The Confirmed Identity of the Second Wife of Spencer Lacey of Indian River Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware

 

The Confirmed Identity of the Second Wife of Spencer Lacey of Indian River Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware

The second wife of Spencer Lacey of Indian River Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware is usually identified  as Mary (or Molly), daughter of William Brittingham Ennis of Sussex County. [1,2] Indeed, Mary is the name of his wife when Spencer Lacey made out his will on 10 March 1810. [3]

 

St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, Indian River   

The primary source of evidence that Mary/Molly was the daughter of William Brittingham Ennis comes from birth entries in the St. George’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Indian River Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware. [4] 

 

The church register lists the births and baptisms of eight children of William Brittingham Ennis and Kizia, his wife, namely:

1.     Molly born March 15 1764 daughter of William Brittinham Ennis and Kizia, his wife and baptized 1764

2.     Kizia born January 14 1766, daughter of Do. and baptized in 1766

3.     William born July 25 1767 and baptized 1768 Do.

4.     Nancy born November 23 1768 of Do. and baptized 1769

5.     Sarah born October 1 1771 and baptized in 1772

6.     Betty born March 11 1773, daughter of Do. and baptized in 1774

7.     Hessea born March 11 1778 and baptized 1778

8.     Levin born April 25 1784 and baptized June 29 1785

"N.B. These eight were the children of William Brittinham Ennis and Kizia his wife"

All of the entries seem to have been recorded at the same time - 1785. In the same register book and page for St. George’s, the baptism of the son of Spencer Lacey and Molly, his wife is given as William Brittingham Lacey, born 23 September 1783. [5] These entries strongly suggest that Mary/Molly, born 15 March 1764 was a daughter of William Brittingham Ennis. Although suggestive, it is not conclusive to say that Mary/Molly Ennis, the daughter of William Brittingham Ennis, was the same as the wife of Spencer Lacey.

  

The Deed of the Heirs of Levin Ennis to Perry Pool  

On 15 January 1811, the heirs of Leven [Levin] Ennis sold two pieces of land in Indian River Hundred, Sussex County to Perry Pool of Sussex County. [6] These heirs are named as Betsey, wife of John McGee; William B. Ennis; Kiziah, wife of Stephen Blizzard; and Mary, wife of Spencer Lacey.

 

One of the pieces of land in the indenture was given to Levin Ennis by his father, William Brittingham Ennis, in his will dated 1 March 1790 and proved 30 March 1790 in Sussex County. [7]  Levin Ennis is the same as the Levin Ennis, son of William Brittingham Ennis and Kizia, in the St. George’s register and was born in 1786, very under age to be receiving land in 1790. [8] However, the will stipulates that the land, which includes “the Mill and Land I purchased of Eli Collings,” is to be held by his son William Ennis and that he should “should keep the said Mill in repair” and “pay all that is yet due for the s^d Mill and Land and have all profits of this same till he the said Levin arrives at the age of twenty one.” William Brittingham Ennis mentions he has six daughters, but none are named in the will (the six daughters would have been Mary/Molly, Kiziah, Nancy, Sarah, Betty, and Hessea. [9]

 

The deed of 15 January 1811, names Betsey, Kisiah, Mary, Nancy and Hessey, all of which, with the exception of Sarah Ennis, are names in the register of St. George’s as daughters of William Brittingham Ennis. [10]  It is noted that Nancy and Hessey are mentioned as those that the land descended to, but they are not amongst the heirs in the sale of the lands. Sarah Ennis is not mentioned at all, and may have died after her father’s will was made in 1790.

