Person talk:John Wheeler (3)

Did he marry Elizabeth Perkins? [28 September 2008]

A man named John Wheeler married Elizabeth Perkins, daughter of William and Elizabeth Perkins of Durham, NH. Then John and Elizabeth Wheeler of Oyster River (Durham) were slain by Indians leaving three orphaned sons. But was it this John Wheeler, as presented here?

The citation on their Family page ("Wheeler/NEHG Register") is not very useful without a page number, since the online NEHGR finds 99 references to "John Wheeler" and 170 references to "Elizabeth Perkins" in their 150 years worth of issues.

Source:Wheeler, Albert Gallatin. Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America, p. 113, thinks the John Wheeler who was slain in Oyster River, NH was the son of William Wheeler and Hannah Buss, presumably because his children selected as guardian, their uncle William Wheeler of Concord. Scanning Source:Concord, Massachusetts, births, marriages, and deaths, 1635-1850, the only William Wheeler of Concord at that time seems to be the son of William Wheeler and Hannah Buss, suggesting John was their son, also. If so, this page is right.

William Wheeler and Hannah Buss did have a son John, (Source:Concord, Massachusetts, births, marriages, and deaths, 1635-1850, p.13). But according to Source:Wheeler Families of Old Concord, Massachusetts this John married Dorothy Hosmer as shown by the fact that the estate of Dorothy's husband John, settled in 1740, included land inherited from William, who inherited it from his father George Wheeler. This also seems to be a credible argument that is hard to explain away, but would mean this page is wrong.

Hmmm...

A comment on the Wheeler Families of Old Concord website suggests that John Wheeler (#1007), s/o of Obadiah and Susanna Wheeler, may be the one who died at Oyster River, NH. Obadiah's wife, nee Susanna Wheeler, was a sister of George Wheeler, both children of John Wheeler of Cranfield, England. This suggestion, obviously requires a misuse of the term uncle, when the relationship was actually second cousins, namely:

• John of England -> George -> William m. Hannah Buss -> William of Concord (guardian)
• John of England -> Susanna -> John (second child of this name) -> William, Richard, Joseph (orphans)

But given that William was quite a bit older than the children, perhaps common usage was to promote him from cousin to uncle?

Can anybody add more to this?

--Jrich 13:23, 27 September 2008 (EDT)

Conflation? [25 November 2016]

John was born 10 May 1668 in Concord, the son of William and Hannah Wheeler. This John Wheeler married married Elizabeth Perkins (daughter of William Perkins and Elizabeth Ault) before 10 June 1694 when her parents deeded them a home and 60 acres over Little Bay, reserving half the mowing land and half the apples; this was his home. He and Elizabeth Perkins were killed by Indian 27 Apr 1706. Administration of his estate was given to William Perkins (bond 6 May 1706). The probate records include funeral expenses for one child. His sons William and Richard went back to Concord to live ***with their uncle William of Concord*** as their guardian in 1711. Therefore this is not the John Wheeler to married Dorothy Hosmer.^[1] This profile conflates two different men.

This paragraph shows that a John Wheeler m. Elizabeth Perkins and was killed in 1706. It does not show he was the son of William and Hannah Buss, it merely asserts that, and that of course, is the $64,000 question, so needs something more than an unsupported statement.

The problem here is what George Tolman's Wheeler Families of Old Concord says, namely that this John's estate included land inherited from William, who inherited it from his father George Wheeler, making this John the son of William Wheeler and Hannah Buss, and requiring us to look elsewhere for the one who died at Oyster River. One candidate is the son of Obadiah as pointed out above, having its own problems based on the strict usage of uncle, but such usages were not always strict.

Per the GPS, one does not only have to give theories, one must explain away alternative theories. Otherwise it is the opinion of one book against another, and besides my thinking that Tolman is very good and focused on the Wheelers, he explains the basis for his conclusion.

I am going to try and locate the deeds in question to see if the exact wording summarized by Tolman can be found. --Jrich 00:49, 24 November 2016 (UTC)

Deeds [25 November 2016]

I have not done a complete survey of deeds, but did manage to locate of few of the pertinent items. The time between the 1693/94 deed and 1737 probate is great enough that bounding neighbors have changed, but it does appear that the house lot is the same based on being bounded by highway; and the one parcel John owned a half share of, that was laid out to George Wheeler dec'd, also seems to tie John Wheeler, husband of Dorothy Hosmer, to William Wheeler and Hannah Buss, and grandson of George Wheeler.

