Which Ruth Calkins Married Whom?

  Genealogy well done. Exemplary WeRelate page with excellent use of original sources.

Pages for two Ruth Calkins were posted, citing Source:Sharps, Turney. Calkins Family Manuscript as the source. This is a typed manuscript by Helen Turney Sharps, a descendant of Hezekiah Caulkins (1764-1825). This article reviews that manuscript, presents additional evidence and explains the most likely conclusion.

Person:Ruth Calkins (3), daughter of Elisha Calkins

Sketch #33 on p. 52:

76. ELISHA CAULKINS, b. Norwich 5 June 1738; d.

Son Hugh & Phebe (Abell) Caulkins

m. Norwich, Conn. 16 Mar. 1757 Mary Swaddel, who d. Norwich 20 Feb. 1769

...

Children all born at Norwich

...

Ruth b. 23 Feb. 1766 Probably this is her marriage: - Franklin Church rec., p. 47: - 19 Feb. 1793 Ruth Calkins to James Tracy.

Person:Ruth Calkins (8), daughter of Amos Calkins

Sketch #72 on p. 112:

82. AMOS CALKINS, b. 27 Nov. 1734; d. (Hyde Gen. 2/958 says he was bapt. New London on 20 Apr. 1735 and drowned at Hope Ferry, New London 30 Jun 1762)

Son Amos & Mary (Caulkins) Calkins

m. prehaps [sic] Jedidah ---

This man left no males [sic] heirs

Children:-

Ruth, b. N.L. 16 Mar 1766 (rec. as child of Amos & Jedidiah Caulkins.)

New London rec. give this marriage :-

9 Dec. 1790 Ruth Calkins m. David son Jonathan Crocker and m. 2nd 6 July 1797, as the widow Crocker, Roger Manwaring.

This has been given as the marriage of Ruth, b. 22 Feb. 1766 dau. Elisha & Mary (Swaddel) Calkins, who were Norwich people.

The Genealogical Issues

• The first issue is that the two girls were born less than a month apart in two towns in the same county (about 15 miles apart), so inherently hard to distinguish.
• There is not a complete set of records presented. So a couple of snapshots have been arranged into a proposed genealogical scenario with some amount of assumption that is not explicitly identified, and confirming records seemingly non-existant.
• The text seems to contradict the presentation making it unclear exactly what is being presented.

Missing Records

• There seems to be no probate for either father, nor deed, documenting who their daughter married. It seems to be entirely assumption based on their birth location matching where the husband lived.
• No death record for David Crocker has been found, so it is not known if his wife was available to marry, and it is not explained how it is known that it was his widow that married Roger Manwaring.
• The marriage record to Roger Manwaring has not been located, and it is not clear how much of "widow Ruth Crocker" is assumed and how much is explicit in the record.
• The death record of Ruth Manwaring has not been found, nor any evidence that Roger Manwaring actually married (except the aforementioned marriage record that has not been found).

Contradictory text

One would guess by the arrangement of marriages, that the text given on p. 112 was mis-edited into saying the opposite of what was intended. It probably should say something like:

This has been given by some sources, e.g., <author should provide a sample> as the marriage of Ruth, b. 22 Feb 1766 dau. Elisha & Mary (Swaddel) Calkins, who were Norwich people. However, it is more likely this marriage belongs to the Ruth who was born in New London where the marriage occurred.

However, any time a text contradicts itself, it raises doubts about the credibility of the presentation, and requires consulting the primary records.

Further research

First, Source:Calkins, Kenneth W. Calkins Family in America would appear to be a updated genealogy that is probably preferred to the above. On p. 23, it shows Elisha's daughter Ruth m. James Tracy, and on p. 34, it shows Amos' daughter Ruth m. (1) David Crocker, m. (2) Roger Manwaring, she dying 17 Jan 1854. It has removed the "probably" and confusion of the Sharps manuscript, but has added nothing new and cites absolutely no sources.

Vital Records

Norwich = Source:Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States. Vital Records of Norwich, 1659-1848

NewLondon = Source:Connecticut, United States. Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records, for New London (NEHGS page numbering)

Bailey = Source:Bailey, Frederic W. Early Connecticut Marriages as Found on Ancient Church Records Prior to 1800

Franklin = Source:Connecticut, United States. Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records, for Franklin (NEHGS page numbering)

Bozrah = Source:Connecticut, United States. Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records, for Bozrah (NEHGS page numbering)

FindAGrave Source:Find A Grave

Birth of Ruth Calkins

• [NewLondon, p. 45] Calkins, Ruth, d. Amos & Jedidiah, b. Mar. 16, 1766 [3:124]
• [Norwich, p. 344] Naomy & Ruth ye twin Daughters of Elisha Colkin & of Mary his Wife were Born February 22'nd 1766.

Records of David Crocker from NewLondon, p. 79-80

• Crocker, David, s. [Jonathan & Jane], b. Nov. 1, 1767 [3:31].
• Crocker, David m. Ruth Calkins, Dec. 9, 1790 [3:124].
• Crocker, David, s. [David & Ruth], b. Sept. 26, 1792 [3:124].

