Johanna “Hannah” Mountney

Although sometimes given as being baptized and born in Shropshire, Hannah Boyle was likely baptized on 09 Jul 1601 as Johanna daughter of Richard Boyle, stationer, at St Helens Bishopgate, London, and his wife Eleanor Brayn(e). She died before 24 Nov 1659 in Lancaster County, Virginia.

Family

Married

• 1. Edward Hill — married 17 Aug 1619 (to about 1624) in Chirbury Priory, Chirbury, Shropshire, England. Daughter Elizabeth Hill.
• 2. Thomas Spillman — married Feb 1625 (to 1627) in Virginia. Daughter Mary Spelman.
• 3. Alexander Mountney — married about 1628 (to about 1643) in Virginia. Son Alexander Mounney, daughter Frances Mountney.

Biography

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115837533/hannah-mountney

Richard Boyle operated a bookshop at the sign of the Rose in Paul's Churchyard in the Blackfriars section of London in the 1580’s. The 07 Aug 1586 London marriage record of Richard Boyle to Eleanor Brayne indicates he was a stationer. It is positive that Richard Boyle, Hannah Boyle's father, lived in Blackfriars in 1622, as we have the April 14, 1623 letter (see below) written by Edward Hill, Hannah (Boyle) Hill's first husband, with instructions for delivery to his father-in-law, Richard Boyle, in Blackfriars.

Undercover agents attempting to suppress the abundant Puritan literature in England kept Boyle’s shop under surveillance in 1588 hoping to seize religious tracts written by Puritans which criticized the Church of England. John Penry was hanged in 1593 as a suspected author. A book published by Richard Boyle of Blackfriars in 1608 would indicate that Richard Boyle was still in the publishing business after Hannah's birth in 1602.

Hannah Boyle, daughter of Richard Boyle and Eleanor Brayn (b. Abt. 1565) of Blackfriars, London, sailed on board the ship "Bona Nova" with her first husband, Edward Hill, from London in August 1620.

From The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (POTUS): (excerpt of a letter from Gov. John Rolfe to Sir Edwin Sandys, 1620)-"The Bona Nova of 200 Tunnes sent in August of 1620 with 120 passengers. Upon the 4 of November (1620) the Bona Nova arrived at James City. All the passengers came lusty and in good health. They came by the West Indies, which passage at that time doth refresh the people."

The marriage and immigration by Hannah Boyle to the Virginia colony is somewhat circuitous and vague. As best as can be determined from the evidence, the unmarried Edward Hill, originally arrived in Virginia prior to 1616 and by 1619, he was seated on a 100 acre land grant plantation in Kecoughtan, renamed Elizabeth City in 1620. Edward returned to England and married Hannah Boyle at Chirbury, England. Their marriage banns were published on July 28, 1619, August 4, 1619 and August 11, 1619 at Chirbury Priory, Chirbury, Shropshire, England for their marriage on 17 Aug 1619. Shortly after the wedding, Edward Hill left his bride and sailed to Virginia alone, likely to prepare their home and/or to harvest his tobacco crop. Although the name of the ship for his 1619 trip back to Virginia is not documented, his return voyage to London is recorded on 08 May 1620, when Edward arrived back in England as one of only two passengers listed on the "Bona Nova's" return voyage. "Edward & Hanan Hill" were listed on the manifest of the "Bona Nova" on 21 Jun 1620, when it departed Gravesend, England for Virginia "loaded with ordinance and passengers". They arrived at Elizabeth City, Virginia on 08 Aug 1620. The newlyweds probably set quickly to work harvesting tobacco and preparing their new home for the winter. The years between 1619 and the 1622 Massacre are sometimes referred to as "golden years" in the colony. Population, crops and profits were healthier and growing.

This era of prosperous tranquility ended abruptly on Friday, March 22, 1622, when the colonists suffered a massive well orchestrated attack by the Natives. Nearly 400 colonists were brutally murdered as they casually went about their morning routines. The Natives made repeated strikes against the colonists for another year, destroying their crops and livestock, killing many more men, women and children as they ventured forth searching for food. John Smith described the year following the uprising as a series of “crosses and losses”. The Edward Hill family survived the massacre, but faced starvation in the aftermath, according to a letter sent by Edward Hill to his father-in-law, Richard Boyle, on April 14, 1623. Edward, surely weakened by the desperate days after the Massacre, died and was buried on May 15, 1624 (Dorman, Vol. 1, 2004, p. 63). There is speculation that he may have starved himself in order to feed his family.

