Greeting and a Good New Year to you IOW Folks: My primary research focus in Isle of Wight is of pre-1730 members of the BULLOCK, BOZEMAN, BRANCH, and ALLEN families. I noticed something interesting about several members of these families and their circle of friends during a recent look through: “Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, 1647-1800,” by Blanche Adams Chapman. The thing of interest was that so many of them died at about the same time, some of them young people in the prime of life. Yes, 1679 was a bad year, as summarized below. Does anyone have ideas about possible epidemics at about that time? George Branch had married the daughter Ann of Captain Francis England by about 1666, and four Branch grandsons and wife Joyce were named in the 1677 will of Capt. England. Wife Joyce, the daughter of Robert Flake, had married George Cripps by the time she died in 1679. Robert Flake was named in 1679 to provide security for the estate of John Jennings, whose wife Mary had already married Thomas Allen. In May of 1679, George Branch (step grandson of Mr. Flake) was among those ordered to appraise the estate of Richard Corsey, which had been settled in Sept. 1679 by Thomas Allen, for whom Mr. Flake was providing security for the inheritance of Allen’s new wife from the estate of her former husband (Capt. John Jennings). Richard Corsey had taken pains in his will made on 16 April 1679 to provide for his young son John and wife Frances. At an unrecorded date some few days after her husband had made his will and had died, Frances Corsey’s will requested that son John be left in the care of Mr. Thomas Groves of London. John Snellock appeared to be an unmarried business partner of Richard Corsey, and on 29 April 1679 he named Richard Corsey’s son John in his will. All three - Richard and Francis Corsey and John Snellock - had apparently died by 1 May 1679, when all of their wills were probated on the same day. There is somewhat better news to report about the son, John Corsey, as he appears to have survived long enough to marry before dying intestate in 1700, leaving wife Elizabeth. Now, Robert Flake, George Branch, and Arthur Allen (possible father of Thomas Allen) had all patented a good deal of land and were rather well off. Therefore, except for seeing in the summary above how so many of their relatives and associates were coming to grief along about mid-1679, it would be rather surprising to learn that none of them left a will. My assumption is that they were carried away so quickly that there was not time to make a will. The last mention that we have of George Branch was in May 1679, when he was ordered to appraise the estate of Richard Corsey. He had probably died by 9 June 1680, because it was George Branch, Jr, at that time who was ordered to appraise the estate of Nicholas Davis, who was given the plantation upon which he lives in the 1679 will of Joyce Cripps. Mr. Arthur Allen was listed as a brother in the will of Robert Burnett (they were married to sisters), but as expected Mr. Burnett’s will was probated on 17 July 1679. we also find a George Allen who made his will on 6 Feb. 1679, with probate on 9 April 1680. Because of the timing of his death, it seems likely that George Allen was closely connected to the same Allen, Flake, and Branch family groups mentioned above. Whatever this epidemic was, it seemed to remain largely localized to these closely connected family groups, because an examination of the Will Book for IOW for other family groups known to be connected by marriage does not show the same pattern. The thing that comes to mind when one sees evidence of so many deaths among related people is: Thank goodness for antibiotics and modern medical treatments. At present, if there is one or two deaths a year from common contagious diseases among healthy persons in a medium-size community, it is viewed as cause for real alarm. So how would we be able to deal now with the kind of conditions found in Isle of Wight along about mid-1679? Sure am glad that we don’t have to find out. My best regards to all , Ron Bullock P.S - The wills mentioned above are listed below with more detail in regard to exact dates. John Jennings 19 Oct. 1678 10 mar 1679 Joyce Cripps 18 April 1679 9 Jun 1679 Richard Corsey 16 April 1679 1 May 1679 Francis Corsey ---------------- 1 May 1679 John Snellock 19 April 1679 1 May 1679 Robert Burnett --------------- 17 July 1679 George Branch No will, but last mention in May 1679 George Allen 6 Feb. 1679 9 Apr 1680 Nicholas Davis Estate appraisal ordered on 9 June 1680 Robert Flake No will Arthur Allen No will

