Mary Royall (Wife of John Cardwell of Claiborne)

The Search for the Ancestry of Mary Royall

by Dorothy Phillips Bray, 31OCT2006

Mary Royall, born circa 1760 in Virginia and died 1820 in Tennessee was the probable great-grandmother of Ella Cardwell. Mary Royall (aka Roball) married John Cardwell ( b 1760, d 1824) ( George, Thomas 2, Thomas 1) a 4^th generation Cardwell from a Virginia Family.

John Cardwell, b circa 1760, in Cumberland Co, VA, died 1824 in Claiborne Co, TN.

John’s father, George Cardwell (1724-1764) and his mother Letitia unknown), married in 1742, lived on plantations on the James and Appomattox Rivers. Three of their sons, Perrin, John and Thomas were Revolutionary War Veterans. John and Mary Robal (Royall) migrated to Claiborne Co, Tennessee, circa 1801, after the birth of their six children in Virginia. Their probable son James ( b. 1786 in VA, d 1855, in Ill ) who migrated to Southern Illinois circa 1850, was our first proved ancestor and the grandfather of Ella Cardwell (Marshall 1836, James 1796, John Cardwell 1760)

Mysteries abound in this family scenario and include: (1) Is Mary Roball a member of the Royall family of Henrico Co, Virginia? (2) Is Letitia Cardwell, her mother-in-law, a member of the Lee family of Henrico Co, Virginia? And finally (3) Is James L. Cardwell, our ancestor, the son of Mary Royall and John Cardwell?

This chapter deals with the search for the ancestry of Mary Royall. Mary Royall’s ancestry is historically significant if it can be proved that she was a descendant of Joseph Royall (1602-1655) a wealthy and distinguished Virginian with family connections through a daughter-in-law ( Mary Eppes) to the Plantagenet Family of England. This historical connection is tantalizing for us, the descendants of Mary Royall Cardwell for the Royall family history includes many famous historical figures in English and American Colonial History.

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MARY ROYALL not MARY ROBALL

We can conclude with some certainty that our ancestor Mary, wife of John Cardwell, was Mary Royall not Roball. It was common to misspell names in historical documents particularly in census reports as names often were spelled as heard or written down without attempts to correct. Later documentation from various sources refer to her as Mary Royall aka Royal.

We have some verification of this theory from researchers:

Robert Cardwell of Campbell Co, VA, compiled by Robert Cardwell of El Paso, Texas, copyright 1980, sent to me by Hazel Stell, sent to her by Beverly Carwile, Lynchburg,VA lists John’s wife as Mary Royall not Roball.
The Pendergaft Research, 1973, shows a family tree of Joseph Royall linking to Mary Royall.
John’s wife is listed as Mary Royall in “Robert Cardwell of Campbell Co, VA” compiled by Robert Cardwell of El Paso, TX, copyright 1980) as sent to me by Cardwell historian, Hazel Stell.
There are several references to Mary being a Royall that have been passed down to the present day. This information comes from more than one line. The James L. Cardwell line of Illinois, The James M. Cardwell line of Missouri, and the William Cardwell line of Tennessee & Arkansas. All of these particular lines branch from John Cardwell of Claiborne County, TN and his wife, Mary - who is claimed to have been a Royall. (Note 4 from: Rand Cardwell - Nov 2006)

Cardwell family history provides other verification:

One of the son’s of John and Mary is Royall Cardwell, following the custom of naming a son after the mother’s family.
Luella Cardin, Cardwell descendant, in oral anecdotes, reported that “James’ mother was a Royall. “
Rand Cardwell refers to John’s wife as Mary Royal

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Summary of Royall Family of Henrico Co, VA

Mary’s Ancestry from Joseph Royall is plausible but there is no certain proof. However, she would have descended from the Henrico Co, VA Royalls, since she was married in that county and her children were born there.

The key historical figure of this history is Joseph Royall who came to America in 1622. He married Katherine Banks in 1645. Their daughter Katherine Royall Farrar married (2) Richard Perrin about 1664. Richard Perrin’s brother, Thomas Perrin, married Anne Porter about 1667 and their daughter Martha Ann Perrin ( b.1694) married Thomas Cardwell, a tobacco planter in 1711 in Henrico Co. and our ancestor. A grandson of Martha Ann and Thomas, John G. Cardwell married a Mary Royall about 1784. If she is descended from Joseph Royall, John Cardwell and Mary Royall would have been distant cousins.

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Royall, Perrin, Cardwell Family Linkages

A Chart Shows The Proposed Lineage Of Ella Cardwell From Thomas Perrin, Brother-In-Law Of Katherine Royall. Ella Cardwell was not a descendant of the Royall family but through the Perrins, her ancestors were linked by marriage to Royalls.

