Family talk:William Smead and Judith Stoughton (3)

Torry Sources [1 February 2020]

This was removed as immaterial given new evidence, but it is still a list of sources about these people and may still be of interest. In addition, it is yet another illustration of how Torrey should be used (he is not a source in and of himself, and extra work is needed to make him worth citing) and how irrelevant many of his choices are to identifying the partipants in a marriage.

Torrey, Vol. 2, p. 1386:

SMEAD, William (-d. in Eng.) & Judith (Stoughton) [Denman] (-1639), w. John; by 1635; Deerfield {Deerfield 2:301; Mathews-Denman 8; Gen. Mag. 2:99; Converse (1905) 698; Reg. 9:344, 30:79; Denman 5}.

A survey of his sources follows.

Source:Harris, H. N. Denman Family History, p. 5, "His [John Denman's] widow married as her second husband William Smead by whom she had one son William. In 1627 or 1628 she was again a widow." There is no footnote citing a scholarly article, no mention of parish registers, no gravestone inscription, simply a bunch of facts out of the blue. Given that this does not even fit the facts that are known about William Smead (below) or match the other sources here, it lacks credibility. Her cursory treatment of William Smead, the son, "There is a tradition that William Smead eventually was lost among the Indians. There is no further word regarding him." reflects her lack of interest in the Smeads.

Source:Converse, Charles Allen. Some of the Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Converse, Jr. of Thompson Parish, Killingly, Conn, p. 2:698, "Widow Judith Smead of Dorchester, Mass., 1636; died 1639; had married in England, John Denman, probably about 1620, and --- Smead probably about 1634." This doesn't even give the name William and places the marriage to Mr. Smead about 8 years later.

Source:Genealogical Quarterly Magazine (Eben Putnam), p. 2:99, doesn't even mention the father, merely limiting itself to identifying the son William, "born about 1635", as the "son of the widow Judith Smead, of Dorchester, who was formerly wife of John Denman and sister of Col. Israel Stoughton..."

Source:Sheldon, George. History of Deerfield, Massachusetts, Vol. 2, p. 301, "Smith, Widow Judith, of Dorchester, 1636; she was sister of Israel Stoughton. She had m. in England, John Denman, prob. about 1620, and --- Smead prob. abt. 1634. Nothing is found about either husband."

Source:Matthews, Mary Rebekah. Family History of Matthews and Denman Families (available at family search p. 11) says "Judith Stoughton, the mother of John Denman, was daughter of Rev. Thomas Stoughton, rector of Coggesshall, England. She was first married to Denman, who died and left her with two young children, John and Mary. She married the second time to Smead, who died leaving her with a young son named William. On September 3, 1635, she left Gravesend, near London, for Dorchester, America, with her three children. ... Her young son, William Smead was adopted by a childless couple named John Pope who mentioned the boy in his will."

NEHGR, 9:344, is the probate abstract of "Mrs Judith Smead, widdow, deceased", and says nothing about her husband(s).

NEHGR, p. 30:79, is an abstract of the inventory of "weadow Smead descassed" and says nothing about her husband(s).

--Jrich 15:33, 1 February 2020 (UTC)