Person talk:Thankful Lewis (11)

Sources Needed [27 September 2012]

When one doesn't provide sources, things get real simple. Everything looks correct. Real life isn't that simple, however.

Savage says, "George, Barnstable, eldest s. of George the sec. of the same, by w. Eliz. had Thankful, bapt. 16 Sept. 1683, and I find no more of him." He is clearly not a good source, as his lack of information clearly shows.

First, NEHGR, p. 10(1856):345, has a transcription of "Scituate and Barnstable Church Records" which has a list of "Children Baptized in ye 17 of Sep't 1683, by Past'r Russell" which includes "Thankfull of George & Mary Lewis". Yes, that is Mary, not Elizabeth! That is also the 17th, not the 16th which Savage gave. So what was Savage looking at? Is this a typo, because this is 28 years after George&Mary's first child and 5 years after their last known child? Are people assuming it was recorded wrong because George&Mary are too old? At least Savage gets the baptized part right, which this page reports as a birth.

Otis, in his Genealogical Notes on Barnstable Families, Vol. 2, p. 123 does show Thankful in the family of George, Sr. Was he, publishing in 1890, basing this on NEHGR or did he inspect the original records independently? On p. 130, Otis says about George, Jr.: "He died in 1683, and his three children are named on the Probate records." He then lists Hannah, George, Samuel. A rootsweb posting seems to have part of these Probate records (cites Plymouth [sic] Probate Records, Vol. 4, Part 2, page 124 and 125), but not the interesting parts, but based on their reading, they conclude "It would appear that George & Elizabeth had four minor children, George, Samuel, Jabez & Hannah."

Possibly the source to be citing is Barbara Lewis Williams 400 Years of Lewis, which on p. 17, says George "d. 1683 at the age of 27, leaving three small children and one baby yet unborn". She seems to list Hannah, George, Samuel and Thankful. It "seems" to, because unfortunately, this is a "snippet view", and I can only view pieces here and there of the text. Although I can see a reference made to probate documents, it will take a trip to the library to read the complete explanation (not in any are near me). And that may or may not even quote enough of the document to explain all this. It may require tracking down the actual documents to see what they truly say.

It seems odd that three sources seem to cite the same Probate documents and yet arrive at three separate lists of children. I see the probate date of 27 Feb 1683 several places, yet none seem to distinguish between 1682/83 and 1683/84, which would be significant if you expect to see Thankful listed as a child. Finally, it is odd that the baptism gives her different parents, yet at least some sources seem to have enough unspecified evidence to override this primary record.

Genealogical protocol suggests all these discrepancies need to be explained. Confused readers will want it explained, as well. Then this page will be represent a contribution, instead of a just another copy of some anonymous person's possibly hasty conclusion. --Jrich 11:04, 26 September 2012 (EDT)

Thanks to Open Library which has the 400 Years book to borrow, and that book seems to have taken the probate document from Lewisiana, Vol. 4, No. 10, p. 151 (with slight punctuation differences), which in turn cites Mass. State Archives, Vol. III, p.78. The document is dated "25 of february 1683" and mentions "his two sonnes George and Samuell" and "his daughter hannah". No other children mentioned. Typically, this date would be interpreted as 25 Feb 1683/84, so should mention a child baptized Sept 1683 if she was in this family. No evidence supporting the assertion that Thankful belongs in this family either on p. 17 or p. 33. Page 33 lists children of Samuel Look and his wife Thankful Lewis, and they have daughter Mary, but no daughter Elizabeth. I am moving Thankful to George&Mary. --Jrich 12:29, 26 September 2012 (EDT)