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back to Elizabeth's will & estate records Was
Elizabeth Diffee the only wife of William Allred? Yes, Elizabeth Diffee was William’s wife
and is buried next to him in the Allred – Trogdon Cemetery near Cedar Falls,
NC. But, was she his only wife? Carefully
study Elizabeth and William’s Wills. Note
William names only some of his children: John, William, Elizabeth and Nancy.
Why didn’t he name all of them?
Was it because he had already given land or money to the others?
Or was it because they were the children of his first marriage – and he
knew his second wife, Elizabeth Diffee Allred, would provide for the children of
his second marriage – the children not mentioned in his will? Note,
Elizabeth names two different children in her Will.
She names Samuel and Sarah.
She and William both named Elizabeth and William.
But, why didn’t Elizabeth name John?
Why didn’t William name Samuel and Sarah?
Was John already grown and living on his own by the time William married
Elizabeth? Is
that why Elizabeth didn’t name him in her Will?
Did she name William and Elizabeth because she helped raise these two
children of her husband’s first marriage?
It
seems very odd that Elizabeth only named some of William’s children and not
all of them. Instead
she chose to leave some of her estate to John Diffee and Elizabeth Laughlin who
we believe were her niece and nephew, and specifically states that the
“balance of my Estate be sold and an Equal Division made Between my living
brother and Sistors”.
This is very unusual for a woman with living children – why leave some
of them out of your Will?
Unless, of course, they weren’t really your biological children.?.
Here’s another mystery for you to think
about. Note that in his Will,
William clearly states “my two sons William and John”, “my daughter Nancey”
and “my daughter Elizabeth”. There
is no doubt that these are his children. But,
study Elizabeth’s Will. She names
Sarah, Samuel, William and Elizabeth, but never states “my son” or “my
daughter”. There is no clear
statement that these were her children. We
assume they were her children because they are named in the Will – but were
they? Traditionally, the parent
states “my child” or “my son” or “my daughter” leaving no doubt as
to the relationship. Why didn’t
Elizabeth do this? Is it possible
she wasn’t the biological parent of any of these children?
Could she have simply been a step-mother?
A second or maybe even third wife? Finally, note William’s will states “I
also give to my wife Elizabeth her and her heirs for ever all the property she
brought with her at her marriage”. Archivists,
historians and genealogists agree, this usually indicates a recent marriage. Yes,
we know Elizabeth was William’s wife and is buried next to him.
But, was she his only wife? Or
do their Wills give us clues that there were more than one wife?
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