 Ennis names in the 1811 deed and St. George's Church

Name	In Perry Pool Deed, 1811	In St. George’s Register
Molly	Molly Lacey	Molly Ennis, b. 15 Mar 1764
Kizia	Kisiah Blizzard	Kizia Ennis, b. 14 January 1766
William	William B. Ennis	William Ennis, b. 25 July 1767
Nancy	Nancy Ennis	Nancy Ennis, b. 23 November 1768
Sarah	N/A	Sarah Ennis, b. 1 October 1771
Betty	Betsey McGee	Betty Ennis, b. 11 March 1773
Hessea	Hessey Ennis	Hessea Ennis, b. 11 March 1778
Levin	Levin Ennis	Levin Ennis, b. 25 April 1784

Conclusion 

Levin Ennis died intestate about 1811 (he would have been about age 26), with no wife or children, and that his father, William Brittingham Ennis "in his last will and testament devised the said Lands to Leven Ennis his son and the said Leven Ennis died without Will and of course the said Lands descended to Betsey Ennis who intermarried with John McGee William B. Ennis  Kisiah who intermarried with Stephen Blizzard and Mary who intermarried with Spencer Lacey[,] Nancy Ennis[,] and Hessey Ennis [11]. 

Therefore, the lands willed to Levin Ennis descended to his surviving siblings since Levin had no immediate heirs. The daughter Sarah Ennis, born 1771, is not mentioned in the indenture, so presumably she died before the indenture was made in 1811. Both Nancy and Hessey are not amongst the grantor heirs.

The deed of 15 January 1811 from the heirs of Levin Ennis to Perry Pool proves conclusively that Mary, the wife of Spencer Lacey, was indeed Mary Ennis, the daughter of William Brittingham Ennis and his wife Kizia. 

 

[1]  C.H.B. Turner, Genealogical notes, Manuscript, Sussex County and Kent County, Delaware, Somerset County and Worcester County, Maryland: Surnames Lacey, familysearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2686366: accessed 15 April 2021), Lacey Family, Spencer Lacey.

[2] Delaware Genealogical Society, ed., “Delaware Families, 1787-1800,” (Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2013), 315; Spencer Lacey entry; unknown submitter.

[3]  Sussex County, Delaware Wills, 1682-1851; index to wills, 1684-1948, FamilySearch.org, database with images (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/47102 : accessed 9 September 2021), Entry for Spencer Lacey, 1810, Will Book G #7, p 293-294. 

[4]  Records of the United Presbyterian Churches of Lewes, Indian River and Cool Spring, Delaware, 1756-1855, digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/257966 : accessed 25 August 2021), St. George’s Protestant Episcopal Church, Indian River. Transcription. Children of William Brittinham Ennis, 1785; LDS Film 44144; Citing Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1905, p. 79). 

[5] Ibid, baptism of William Brittingham Lacy, son of Spencer Lacy and Molly, his wife bapt Mar 1785.

[6] Deed records of Sussex County, Delaware, 1693-1886; general index, 1682-1949, FamilySearch.org, digital images, https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/296734 > Heirs of Levin Ennis to Perry Pool, 1811, Deeds, Book AF29, pp 214-216.

[7] Sussex County, Delaware Wills, 1682-1851; index to wills, 1684-1948, FamilySearch.org, database with images (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/47102 : accessed 9 September 2021), William Brittingham Ennis, 1790, Will Book D #4, p 265.

[8] Records of the United Presbyterian Churches of Lewes, Indian River and Cool Spring, Delaware, 1756-1855; Citing Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1905, p. 79). Levin Ennis was born 1784 and about 6 years old when his father died and bequeathed him the land and mill.

[9] Sussex County, Delaware Wills, 1682-1851; William Brittingham Ennis, 1790, Will Book D #4, p 265.

[10]  Records of the United Presbyterian Churches of Lewes, Indian River and Cool Spring, Delaware, 1756-1855; Citing Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1905, p. 79). Only Sarah Ennis, born 1 October 1771,  is not named as an heir in the 1811 indenture to Perry Pool.

[11] Deed records of Sussex County, Delaware, 1693-1886; Heirs of Levin Ennis to Perry Pool, 1811, Deeds, Book AF29, pp 214-216.