I have this showing for epidemics of the country. These are the only two that occured at that time, but could have traveled by people traveling from one place to another. If anyone would like the list of epidemics, let me know and I sill send it to this list. Alaine in California 1677-78 Another smallpox epidemic in Boston was much worse than the 1666 epidemic, and killed several of the town leaders. 1679 Plague spread from the Ottoman Empire into Austria, killing thousands of people especially in Vienna. ----- Original Message ----- From: <RBul1865@aol.com> To: <VAISLEOF-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2001 11:40 PM Subject: [VAISLEOF-L] 1679 Was A Bad Year in IOW > > Greeting and a Good New Year to you IOW Folks: > > My primary research focus in Isle of Wight is of pre-1730 > members of the BULLOCK, BOZEMAN, BRANCH, and ALLEN > families. > > I noticed something interesting about several members of > these families and their circle of friends during a recent > look through: “Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight > County, Virginia, 1647-1800,” by Blanche Adams Chapman. > > The thing of interest was that so many of them died at > about the same time, some of them young people in the > prime of life. Yes, 1679 was a bad year, as summarized > below. Does anyone have ideas about possible epidemics > at about that time? > > George Branch had married the daughter Ann of Captain > Francis England by about 1666, and four Branch grandsons > and wife Joyce were named in the 1677 will of Capt. England. > Wife Joyce, the daughter of Robert Flake, had married > George Cripps by the time she died in 1679. > > Robert Flake was named in 1679 to provide security for the > estate of John Jennings, whose wife Mary had already married > Thomas Allen. In May of 1679, George Branch (step grandson > of Mr. Flake) was among those ordered to appraise the estate > of Richard Corsey, which had been settled in Sept. 1679 by > Thomas Allen, for whom Mr. Flake was providing security for > the inheritance of Allen’s new wife from the estate of her > former husband (Capt. John Jennings). > > Richard Corsey had taken pains in his will made on 16 April > 1679 to provide for his young son John and wife Frances. At > an unrecorded date some few days after her husband had > made his will and had died, Frances Corsey’s will requested > that son John be left in the care of Mr. Thomas Groves of > London. John Snellock appeared to be an unmarried business > partner of Richard Corsey, and on 29 April 1679 he named > Richard Corsey’s son John in his will. All three - Richard and > Francis Corsey and John Snellock - had apparently died by > 1 May 1679, when all of their wills were probated on the > same day. There is somewhat better news to report about > the son, John Corsey, as he appears to have survived long > enough to marry before dying intestate in 1700, leaving > wife Elizabeth. > > Now, Robert Flake, George Branch, and Arthur Allen (possible > father of Thomas Allen) had all patented a good deal of land > and were rather well off. Therefore, except for seeing in the > summary above how so many of their relatives and associates > were coming to grief along about mid-1679, it would be rather > surprising to learn that none of them left a will. My assumption > is that they were carried away so quickly that there was not > time to make a will. The last mention that we have of George > Branch was in May 1679, when he was ordered to appraise the > estate of Richard Corsey. He had probably died by 9 June 1680, > because it was George Branch, Jr, at that time who was ordered > to appraise the estate of Nicholas Davis, who was given the > plantation upon which he lives in the 1679 will of Joyce Cripps. > > Mr. Arthur Allen was listed as a brother in the will of Robert > Burnett (they were married to sisters), but as expected Mr. > Burnett’s will was probated on 17 July 1679. we also find a > George Allen who made his will on 6 Feb. 1679, with probate on > 9 April 1680. Because of the timing of his death, it seems likely > that George Allen was closely connected to the same Allen, Flake, > and Branch family groups mentioned above. Whatever this epidemic > was, it seemed to remain largely localized to these closely connected > family groups, because an examination of the Will Book for IOW for > other family groups known to be connected by marriage does not > show the same pattern. > > The thing that comes to mind when one sees evidence of so > many deaths among related people is: Thank goodness for > antibiotics and modern medical treatments. At present, if > there is one or two deaths a year from common contagious > diseases among healthy persons in a medium-size community, > it is viewed as cause for real alarm. So how would we be able to > deal now with the kind of conditions found in Isle of Wight along > about mid-1679? Sure am glad that we don’t have to find out. > My best regards to all , Ron Bullock > > P.S - The wills mentioned above are listed below with more detail > in regard to exact dates. > > John Jennings 19 Oct. 1678 10 mar 1679 > Joyce Cripps 18 April 1679 9 Jun 1679 > Richard Corsey 16 April 1679 1 May 1679 > Francis Corsey ---------------- 1 May 1679 > John Snellock 19 April 1679 1 May 1679 > Robert Burnett --------------- 17 July 1679 > George Branch No will, but last mention in May 1679 > George Allen 6 Feb. 1679 9 Apr 1680 > Nicholas Davis Estate appraisal ordered on 9 June 1680 > Robert Flake No will > Arthur Allen No will > > > ==== VAISLEOF Mailing List ==== > To subscribe to other county mailing lists visit http://www.rootsweb.com > >