Family:Ebenezer Richardson and Catherine Unknown (1)

Ebenezer's wife Catherine died in Billerica 19 Jan 1783 per the Vital Records. Her identity is an open question.

Source:Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, p. 1:475, identifies Catherine as "widow of Increase Wyman". Source:Hazen, Henry Allen. History of Billerica, Massachusetts : With a Genealogical Register, Genealogical Register, p. 167, says Increase Wyman, s/o Increase Wyman, b. Woburn 4 Jun 1732, wife was Catherine ---. He "disappears from tax-list in 1773, and was in Charlestown after 1784." His seven younger children were all baptized together, 5 Dec 1773. It sounds like something happened in 1773, and if that was when Increase died, that would work with a marriage of Catherine to Ebenezer Richardson in 1776. But if he did turn up in Charlestown in 1784, it would make the identification of Catherine's husband incorrect. (Source:Wyman, Thomas Bellows. Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1629-1818, p. 2:1058, says an Increase Wyman is taxed in Charlestown "1784, 1786, 1788, 1789, 1791, 1794, 1795" and also identifies him as Increase, s/o Increase, b. 1732, though has no other information than that he "had [a] family".) There doesn't seem to be marriage or death record for Increase Wyman, but the first child is daughter "Kathrine", b. Billerica 14 Nov 1755.

Although Source:Vinton, John Adams. Richardson Memorial is confused about Ebenezer's marriages, in his coverage of the wrong Ebenezer, p. 244, he identifies the wife Catherine as "Catharine (Tufts) Wyman, widow of Nathaniel Wyman". Burlington VRs show that Nathaniel Wyman died 2 Apr 1776 at age 49 (born about 1727, probably the Nathaniel b. Woburn 15 Jan 1727, s/o Timothy and Hannah Wyman). This death in 1776 matches well with Catherine's marriage to Ebenezer. A Nathan Wyman and Catharine Tufts of Medford marry in Woburn 2 Jul 1772. In Medford, William Tufts, Jr., dies 24 May 1771. William Tufts, Jr., had married 10 Jan 1749/50 a Catharine Tufts. Catherine appears to be the daughter of William Tufts and Catherine Wyman, b. 1734, and William appears to be William Tufts, s/o John Tufts and Sarah ---, b. 1727 (see, for example, Source:Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, p. 2:119, and Source:Brooks, Charles. History of the Town of Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, p. 568), but this is far from clear...

1. ↑ Foster, F. Apthorp (ed.). Vital Records of Billerica, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1908)
   304.

   RICHARDSON, Ebenezer, and Cahtrine Wyman of Woburn, Dec. 12, 1776, in Woburn.

2.   Johnson, Edward F. Woburn Records of Births, Deaths, and Marriages . (Woburn, Massachusetts: Andrews, Cutler & Co., 1890-1919)
   Vol. 3, p. 232.

   Ebenezer Richardson of Billerica and Catharine Wyman of Woburn, Dec. 12, 1776.