Family talk:Samuel Gaskill and Bethiah Wooden (1)

Wrong Bethiah [23 March 2009]

Many sources identify the wife of Samuel Gaskill as Bethiah Gardner, the d/o of Lt. Thomas Gardner and his first wife Hannah, including Source:Gardner, Frank A. Thomas Gardner, Planter, and Some of His Descendants, p. 27. This same source says Bethiah was baptized "26 : 1 : 1654" [26 Mar 1654], which would make Bethiah nearly 10 years older than her husband. This is enough of an oddity as to require some justification, but none is given. Source:The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, p. 120:159 has the query of a frustrated researcher that gives a longer list of genealogies that have perpetuated this apparent myth.

Source:Gaskill genealogy, p. 8, seems to present two formidable pieces of evidence that Samuel's wife was actually Bethiah Wooden, d/o John Wooden of Haverhill, Beverly, and eventually, Ipswich. First, there is quoted there a release given by "Bethiah Gaskell, of Salem, widow, and daughter of John Woodin formerly of Haverhill, mason and bricklayer, dec'd." later mentioning again "my father John Woodin, dec'd.". Second, the will of Samuel Gaskill names as his brother-in-law John Wooden, Jr. --Jrich 13:54, 23 March 2009 (EDT)