Person talk:Sarah Tarrant (4)

Torrey [6 November 2012]

The idea that Benjamin's wife may be "Sarah (not Hannah) [TARRANT?]" may originate with Torrey, or at least some people credit him. If so it appears to be entirely speculative based on "had son Tarrant; 25 Aug 1686". This, however, was the birth date of Nathaniel, not Tarrant. It is not clear if the accuracy of the date plays any part of Torrey's speculation, probably not.

Torrey's sources are notoriously unreliable, and are almost always a waste of time tracking down. This particular case is no exception. There are actually two of Torrey's sources that are queries asking for information on Benjamin's wife Elizabeth! Multiple sources give Sarah, or Hannah, or Elizabeth. One studiously avoids naming a wife (a memoir of a descendant), and one specifies second wife Sarah Holton as if she was the only wife. (Torrey himself specifies Sarah Tarrant and no second wife even though the death of the first wife and marriage to the second wife are both on record!) The only useful citation appears to be Essex Institute Historical Collections, Vol. 16, p. 9 where Benjamin and wife Sara are admitted to church 4 Dec 1687. Still not a single one giving her maiden name as Tarrant, so that appears to be Torrey's own speculation. There is a Sarah Turant bapt. in Boston in 1663 ([1]). --Jrich 17:59, 6 November 2012 (EST)