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From the time research began on the Mundell family, it has been the common assumption that James Mundell married Margaret
Garrett, the daughter of John Garrett and Margaret James. Recent research has come to light, however, proving that this is
not entirely accurate.
What has not changed is this: Margaret James was born circa 1706 in Delwaware County, Pennsylvania. She was the youngest
child, and only daughter, of three known children born to Benjamin James and Sarah Shelton. Benjamin was born circa 1672
in New Jersey or England and died in New Castle County, Delaware. Sarah was born circa 1675 in Burlington County, New Jersey
died in New Castle County, Delaware. They were married on 21 Sep 1693 in Piscataway Hundred, Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Though actual dates are not certain, Margaret James had two husbands. It has always been known that John Garrett married
a widow, though it was assumed that Margaret Garrett was born after this marriage. As wills have proved, and I will show
shortly, while Margaret James was pregnant with her second daughter, Margaret, her first husband died and she remarried, so
that when her child was born, the child automatically took the surname of her adopted father.
Sometime before 1727, Margaret James married John Scott. They had one daughter, Sarah, born sometime before Jan 1727. While
his wife was pregnant with their second child, John became gravely ill and made out his will, which reads:
JOHN SCOTT Will ye 9th January 1726/7 Estate File #234
I, John SCOTT of ye Township of Kennett in ye County of Chester in ye Provins of Pensilvania, yeo. being very sick & weak
of Body but of perfect mind & menory. Thanks be given to Almighty god for ye same, & calling to mind ye
mortality of my body & the immortality of ye soul, & knowing yt it is appointed for all men to dye, do make & ordain this
my last will & testament in manner & form
following. Yt is to say principally & first of all give & recommond my Soul into ye Hands of God Yt gave it & my body recomment
it to ye earth to be buried in a Christian like & decent manner at ye discrection of my executor here after named & as touching
such wordly eastate where with it has plased God to bless me with in this life * give & dispose of ye same in ye following
manner & form (after my debts & funeral expenses is justly & fully paid.
Impremis: I give unto my Dear & well beloved wife all my Debts & moveables with full power to enjoy my real estate ths until
marriage of my child or childrens or ye arrivale of them or either of them to ye age of eighteen years only
with thofore oritions & limitations as is here after appointed & directged. Yt is paying to Owen Thomas ye just sum of tenn
shililings & to my mother in Law tenn shillings & in case my wife should marry, to prevent ye prejudicing of my reale estate
I give full power to my Executor here after named to take the same into their hand or otherwide to ake such reasonable ways
& means as may prevent ye same fro being anyways injured during the time afforsd & whereas my Beloved Wife is now with
child & if it proves a Son then give all my reall Estate to him his Heires & assigns paying out of ye same to his sister ye
sum of 25 pounds when in possession of ye same. But if it proves a Daughter I then order by sd estate to be equally enjoyed
by them their jperses & assigns & if either of them dye before ye age afsd or without issues, Yt then ye survivor of them
shall wholy enjoy ye same but if they dye without issue then order by sd reall estate shall be enjoyed by my wife during her
natural life, & then I order ye same to be sold & twenty pounds value of ye same to be given to ye Christian Society of ye
People called Baptist holding ye Doctrine of Personall election & finale perforain & keeping ye first day of ye week for their
day of worship to be appropriated for ye use & services of ye ministry attending ye services of ye Society hold on & kept
in Burmingham at a meeting house on ye land formerly Edmond Butcher in ye sd
Township & ye remaining part of ye value give unto ye children of mine brothers & sister and my wifes broer & sisters, this
to be equally divided between them yeuse then piveane lastly nomanate & appoint my trusty & well beloved friends John Heath
& Wm J Buckingham my Executors to this my last will giving them full power & authority to sell & dispose of my estate and
converyances to make & to
their assigns hereby revoking disannulling & making void all other former will & wills heretofore by me made, declaring this
to be my last will & testament.
In witness whereof have here unto sett my hand & seal this 2nd day of December 1726. John Scott. Signed Sealed
Published
pronounced & declared to be ye last will & testament of ye sd John Scot in ye presence of us. Joseph Garrett, Will Webb,
Margaret Beckingham, (mark). January ye 9th 1726/7
Included in the list of persons who received cash paid from John Scott's Estate were:
Cash paid Providence Scott 1.1.3
Cash paid John Garret & his wife, she was ye 83.15.1 widdow of ye sd John Scott Dec
When John Garrett made his will, he was faced with quite the predicament - he had three sets of children to handle: his step-children
from his wife's first marriage, his own children from his first marriage, and the children he had with his second wife. In
reading Garrett's will, one would assume he was making basic provisions to his children, but when one factors in the aspect
of John Scott, you can reread his will and see that he is making provisions to appease all of his children. His will reads
as follows:
This fourteenth day of July in the Year of our Lord God one thousand seven-hundred and forty nine. I John Garret of Christiana
Hundred in the County of New Castle upon Delaware, being of sound mind and perfect memory tho weak of body and calling to
mind the uncertainty of this transitory life do make this my last Will and Testament touching the Disposal of what temporal
Estates I have
hereby revoking and Anuling all former Wills and Testaments heretofore by me made and this only to be taken for my last Will
and Testament and non other.
Imprimis I will that my body be buried according to the Discresion of my Executors hereafter named. Secondly after my Debts
and funeral Expenses are fully paid and discharged.
Item I give and Bequeath unto my well beloved wife Margaret Garret is to have her thirds and the roan passing mare of the
pyere heifer and paster for them as allso her choice of the rooms in the house - during her life time and all to fall to my
Children at her death.
Item I give to my son Thomas Garret all my right and title of all the Mills and Lots in Mill Creek hundred, Justice Justins
and Twithin Gustins and six Hundred and twenty lying in Virginia near black oak thicket branch, and further my wife is to
have no share in my son Thomas's share.
Item I give to my son John Garret all this Estate of Lands and Mills lying in Christiana hundred in New Castle, County upon
Delaware and some in Mill Creek Hundred which I now possess and my riffel Guns, and he must pay to his
sisters Elizabeth and Ann and Sara and Margaret the sum of ten pound to each of them in five years after he comes to enjoy
the place if they and he lives to that time which is to be above the equal Division of the moneables the Morgage
Deed now lying in the Office is to be paid out of the rent of the above said Premisses. Sara Garret is to have the roan Mears
Colt and Margaret y' next, Colt she is to have and my son John y' next if the mear should have them and
further all my debts is to be paid out of the Estate.
I apoint my son Thomas Garret to be my Executor, Evidence
his
Henry X Brackins John Garrett (seal)
mark
Thomas Fulton
William Buckinham
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