Joan Seychelles

Joan Abell (nee Seychelles) (1540-1585), was born to Nicholas Seychelles I and Katherine Seychelles I. She was the fifth of thirteen children. Her siblings include: Nicholas Seychelles II (1532-1568), John Seychelles III (1538-1557), Cuthbert Seychelles (1543-1550), Frances Seychelles (1546-1561), James Seychelles II (1548-1559), Elinor Seychelles (1548-1565), Leonard Seychelles (1550-1584), and Katherine "Kat" Seychelles II (1552-1593).

Early Life

Joan was born in London, England with two surviving older siblings: Nicholas II and John. She was close in age to John and was closest to him, though his best friend was always their eldest brother, Nicholas. Later, when her younger brother: Cuthbert, was born, they became close. His death at age 7 (when she was 10), shattered her. She spent her time living in a flat above the Mayfair Post along with her family. She was born the year her father's boss died so grew up with her father as the sole owner of the post and constantly busy. As a result, she saw very little of her father, especially as a girl. She grew close with her mother as a result, despite some coldness in her early years (the early losses of older sisters Denise and Elizabeth taught both her parents to be wary of getting attached until older years). She learned to sew, play the harp and even a few things about the press. She also unusually learned how to write and read, something rare in the day, but not surprising as she was the daughter of a post man. She also learned a few conversational pieces of French, but hardly a lot. All of this except for the reading and writing (her mother was pretty much illiterate) was taught by her mother in home schooling.

After Cuthbert's death and her mother's two years later, Joan slowly became the main female caregiver in the household until Sally Klineston married into the family. Sally continued to teach her, but most of her knowledge came from her mother's tutelage. She helped Sally teach her younger siblings as well. When she was fourteen, she contracted chicken pox and nearly died, but was nursed back to health by Sally which helped grow a strong bond between the two of them. They became something akin to sisters.

Mid Life

Joan was described as very beautiful, with "looks rivaling the royal princess'". Her eyes and hair were her best features and she got a lot of attention from courters, even high class ones. As a result, she had quite the pick of suitors and ultimately chose an army man five years her senior. He had already made his name by saving his general after taking a bullet (and as a result had undiagnosed tinnitus) which lodged itself in his skull, nearly killing him. The doctors opted not to take out the bullet but he had a scar which was especially attractive to Joan. His name was Edward Abell, and they started courting when she was 17 and he, 22. He received her father's blessing before his death. They married shortly after her eighteenth birthday. Her father's death affected her and Edwards' being there for her was the determining factor in he wanting to marry him.

During the marriage, Edward didn't give up his military career, so she was frequently in London, alone. Later, after he was promoted to Brigadier, she started travelling with him, but this wasn't for many years. They had many children, usually conceived during his leave. They are listed as follows: Edward Abell II (1559-1582), Charles Abell (1560-1599), Charlotte Abell (1564-1565), Isabel Abell (1566-1581), Ellen Abell (1570-1574), Elizabeth Abell (1571-1571), Joyce Abell (Stillbirth)(1576), and Thomas Abell (1577-1597). Joan's various siblings helped her look after the children, as did her mother in law whom she remained close with after her father's death.

Later Life

Edward was promoted to Brigadier in 1573, at 38. After this, he was allowed to take his wife and children with him to battle sites, which he did. Joan got a first hand look at wars, as did their children. Unfortunately, often times it got too close, and one incident with a misfired rifle killed their daughter Ellen. This prompted a fight between both parents about the war zone not being safe for young children. Reluctantly, as a result of this, Isabel and Thomas were sent away. This meant both never got to really know their parents, especially Thomas. Both were sent to live with Joan's youngest sister and only living sibling at the time: Kat in 1576. She was young, recently married and with children of her own, but she took in Joan's son and daughter without complaint, even though Thomas was a newborn and nearly died of an illness on the journey to her. Edward II and Charles were deemed old enough to stay, especially since they were boys, and Edward wanted them to see the front line: a career he hoped they would one day have for themselves.

Edward II took his father's advice, and enlisted in the army at 18. While there, he married an army nurse: Constance Mauntell. They had a few children. Unfortunately, Edward II died in action in 1582, at the age of 23, devastating his mother and father.

Edward I had another close brush with death in 1580, this time because of a Typhoid Epidemic in the ranks. It infected him, and he nearly died as he was 44, a surprisingly old age for the time. However, he recovered. When Edward got leave, he and Joan would go on vacation for lack of a better word, and rarely stopped to see their children. After leaving their son and daughter in Kat's hands, they visited them just twice. They didn't even hear of Isabel's untimely death until 9 months after it'd occurred. By this time, Joan had fallen incredibly ill with cholera and barely digested the news. She ended up almost dying in 1582. She survived but health complications killed her in 1585.

Legacy

After her death, Edward was too grief stricken to remarry - something very rare for the day. After it, he invited his son Thomas to come travelling with him, uprooting him from his life in London. The two met for the first time since his birth, but the relationship grew hostile due to underlying resentment on Thomas' side. Edward had certain expectations from his son, including that he would one day join the army as both his brother's had. Thomas, however, was more interested in scholarly sorts of things, like his grandfather had been. This led to a falling out, and Thomas cursed his mother and fathers name.