Land deeds indicate the Spellman, Hill, and Mountney families were next-door neighbors, on adjoining plantations (farms). The lives of the neighbors were obviously deeply entwined; they were partners in the struggle against the wilderness and Indians.

At Elizabeth City, the Spellman plantation was east of the land owned by Edward Hill. To the west of Edward Hill's land was the farm owned by Alexander Mountney. So Hannah had a penchant for marrying her next-door neighbors.

By the time of the 1624/25 muster of Elizabeth City, the widow, Hannah (Boyle) Hill, was married to Thomas Spellman ("Ancient Planter"), her eastward neighbor. Thomas Spellman, born circa 1600, arrived in Virginia from London in 1616 aboard the ship "George", at about age 16. In early 1625, Elizabeth Hill, identified as Virginia born and the only positively documented child of Edward Hill and Hannah (Boyle) Hill, was living in the Thomas Spellman household (Dorman, Vol. 1, 2004, p. 58-59). Thomas died while visiting England in 1627. His English will states that his only child was named Mary, b. 1626 in VA.

Twice widowed, Hannah, proceeded to marry Alexander Mountney ("Ancient Planter"), her westward neighbor, prior to 1628. The combined plantations of Hannah's three husbands amounted to 250 acres. In 1633, about six years into their marriage, Alexander disposed of his holdings in Elizabeth City. The family left their Hampton River residence and moved across the Chesapeake Bay to Accomack/Northampton County, Virginia on the Eastern Shore. Alexander and Hannah Mountney had two children, Alexander, Jr. and Frances, who later married William Crump.

All three husbands are listed together under "The Corporacon (Corporation) of Elizabeth Cittie", 1626 (this list of estates containing their names was sent to England by Sir Francis Wyatt):

1. Thomas Spellman, 50 Acres, planted, by patent.
2. Edward Hill, 100 acres, planted.
3. Alexander Mountney, 100 acres, planted.

After being widowed the third time in 1643, Hannah continued living in Northampton Co. and continued to run the tavern and Company (Common) Store after Alexander's death. The Mountney home was the local tavern, a gathering place for the community, the only place in the county with a liquor license. She is frequently mentioned in Eastern Shore court records involving business, the last of which was on 09 Nov 1655 when she gave her age as about 53 years old. Hannah Mountney lived seventeen years after the death Alexander, but never married again. "Abstracts of the Wills and Administrations of Northampton County, Virginia, 1632-1802" by James Handley Marshall includes the following note: "Hanna Mountney widow was granted a certificate to 150 acres. for the transportation (headrights) of Alexander, Thomas, Roger, John and Leonard Mountney - 1645-1651, p. 47." These men were the brothers of Alexander Mountney. The younger brother, Leonard Mountney, had been recorded in the 1624/25 muster of Elizabeth City, VA as living in the household of Alexander Mountney so this probably indicates that Leonard had returned to England to live and returned to Virginia with his brothers in 1657. Hannah moved to Lancaster County, Virginia, probably around 1657/58 and died there in 1659, near the age 60 years.

Peggy Crane located the inventory of Hannah Mountney's estate. It was administered by her son-in-law, William Crompe (Crump), and listed typical household items.

