re: Cecily Farrar, Ancient Planter
There's a lot of speculation and errors about this lady.
The best web info I've found so far is here:
* http://biographiks.com/pleasant/cecely.htm
* http://www.reynoldsfamily.org/line17/chris_3.html
* http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sassytazzy/family...
I've attached them to her profile as PDF files as well as some other web pages I've found.
On her parentage:
-- Variously ... she's a Fludd, a street orphan, a Green, related to Lord West, a niece of William Peirce .... and the daughter of Thomas and Cecily Phippen Reynolds of Dorsetshire. To me this seems pretty compelling:
"Cicely Reynolds Baley's mother was Samuel Jordan's first cousin in Dorsetshire. The Jordan ancestor in England, Thomas Jordan of Dorsetshire, had at least two children: Thomas, Jr. and Cicilie. Cicilie, married in 1580 to "Robert Fitzpen als Fippen of Wamouth in Com. Dorset." Their youngest daughter, Cicilie Fitzpen, was born in 1593 and married a man named Reynolds. Their daughter was Cicely Reynolds."
On her arrival is America:
-- she is a documented Ancient Planter and listed as Sisley Jordan in the first muster at Jamestown, 1624. She is listed in the ship's roster for "The Swan" 1610 along with 9 other passengers. If this is indeed the same person, and it seems most likely she's been accepted as such by lineage societies etc.
This, I believe, makes her the first surviving English woman living in the Virginia Colony. Pretty cool.
-- On her marriages:
Cecily Reynolds Bailey. This is a young woman of some international reputation and speculation. Much has been written about her various marriages and affairs.
Arriving in the summer of 1610 aboard the Swan, Cicely Reynolds was only ten years of age. Soon after she married William Baily. Samuel Jordan's later land grant would be in an area called Bailey's Point. This was owned by William Baley, the first husband of Cicely Reynolds. They had one child, Temperance Baley, born in 1617, who was named for Temperance Flowerdew, the future wife of General Yardley.
Apparently, William Baley died soon after the marriage, for in 1620, Cicely Reynolds Baley married Samuel Jordan ... [son of] Thomas Jordan Jr. Samuel was married in Dorsetshire and had three children by this first marriage, including Thomas Jordan who was born in 1600. ....
Samuel Jordan died in 1623, leaving two children by his marriage to Cicely: Mary Jordan and Margery Jordan. He also left his step-daughter, Temperance Baley, as well as his three children by his first marriage in Dorsetshire.
Immediately after the death of Samuel, Jordan, rich, landed, gay and fascinating Cicely was courted intensely by Parson Greville Pooley and Councillor William Farrar. Cicely discarded Parson Pooley with little ceremony and Farrar moved into Beggers Bush. Word of the scandal, aided by an outraged Pooley, spread through colonial America. Pooley sued and the issue became too much to be handled by the government of Virginia and was remanded to England for disposition. Farrar married Cicely Reynolds Baley Jordan.
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I believe the supposed 4th marriage to Peter Montague is a long term mixup with her daughter. The marriage to Thomas Parker is possible, but there's no record (nor any theoretical children).
I currently have her profile listed this way.
Curator note:
Cecely Reynolds Baley Jordan (ca. 1600-ca. 1662). Parents: Thomas Reynolds & Cecily Phippen (not verified). Married 1: Thomas Bailey. Married 2: Samuel Jordan. Married 3: William Farrar. Reported 4th & 5th: Peter Montague, Thomas Parker.
But I'm inclined to break the marriage connection to Peter Montague and re-assign to the more likely Cicely Jordan, daughter of Cecely Reynolds & Samuel Jordan.
What's your opinion?