Person talk:Gardner Wilder (1)

Book of Wilders [18 January 2013]

It's bad enough that the first Book of Wilders is so full of errors as to be more distraction than helpful, but some of the newer ones appear confused as well. Unfortunately, I can't tell for sure because only the original is fully viewable on books.google.com. I can only see snippets of the newer one, but there is nothing apparent to recommend bothering to track down a readable copy.

Gardner Wilder married Martha Wilder and she d. 1764. That seems pretty uncontroversial.

Lancaster records show a marriage of Gardner Wilder to Dorothy Richardson in 1765. Because of the proximity to the death of his previous wife, this appears to be the same man. (The older Gardner Wilder, known as Deacon Gardner Wilder, has moved to Leonminster by now, and the son of the older Gardner is born in Leonminster 1748, so not old enough to marry yet by 1765, and anyway this son is the Gardner Jr. who married Leominster 1773 Thankful Carter.]

Now, after marrying Gardner Wilder, the Dorothy above would be known as Dorothy Wilder. Lancaster Records show the death on 14 Feb 1789 of "Dorothy, wife of Major G. Wilder".

Lancaster Records show intentions of "Maj'r Gardner Wilder" and Mrs. Caty Cotting of Sudbury in 1791. They also contain the 1793 birth of Lucy to "Gardner & Cate Wilder", and the baptism of Lucy, "D[aughte]r of Major Gardner Wilder & wife". The death of "Major Gardner Wilder" in 1809 at age 70 matches his birth in 1739.

Thus it appears he had three wives. Relatively straightforward genealogy.

A 1998 version of the Book of Wilders by J.E. Wilder appears from its snippet to say on p. 163, that although Gardner's intent to marry Mrs. Caty Cotting was file, she actually m. 25 Mar 1799 Luther Washburn. This search shows this, plus the more likely explanation (for a online version of Descendants of George Puffer, see here): it was her namesake daughter that married Luther (Luther was born 1774, not likely to marry the mother), and the widowed mother did marry Gardner as his 3rd wife.

This 1998 Book of Wilders, on p. 6, says Dorothy Richardson m. (1) 8 Mar 1765 Gardner Wilder and m. (2) 1 Apr 1784 Samuel Snow. Since Gardner did not die until 1809, this seems unlikely, and the Lancaster record for Samuel Snow's marriage lists the wife as Dorothy Richardson, not Dorothy Gardner.

This same book on p. 164 says Major Gardner Wilder, b. 22 Mar 1739, d. 26 Nov 1809, m. (1) 13 Nov 1760 Martha Wilder, m. (2) 1765 Dorothy (Richardson) Snow, widow of Samuel Snow. Like the previous passage, this does not align with the records, since the marriage of Dorothy Richardson to Samuel Snow was in 1784, after the marriage to Gardner Wilder, so this is two separate Dorothy Richardsons. Samuel Snow married "Dorothy Richardson" "of Sterling". --Jrich 18:03, 18 January 2013 (EST)