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Descendants of Joseph Taft seems to be a good website, except that it does not give sources. Plus there are multiple Joseph Tafts of Uxbridge (at least 5) and this website only covers those descended from the title individual, so how to sort out the others?
This article will attempt to differentiate the various Joseph Tafts found in Uxbridge during the 1700s. It has turned out to be necessary to study all five in order to be sure about the one that was the original subject of study.
Introduction
There are at least five Joseph Tafts of Uxbridge to sort out. The problem is caused because three have wives named Elizabeth, two of those overlapping enough that their children are hard to attribute.
The five Josephs being studied are:
Vital Records
| Source
| Event
| Applies to
| Comment
|
| Mendon p. 174
| Lucy, d/o Joseph and Elizebeth, b. 22 Sep 1709.
| Joseph #1
|
| Mendon p. 175
| Moses, s/o Joseph and Elizebeth, b. 30 Jan 1712/13.
| Joseph #1
|
| Uxbridge p. 161
| Sarah, d/o Lieut Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 9 Mar 1719/20.
| Joseph #1
|
| Mendon p. 168
| Aaron, s/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 26 Aug 1721.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 155
| Joseph, d/o Lieut Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 19 Apr 1722.
| Joseph #1
|
| Mendon p. 500
| Aaron, s/o Joseph and Hannah, d. 4 Nov 1722.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Elisabeth, d/o Lieut Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 30 Oct 1724.
| Joseph #1
|
| Mendon p. 173
| Joseph, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 15 Jan 1724[/25].
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 148
| Aaron, s/o Lieut Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 12 Apr 1727.
| Joseph #1
|
| Uxbridge p. 157
| Margaret, d/o Lieut. Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 9 Feb 1729/30.
| Joseph #1
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Ezra, s/o Joseph Jr. and Hannah, b. 15 Apr 1731.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Ebenezer, s/o Lieut Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 8 Aug 1732.
| Joseph #1
|
| Uxbridge p. 405
| Ebenezer, s/o Joseph and Elisabeth, d. 28 Aug 1732.
| Joseph #1
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Experance, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 7 Apr 1733.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 151
| Deborah, d/o Joseph Jr. and ---, bp. 11 May 1735.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 405
| Deborah, d/o Joseph and Hannah, d. 10 Dec 1738.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 316
| Joseph m. Elizabeth Thayer, int. 23 Jan 1740/41.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 160
| Reuben, s/o Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 21 Oct 1742.
| Joseph #3
| Estate administered by son Reuben in 1788
|
| Uxbridge p. 151
| Deborah, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 12 Mar 1744/45.
| Joseph #2
| Probable error? See comments below.
|
| Uxbridge p. 156
| Lucy, d/o Joseph 3d and Elisabeth, b. 5 Mar 1745/46.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 406
| Capt. Joseph, d. 18 Jul 1747.
| Joseph #1
| Joseph #2 becomes Joseph Sr.,
Joseph #3 becomes Joseph Jr., etc.
|
| Uxbridge p. 161
| Silas, s/o Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 22 Nov 1747.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 161
| Sarah, d/o Joseph 2d and Elisabeth, b. 8 Mar 1750.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 409
| Thomas, s/o Joseph and Elisabeth, d. 5 Jun 1751.
| ??Joseph #3??
| See observations, below.
|
| Uxbridge p. 155
| Joseph, s/o Moses and Priscilla, b. 6 Jul 1751.
| birth of Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge p. 149
| Asahel, s/o Joseph 2d and Elisabeth, b. 30 Jul 1752.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Ezra, s/o Joseph Jr. and Elisabeth, b. 22 Dec 1752.
| Joseph #4
| Ezra named as eldest son in will
Possible error?
|
| Uxbridge p. 316
| Joseph 3d m. Elisabeth Cummings, 12 Feb 1752/53.
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 162
| Thomas, s/o Joseph Jr. and Elisabeth, b. 19 Aug 1754
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Elisabeth, d/o Joseph and Elisabeth, b. 2 Jul 1756.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 158
| Nathan, s/o Joseph Jr. and Elisabeth, b. 3 Jun 1758.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 159
| Pheebe, d/o Joseph Jr. and Elisabeth, b. 26 Nov 1760.
| Joseph #4
| Phebe Bolcom in father's will
|
| Uxbridge p. 405
| Elizabeth, wid. of Capt. Joseph, b. 10 Mar 1760, in 73d y.
| Joseph #1
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Eunice, d/o Joseph Jr. and Elisabeth, b. 11 Feb 1761.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 406
| Joseph, d. 20 Oct 1761 in 69th y.
| Joseph #2
| Joseph #3 now Joseph Sr.,
Joseph #4 now Joseph Jr., etc.
|
| Uxbridge p. 160
| Ruth, d/o Joseph Sr and Elisabeth, b. 13 May 1763.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 153
| Hannah, d. Joseph Jr and Elisabeth, b. 12 Mar 1764.
