Re: Roans of North Carolina
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In reply to:
Re: Roans of North Carolina
Lloyd Holbrook 10/14/10
Lloyd,
Sorry for not responding sooner. I'm not clear yet on all of these Roans but I do know that an orphan may have lost only a father, not necessarily a mother also. Children up to age 16 and sometimes older were considered to need male guardians even if their mothers were still alive. This was because women seldom had resources to support their children, and even if they did, they were not considered capable -- being women -- of managing money or property. Rarely did a man think enough of his wife's abilities to name her in his will as the executor, much less the guardian of his children. So Jennett Roan may have been very much alive when her children were named "orphans." At the moment I am working on a different family but when I get back to the Roans, I will continue to search for documents and will let you know what I find. Thanks for your help. Sandra