BNJSNED2.txt
                           BENJAMIN SNEED

                                        By Richard "Dick" Baldouf
                                                AUG 1998

[This is a follow-up to Dick's earlier reports  on  the  SNEED  /
SNEADs of Virginia -- especially BENJSNED.txt  "A  Commentary  on
Benjamin Sneed".  We congratulate Dick on this  break-through  in
his research. As in all these things, Dick  deserves  credit  for
everything except typos.  LSS.]

     In an earlier study it  was  reported  that  Benjamin  SNEED
(1721-1819) may have had three wives. This was suggested  by  IGI
records and DAR lineages together with a 1785 indenture showing a 
Jemimah HARRIS as the wife  of  a  Benjamin  SNEED  of  Albemarle
County. It now seems probable, based upon additional  indentures,
that Benjamin SNEED had but one wife, Mary Ann, who was known  by
tradition as Polly PERRY. This opinion is supported by the follow-
ing evidence:

(1) In an indenture dated 6 JUL 1801, there is  this  listing  of
names: "Benjamin Sneed and Mary Ann his wife and John  Sneed  son
of sd. Benj. and Sarah his wife and also George FARIS  and  Susan
nah his wife daughter of the sd Benj. and Mary Ann all of the one 
part and Thomas Mann Randolph of the other part  all  at  present
resident in the Co. of Albemarle etc."  Since the daughter  Susan
nah was born in 1776 and the mother, Mary Ann, was  still  living
in 1801, there is no way that Jemimah Harris could be the wife of 
this Benjamin Sneed in 1785 as that indenture shows.  As  it  hap-
pens, there is another Benjamin Sneed, younger and a war veteran, 
who can fill this spot.

(2) In an indenture dated 4 FEB 1798 Benjamin SNEED  grants  land
to his son-in-law Richard JOHNSON "for the affection he bears  to
his daughter Pegy, (sic)" proving her to be one of his children.

(3) We find no indenture proving that daughter Frances was also a 
child of Benjamin, possibly because David and  Frances  GARTH  ap-
parently removed to or remained in Goochland Co.,  where  two  of
their children were born. The date of their first  child  was  23
MAR 1781 in Goochland Co. (Douglas Register).

(4) The assignment of Mary COLEMAN as the wife of  this  Benjamin
is probably the result of a confusion of names. Mary  Coleman  is
presumed to be the wife of another Benjamin in Fluvanna Co. as is 
shown in the book, _The Sneads of Fluvanna_.

     It is possible, of course, that Benjamin Sneed  had  another
wife prior to 1776. However, there are no  known  candidates  for
that position. Moreover, the new data received from Thelma Prince 
on John SORRELL would seem to supply the connection  we  need  to
show that it was a Mary Ann that our  Benjamin  Sneed  originally
married. The will of John Sorrell, written on  25  MAR  1780,  in
cludes the following bequest:
     To my granddaughter, Mary Ann  Sneed,  and  her  two  oldest
children, Frances and John Sneed, ten pounds currency to them and 
their heirs forever to be paid three years after my death.

     According to tradition John SNEED, born  in  1755,  was  the
oldest child. A question has therefore  been  raised  as  to  why
Frances is named first in bequest. She may have been  simply  the
first to come to mind or she may have  been  a  favorite  of  the
grandfather. A suggestion has been  made  that  perhaps  she  was
really the elder of the two. The date of her birth is not  known,
but her first child was born in March of  1781,  making  her  mar-
riage perhaps in 1779. If born in 1753, she would  have  been  26
years old at marriage. Rather late but quite possible. In  either
case, they fit the requirement of being the two  oldest  children
of Benjamin Sneed.

     Although this will was written in Amherst County,  John  Sor-
rell lived for a time in Albemarle County, where he had a notewor-
thy transaction with Benjamin Sneed, selling on 13 FEB  1750  200
acres of land formerly belonging to Thos. Meriwether to  Benjamin
for 5 pounds.

     John Sorrell had previously bought that land on 23 OCT  1749
from Thomas Meriwether for 40 pounds. This was only  four  months
earlier. Why had John made a sacrifice of 35 pounds?

     In the light of our knowledge of the Sorrell bequest to Mary 
Ann Sneed, this would seem  to  confirm  the  union  of  the  two
families. Only the 1750 date  of  the  transaction  might  appear
slightly early. However, the death of a first-born in 1753 or the 
possible birth of Frances in that time frame would bring us to  a
possible marriage about 1750.  Benjamin  Sneed  would  have  been
about 29 years old.

     Unfortunately, the will provides us with  no  clues  to  the
parentage of Mary Ann Sneed. From Fawn Brodie's book _Thomas  Jef-
ferson: An Intimate History_ we do know of the several references 
to "Mrs. Polly Sneed" which confirms the tradition that Mary  Ann
was called "Polly".

     We also know that John Sorrell purchased 220 acres  of  land
in St. James Parish, Goochland, south side of the Rivanna  River,
adjacent Charles LEWIS from a William PERRY on January 21,  1741,
thereby introducing a  PERRY  into  Sorrell  relationships.  Addi-
tional deeds in 1741 and 1742 involving  Anthony  POUNCY  include
the names of John Sorrell and William PERRY as  witnesses.  Could
it be from this family that the traditional Polly Perry came?