^{Joseph Royall m. Katherine Banks in 1645}

^{Katherine Royall Farrar m. (2) Richard Perrin abt 1664}

^{Thos Perrin m. Anne Porter abt 1677}

^{Martha Ann Perrin m. Thos Cardwell abt 1711}

^{George Cardwell m. Letitia (Lee)}

^{John Cardwell m. Mary Royall abt 1784}

^{James L. Cardwell ( b 1796, VA) m. Leah Saunders}

^{Marshall Cardwell b. 1836 m. M. McFarland and Nancy Melton}

^{Ella Cardwell b. 1889 m Henry Phillips 1908}

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Mary Royall’s Probable Ancestry

Descends from Joseph Royall and Katherine Banks

Katherine Royall’s father, Joseph Royall 1602-1655 married Katherine Banks. Their four children are well documented in Henrico Co, Va genealogies:

1. Mary married T. Osborne and FNU Lockett

2 Katherine (1662) married Thomas Farrar and (2 Richard Perrin. They had five known children.

3 . Sarah m. J. Wilkinson

4 . Joseph 2 ( 1646-1722) married (1) Mary Wood and (2) Mary Eppes (He was witness to a deed of Thomas Cardwell and daughter Mary). ( This Mary Eppes was a direct descendant of the Platagenet Royal Family of England.)

We theorize that our Mary Royall descended from Joseph Royall 2 whose grandson William Francis Royall is the possible father of Mary Royall.

This family lineage chart shows the following:

^{Joseph Royall}^{m. Katherine Banks ( Of their 5 children 2 are relevant to our line)}

^{1. Joseph 2 Royall m. Mary Eppes}

^{A. Joseph 3 Royall m. Kennon and E. Worsham}

^{B. John Royall m. FNU Worsham}

^{C. Richard Royall m. M. Eppes}

^{D. William Royall 1680 m. Ann Randolph}

^{a. William Francis Royall 1732 m. Rebecca Eppes and/or Margaret Traylor}

^{1. Grief Royall b. 1758}

^{2. Francis Royall b. 1758 (twins) m. FNU Traylor}

^{3. Mary Royall b. 1760 m. John Cardwell}

2. Katherine Royall m. Richard Perrin

A. Martha Perrin m. Thomas Cardwell

1. George Cardwell b. ca 1724 m. Leticia LNU (Lee?)

a. John Cardwell b. ca 1760 m. Mary Royall

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Royall-Traylor Family Marriage- Proposed Parents of Mary Royall

^{William Francis Royall b. 1721 m. Rebecca Eppes and/or Margaret Traylor}

^{1. Francis Royall b. 1758 m. Margaret Traylor?}

^{2. Grief Royall b. 1758 (twins)}

^{3. Mary Royall b. ca 1760 - she is suggested as being the wife of John Cardwell of Claiborne County, TN}

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The Traylor family appears in Henrico Co with marriage connections to Royal family in-laws, the Eppes family.

Martha Eppes, 1643, married Henry Traylor

Their son, William Traylor had a large family.

His cousin Henry Randolph married Elizabeth Eppes

Researchers cite Mary Royall’s connections to William Royall.

One shows her father as William Francis Royall m. to R. Eppes

Another cites Mary Royall Cardwell’s parents as William Royall and Frances Traylor which could be valid since spousal names often are erroneous in reports.

The Pendegraft Research ( 1973) shows a family tree of Joseph Royall linked to Mary Royall Cardwell.

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A John G. Cardwell-Mary Royall Marriage

Is Geographically And Historically Plausible

It is likely that the Royall and Cardwell families inter-married as various Henrico Co, VA families link to the Cardwell families through marriages: The Cardwells , Royalls and Perrins were neighboring families in Henrico, Co, Virginia and intermarried with some of the same neighboring families including: Farrar, Worsham and Ballew. The Cardwell family is linked by marriage to various Royall family connections, all from Virginia.

The Royall family inter-married with Cardwell relations including the Worshams and Perrins, all in the area of Henrico Co, Va. Other Worshams married Royalls in Virginia through several generations.

1684-John Royall m. Elizabeth Worsham (1656-1743) daughter of Daniel Worsham
This Daniel Worsham is mentioned in a 1717 deed of Anne Perrin and Thomas East( Anne Perrin is the sister of Martha Perrin Cardwell) Martha’s husband Thomas Cardwell was mentioned in the will of Joseph Royall, Jr 1706.
1764- Elizabeth Worsham m Thomas Perrin Cardwell.
1771- Henry Cardwell, son of John’s cousin Thomas (Richard A) m. Mary Polly Hankley, daughter of James Hankley and Frances Lockett ( her grandfather was Joseph Royall 3)
1785- Perrin Cardwell, a brother of John G. Cardwell and brother-in-law of Mary Royall married Amelia Elizabeth Worsham (b. 1764, Amelia Co, VA).

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Genealogy Evidence Points To This Version of Mary Royall’s Ancestry

Based on this genealogy, our mystery of Mary Royall Cardwell’s heritage would be solved and her connection to the Royall family of Virginia would be validated through this genealogy summary of individuals, all living in neighboring counties of Virginia.

