Family talk:Joseph Williams and Hannah Whiting (1)

Age questions [15 March 2011]

Every source seems to agree with this marriage, and I have no evidence otherwise. I was just concerned because of age questions. Since I can't show anything different, just noting my concerns here.

Joseph was 62 when he remarried, and then had 6 more children, the last when he was 70. His second wife was 25 years younger than him, 35 when she married him, and had 6 more children, the last when she was 44.

My question is not so much about Hannah, as whether this is the correct Joseph Williams. Although a death date of 1766 is given on Joseph's first wife's page, it is not in the town records. Joseph's last previous child was b. 1748, over twenty years earlier. No will of Joseph's listing all his children is mentioned. These would be reassuring items, or a deed indicating the relation to even just one of these children, citation of a family Bible, etc. Any primary source connecting the two sets of children divided in time by a 20 year gap.

There are at least two other Joseph's of a more appropriate age in Roxbury. One is son Joseph of this Joseph, b. 1738, who married Susanna May. Another is the Joseph b. 1724 who married Mary Holmes. However, both seem to have the births of children recorded with their first wives through and past the wedding date of 1770, ruling them out.

So it appears this is probably correct. It still would be reassuring to have some confirming primary evidence. --Jrich 12:09, 15 March 2011 (EDT)