Notes for: Mary Lisson
Mary Lisson was the sister of Daniel Lisson, an interpreter for the Indians. Some researchers believe her first husband was a certain John Watts whom she married in 1665. The researcher A. L. Kennedy believes the first husband was Nathaniel Pope. I'm not sure about the evidence, but most genealogies seem to put Pope as the first husband. The following information comes from Laura Audrey's database at WorldConnect:
A. L. Kennedy wrote the following about Mary LISSON. Note other researchers have put her name as SISSON, SESSIONS or variations. I left her surname off this list until I received Ms. Kennedy's information that states,
Mary LISSON (not SISSON) was the second wife of David WICKLIFFE. The problem was the way the L's were written at the time, if you look at texts on graphology. I've seen the Westmoreland Co. records, on a trip to VA in abt 1993. The following will send you to the approprite records, which I did check firsthand:
From WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA DEEDS, PATENTS, ETC.
1665-1677, PART THREE, compiled by John F. Dornan:
"20 Feb. 1675/6. Elizabeth WHITLIFFE, aged 25 years or thereabouts, sayeth that about five yeares since your deponent's husband David WHITLIFFE did buy a servant woman of Mr. Patricke SPENCE who asked David...
Eliza: Whettley"
It should be noted that it is not unusual for the surname WHETTLEY to be used in referring to the WICKLIFFE family. In at least two other court records, David WICKLIFFE is referred to as both David WHITLEY and David WHITLIFFE (or other variant) in the same entry. Note also the correct usage of the name in the record narrative - such variations in spelling are common in records of the period. Therefore, it must be concluded that David was married prior to his marriage to Mary LISSON.
From WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA DEEDS, PATENTS, ETC. 1665-1677, Part Four, Abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman, published by John Frederick Dorman, Washington, DC, 1975.
"25 July 1677. Mary NICHOLAS, widdow, hath by three severall deeds of gife made over to her chilldren Nath: Pope alias Bridges and Lewis Nicholas severall goods and chattles. Mary hath invested me David WHITLIFE, doe bind me that the children shall be brought up soe fare at schoole as to writt and reade. It shall be lawful for Marry at her owne plasure to remove the children to the care of whome shee pleaseth. There is intention of marradge between Mary and myself.
David (W) WHITLIFE
Wit: John WASHINGTON, Danniell LISSON, Anthony
BRIDGES.
20 Sept. 1677. Recorded."
(Pg 6)
If you check the records far back enough, you find that Mary LISSON was the sister of Daniel LISSON. She was never the wife of any Robert LISSON or SISSON. The confusion may come in the reading of Daniel LISSON'S probate records, as he died without issue, and his relatives from Bristol, England had to settle his estate. One of them was named Robert, and had a wife named Mary, but this was after David WICKLIFFE married Mary LISSON.
Mary LISSON was not a SISSON by either marriage or birth. She was b. Mary LISSON, as per the following:
Westmoreland Co. Deeds, Patents, etc. 20 July 1677, Mary NICHOLAS, widow, to my loving son Lewis NICHOLS (here listed property). In case it shall please the Almighty to take to himselfe my sonne Lewis NICHOLAS...then all the aforesaid estate to my loveing sonne and his brother-in-law (meaning stepbrother) Nath: Pope alias BRIDGES (because he was the stepson of a man named BRIDGES),...If my sonnes should depart this life before the age aforesaid and myself be deceased
alsoe, then the whole estate both of Nath: and Lewis to be equally divided between the surviving children of my brother and sister Mr. Danill LISSON and Jane LISSON.
There is a similar entry on the same date regarding her son Nathaniel's estate. This establishes her maiden name as LISSON.
She was married to Nathaniel POPE, by whom she had a son Nathaniel. She then married someone named BRIDGES, and then Lewis NICHOLAS. There are many court records to support this, but this one contains three husband's names in one record:
8 June 1675
Mary BRIDGES of Westmoreland Co. unto my loving sonne Nathaniel POPE alias BRIDGES. (The term alias was used frequently in the colonial records, sometimes to identify a woman by both her maiden name and married name simultaneously, as when the first Nathaniel POPE transferred property to his then married daughter as "Ann POPE alias WASHINGTON", or because a stepson was sometimes identified by his stepfather's name)...For natural affection. One mare...Below the entry is added on 25 August 1675. Acknowledged by Lewis NICHOLAS who married Mary POPE alias BRIDGES after his marriadge.
After Lewis NICHOLAS died she married David WICKLIFFE:
"25 July 1677. Marry NICHOLAS, widdow, hath by three severall deeds of gife made over to her chilldren Nath: POPE alias BRIDGES and Lewis NICHOLAS
severall goods and chattles. Mary hath invested me David WHITLIFE with the care and tuition of Nathaniell and Lewis and allsoe with there estate. I, David WHITLIFE, doe bind me that the children shall be brought up soe fare at schoole as to writt and reade. It shall be lawfull for Marry at her owne plasure to remove the
children to the care of whome shee pleaseth. There is intention of marradge between Marry and myself.
David (W) WHITLIFE
Wit: John WASHINGTON, Danniell LISSON, Anthony
BRIDGES.
20 Sept. 1677. Recorded.
***End of information from Laura Audrey's database.