbold, who married Joshua Ingram --Esther Newbold, who married first John Thorougood, and 2nd William Rodney --Mary Newbold, who married Robert Hood --William Newbold, whose wife was "Mary", probably Mary Darby The late D. Mitchell Jones did a lot of research on families who lived in and around Sheep Pen branch, a watercourse flowing into the Indian River just northeast of present day Millsboro Delaware. His web site is still online, and if you go to http://dmitchelljones.org/plat1.htm you will find a plat map he drew showing the various properties there, including several labeled "Wm Newbold", which either referred to William the elder or his son. One of the plots on Mitchell's map was a 540 acre plot owned by Thomas Marvel. A David Marvel also owned a tract on his map. It is a logical speculation that one of the NEWBOLD identified tracts on his map could have been the one referred to as the "Widow Newbold's" in the 1786 Will you quoted. As to where NEWBOLDs were in Sussex County during the last quarter of the 18th century: William NEWBOLD Jr and his sisters were clustered in and around Dagsboro Hundred as you found, probably in and around SHEEP PEN Branch. William NEWBOLD Jr. died in 1800 and had no direct heirs -- his lands were largely divided amongst his sisters and their children. James NEWBOLD and his brother William NEWBOLD lived on land inherited from their father, Captain John NEWBOLD [died 1760] near present day Rehobeth Beach. James NEWBOLD owned land adjacent to what it now known as Silver Lake in Rehobeth Beach --- between the 1770s and at least until 1868 when the Beers Atlas of Delaware was published, this body of water was known as "Newbold's Freshwater Lake" or "Newbold's Pond" [before 1770 it was known as "Rhoades Pond"]. When James NEWBOLD died in 1831 the land was sold off, as he had no heirs. Francis NEWBOLD and his descendants lived on land near present day COVERDALE CROSSROADS, near the NANTICOKE River north of Gravelly Branch. Francis NEWBOLD Sr. died in 1777; his 3 sons, Francis Jr., John, and Thomas, were all deceased by 1785. Francis Jr. had a son David born in 1776, who owned some land in Broad Creek Hundred associated with a William Tulley. David sold and moved to Kentucky by 1807. John had a son Purnell and daughter Sarah -- Purnell died in 1792, and Sarah sold her inherited land in 1793. Thomas has 2 sons, George and Francis. They remained in Nanticoke Hundred on land inherited and purchased until around 1817 for Francis, and 1819 for George. Both moved to the same area of Kentucky that their cousin David lived. Sorry to be long winded, but always enjoy the opportunity to "put my stuff out there" in hopes others might be able to "add to the pile". And always willing to help when I can. Cheers, Cree Newbold -----Original Message----- From: lower-delmarva-roots-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:lower-delmarva-roots-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of ImNetz@aol.com Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 9:41 PM To: LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [LDR] Joseph MARVEL, died 1786 Hello List, This is another possibility for the origin of the 193 acre farm in Broad Creek Hundred formerly belonging to Joseph MARVEL that William "Big Billy" leaves to his son William James MARVEL in his 1847 will. The 1786 will of Joseph MARVEL of Nanticoke Hundred reads in part: To brother Thomas MARVEL - all my right and title to that where the Widow BEAVINS now lives being all that is on the south side of the county road that leads to the Widow NEWBOLD's. Also my right and title to the lands where Ezekiel BEAVINS now lives. To brother Robert MARVEL - all that land that is on the northeast side of the same county road that leads to NEWBOLD's being the land that belonged to the BEAVINses and the place where Thomas MARVEL (son of Thomas) now lives. Were there any NEWBOLDs or BEAVINS/BEVANS who owned land in Broad Creek Hundred? I have only found them in Dagsboro Hundred so far. Thanks for any and all help! Nanette **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025)