Records of James Tracy

• [Bailey, Vol. 4, p. 84 (Norwich-Franklin)] James Tracy & Ruth Calkins, Feb. 19, 1792.
• [Franklin, p. 72] Tracy, Eliza, d. James & Ruth, b. Oct. 9, 1792, d. Apr. 16, 1799 [1:62].

Record of Roger Manwaring

• [NewLondon, p. 202] Manwaring, Roger, s. [Christopher & Deborah], b. Aug. 27, 1758 [3:80].
• [FindAGrave, Roger Manwaring] Memorial page gives death 11 Mar 1836 age 79, can only read March from picture.

NYGBR

The following article from the Source:New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (New York Genealogical and Biographical Society), Parkhurst, Charles D. "Manwaring Family Genealogy", Vol. 51, p. 320 came out in 1920, so long predates either of the above two genealogies (comments in brackets have been added trying to highlight possible/probably areas of assumption):

"89. Roger⁴ Manwaring, b. Aug. 27, 1758, at New London; d. March --, 1836, at Waterford, Conn.; m. July 6, 1797, at New London, Conn., to the widow Ruth Crocker (1) [note: unable to locate marriage record] (possibly daughter of Amos Calkins and widow of David Crocker [note use of word possibly]), b. ---; d. Jan. 17, 1854 [note: no source for this death date has been located yet, Roger's gravestone has no wife associated with it]. Children: 5 (Manwaring), 4 sons and 1 daughter, viz.: 135 i. Elisha⁵, b. May 21, 1798; d. ---; not m. [note that the first son is named Elisha!] 136 ii. Silas⁵, b. Feb. 10, 1800. 137 iii. Asa ⁵, b. April 11,1802; d. ---; m. a Widow Crocker. 138 iv. Ezra⁵, b. April 22, 1804. 139 v. Mary⁵. Authority:-(1) Town Records show that a David Crocker m. Dec. 9, 1790,to Ruth Calkins (daughter of Amos Calkins) [somehow we lost the "possibly" qualifier?] and had a son David Crocker, b. Sept. 26, 1792, and there the record stops. Possibly ["possibly", i.e., the next two sentences are speculation, not fact] the above referred to "widow" Ruth Crocker was the same Ruth (Calkins) Crocker who m. David Crocker, and after his death, m. as her second husband Roger⁴ Manwaring on July 6, 1797. If so then the maiden name of Roger⁴ Manwaring's wife was Ruth Calkings, dau. of Amos Calkins whose further antecedents are not known. No other Ruth Crocker, as a wife, or possible widow has been found in the Crocker family."

Original New London records

It turns out that looking at the original New London records is very useful. It might be noted that Ruth Calkins, d/o Amos, and the marriage to David Crocker, and the birth of son David all appear on page 3:124 of New London records, which may be viewed here, and where three consecutive entries give the following:

Ruth, the Daughter of Amos Calkins and Jedidah his Wife, was born March 16th 1766.

David Crocker & Ruth Calkins were married Dec'r 9th 1790.

David, their Son, was born Sep'r 26th 1792.

The context of sequentialness is completely lost in the alphabetized Barbour transcription, and hence we have lost some very useful evidence.

Also note that both Barbour and the Sharps manuscript have mistranscribed the wife's name as Jedediah instead of Jedidah.

Waterford Probate

Vol. 10, p. 86 On 11 Apr 1836, the inventory of Roger Manwaring Dec'd is presented in court, totaling $762. A piece of tape obscures bottom line of the page, presumably containing the name of the administrator swearing to the truthfulness of the inventory.

Vol. 12, p. 84 21 Feb 1854: A statement that David Crocker was appointed administrator of Roger Manwaring late of Waterford on 23 Jan 1854 for the purpose of selling the estate to pay the debts, which was done to Thomas R Crocker of Brooklyn, NY, for $620.

21 Feb 1854: Receipt given to David Crocker administrator of Roger Manwaring late of Waterford deceased for $1 in full of all demands against the estate. Signed by [?]. G. Latimer, Rev. H. A. Latimer, Asa Manwaring, Ezra Manwaring.

[Note: pre-conditioned by the scenarios above, it appears that the disposal of the estate of Roger Manwaring waited until the widow died, at which point her oldest son (from her first marriage) administrated, paying his half-siblings.]

David Crocker, the son

From [NewLondon, p. 80]

• Crocker, David, s. [David & Ruth], b. Sept. 26, 1792 [3:124].

From New London Probate Vol. 13, p. 384

• Will of "David Crocker of the Town and county of New London", dated 20 Jul 1857, proved 3 Oct 1860, gives whole estate to wife Ruth, naming her executrix.
• [p. 386] Inventory taken 8 Oct 1860: $930.

FindAGrave

• David Crocker s/o David and Ruth, d. 23 Sep 1793 aged 1 year.
• Dea. David Crocker b. 22 Oct 1794, d. 25 Sep 1860.
• Ruth Crocker wife of Deacon David Crocker, d. 31 Aug 1882 in 97th year.

Conclusion

With the context added by the original New London records, and the connection between Roger Manwaring and David Crocker suggested by the probate file, it seems very likely the scenario in the newer Calkins Genealogy is correct. There are still many records missing that if found would add greatly to the confidence level in this conclusion.