Germans and Women

I've been doing a reanalysis of my family history data at Roots Magic and adding more detail to some vague sources. I have been focusing on my German lines. Much research has already been done on these lines. I am doing my best to verify what has been done. There really is a lot to look at and consider. Since much of this info is not sourced it's not alway easy to track down. Luckily many of the males left detailed wills. The family female lines are more difficult. Females seldom appear in early records which makes tracing their families difficult.

 A case in point Maria Eva born about 1713, maiden name believed to Bear? She married  Johannes Ludwick Zirkle. She and her husband lived in Telford, Pennsylvania before his death in 1746.  After his death she relocated to then Augusta County, Virginia with her children. I find her very interesting because she is one of the few female ancestors mentioned in early local records. 

I am trying to verify that Maria Eve's maiden name was Bear or Bare. Her name was recorded as Bear in a Zirkle Association newsletter published many years ago. No source for this info was provided. I've searched using google for any new info regarding this. Many people continue to use Bear as her maiden name, but no one has provided any sources. Doing some more research at the website for the Virginia State Library, the Memory Project, I found a grant conveyed to her in 1755 for 54 acres in Augusta County, VA. A John Bare was a neighbor. Eve Sircle also is mentioned in volume 3 of  The Chronicles of the Scotch Irish Settlement in Virginia by Lyman Chalkley. The references in  this book also regard land transactions, one of which I have a copy of (the one I found at the state library site). The other property reference refers to a patent for 130 acres which was transferred to her by John Bair in 1761. Her eldest son's name is said to be Michael Sircle.

Since Maria Eve did not migrate to Virginia with her husband, she must have traveled there with her family. Since she did live next to a John Bare, and had land conveyed to her by him, maybe he was indeed a relative? I have not been able to locate the deed for 130 acres yet, that may provide some additional info. Someone at ancestry.com gave her father's name as Jack Bear. They did not provide any source for this either? It would be nice to have a source for her maiden name. The record survival rate for this area is pretty good so there could be a solution eventually.