Josiah Whitcomb
| Charts | Ancestors of William Jerome Pierce (Stephen) Grover Cleveland - William Jerome Pierce |
Josiah Whitcomb, son of John Whitcomb and Frances Cogan, was born at Dorchester, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, about 1638.1,2 He died at Lancaster, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, 21 March 1718,1 and was buried in the Old Common Burial Ground, Lancaster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, where his headstone reads, "Here Lies thee body of Josiah Whetcomb Sen. Deceased in His 80 year" and the footstone, "J.W. Dyed March The 21 1718."3,4
Josiah married Rebecca Waters, daughter of Lawrence Waters and Ann Linton, at Lancaster 4 January 1664.1,5,6
In 1688, "Josiah Whitcomb is allowed 20 shillings to be paid by the County for killing one growne wolfe in ye Towne of Lancaster."7
During Queen Ann's war (1702-1717) he was allowed a garrison for protection against the Indians. It was in the area of what is now [1904] called Bolton; originally part of Lancaster, but set off in 1738, and he lived in the southeast part of this area. He was commander of the garrison and sons Josiah, David, and Hezekiah, son-in-law, Jacob Houghton, and also Henry Houghton and John Wilder, Jr. were associated with him in this period.8
In 1705 he was selectman and in 1710 he was elected to represent Lancaster at the General Court. In 1708, he and twenty-nine others signed the church covenant and he contributed liberally towards the support of the church.9
Josiah left a will dated 20 March 1718, and proved 22 April 1718:
This Twenteth Day of March in ye year of our Lord 1718. I Josiah Whetcomb senr of Lancaster in ye County of Middlesex in ye Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England yeoman being week of Body but through ye Goodness of God to me of Competent Memory & understanding: & being Senseble of My own faults & that I cannot Expect to Continue here but a very little while & being desirous to settle that Estate that God hath plesed to bestow upon Me; I do here Make this My last Will & Testament in Maner & forme following: That is to say first & Principly. I Bequeath My Soule to God who Gave it: Hopeing to Receve free & full Pardon of all my Sines through ye Merit & mediation of ye Lord Jeous Crist my Blessed Saviour & Glorious Redemer & Nextly my Body to ye dust to be desently buried with Christian buriall & as for my worldly Estate my will is that it be disposed of & settled as is hereafter Expressed in this my Will
Impr I give and Bequeath to Rebekah my wellbeloved Wife the improvement of on third part of My Real Estate within ye Town of Lancaster dureing her life & one third part part of My Personall Estate borth within doars & out as shall be found att my decease as also what shall then be found due to Me & Money by Me to be intirely at her dispose to wit one third part there of & also ye improvement of on on third part of my buildings.
To Josiah Whetcomb my Eldest Son I give one thirds part of My Town right & rights in Commonage which I was possessed of before I gave any part there of by deed of Gift to my other Sones. allso on Eaight part of my Land & Rights in a plantation Caled Littleton; to be to him ye said Josiah togather with what I have allready given him by deed of gift I give allso to his son Josiah a Certaine piece of Medow Known by ye name of parkers medow with about fourty three acres of upland ajoyning on sd Medow
To David Whetcomb My Second Son I give ten acres of Entervaill lying at ye plumtrees & five & twenty acres lying at long hill & two small peces of Medow Known by the name of Cramby medow & Rattlesnake medow & allso such a part of my Town Rights as to Make up what I have allready given him on third part of what I was possessed of before Desposed of any part there of by deeds of gift Allso on Eaight part of my Rights in a plantation Called Littleton -- to be to ye sd David Whetcomb with what I have alredi given him by deed of gift & allso abought Sixty acres of Land Lying neer ye east corner of Lancaster Town ship
To Hezekiah Whetcomb My yougest Son I give all ye Remaining part of My humplace Excepting ye improvement of on third part there of which I have given to my beloved Wife as before Expresssed and foure acres of upland lying Near wigwam Medow allso Sixty acres of upland lying at long hill with all ye Remaining part of My Town Right & allso on Eaight part of My Right in a plantation Called Littleton to be to him ye said Hezekiah with what I have allready given him by deed togeather with ye bildens there upon: Save allso his Mothers Rights in them
To My Daughter Rebekah Houghton I give on fifth part of My Moveable Estate that shall be found at my decease & allso on fifth part of My debts & money Excepting what I have all Ready before willed to my beloved Wife & allso on Eaight part of My Rights in a plantation Called Littleton to be to her Eldest son when he Comes of age
