What A Name!

Posted on by FHadmin

Names are interesting.  Some sound really good when you hear them.  Others, make you wonder what the parents were thinking.  And, others stick with you simply because they are unique or interesting.  Such is the case with the man who is the subject of this article.

 

The Name

The man of interest is Marmaduke Horseman.  Either name on its own might be interesting, but combined it really stuck with me.  The name Horseman most likely came from an ancestor of his working with horses in some capacity.  Still, it is not a name I have encountered elsewhere.  Additionally, I have not encountered the name Marmaduke in any other family, although this family has multiple.  The name is thought to be a variation of an old Irish name.  It also has been interpreted of having the meaning “a mighty noble.”  But, I have to admit that I always think of the dog Marmaduke of the Archie comics.

 

How Am I Related to Marmaduke?

To get from me to Marmaduke, one must go back ten generations.  The family line is as follows:

  1. Elma Pellett
  2. Clifford Claney Pellett
  3. Henry Pellett, Sr.
  4. Seth Pellett
  5. Eunity (Harrision) Pellett
  6. Sarah (Bunting) Harrison
  7. John Bunting, Jr.
  8. John Bunting, Sr.
  9. Abigail (Horseman) Bunting
  10. Marmaduke Horseman

This would make Marmaduke my 8th great grandfather. 

 

Who was Marmaduke?

First, I will say that researchers seem to have varying data about men named Marmaduke Horseman.  That is likely because there appear to be several generations of men with this name.  And, although unproven, it appears men with the same name may possibly be my 9th and 10th great grandfathers in that family line.  Additionally, there is a at least one Marmaduke Horseman who is likely a grandson of this Marmaduke.  And, possibly more.  There was at least one Marmaduke Horseman living as late as 1877.

This Marmaduke Horseman was born in the mid 1660s in either England or Burlington County, New Jersey.  There appears to be some belief of each location.  This confusion likely arises because it appears that his family may have immigrated to America just before he was born or soon after. 

 

Marriage

That said, I found a ship record for 1677 for a Marmaduke Horseman and his wife Sarah.  However, although this Marmaduke had a wife Sarah, this record cannot be for him as he was not old enough to be married.  His marriage didn’t take place until 1690 when he married Sarah Woods at the Chesterfield Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends.

It appears that both Marmaduke and Sarah were members of the Chesterfield Monthly Meeting prior to their marriage.  However, I do not know if Marmaduke’s parents were Quakers or not.

 

Land Ownership

In May following his marriage, Marmaduke purchased 100 acres of land from Mr. Davenport.  The following November he purchased another 53 acres of land from Samuel, who was married to Susannah Horseman.  The next year, Marmaduke purchased 50 acres of land from Francis Davenport.  Then in 1695, he purchased another 100 acres from George Hutchinson.  This land was adjacent to land he already owned.  And, in 1701, he purchased 400 acres from Benjamin Field while selling him the original 153 acres that he had purchased in 1690.  Lastly, in 1714, he sold 50 acres to Jacob Doughty. 

Now, was it the same Marmaduke that bought and sold the lands?  That is not 100% guaranteed.  However, the description of the land indicated that the land from Mr. Davenport and Samuel Taylor was the same land that was sold to Benjamin Field.  It is also likely that the 50 acres from Francis Davenport was the same land that he later sold to Jacob Doughty.  Thus, several of these transactions are tied together.

 

Making a Living

Over the years, Marmaduke made a living as a yeoman or husbandman (both are words for farmer) on his plantation.  In those days, farms were called plantations and did not have to be huge or focused on one specific crop.  However, that ties into the land purchases.

Marmaduke was also a very active member of the community.  He served as constable for Chesterfield.  The record said that he served “for John Warren.”  I assume that means John Warren was elected and he served instead.  Additionally, in 1696, he was one of several men to lay out a new road from the town of Burlington to the Falls.

He was also mentioned in several wills in various capacities.  In some cases, the estate owed him money and in others he owed the estate money.  Another role was as bondsman for the executors/administrators of a will.

 

Another Marriage

Sarah died in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth, New Jersey in 1742.  Two years later Marmaduke married Mary Fitz Randolph.  It is believed that he was Sarah’s third husband. 

Marmaduke died March 25, 1748.

 

The Next Generation

Among Marmaduke and Sarah’s children, was Abigail, my 7th great grandmother.  She inherited one quarter of the remainder of her father’s estate after other provisions (e.g. for his wife) were subtracted from the estate.

Records from the Society of Friends (Quakers) show that Abigail married William Bunting.  Several more generations of this family belonged to the Society of Friends.  The Quaker records were critical in tying my family back to Marmaduke and Sarah.

 

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Featured Image adapted from work by iffany @ pixabay.com

Prompt: Favorite Name

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