Family:John Hubbard and Mary Unknown (2)

The Identity of the Wife of John Hubbard

Some secondary sources claim that she was one Mary Merriam, sister of Joseph, George and Robert Merriam of County Kent and Concord, Massachusetts. Edward Day, in One Thousand Years of Hubbard History, p. 213, states, 'It is claimed by some of his descendants that he lived a few years in Concord, Mass., with the Merriams, relatives of his wife, Mary Merriam.' He follows with this footnote: 'It is difficult to identify the parents of this 'Mary,' unless he married the sister of Robert Merriam, the universal belief. According to English parish records, however, Robert had no sister 'Mary.' William and Sara Meriam of Hadlowe, Kent, Eng., had children Joseph, George, and Robert (who came to Concord, Mass.) Susan, Margaret, Joane and Sara. They may have had a daughter Mary whose record of birth has evaded investigators. Joseph (eldest) had wife Sarah (Stone, dau Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass.), and children Joseph, William, Sarah, Elizabeth and John. George (second) had wife Susan Raven and children Elizabeth, Samuel, Hannah, Abigail, Sarah and Susannah. Robert (third) and Mary (Sheafe) Merriam had no children. (The latter couple are buried in the Old Hill Cemetery in Concord in the Hubbard burial plot. She d July 22, 1693, aged 72, and he Feb 15, 1681, aged 72—tombstone standing-1894). Bond's Genealogies and History of Watertown, Mass., says: 'His wife's name does not appear in the records, but he was a brother-in-law of Deacon Robert Merriam of Concord.' It would thus seem that she was the sister of Joseph, George, and Deacon Robert Merriam."

Fred Jackson stated that "The wife's name was probably Merriam, since her son Jonathan inherited a farm in Concord, Mass., on the death of his Uncle, Deacon Robert Merriam." Mr. Jackson cites Bond's Watertown but also cites Putnam's Historical Magazine, 6:50, "… where reasons are stated for the belief that Mary may have been related to Mary (Sheafe) Merriam, the wife of Robert Merriam."

Ms. Leavitt, in the Hubbard article in Putnam's, states, "Jonathan Hubbard, son of John and Mary Hubbard, was born in Weathersfield, Conn., Jan. 3, 1659. He must have been a lad when he went to Concord, Mass., to live with his uncle, Robert Merriam, as is shown by this passage in his uncle's will, Dec. 10, 1681: 'I bequeath to my cosen, Jonathan Hubbard, who lives with me, 20 shillings.' Mrs. Mary (Sheafe) Merriam, widow of Robert Merriam, in her will of Feb. 11, 1686-7, says: 'I give my cosen, Jonathan Hubbard, who lives in my house, all my housings and lands in Concord which my late husband gave me and the meadow I bought of John Miller, and the wood lot.' She also bequeaths to 'my brother, Jacob Sheafe's daughter.' Robert Merriam had married Mary, daughter of Edmund Sheafe, of Cranbrook, Co. Kent, Eng., where she was baptized Sept. 20, 1620. On their arrival in New England they first settled in Charlestown, Mass.; thence removed to Concord. Her brother, Jacob Sheafe, was in Wethersfield, Conn., and on the purchase of his lands by George Hubbard, he removed to Boston, Mass. The fact of this purchase and that Mrs. Mary (Sheafe) Merriam gave all her lands in Concord to her nephew, Jonathan Hubbard, seems to point to Mary, wife of John and mother of Jonathan Hubbard, as coming from the Sheafe rather than the Merriam family."

The will of William Mirriam, of Hadlow, County Kent (father of Joseph, George and Robert Merriam, the immigrants), dated 8 September 1635, quoted in Pope's genealogy of the Merriam Family, does not mention a daughter Mary.

The most likely conclusion is that Mary, wife of John Hubbard, was not the sister of Joseph, George and Robert Merriam of Concord.

1. ↑ 1. John Hubbard, in Boltwood, Lucius M. (Lucius Manlius). Genealogies of Hadley Families: Embracing the Early Settlers of the Towns of Hatfield, South Hadley, Amherst and Granby. (Northampton, Massachusetts: Metcalf & Company, Printers, 1862)
   73.

   "Hubbard, John, s. of George of Wethersfield, Milford and Guilford, Ct. … m. Mary (perhaps Merriam of Concord) who survived him."