Newman Virginia Roots

NewmanRoots.com – Early Virginia Marriage Age Study

Vauter’s Episcopal Church in Essex County, Virginia

We want to establish a better age calculation standard. Approximating age at the time of marriage is crucial in establishing relationship links and determining if a woman was of childbearing age when children attributed to her were born. Because there is so little data to work with we have to make many assumptions in this process. Few colonial records have survived, and most of those that have do not specify ages, although you might be able to infer some age ranges from some records. We want to discover, what was normal in Virginia 1650-1799? We couldn’t find a Colonial Virginia marriage study, so we decide to do our own. At the end of our study, we will use the data to create a better method for estimating ages.

Our sources for this study and chart below are the Virginia Encyclopedia and Family Bibles shared online. They are sorted by the marriage year. This page will continue to be updated, until we have found 100 couples in Virginia that meet the study’s criteria. At the end of our age study, we will share our conclusions here with new standard age estimates, for when ages are not given on records.

The criteria for this study:

• The marriage occurred in Virginia
• This is a first marriage for both the bride and groom
• The birth month and year are known for both the bride and groom
• The marriage date month and year are known
• The marriage occurred before 1800

Groom’s Name	Groom’s Birth Date	Groom’s Age	Marriage Date	Bride’s age	Bride’s Birth Date	Bride’s Name	County in Virginia associated with this family
Samuel Godwin	20 May 1687/8	24	19 Jun 1711	15	1 Feb 1696	Mary Jossey	Nansemond
John Norfleet	21 Jul 1699	27	28 May 1727	17	5 Apr 1710	Elizabeth Riddick	Nansemond
Richens Brame	2 Dec 1722	20	14 Feb 1743	18	13 Jun 1724	Susannah Chiles	Mecklenburg
John Estes	27 Dec 1725	20	11 Sep 1746	20	30 Mar 1726	Mary Marshall	Caroline
Fielding Lewis	7 Jul 1725	21	18 Oct 1746	22	11 Feb 1724	Catherine Washington	Spotsylvania
Charles Talbot	6 Feb 1723	24	3 Aug 1747	14	26 Dec 1732	Drusilla Gwin	Bedford
John Carlyle	6 Feb 1720	27	31 Dec 1747	16	31 Dec 1730	Sarah Fairfax	Alexandria
James Madison Sr	27 Mar 1723	26	11 Sep 1749	18	9 Jan 1731	Nelly Conway	Orange
George Mason	11 Dec 1725	24	4 Apr 1750	16	Jan 1734	Ann Eilbeck	Fairfax
Daniel Park Custis	15 Oct 1711	37	15 May 1750	18	2 Jun 1731	Martha Dandridge	Williamsburg
James Harris	17 Jul 1733	23	31 Jun 1757	18	7 Jul 1739	Betty Shares	Albemarle
William Fitzhugh	24 Aug 1741	22	2 Apr 1763	16	13 May 1747	Ann Bolling Randolph	Stafford
Jacquelin Ambler	9 Aug 1742	22	24 May 1764	17	29 May 1746	Rebecca Burwell	York
Muscoe Garnett	17 Aug 1736	30	9 Jul 1767	16	20 Feb 1751	Grace Fenton	Essex
Joseph Terrell	28 Jan 1745	22	29 Sep 1767	20	26 Jan 1747	Elizabeth Mills	Hanover
Alexander Boyd	16 Aug 1743	24	24 Mar 1768	18	22 Jan 1750	Ann Swepson	Mecklenburg
Mack Goode	12 Sep 1744	36	19 Dec 1770	17	14 Oct 1753	Mary Moseley	Lunenburg
Micheal Yates	30 Jun 1753	22	29 Apr 1776	25	30 Mar 1751	Ann Estes	Caroline
Joseph Helm	5 Oct 1755	23	24 Jun 1779	19	21 Mar 1760	Rebecca Larue	Clarke
Edward Allen	23 Jun 1753	28	10 Oct 1782	23	31 Jan 1759	Elizabeth Reid	Nansemond
John Marshall	24 Sep 1755	27	3 Jan 1783	16	18 Mar 1766	Mary “Polly” Willis Ambler	Richmond City
John T Sayers	19 Jul 1758	26	16 Aug 1784	19	29 Sep 1764	Susanna Crocket	Pulaski (with Pulaski Bible records)
Isaac Hunter	29 Aug 1759	25	8 Jun 1785	16	3 Nov 1768	Sophia Riddick	Nansemond
Daniel Duval	2 Feb 1770	21	2 Dec 1791	24	25 Dec 1768	Sally Carter	Caroline
Henry Harris	12 Feb 1768	24	15 Nov 1792	23	6 Oct 1769	Mary Ferguson	Albemarle
James Barbour	10 Jun 1775	20	20 Oct 1795	20	29 Nov 1775	Lucy Maria Johnson	Orange
Joel Henry	20 Jul 1776	20	22 Dec 1796	23	29 Nov 1773	Susan Allen	Fauquier
Gabriel Penn	14 Nov 1773	23	6 Feb 1797	17	14 Jan 1780	Jane Clark	Patrick

When completed, this study will have 100 couples. Current tally: 29 couples, 23 Jul 2022