Family talk:John Spooner and Rebecca Peckham (1)

Justification needed for wife and marriage [19 November 2009]

Currently this page shows Rebecca Peckham, b. 1658, married in 1666 or 1667. Probably not. Even the alt. birth given of 1650 is probably not viable. In all events, such dates have zero credibility without some justification...

Thomas Spooner's book says John had two wives. This conclusion is said to come from investigating the birth dates of children, i.e., the 12 year gap between the birth of first son John and second son William. But it also says nothing is known about either wife.

If the Rebecca on this page married in 1666, her birthdate is wrong and further she probably died soon after the birth of son John in 1668. If the Rebecca on this page is the second wife, she probably married in the late 1670's as her first child was born in 1680. In that case her birthdate of 1658 makes more sense.

I am placing son John on this page, even though I find the two wife theory credible. When somebody has sufficient non-speculative evidence to show there two wives, and maybe what their names were, they can move son John to the first wife, or move the other children to the second wife, as appropriate.

--Jrich 10:20, 18 November 2009 (EST)

NEHGR, p. 57:31, "John Peckham of Newport, RI, and Son of his Descendants" by Stephen Farnum Peckham, says Rebecca Peckham, d/o John and Eleanor Peckham, m. John, s/o William and Elizabeth (Partridge) Spooner, attributes children starting with William to her (i.e., no John, so presumably a second wife, though no mention of a previous child or marriage is made). NO birth date is specified for Rebecca. I found nothing in Source:Arnold, James N. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636–1850.

--Jrich 13:15, 19 November 2009 (EST)