Family:Samuel Thompson and Elizabeth Billings (1)

Some sources suggest Elizabeth is "perhaps the daughter Roger, of Dorchester" (e.g., this is taken from Source:Burrage, Henry Sweetser. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, p. 3:1317). However, Roger's daughter was born in Dorchester in 1659 (Source:Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States. Dorchester Births, Marriages, and Deaths to the End of 1825, p. 7), which doesn't match the age at death of Elizabeth Tompson, 69 in 1706, giving a birth about 1637 (NEHGR, p. 88:152).

Source:Weis, Frederick Lewis. Reverend William Tompson (1598-1666) of Braintree, p. 11, identifies Samuel Tompson's 2nd wife as Elizabeth (Pratt) Billings, widow of Roger Billings. Many sources (e.g., Source:Cutter, William Richard. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, p. 1:65) list Elizabeth Pratt as the third wife of Roger Billings, but that can't be Samuel Tompson's second wife, since Roger Billings d. 1683 and Elizabeth Billings married Samuel Tompson in 1680. Elizabeth Pratt was baptized about 1643, so doesn't match the age at death well.

In fact, Roger Billings' will written 2 Feb 1680/81 refers to both his wife and "Dea. Tomson's wife" (see Source:Pope, Charles Henry. Pioneers of Massachusetts (1620-1650), p. 49-50). Thus, she does not appear to be his wife, and as mentioned, not a daughter, though there seems to be a connection of some sort.

Dorcester church records, p. 155, do show a note that Elizabeth Pratt married Roger Billings. If she married the Roger Billings who d. 1683, she is not the Elizabeth Billings who married Samuel Tompson, unless there was another Roger Billings. On the surface, there does not appear to be, since the immigrant's son Roger was born in 1657, married 1678 Sarah Paine, and lived until 1718 according to Cutter. The immigrant's age, 65 when he died in 1683, so birth about 1618, would appear to rule out a missed generation, an intermediate Roger would need to be born by 1635 to have a son in 1657, and this seems unlikely for a father born in 1618.

According to Weis, Deacon Samuel Tompson, in 1695, bequeaths to a son Joseph Billings. Since two of "my three daughters" are named as unmarried (Hannah and Sarah), and the third (Abigail) was the wife of John Peirce, this must be a step-son, meaning that the son of his second wife Elizabeth by a previous marriage. This suggests Elizabeth's relationship to Roger Billings might be daughter-in-law. Roger Billings in 1683 bequeaths to a Joseph Billings, son of his deceased son Joseph. One might suspect that Elizabeth Billings was the wife of Roger's deceased son Joseph. This would explain why Roger Billings would mention "Dea. Tomson's wife" in his will.

Boston records, p. 118, do give the birth of a daughter Elizabeth to Joseph & Elizabeth Billing in 1671. No mention of the marriage, nor a son Joseph. This may not be the same person, but it fits the timeline. It seems possible that the son Joseph mentioned in the two wills is same as the Joseph Billings mentioned by Bond, p. 73, who lived in Braintree, and named his first child Elizabeth in 1691 (so this Joseph born by 1670).

Another Joseph Billings was born in Concord in 1672 to John and Elizabeth Billings, but John Billings m. (1) 1661 Elizabeth Hastings (7 children), m. (2) 1685 Elizabeth Lamson, and he died 1704 (Source:Shattuck, Lemuel. History of the Town of Concord, p. 364; NEHGR, p. 112:68), so this doesn't appear to fit.

1. ↑ Bates, Samuel. Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793. (Randolph, Massachusetts : D.H. Huxford, 1886)
   720.

   Samuel Thomson senior and Elizabeth biling were married the 4th of October 1680, by Mr. Stoughton.