Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameDorothy 
Deathbefore 1689, Accomack Co, VA
Memo(predeceased her husband)
My Comments notes for Dorothy
Dorothy was the name of John Arews’s wife. That is proven.
An Internet tree says her name was Dorothy Truitt and that she was the daughter of George Truitt. There was such a man in Accomack at that time. But the curious thing is that a man named William Gowers bequeathed his home plantation to John Arew when he died in 1668. Why would he do that except perhaps that William’s daughter was John’s wife? The other person named prominently in the will of William Gowers was John Ayres.
There are several pieces of evidence to prove that John Arew’s wife was named Dorothy -- the most basic is that John Arew and wife Dorothy sold that land previously owned by William Gowers on 24 Jan 1675. But the other citations are a little strange.
• In 1681, William Silverthorne accused Dorothy, wife of John Arew, of sodomy -- she was found innocent 17 Aug 1681. Was this an act of a disgruntled son-in-law? It seems just a little strange, but then there is this.
• The very next day, Mary Hill told of Dorothy, wife of John Arew, being very sick and acting strangely and on that day Mary Ayres, age 35, told the court that as she was dying, Dorothy told a group of gathered woman trying to comfort her that “what Mary Atkinson formerly said concerning the dog was most certainly true” and she asked to be taken outside so that “the neighbors’ dogs can tear me to pieces.” Was Mary Ayres her daughter?
I’ll leave it for now to just have her in my database as Dorothy. If she was my ancestor, I’m glad she lived so long ago that her genes are only a tiny part of my being.
An Internet tree says her name was Dorothy Truitt and that she was the daughter of George Truitt. There was such a man in Accomack at that time. But the curious thing is that a man named William Gowers bequeathed his home plantation to John Arew when he died in 1668. Why would he do that except perhaps that William’s daughter was John’s wife? The other person named prominently in the will of William Gowers was John Ayres.
There are several pieces of evidence to prove that John Arew’s wife was named Dorothy -- the most basic is that John Arew and wife Dorothy sold that land previously owned by William Gowers on 24 Jan 1675. But the other citations are a little strange.
• In 1681, William Silverthorne accused Dorothy, wife of John Arew, of sodomy -- she was found innocent 17 Aug 1681. Was this an act of a disgruntled son-in-law? It seems just a little strange, but then there is this.
• The very next day, Mary Hill told of Dorothy, wife of John Arew, being very sick and acting strangely and on that day Mary Ayres, age 35, told the court that as she was dying, Dorothy told a group of gathered woman trying to comfort her that “what Mary Atkinson formerly said concerning the dog was most certainly true” and she asked to be taken outside so that “the neighbors’ dogs can tear me to pieces.” Was Mary Ayres her daughter?
I’ll leave it for now to just have her in my database as Dorothy. If she was my ancestor, I’m glad she lived so long ago that her genes are only a tiny part of my being.
Relocated notes for John (Spouse 1)
The earliest record of John Arew was a land grant he received for 300 acres in Accomack County on 9 Nov 1666. And he was a taxable there in 1667. But where did he come from? I don’t know.
My Comments notes for John (Spouse 1)
A book "Descendants of John Arew of Accomack County" by George N and Elizabeth C Rhue tells the story of John Arew of Accomack who died in 1669. They cite his will wherein he left his land equally to three sons: John, Thomas and Wonney.
But I have seen a list of wills of early Accomack County and it includes the will of John Arew who died in 1689 with the same three sons. So it was the same guy and I think the 1669 date is wrong. Neither the book nor the will mentioned any daughter by name but his will did refer to his daughters. Witnesses to the will included Thomas Rlley, Sarah Riley and Elizabeth Silverthorne. I believe Elizabeth was his daughter, perhaps Sarah was too.
John’s descendants ended up spelling the name Rue or Rew. Some of them were in North Carolina by 1730 and later apparently found their way to Wilmington, NC.
The origin of John is unknown, he may have been Welsh or perhaps French -- La Rue.
But I have seen a list of wills of early Accomack County and it includes the will of John Arew who died in 1689 with the same three sons. So it was the same guy and I think the 1669 date is wrong. Neither the book nor the will mentioned any daughter by name but his will did refer to his daughters. Witnesses to the will included Thomas Rlley, Sarah Riley and Elizabeth Silverthorne. I believe Elizabeth was his daughter, perhaps Sarah was too.
John’s descendants ended up spelling the name Rue or Rew. Some of them were in North Carolina by 1730 and later apparently found their way to Wilmington, NC.
The origin of John is unknown, he may have been Welsh or perhaps French -- La Rue.