Middlesex Probate 24292: Inventory of real estate of mr John Wheeler late of Concord deceasesd (taken from paper in file, also found, recorded version, Vol. 22, p. 261 here):

Impri's - that part of the homestead on which the old house stood consisting of eighty two acres and seventy rods high wayes excepted and is bounded westerly on land of William Wheeler jun'r and Mr Robert Commins northerly by the waye leading to hosmers Mill Easterly by marlborough Road northerly on land of Deacon Sam'll [Miles?] and Jeremiah Wheeler Easterly by upland of Ebenezer Darby and the brook Coming out of next meadow Southardly by upland belonging to Josiah hosmer as may more fully apppear by a plan of the same taken by mr Stephen Hosmer of Concord Surv'r and was apprized at three hundred and forty five pounds. [Survey viewable here.]

Itm. that part of the homstead on which the barn stands being nine acres and is bounded southardly by the : way to Hosmers mill and Josiah Wheelers land westerly by north River northerly by land of mr Robert Comming Easterly by marlborough Road and is apprized as sixty two pounds and ten shillings and the barn three pounds.

Itm. the woodland on the Rocks so Called Consisting of tweny nine acres including a small piece of meadow apprized at one hundred and thirty pounds - and is bounded Easterly on land belonging to the heirs of Bartholomey Jones Deceas'd and Sam'll Dakin Southerly by Sudbury line Westerly by land of Jonathan piper Jonathan Pper jun'r and Joseph Piper Northerly by land of Josiah Hosmer as may more fully appear by a plan taken by mr Stpehn hosmer of Concord Surv'r. [Survey viewable here.]

Itm. five acres and twenty rods on white pond plain lying in Common with ten acres and a Quarter laid out by the towns Com'tee upon the right of George Wheeler deceas'd apprized at ten pounds.

Itm. in acton a freehold or ten acre right with the after draughts as may appear by a plan taken of s'd lands and the proprieters book of s'd town all apprized at twenty seven pounds.

Itm. Three acres of meadow in Sudbury in the Worlds end so Called and is bounded Southardly on meadow belonging to Thomas Hosmer and daniel Noyes westerly on upland Called maynards neck northerly on meadow of Zebadiah Maynards Easterly on upland Called Haynes's Land and is apprized at five pounds the whole.

Suffolk Probate Vol. 10, p. 2

Will of "George Wheeler Sinior in the Town of Concord ... Alsoe I give to the Children of my Son William Deceased as a Legacy out of my Estate the sume of Sixty Six pounds seaven shillings to be paid By the Executors of this my Will in Equall right of Propriety: Onely my will is that my Meadow att Brooke Meadow on both sides of the brooke Excepting that part I Give to my Son Thomas As also my One acre in ash Swamp at ffair: haven be by the Executors of this my will be Disposed of to my Son Williams Children and to be as part of the above said Legacy Alsoe the two acres and an halfe of meadow on the Norwest side of the Broke att Brooke Meadow Joyning to my Son Williams Pasture; Itt is not my said Son Williams But I will itt to my Executors to administer upon itt as my estate ..."

The agreement of heirs and quitclaim deed by William's brother John to William's children by Tolman:

• Middlesex Deeds Vol. 32, p. 274
• Middlesex Deeds Vol. 32, p. 276

The second conveys to "William Wheeler John Wheeler George Wheeler their Heirs Exec'rs Adm'rs and Assigns forever the within bargained Premises Housing Lands and Meadows that were in the Possession of their Father William Wheeler dec'd" including the house lot of 84 acres easterly bounded by highway, northerly by Obadiah Wheeler, southerly by John Miles and land formerly belonging to Michael Wood and Thomas Wheeler, westerly by John Miles. Also 38 acres at Fair Haven bounded easterly by Stephen Hosmer and Obadiah Wheeler, southerly by John ????, westerly by Thomas Wheeler, northerly by Obadiah Wheeler dec'd. Also 2 acres at White Pond bounded by Thomas Wheeler, west on the Common Land, north by Lt.??? and the Pond south. Also 3 acres at Fair Haven bounding on the River east, Deac'n Potter South North by Thomas Hosmer Westerly by John Heywood Jun'r. --Jrich 17:44, 25 November 2016 (UTC)