Hannah died sometime before November 1659. The Inventory of the Estate of Hannah Mountney, deceased, taken the 28th day of Nov. 1659 contained:

• 3 feather beds and ?
• 11 pewter dishes and a bason
• 3 iron pots & pot hooks & a little kettle
• 3 potracks, 2 chamber pots of pewter & 2 __?__
• 1 __?__of small shilliards? & 1 fowling piece?
• 2 doz. pewter spoons & 1/2 doz. __?__
• 9 milk __?__ & bowls & a __?__tub
• 1 pie plate, l tin lamp, 2 __?__
• 30th Nov 1659 by Will Crompe (Crump) _primo

To sum up: In her glowing tribute to Hannah Boyle, Karen Penley of Penley Pearls.com wrote: "Hannah Boyle (Hill, Spelman, Mountney) outlived three husbands, raised four known children, and raised William and Elizabeth (Hill) Pinley's three orphans for the nine years before her death in 1659. She accomplished all that in a desolate wilderness while fending off starvation, disease, marauding Indians, wildfires, floods and hurricanes, greed and corruption. She and her known children survived the Massacre of 1622, the 1644 Massacre, the Puritan Revolution, Ingle's Rebellion, Piracy on the Chesapeake, and rebellions on Kent Island. Her descendants went on to build a free and mighty nation."

Sources:

• "Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5" by John Frederick Dorman, Vol. I, 4th Ed., 2004, pp357,358,359,360.
• Karen Penley of PenleyPearls.com (This is a fantastic resource on Hannah Boyle and her husbands). NOTE: Permission obtained for use of research done by Karen Penley. http://penleypearls.com/viewText.cfm/chapters/Maternal-Generation-I...
• "The Thomas Jefferson Papers Series 8. Virginia Records Manuscripts 1606-1637" January 1919/20 page 245, Library of Congress.
• "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635" by Martha W. McCartney, 2007, pp387,508,660.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 13 2020, 11:00:33 UTC

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Oct 13 2020, 10:36:49 UTC

FYI: The blue highlighted names are clickable links. Richard Boyle operated a bookshop at the sign of the Rose in Paul's Churchyard in the Blackfriars section of London in the 1580’s. The 07 Aug 1586 London marriage record of Richard Boyle to Eleanor Brayne indicates he was a stationer. Richard Boyle, Hannah Boyle's father, lived in Blackfriars in 1622, as we have the April 14, 1623 letter (see below) written by Edward Hill, Hannah (Boyle) Hill's first husband, with instructions for delivery to his father-in-law, Richard Boyle, in Blackfriars.

Undercover agents attempting to suppress the abundant Puritan literature in England kept Boyle’s shop under surveillance in 1588 hoping to seize religious tracts written by Puritans which criticized the Church of England. John Penry was hanged in 1593 as a suspected author. A book published by Richard Boyle of Blackfriars in 1608 would indicate that Richard Boyle was still in the publishing business after Hannah's birth in 1602.

Hannah Boyle, daughter of Richard Boyle and Eleanor Brayn (b. Abt. 1565) of Blackfriars, London, sailed on board the ship "Bona Nova" with her first husband, Edward Hill, from London in August 1620.

From The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (POTUS): (excerpt of a letter from Gov. John Rolfe to Sir Edwin Sandys, 1620)-"The Bona Nova of 200 Tunnes sent in August of 1620 with 120 passengers. Upon the 4 of November (1620) the Bona Nova arrived at James City. All the passengers came lusty and in good health. They came by the West Indies, which passage at that time doth refresh the people."