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 159
| Peggy, d. Joseph Sr and Elizabeth, bp. 20 Jul 1766.
| Joseph #3
|
| Uxbridge p. 156
| Lenord, s/o Joseph Jr and Elizabeth b. 29 Mar 1767
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 405
| Elizabeth, w/o Joseph Jr, d. 27 Aug 1770 in 41st y. [dup: 27 Aug 1771 in 40th y.]
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 151
| Cummings, s/o Joseph Jr and Elizabeth dec., bp. 4 Sep 1770.
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 405
| Hannah, w. Sergt. Joseph, d. 2 Aug 1771 in 76th y.
| Joseph #2
|
| Uxbridge p. 316
| Joseph m. Abigail Marsh, int. 19 Oct 1772.
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Joseph 3d m. Hannah Keath Feb 1773.
| Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge p. 156
| Lucy, d/o Joseph Jr and Abigail, b. 9 Jun 1774
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 152
| Elizabeth, d/o Joseph Jr and Abigail, b. 9 Jun 1774.
| Joseph #4
|
| Uxbridge p. 154
| Huldah, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 17 Feb 1775.
| Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge p. 159
| Oliver, s/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 6 Nov 1777.
| Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge p. 154
| Huldah, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 21 May 1780.
| Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge p. 159
| Peter, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 24 Apr 1786.
| Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge p. 153
| Hannah, d/o Joseph and Hannah, b. 29 Sep 1789.
| Joseph #5
|
| Uxbridge, p. 403
| Abigail, w. of Joseph, d. 11 Oct 1795, in 64th y.
| Joseph #4
|
Probate
Probate files were investigated. Only two provided complete lists of heirs, but enough useful clues were found to sort out the records above.
Case 57931, 1747 Uxbridge, Joseph #1: Eliz'a Taft widow and Moses Taft husbandman administrators.
Case 57932, 1761 Uxbridge, Joseph #2: Will names wife Hannah, eldest son Joseph, eldest daughter Hannah Keith, youngest son Noah, youngest daughter Experience Taft. A list of heirs names Hannah Taft, Noah Taft, Peter Keith, and Elisha Taft.
Case 57933, 1788 Lancaster, Joseph #3: Son Reuben Taft of Uxbridge administrator. Son in law Benjamin Albee, Sarah Albee, mentioned.
Case 57934, 1803 Uxbridge, Joseph #4: Will names eldest son Ezra, son Leonard, son Cumings, 3 daughters Phebe Bolcom, Hannah Taft, Lucy Taft.
Case 57937: 1828 Uxbridge, Joseph #5: Will names wife Hannah, son Oliver, daughter Hannah, grandchildren Amariah Taft, Oliver Taft, Huldah Tyler.
Analysis and Observations
The last will is critical in separating the two Joseph and Elizabeth Tafts, in particular, by identifying the parents of Ezra and Phebe. Additional comments:
- In the will of Joseph #2, Elisha Taft is the husband of his daughter Experience Taft, not a child of Joseph #2.
- There is no birth record found for Noah Taft, s/o Joseph #2.
- The birth record for Ezra conflicts with the birth of Asahel in 1752, clearly showing they were children of different Josephs. Ezra is named as the eldest son of Joseph #4, so presumably Asahel belongs to Joseph #3.
- Also note that Ezra's recorded birth occurs before the recorded marriage of Joseph #3 and Elizabeth Cummings. One is clearly wrong. Technically there was no Feb. 1752-3 since starting with 1752, the year began in January, and so February was in the year 1752 in both old-style and new-style calendars. It is suspected that the marriage date should be simply 1752, and before the birth. The intention was dated 26 Oct 1751, suggesting 1752 is indeed correct. Then the birth of Ezra 10 months later in Dec 1752 fits nicely.
- The marriage of Joseph #2 to Elizabeth Thayer occurs when he is less than 21, with no comment. Yet the intention for Joseph #3 to Elizabeth Cummings says "minor", when he was already past the age of 21(see above link). It is suspected that "Minor" was intended to mean Joseph Taft the younger, and not be a statement about his age.
- The death of Thomas in 1751 does not seem to have a birth record to match against. The website cited above assumes Thomas was b. 1751 to Joseph #3 and died soon after birth. This seems somewhat unlikely, as this would create 3 births all one year apart: Sarah in Mar 1750, Thomas by Jun 1751, and Asahel in Jul 1752. As there is another Thomas b. 1754, there is always the possibility this is a misrecording of, say, 1757. But the handwritten record seems to clearly say 1751. If this was a son of Joseph #1, he would have been an adult and unlikely to be listed with his parents. A resolution is unknown.
- The birth record of Deborah in 1744/5 is 10 years after the previous child in this family which happens to also be named Deborah. The mother would have been 48 at the time of birth. It seems, without any evidence to show it is so, that this was a misrecording of a birth in 1734/5. If that assumption is made, it becomes the missing birth record that goes with the baptism record in 1735.
Survey of Deeds
Not done.
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