Harry Wright Newman in Anne Arundel Gentry stated that the wife of Edward 
GAITHER, born 20 Dec. 1714, son of Benjmain GAITHER and Sarah BURGESS
was Eleanor, the widow WHITTLE.  He offered no proof of this or reasons why he
believed this.  He also stated that nothing else was known of her identity.1

The evidence is that Edward GAITHER's wife Eleanor, and the widow Eleanor
WHITTLE are NOT the same person.  The inventory of John WHITTLE was taken
in Anne Arundel County on 2 Oct. 1749, with his widow Eleanor as administratrix. 
The inventory was approved by John WHITTLE, Junr. and Rachel WHITTLE as
next of kin.2 Elinor WHITTLE's account of his estate was made on 12 Nov. 1750
with his representatives listed as herself, the widow, and children Rachel
THACKRELL wife of John THACKRELL, John, Hester, Sophia, and Richard, the
last four all under age.3 

As John Jr. signed the inventory in 1749, he had to have been at least age 14
at that time, and Rachel was probably about 16 to have married between 1749
when she approved the inventory and the 1750 account. Having children as early
as about 1734, she could not be the same Eleanor, wife of Edward GAITHER, who
was having children as late as about 1769, a span of 35 years.

On 12 Aug. 1738 John WHITTEL, cordwainer, purchased an unnamed tract of 50
acres, from John MACCUBBIN, being adjacent to the tracts Freemans Fancy
and Abbington.4 Rent Rolls show this tract to have been part of
Snowden's Reputation Supported, listing that John WHITTELL purchased 50
acres (by the name of South Run) from John MACCUBBIN on 12 Aug. 1738.5 

On 6 May 1749 Edward GAITHER, son of Edward, sold to John RIDGELY
150 acres, part of the tract Gaither's Collection. His wife Sarah GAITHER
relinquished dower.6

On 14 Feb. 1750 [1750/1] Edward GAITHER [wife Sarah relinquished dower] sold
to Eleanor WHITTLE, widow, 100 acres, part of Freeman's Fancy, adjacent
to John WHITTLE's land and the tract Abington.7

On 14 May 1752 Edward GAITHER, son of Edward, sold to Vachel WHITE,
140 acres, part of the tract Gaither's Collection. His wife Sarah GAITHER
relinquished dower.8

The 1755 Anne Arundel Co., MD rent rolls showed that the tract Freeman's Fancy
of 300 acres, along with other tracts, were all now designated as the 1033 acre
tract  Gaither's Collections.9  At that time the possessors of the tract were:
Edward GAITHER, son of Edward	 643 acres
John RIDGELY		 	 150 acres
Vachel WHITE			 140 acres
Cornelius BARRY			 100 acres
total			        1033 acres

As listed above, RIDGELY and WHITE had both purchased the parts they possessed. 
The 100 acres possessed by Cornelius BARRY would be identical to the 100 acres
sold to Eleanor WHITTLE, widow, in 1751 as part of Freeman's Fancy.

In the same 1755 rent roll the possessor's of the tract Snowden Reputation
Supported were:10
Gerard HOPKINS		  		 20 acres
Thomas RUTLAND				496 acres
Elijah GREEN				255 acres
Benjamin WILLIAMS, son of Joseph	 67 acres
Gideon GARRY  John POLSON		250 acres
Ann Arundel Trinity School		150 acres
Richard SNOWDEN				514 acres
Cornelius BARRY			   	 50 acres
John WILMOT				377 1/2 acres
Henry BATEMAN			  	 77 1/2 acres
total			               2257 acres

There are no land records of Cornelius BARRY purchasing the 50 acres of
Snowden Reputation Supported that had been acquired in 1738 by John
WHITTLE, or of BARRY purchasing the 100 acres of Gaither's Collection
(Freeman's Fancy) that John WHITTLE's widow Eleanor purchased in 1751.  
The implication is that for Cornelius BARRY to possess in 1755 the separate
tracts of both John WHITTLE and of his widow Eleanor, that Cornelius BARRY
had married Eleanor between 1751 and 1755.


1. Harry Wright Newman, Anne Arundel Gentry, (Annapolis, MD: Newman, 1970),
   Volume One, p. 97 [image 106 of 507].
2. John Whittle inventory, MD inventories 43:62-64.
3. John Whittle account MD accounts 29:63-65.
4. Anne Arundel Co., MD deeds R.D. No. 3: 90-91, FHL microfilm 0,013,212.
5. Leslie & Neil Keddie, Land Office Rent Rolls Anne Arundel County, Maryland,
   Folios 116-171, Volume #3, (Salisbury, MD: The Family Tree Bookshop,
   2002), 39.
6. Anne Arundel Co., MD deeds R..B. No. 3:111-113, FHL microfilm 0,013,214.
7. Anne Arundel Co., MD deeds R.B. No. 3:352-353, FHL microfilm 0,013,214.
8. Anne Arundel Co., MD deeds R.B. No. 3:476-477, FHL microfilm 0,013,214.
9. Calvert Papers, MD Historical Society, Anne Arundel Co., MD Rent Rolls 1755, 
   p. 70, FHL microfilm 1,685,854.
10. Calvert Papers, Anne Arundel Co. 1755 Rent Rolls, p. 62.