Person talk:Bethia Chipman (1)

Which Dimmock did she marry? [10 March 2009]

This page shows Bethia marrying three separate Dimmocks: Person:Timothy Dimmock (1), his father Person:Shubael Dimmock (3), and his brother Person:Shubael Dimmock (2).

In his will dated 12 Nov 1702, Elder John Chipman mentions his daughter "Bethiah", apparently alive, and a grandson "Jabez Dimock" (Source:Mayflower Descendant, p. 3:182-3). I cannot claim my research has been exhaustive, but I have found no record of Bethia's marriage, or of Jabez's birth. John's widow Ruth does not mention the Chipman children in her will of 1710.

The father Shubael married Joanna Bursley who did not die until 8 May 1727 having "lived in the marriage state 64 years" according to Source:Genealogical Notes of Barnstable families : being a reprint of the Amos Otis papers originally published in the Barnstable Patriot, p. 339. So this connection is ruled out.

The brother Shubael married Tabitha Lothrop in 1699, who died 24 Jul 1727, which is inconsistent with the reference to Bethia in her father's will. He was also several years younger than Bethia, which makes their marriage unusual if not unlikely.

Timothy is recorded as marrying Abigail Doane in Eastham records on 17 Mar 1702/03 (Source:Mayflower Descendant, p. 9:10, Vital Records of Eastham and Orleans.) While this seems to leave little mourning time if Bethia was indeed alive when her father's will was drawn up about 4 months earlier, it is at least possible that Timothy was previously married to Bethia before marrying as his second wife, Abigail Doane. This appears to be the conclusion of Source:Mayflower marriages : from the files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants as well.

If there is no documentary evidence to show that Bethia's husband was Timothy, one must also consider other possibilities. Otis' Notes on Barnstable Families, cited above, shows only three children for the grandfather Person:Thomas Dimmock (1), noting that his children were not recorded in town records, and are known by baptismal records. This suggests there is some possibility that Thomas had another son, who was the Dimmock who married Bethiah Chipman and fathered Jabez.

For now, I am removing the two marriages to the two Shubaels and leaving only the marriage to Timothy.

--Jrich 13:15, 10 March 2009 (EDT)