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Why I show that Mary Hudnall married Benjamin Cottman
and Elizabeth Hudnall married Edward White
Most sources on the family of John Hudnall and Mary Webb, of Northumberland Co, Virginia, indicate that their daughter Mary Hudnall married Edward White and Elizabeth Hudnall married Benjamin Cottman.  I disagree, based on the evidence presented below.  Most of the published research has been on the Hudnall and Sanders Families, to which Mary and Elizabeth are collateral lines of secondary interest.  By this, I mean no offense, nor criticism; but I believe that a further investigation of the evidence is needed.  The family is outlined here:

John Hudnall (c.1608- 24 Aug 1658) married Mary Webb (1625-c1683) They moved from England to Isle of Wight Co, Va, about 1645, and then before 1655 to Northumberland, Va, purchasing 500 acres from Thomas Saffell of New England 20 Nov 1655.  Mary married in May, 1660, Edward Sanders (b.10 Aug 1625; will dated 4 Oct 1669, proved 19 Jun 1672 ), and after 1672 William Thomas (d.1678).  She is sometimes called Mary Partain, based upon the name of her second son, but she is identified as the sister of Thomas Webb.  Birth years are estimates, and birth order unproven.
. 1.  John Hudnall (c.1645) m.25 Jan 1669/70 Margaret Downing; m.5 June 1677 Alice Genesis 
 . 2.  Partain Hudnall (c.1647) will dated 4 Dec 1698, proved 16 Feb 1703/4, Northumberland Co.
 . 3.  Thomas Hudnall (c. 1655-after1669)   
 . 4.  Mary Hudnall (c.1657-aft.1708) married before Dec 1671 Benjamin Cottman
. 6.  Henry Harry Hudnall (c.1658-1693)
 . 7.  Elizabeth Hudnall (c.1659) married before Sep 1680 Edward White (d.1686)
 . 8.  Ebenezer Sanders (1661-after 1693) m.c1686 Elizabeth (Presley?)
. 9.  John Sanders (1662-1700) m(1) Mary Risle; m(2) Sarah Hargrave
10.  Edward Sanders (c1663-c1739) m.c1685 Elizabeth (Teel?) 

. . . Mary Webb Hudnall Sanders Thomas apparently died in the late 1683 or January 1683/4.  on 16 Jan 1683/4, Ebenezer Sanders and Edward Sanders, sons of Mary Thomas, deceased, were made administrators of her estate, Edward White and Thomas Hobson Sr were additional sureties. (Northumberland County Court Order Book 1678-1699, p.211)  Thomas Hobson Sr was her nephew.  He married Sarah Webb, daughter of Thomas Webb, who died about 1659 in Northumberland.

. . . On 19 Sep 1684 Edward White and Benjamin Cotman sued Ebenezer and Edward Sanders, administrators of the estate of Mary Thomas (who had been administrator of her husband William Thomas) for their wives' share of her estate. (Northumberland County Court Order Book 1678-1699, p.244)  That record states "Suit of Edwd White and Benj Cotman Husbands of Mary, and Elizabeth daughters of Mrs. Mary Thomas, for their share of the said Mary's Estate..."  This has been interpreted to mean that Edward White married Mary and Benjamin Cotman married Elizabeth, because of the order of the names.  But standard wording of the era would have been "suit of Edward White in the right of his wife Mary and Benjamin Cotman in the right of his wife Elizabeth, daughters of Mrs. Mary Thomas..."  So it would appear that the person writing the record may not have known which was which.  And Benjamin's wife was Mary from 1671 on, so if he had married Elizabeth Hudnall, and she died, and he then married Mary, of a different family, that would have been worded "...in the right of his former wife Elizabeth, deceased,..."  This is, in fact, the ONLY reference to the wives of Edward and Benjamin that could be interpreted that way.  And it could be interpreted the other way.

. . . Benjamin's wife was Mary in 1674: "Banjamin Cottman the sonne of Benjamin Cottman was born of Mary his wife at Wiccocomoco ye 29th day of March Annoque Domini one thousand six hundred seaventy and five" (Somerset County MD GenWeb Early Vital Records [1666-1699])  Mary is also shown as the mother of their sons Joseph and Nathaniel.  And in all of the land deeds in Somerset County, Md, in which Benjamin sells land, his wife is shown as Mary.

. . . Benjamin Cottman of Somerset County, Maryland, is identified as the man involved here, and not another Benjamin Cottman, because Somerset County records on 29 Dec 1671, show that Edward Sanders, Sr, Mary Hudnall's stepfather, assigned his interest in an indentured servant "unto my Sonne in Law Benjamin Cottman" (Somerset County Maryland Judicial Records 1671-1675, p.98)  

. . . On 10 May 1666, Josias Draper received 500 acres of land in Northumberland Co. for importing 10 persons: Thomas White and his wife, Edw. White, Tho. White, Joane White, Anne White, Hanna White, Wm. Fowler, Jos. Draper, and Tho. Draper. (Order Book Abstracts of Northumberland County, Virginia 1665-1669, p.19)

. . . On 15 Sep 1680, the court recorded: "Whereas it appears to this Court by the Oaths of John Kirke, William Rich and Robert Frampton  That Robert Trusteene and James Love, Surgeons, did carry away a Chest of medicines which did properly belong to the said Trusteen and where by the oaths of Elizabeth White, and Thomas Draper a Chest of medicines left at the house of Edward White by the said Love, was owned by Love, to be, and called Trusteen's Chest ....[Love ordered to deliver the chest to Trusteene and pay a fine.]" (Northumberland County Court Order Book 1678-1699, p.75) This does not specifically identify Elizabeth as Edward's wife, but it is implied.  It also indicates a continued connection between the White and Draper families.  No other record of Edward White has been found that shows the name of any wife.

. . . On 19 Mar 1686/7, a suit against Edward White for debt was dismissed and entered as a claim against his estate.  Col. John Carter was appointed administrator of Edward's estate on 5 Oct 1687. (Northumberland County Court Order Book 1678-1699, p.406) 

. . . Therefore, I maintain that the 1684 law suit is ambiguous in identifying the wives of Benjamin Cottman and Edward White.  No record has been found of Benjamin's wife as Elizabeth. While there is good evidence that Benjamin's wife was Mary.   And there is better evidence that Edward's wife was Elizabeth than Mary.  For this reason, I submit that Mary Hudnall married Benjamin Cottman and Elizabeth Hudnall married Edward White.
Another, often quoted source, A Somerset Sampler, 1994, by Pauline Batchelder, says that Benjamin married before 1684 Mary Thomas, daughter of William and Elizabeth Thomas of Northumberland County, Va. But it lacks documentation, and appears to be yet another misinterpretation of the law suit over Mary Webb Hudnall Sanders Thomas' estate, cited above.

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