1 Ames, ed., County Court Records of Accomack-Northampton, 307, 311, 320, 350, 382, 287, 407 (1643).

2 The most comprehensive quantitative study is still that of Philip Bruce, who obtained the following results from wills and depositions:

 

 

Proportion Signing by Mark

 

 

Total Population

Women Only

County

Period

Deeds

Depositions

All Documents

Lower Norfolk

1646-98

48.4

51.8

80.3

Isle of Wight

1643-1700

45.3

53.7

89.4

Surry

1652-84

48.8

63.2

83.0

Henrico

1677-97

50.7

63.3

67.1

Elizabeth City

1693-99

32.3

66.7

64.4

York

1657-1700

44.9

63.5

75.1

Middlesex

1673-1700

34.6

n.a.

66.6

Essex

1692-99

46.7

53.8

84.1

Lancaster

1652-97

32.3

37.9

56.3

Rappahannock

1654-99

49.3

n.a.

77.8

Northumberland

1652-77

47.6

52.4

83.0

Westmoreland

1653-77

36.6

68.4

67.3

Northampton

1647-98

38.2

53.3

68.5

Accomac

1641-97

49.3

61.7

73.7

All Counties

1641-1700

45.3

57.6

75.3

The sample was 13,135 for deeds; 2,376 for depositions; and 3,066 women; computed from data in Bruce, Institutional History of Virginia, I, 458.