Person talk:Elizabeth Ward (121)

Not the wife of John Kettle [8 March 2022]

Most sources show Elizabeth as the wife of John Kettle. This is incorrect.

There is no marriage record found and the date of marriage and identity of the wife is not clear. This marriage is listed in Torrey's Marriages and the sources listed are reviewed below. None of the sources show any evidence that the wife of John Kettle was a Ward. More specifically, facts shows that it is definitely not the Elizabeth Ward indicated, and even the only record that shows he had a wife named Elizabeth may be contradicted by reported (but unconfirmed) evidence that his first wife was still alive. This is a pattern that suggests the birth record of Jonathan in 1670 is the result of a conflation of multiple John Kettles, or possibly misrecorded/misread.

First, the common identification of Elizabeth Ward, d/o Samuel Ward and Abigail Maverick. The will of Moses Maverick, Abigail Ward's father, dated 1685/86, names "the four children of my daughter Abigail deceased, viz't Sam'll : Ward, Abigail Hinds, Mary Dallabar & Martha Ward". The daughter Elizabeth Ward, d/o Abigail Ward, who was baptized in Salem in 1670, falls in the middle of these four and if alive should have been included. (The will is transcribed in full at Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 5, p. 131). Compare the birth of alleged grandchild Jonathan in Lancaster in 1670 to Abigail's own baptism of 1644/45: being a grandmother at age 25 is simply not a reasonable possibility. Additionally it appears that Elizabeth's own baptism, listed as daughter of Abigail Ward, is itself in 1670 in Salem making her clearly not the mother.

Brady Anc., p. 202, "Kettell married a second time, but the date is unknown, so it is not clear whether it was Sarah Goodenow or the second wife who was taken captive by Indians and held for ransom in May, 1676. It is said that John and Sarah Kettell signed a deed at Exeter in 1671, but also that a child was born to him by his second wife in November, 1670, at Lancaster, Massachusetts." Lancaster VRs, p. 13: KETTLE, Jonath., s. Jno and Elizab., 24: 9m: 1670. MCR. This relevance of this birth is discussed above and if valid, probably belongs to John Kettle and Elizabeth Allen (discussed below). There is a deed in the index of New Hampshire deed for John Kettle in 1671 (see here) but the deed itself has not been seen to see if it looks like the same John Kettle or if a wife is named. See comments in Charlestown.

Salem, Vol. 3, p. 224, lists two John Kettles with wife Elizabeth, does not identify either wife. It is not clear if these are the same person or not, as the two listings are given the same death date in 1685. Upon further research, the second listing contains children whose birth/baptism records name the father as James, so that family is James Kettle and Elizabeth Hayward. The first one, which was the one that actually died in 1685, appears to be the John Kettle of Gloucester who married Elizabeth Allen (according to Babson) and had among other children, a son James b. Gloucester 1664 (and may well be the father of the Jonathan b. 1670). His probate file is empty, but the recorded documents are found V. 302, p. 205. These records indicate Sam'l Corning who married the widow was appointed administrator (see GMB, p. 33-34, identifying this as Elizabeth Allen based on documents found in William Allen's probate).

Farr Anc., p. 306, lists as child of Samuel Ward and Abigail Maverick: Elizabeth, bp. 5-8-1670, m. John Ketell. The abstract of the probate of Samuel Ward in 1690 that is given shows no daughter named Elizabeth, besides other issues discussed above.

Charlestown, Vol. 2, p. 575, names the second wife of John Kettell as Elizabeth Ward, indicating the son Jonathan in 1670 was hers. There is no marriage date given, and she is not further identified in this sketch. It indicates he was living in New Hampshire and notes a deed in 1671 with wife Sarah "per Exeter records". In 1720 brother Nathaniel requested settlement of John's estate, he having "died at sea about 30 years ago." Then, on p. 994 Elizabeth, d/o Samuel Ward and Abigail Maverick, is shown marrying John Kettell, not date given. The heirs of Samuel Ward are extensively listed and do not include any Elizabeth or anybody named Kettle.

Reg., Vol. 96, p. 359 (not 339 as stated in Torrey) is an article on John Maverick and Some of His Descendants. His daughter Abigail is shown marrying Samuel Ward and one of the children is "Elizabeth, m. John Kittell". No birth date, or marriage date, or any further information is given. This article refers to the Mayflower Descendant transcription of Moses Maverick's will, and would have been expected to review it thoroughly, yet still lists Elizabeth as a child of Abigail even though she is not one of the four children of Abigail named in that will.

Tingley-Meyers, p. 236, gives Samuel Ward and Abigail Maverick a daughter Elizabeth, no birth or death date specified, m. John Kettell of Lancaster and had a son Jonathan (discussed above). --Jrich 15:00, 8 March 2022 (UTC)