Person:Mary Webster (11)

Many genealogists believe that Mary Webster married John Emery, son of John Emery. However Torrey ("The American Genealogist," C. A. Torrey, 17:96-99, 1940-41.) makes a convincing case that she didn't. Of note is that she was not mentioned in her mother's will of APR 1, 1693, which makes it plausible to believe that by that date she had died in view of the fact that all other daughters were mentioned. In addition, Torrey points out that there was only one Emery-Webster marriage in the late 1640s, not two, the latter theory of which appears to be the basis for believing that John Jr married his stepsister.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} John Webster, in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
   7:264, 267.

   Mary Webster, b. say 1634; living 14 October 1651, unmarried; no further record. … We conclude, then, that the marital careers of Mary and Elizabeth Webster, daughters of John, are unknown, based on the present state of our knowledge. One of these two women was presumably "my daughter Sem[o]ns" of Mary (Shatswell) (Webster) Emery's will. A comprehensive survey of all married women in this area in the 1660s and 1670s with the surname Simons, Somers or something similar might resolve this puzzle.