The marriage and immigration by Hannah Boyle to the Virginia colony is somewhat circuitous and vague. As best as can be determined from the evidence, the unmarried Edward Hill, originally arrived in Virginia prior to 1616 and by 1619, he was seated on a 100 acre land grant plantation in Kecoughtan, renamed Elizabeth City in 1620. Edward returned to England and married Hannah Boyle at Chirbury, England. Their marriage banns were published on July 28, 1619, August 4, 1619 and August 11, 1619 at Chirbury Priory, Chirbury, Shropshire, England for their marriage on 17 Aug 1619. Shortly after the wedding, Edward Hill left his bride and sailed to Virginia alone, likely to prepare their home and/or to harvest his tobacco crop. Although the name of the ship for his 1619 trip back to Virginia is not documented, his return voyage to London is recorded on 08 May 1620, when Edward arrived back in England as one of only two passengers listed on the "Bona Nova's" return voyage. "Edward & Hanan Hill" were listed on the manifest of the "Bona Nova" on 21 Jun 1620, when it departed Gravesend, England for Virginia "loaded with ordinance and passengers". They arrived at Elizabeth City, Virginia on 08 Aug 1620. The newlyweds probably set quickly to work harvesting tobacco and preparing their new home for the winter. The years between 1619 and the 1622 Massacre are sometimes referred to as "golden years" in the colony. Population, crops and profits were healthier and growing. Elizabeth Hill, the daughter and only child of Edward and Hannah (Boyle) Hill of Kecoughtan, Elizabeth City, Virginia was born near the Hampton River at Kecoughtan, Elizabeth City, Virginia. It has been determined that she was born in 1621. The relationship of Elizabeth Hill and the 2nd and 3rd husbands of her mother, Hannah (Boyle) Hill, is discussed on their memorials. Following a 15 April 2020 request by FAG contributor, Keri Jackson FAG ID#50179041, to add more info on Elizabeth Hill, I have added the following: Elizabeth Hill married William Pinley, of Maryland, circa 1642 in Virginia and the "Penley" family was begun in America. They had three children during their estimated eight year marriage. Alas, by 1650, both William and Elizabeth (Hill) Pinley were deceased. It appears that the orphans of her daughter, Elizabeth (Hill) Pinley, who died by 1650 remained in the household of her mother, Hannah Mountney, until her death in 1659. Then the guardianship of two orphans, Thomas and Dorothy Pinley, of William and Elizabeth (Hill) Pinley was given to William Crump. Records show William Crump abused the orphans, especially Dorothy Pinley, for many years. A small conundrum concerns the records showing that William Crump having guardianship of only two of the orphans of William and Elizabeth (Hill) Pinley. Records also show as discussed on William Crump's memorial that the orphans were removed from his custody because of abuse of Dorothy and the custody of "three" orphans was transferred to Nicholas Porquér. See William Crump'sFAG memorial for the story.

This era of prosperous tranquility in Virginia ended abruptly on Friday, March 22, 1622, when the colonists suffered a massive well orchestrated attack by the local Indians. Nearly 400 colonists were brutally murdered as they casually went about their morning routines. The Indians made repeated strikes against the colonists for another year, destroying their crops and livestock, killing many more men, women and children as they ventured forth searching for food. John Smith described the year following the uprising as a series of “crosses and losses”. The Edward Hill family survived the massacre, but faced starvation in the aftermath, according to a letter sent by Edward Hill to his father-in-law, Richard Boyle, on April 14, 1623. Edward, surely weakened by the desperate days after the Massacre, died and was buried on May 15, 1624 (Dorman, Vol. 1, 2004, p. 63). There is speculation that he may have starved himself in order to feed his family.

Land deeds indicate the Spelman, Hill, and Mountney households were next-door neighbors, on adjoining plantations (farms). The lives of the neighbors were obviously deeply entwined; they were partners in the struggle against the wilderness and Indians.

At Elizabeth City, the Spelman plantation was east of the land owned by Edward Hill. To the west of Edward Hill's land was the farm owned by Alexander Mountney. So Hannah had a penchant for marrying her next-door neighbors.

By the time of the 1624/25 muster of Elizabeth City, the widow, Hannah (Boyle) Hill, was married to Thomas Spelman ("Ancient Planter"), her eastward neighbor. Thomas Spelman, born circa 1600, arrived in Virginia from London in 1616 aboard the ship "George", at about age 16. In early 1625, Elizabeth Hill, identified as Virginia born and the only positively documented child of Edward Hill and Hannah (Boyle) Hill, was living in the Thomas Spelman household (Dorman, Vol. 1, 2004, p. 58-59). Thomas died while visiting England in 1627. His English will states that his only child was named Mary, b. 1626 in VA and there is documentation he adopted his step-daughter, Elizabeth Hill.

Twice widowed, Hannah, proceeded to marry Alexander Mountney ("Ancient Planter"), her westward neighbor, prior to 1628. The combined plantations of Hannah's three husbands amounted to 250 acres. In 1633, about six years into their marriage, Alexander disposed of his holdings in Elizabeth City. The family left their Hampton River residence and moved across the Chesapeake Bay to Accomack/Northampton County, Virginia on the Eastern Shore. Alexander and Hannah Mountney had two children, Alexander, Jr. and Frances, who later married William Crump.

