Mareen Duvall

Mareen Duvall was probably born about 1630 in Nantes, Normandy, France. His parents were possibly Thomas Duvall and Nicola Stagard. Not much is known about his early life. Mareen Duvall was brought to Maryland, under bondage, from Nantes, France about 1652. There is a chance that DuVall had served with the rebelious army of the minor nobles in the Civil War known as the Fronde, against Cardinal Mazarin. A captured insurgent is very likely to have been exiled and sold into a period of bondage. If his term of bondage was five years, being exiled in about 1652 would agree with his release in 1657, when he became a freeholder, married and started his new life in Maryland. On July 25, 1659, Mareen Duvall having completed his period of service and as a freeholder, applied for his rights to 50 acres of land. The following is an exact copy from the original entry:

"Marin Du Vail demands fifty acres of land having performed his time of service with John Covell and brought in by William Burgess. Warrant issued for fifty acres return 25 December next. Warrant renewed to John Jones for one hundred acres return 25 next."

This was a parcell of Land called Lavall lying on the west side of Chesapeake Bay and on the west side of a river called South River Duvall. It is not known whether Mareen actually settled on "Lavall," but by 1678 "Lavall" had come into the possession of George Parker. In 1664, Mareen Settled near Col. Burgess in Anne Arundel County, on 600 acres on the South side of the South River, known as "Middle Plantation" and became a successful merchant and planter of that favored section. In 1665, he added 100 acres, known as "Duvall's Addition" to Middle Plantation. During the next ten years, Mareen added much land to his holdings. Mareen Duvall was an educated man. In 1664 he signed his name at an inquest. He was also accorded the title of "Mr." bestowed at that period only on men of rank. Duvall and his family belonged to the Church of England, and later, when the American Episcopal Church was organized, his family continued their allegiance to that church.

Mareen Duvall married soon after his indentureship ended, about 1657. His first wife's name was Mary, her family name was possibly Bouth. It is thought Mareen and Mary had five or six children. Mary died around 1672. His second wife was Susannah, the third and Virginia-born daughter of his compatriot-in-exile, Benois Brasseur, and Marie his wife, she being of The Clifts, of Calvert County. It is thought that Susannah and Mareen had five children. After the death of Susannah, Mareen married again, Mary Stanton, but had no children with her.

Mareen's will was probated in 1694; about the time of the removal of the Capitol from St. Mary's to Annapolis. He left his third wife Mary a vast estate. His heirs, in order mentioned in his will were: his wife, MARY, who inherited a life interest in "Middle Plantation" with the remainder at the death of his stepmother; daughter ELIZABETH, who received 150 pounds sterling and 375 acres called "Bowdels Choice" in Calvert County; son BENJAMIN, who received 150 pounds sterling and 200 acres, which was one-half of "Howertons Range"; son MAREEN "the younger", who received 150 pounds sterling and 300 acres called "The Plains" in Calvert County; daughter MARY who received 150 pounds sterling and 320 acres called "Morleys Grove" and 370 acres called "Morleys Lott"; daughter JOHANNA, who received 150 pounds sterling and 311 acres called "Larkins Choice" and 200 acres called "Duvalls Range", both located in Anne Arundel Co.; son JOHN who received 5 shillings, all wearing apparel and a silver tobacco box. John was appointed co-executor with his brother, Lewis, and his brother-in-law Robert Tyler; son SAMUEL, who received 5 shillings; son MAREEN "the elder", who received 5 shillings; and daughter SUSANNA, who received a silver tankard.

One can easily reconstruct the family of Mareen. The older children, who had already made their way, received little in the way of money or land. These were the children of his first wife. JOHN, LEWIS, SAMUEL, SUSANNA and MAREEN "the elder". It is also know he had a daughter named ELEANOR, who received nothing in the will, perhaps she was also from the first wife. To explain naming two sons MAREEN in the will, it was common in those times to have sons with the same name, born of different wives, who were many years apart in age, probably to ensure passage of the name. Hence MAREEN "the elder", born about 1662, and MAREEN "the younger", born about 1680. MAREEN "the younger", along with his full siblings ELIZABETH, BENJAMIN, MARY and JOHANNA, inherited land and money in their father Mareen's will. They were obviously children of his second wife.

Mareen's widow, Mary, married second Colonel Henry Ridgely Sr., as his third wife. She was later to become the wife of Rev. Mr. Henderson, the commissary of the Church of England. One of Mareen's wives was closely allied to John Larkin, a neighbor and enduring friend of Mareen. Of his children, MAREEN "the Elder", also called "Marius", by his mother-in-law, married Frances Stockett, daughter of Thomas. He was ancestor of John P. Duvall (Virginia Legislature member). Capt. JOHN Duvall, who held a large estate, married Elizabeth Jones, daughter of William Jones, Sr. Of Anne Arundel County. SAMUEL Duvall married Elizabeth Clark, in 1687; SUSANNA married Robert Tyler and was the ancestress of General Bradley T. Johnson; LEWIS Duvall married Martha Ridgley, only daughter of the Honorable Robert Ridgely, of St. Inigoes, in 1699.

Mareen married Mary Bouth. (Mary Bouth was born about 1639 and died about 1672 in Anne Arundel Co., MD.)

Mareen next married Susannah Marie Brassuer about 1673. (Susannah Marie Brassuer was born in 1652 and died in 1692 in Anne Arundel Co., MD.)