"10 John3 Colby, Serg., (John,2 Anthony1), of Amesbury, b. 1656; m. 1st, Dec. 27, 1675[A Nk S], Sarah Eldridge; 2d, [bef. 1700, Sarah2 Osgood* (Wm.1); 3d?], Feb. 8, 1714-5[A], Ruth (_____), [wid. of Robert2 Ring (Robert1)]. He recd. 'children's land' in 1659, and a 'township' in 1660. He was a soldier in King Philip's War, in the Falls Fight, under Capt. Turner, May 18, 1676. Oath al. and fid. Dec., 1677; 'training band,' 1680. He d. April 6, 1719[A]; adm. est. gr. Joseph Colby, only surviving son, April 21, 1719. Robert Ring, son of wid. Ruth Colby, adm. her est. May, 1748.
* It is certain from deeds that Sarah Osgood, b. 1652-3, was in 1700 and 1708 wife of John3 Colby, and that she was dead in 1716. The only doubt is whether Sarah Eldridge and Sarah Osgood were the same person. The records may be reconciled in three ways: 1. Perhaps Eldridge should read Osgood. 2. Perhaps Sarah Osgood m. 1st, (_____) Eldridge, of whom we have no other record, and 2d, John Colby. 3. The two may be distinct persons, as given above, which seems most probable, though we have no trace of the family of Sarah Eldridge. Wm. and Anne Eldred, or Eldredge, of Yarmouth, had dau. Sarah b. Oct. 10, 1650; but she was 6 yrs. older than John Colby, and we know of no intercourse between Salis. and Yarmouth. There was a John Eldred of Hampton in 1640, who apparently soon died or moved away."