All three husbands are listed together under "The Corporacon (Corporation) of Elizabeth Cittie", 1626 (this list of estates containing their names was sent to England by Sir Francis Wyatt):

Thomas Spellman, 50 Acres, planted, by patent.

Edward Hill, 100 acres, planted.

Alexander Mountney, 100 acres, planted.

After being widowed the third time in 1643, Hannah continued living in Northampton Co. and continued to run the tavern and Company (Common) Store after Alexander's death. The Mountney home was the local tavern, a gathering place for the community, the only place in the county with a liquor license. She is frequently mentioned in Eastern Shore court records of the time involving business, the last of which was on 09 Nov 1655 when she gave her age as about 53 years old. Hannah Mountney lived seventeen years after the death Alexander, but never married again. "Abstracts of the Wills and Administrations of Northampton County, Virginia, 1632-1802" by James Handley Marshall includes the following note: "Hanna Mountney widow was granted a certificate to 150 acres. for the transportation (head rights) of Alexander, Thomas, Roger, John and Leonard Mountney - 1645-1651, p. 47." These men were the brothers of Alexander Mountney. The younger brother, Leonard Mountney, had been recorded in the 1624/25 muster of Elizabeth City, VA as living in the household of Alexander Mountney so this probably indicates that Leonard had returned to England to live and returned to Virginia with his brothers in 1657. Hannah moved to Lancaster County, Virginia, probably around 1657/58 and died there in 1659, near the age 60 years.

Peggy Crane located the inventory of Hannah Mountney's estate. It was administered by her son-in-law, William Crompe (Crump), and listed typical household items.

Hannah died sometime before November 1659. The Inventory of the Estate of Hannah Mountney, deceased, taken the 28th day of Nov. 1659 contained: 

3 feather beds and bolster and 1 rug

11 pewter dishes and 1 bason

3 iron pots & pot hooks & a little kettle

3 pr. potracks, 2 chamber pots of pewter & 2 chests

1 pr. of small stilliards & 1 fowling piece

1/2 doz. pewter spoons & 1/2 doz. of trenchers

9 milk trayes & bowles & a powdering tub

1 pie plate, l tin lamp, 2 iron spits

exhibit in Cur 30th Nov 1659 by Will Crompe (Crump) _primo 

et recordat primo marcii sequen per edrm Dale Cl Cur

To sum up: In her glowing tribute to Hannah Boyle, Karen Penley of Penley Pearls.com wrote: "Hannah Boyle (Hill, Spelman, Mountney) outlived three husbands, raised four known children, and raised William and Elizabeth (Hill) Pinley's three orphans for the nine years before her death in 1659. She accomplished all that in a desolate wilderness while fending off starvation, disease, marauding Indians, wildfires, floods and hurricanes, greed and corruption. She and her known children survived the Massacre of 1622, the 1644 Massacre, the Puritan Revolution, Ingle's Rebellion, Piracy on the Chesapeake, and rebellions on Kent Island. Her descendants went on to build a free and mighty nation."

Sources:
1) "Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5" by John Frederick Dorman, Vol. I, 4th Ed., 2004, pp357,358,359,360.
2) Karen Penley of PenleyPearls.com (This is a fantastic resource on Hannah Boyle and her husbands). NOTE: Permission obtained for use of research done by Karen Penley.
3) "The Thomas Jefferson Papers Series 8. Virginia Records Manuscripts 1606-1637" January 1919/20 page 245, Library of Congress.
4) "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635" by Martha W. McCartney, 2007, pp387,508,660.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.

References

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hill-13096 cites
   1. McCartney, Martha W.: Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635, page 387. (NS dates) < GoogleBooks >
   2. Edward Hill (decd) in the Virginia Muster of 1624/5. < [ http://www.virtualjamestown.org/Muster/search.muster.cgi?database=d... link] > Also his wife Hannah, remarried. < link > Also his daughter Elizabeth Hill < link >
   3. Penley Pearls. < link >
   4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116027866/edward-hill
2. Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 3 2024, 21:04:01 UTC
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115837533/hannah_hill%2C_spelma...