Joseph Royall 1602-1655 married Katherine Banks
Joseph Royall 2 1546-1722 married (2) Mary Eppes, direct descendant of the Duke of York of English Royalty.
Richard Royall married unknown.
William Francis Royall, 1732, married Margaret Traylor (Rebecca Eppes?)
Mary Royall, circa 1760, sister of twins Francis and Grief Royall ( 1758) married John Cardwell circa 1790

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Although not proved the following facts support this theory of Mary Royall’s heritage:

One source cites Mary’s parents as William Royall and Margaret Traylor
The birth dates of John Cardwell ( 1745 and or 1760) and possible one of this Mary Royall (1760) are in the same time frame. Married circa 1790, a 1760 birth date fits.
Their children were born between 1790 and 1801.
Similar family histories include that the Cardwells and Royalls are both families of Norman background and first American ancestors migrated to Virginia during the same time period: 1622 for Joseph Royall and 1636 for Thomas Cardwell.
Descendants of John and Mary cite family anecdotes that indicate that her name was Royal, not Roball.
Variations of the name and spelling of Royal are found in 3 generations of her descendants including family of James Cardwell.

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However, these questions, among others, remain unanswered or not proved:

Date, birthplace, and parents of Mary Robal aka Royal, Royall?
Are the Cardwells related to Richard Perrin or his brother Thomas Perrin? The Cardwell-Perrin relationship is muddied: Richard Perrin, our supposed ancestor and father-in-law of Thomas Cardwell, may have had a brother Thomas Perrin. Researcher C. Borland’s lists Thomas Perrin as married to Ann Porter and father of Martha Ann Perrin. Still another lists the husband of Ann Porter as Thomas Richard Perrin.

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The Plantagenet Connections

This genealogy report finds several linkages of the Royall family of Henrico Co, VA to the Eppes family. According to this genealogical chart, Mary Eppes descended from Richard York, father of Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England.

If as theorized in this chapter that Mary Royall, wife of John G. Cardwell, and our direct ancestor, is descended from Joseph Royall of Henrico Co, VA, then we also can claim a family relationship to the famous Plant genet Royal family of England.

The Paramagnet line descended from Geoffrey, count of Anjou (died 1151), and the empress Matilda, daughter of the English king Henry I. Some historians apply the name House of Anjou, or Angering dynasty, to only Henry II, Richard I, and John, and label their successors, including Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III, as Plant genets. The name may have originated as a nickname (Plante-geneste) for Count Geoffrey, who planted broom shrubs (Latin Genista) to improve his hunting covers. The Wars of the Roses saw the defeat of the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, in 1485. The legitimate line ended with Edward of Warwick (died 1499).

Richard, Duke of York m. Cecily Neville

John m. Elizaebth Blount (John being the brother of Richard III the King of England in 1485)

Eleanor York m. Robt Hungerford

T. Hungerford m. U. Maidenhead

Mary Hungerford ( 1535) m. N. Pawlett

Thos Pawlett 1580 m. E. Wrenne

Marie Pawlett 1601 m. Francis Eppes

Francis Eppes 1627 ( Henrico Co, Va. M. Eliz. Littleberry

Mary Eppes 1664 m. Joseph Royall 2

William Royall m. Ann Randolph

William Francis Royall m. R. Eppes or M. Traylor

A. Grief Royall 1758

B. Francis Royall 1758

C. Mary Royall circa 1760

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Sources of Information

New information on the Ancestry of Mary Royall came from the following reports and on-line responses:

Ancestry of Martha Ann Perrin (Thomas Cardwell) from Thomas Perrin
History of Perrin Family descended from Pertus Peryn b 1401, Somerset, Eng.
History of Pawlett, Eppes, Royall families of England.
Mary Royall as daughter of William Francis Royall and sister of
Grief and Francis Royall.
The name of Grief is found also in Grief Randolph 1726, son of Henry Randolph and Elizabeth Eppes. Grief had a sister named Mourning.
Royall-Eppes family connections.
Eppes ancestry descending from Richard of York, father of Richard III, King of England.
Linkage of Mary Eppes to Randolph Family of Virginia whose descendants include Thomas Jefferson.
Royall Family Plantation in Virginia called “ Doghams” a variation of d’Augham River in Normandy, ancestral home of Royalls.
Cardwell-Royall Plantations in Henrico Co, VA in Colonial America.
Descendants of Joseph Royall.

The Pendergaft Research, 1973, shows a family tree of Joseph Royall linking to Mary Royall.
John’s wife is listed as Mary Royall in “Robert Cardwell of Campbell Co, VA” compiled by Robert Cardwell of El Paso, TX, copyright 1980) as sent to me by Cardwell historian, Hazel Stell.

Cardwell family history provides other verification.

One of the son’s of John and Mary is Royall Cardwell, following the custom of naming a son after the mother’s family.
Luella Cardin, Cardwell descendant, in oral anecdotes, reported that “James’ mother was a Royall. “
Rand Cardwell refers to John’s wife as Mary Royal

Researchers cite Mary Royall’s connections to William Royall.

One shows her father as William Francis Royall m. to R. Eppes
Another cites Mary Royall Cardwell’s parents as William Royall and Frances Traylor which could be valid since spousal names often are erroneous in reports.
Researcher C. Bourlands lists Thomas Perrin as married to Ann Porter and father of Martha Ann Perrin. Still another lists the husband of Ann Porter as Thomas Richard Perrin.

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