Family talk:Edward Small and Unknown Abigail (1)

Barnaby? [23 January 2012]

I merged Abigail Barnaby and Abigail Unknown. I chose to keep Abigail Unknown because I do not believe Edward's wife is Abigail Barnaby. If she is, she does not appear to be a daughter of Stephen Barnaby. If she is, she seems less likely to be Judith's child than Ruth's. So all in all, it was not clear the identification of her as Abigail Barnaby was based on solid evidence, and is unlikely enough that it would need some justification (read: primary evidence) to accept.

As complained about many times previous, it is frustrating when things are asserted without saying how they are known. Is it a will? A deed? A collaborator can only guess. So I am. I guess the source is Desc. of Edward Small (1934), which on p. 183 says Edward Small married Abigail ---, but on p. 1336, it has a discussion about Anna "daughter to Edward Small, Sr., and his wife Abigail Barnaby, of Cape Elizabeth". Given that Edward's brother Daniel "perhaps" m. Ruth Barnaby (p. 171), and his brother John m. Hannah Barnaby (p. 173), it seems likely that the statement on p. 1336 is a misstatement caused by confusion over which brothers married Barnaby daughters.

The reasons why it is likely to be wrong:

• Stephen Barnaby has no daughter Abigail that is known, nor is it likely that she is simply not recorded. Plymouth (not Provincetown) records show that he m. (1) Ruth and had Lydia 1697, Ruth 1699, Elizabeth 1701, Timothy 1706, Hannah 1709, m. (2) 1710 Judeth and had Joseph 1712. The birth of Abigail, which, based on her marriage in 1730, is estimated to be about 1710 and conflicts with the fact that Stephen had just remarried, and had recorded births shortly before and soon after that marriage. Following typical spacing between children, Abigail would either have to be born 1714 or after, in which case a marriage in 1730 is unlikely, or before 1705, in which case she is older than her husband, which is perhaps more acceptable, but still not typical.
• Edward and Abigail named no child Stephen, Ruth or Judith.

--Jrich 11:48, 23 January 2012 (EST)