To ye Children of My Daughter Joanna Joslin I give on fifth part of My Moveable Estate with what shall be found due to me at my decease & money by me & to Peter Joslin Her Eldest son I give on Eaight part of my Rights in a plantation Called Littleton: Excepting as before what I had before willed of my moveable Estate to my beloved wife
To My Daughter Mary Farnsworth I Give on fifth part of my Moveable Estate & a fifth part part of my Money & debts which shall be found at my deceas Excepting what I had before willed to my beloved wife I allso give on Sixteenth part of my Rites in a plantation Called Littleton to her Children which she had by Simon Willard & on Sixteenth part to her Children which she had by Samuel Farnsworth in ye aforesaid Land & Rights in Littleton
To Damaris Wilder I Give one fifth part of My Moveable Estate & Moneys & Debts which shall be found due to me at my deceas excepting what I before have willed to my beloved Wife I also give to Nathaniel Wilder ye Eldest Son of my daughter Damaris on Eaight part of my Rights in a Plantation Called Littleton
To Abigel White My youngest Daughter I give on fifth part of all My Moveable Estae & Moneys & debts which shall be found due to me at my deceas Excepting what I have before willed to my beloved wife: I Give allso to Jonathan White her Eldest son on Eaight part of my Rights in a plantation Called Littleton
Lastly I do here by Make and Constitute My three Sones to wit Josiah Whetcomb David Whetcomb & Hezekiah Whetcomb Joynt Executors to this my will & that this is My Last Will and Testament I Declare by My Hand & Seal here to Annext ye day and year just above dated--
Signed Sealed & Declared in presents of
John wilder | His
Joshua Wheler[:TAB:| Josiah Whetcomb
Joseph Wilder | mark
Sworn 22 apr 1718 & proved, adm Comitted to Hezekiah (David refused &Josiah is dead) bond taken etc.10
Josiah married Rebecca Waters, daughter of Lawrence Waters and Ann Linton, at Lancaster 4 January 1664.1,5,6
In 1688, "Josiah Whitcomb is allowed 20 shillings to be paid by the County for killing one growne wolfe in ye Towne of Lancaster."7
During Queen Ann's war (1702-1717) he was allowed a garrison for protection against the Indians. It was in the area of what is now [1904] called Bolton; originally part of Lancaster, but set off in 1738, and he lived in the southeast part of this area. He was commander of the garrison and sons Josiah, David, and Hezekiah, son-in-law, Jacob Houghton, and also Henry Houghton and John Wilder, Jr. were associated with him in this period.8
In 1705 he was selectman and in 1710 he was elected to represent Lancaster at the General Court. In 1708, he and twenty-nine others signed the church covenant and he contributed liberally towards the support of the church.9
Josiah left a will dated 20 March 1718, and proved 22 April 1718:
In the Name of God amen:
This Twenteth Day of March in ye year of our Lord 1718. I Josiah Whetcomb senr of Lancaster in ye County of Middlesex in ye Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England yeoman being week of Body but through ye Goodness of God to me of Competent Memory & understanding: & being Senseble of My own faults & that I cannot Expect to Continue here but a very little while & being desirous to settle that Estate that God hath plesed to bestow upon Me; I do here Make this My last Will & Testament in Maner & forme following: That is to say first & Principly. I Bequeath My Soule to God who Gave it: Hopeing to Receve free & full Pardon of all my Sines through ye Merit & mediation of ye Lord Jeous Crist my Blessed Saviour & Glorious Redemer & Nextly my Body to ye dust to be desently buried with Christian buriall & as for my worldly Estate my will is that it be disposed of & settled as is hereafter Expressed in this my Will
Impr I give and Bequeath to Rebekah my wellbeloved Wife the improvement of on third part of My Real Estate within ye Town of Lancaster dureing her life & one third part part of My Personall Estate borth within doars & out as shall be found att my decease as also what shall then be found due to Me & Money by Me to be intirely at her dispose to wit one third part there of & also ye improvement of on on third part of my buildings.
To Josiah Whetcomb my Eldest Son I give one thirds part of My Town right & rights in Commonage which I was possessed of before I gave any part there of by deed of Gift to my other Sones. allso on Eaight part of my Land & Rights in a plantation Caled Littleton; to be to him ye said Josiah togather with what I have allready given him by deed of gift I give allso to his son Josiah a Certaine piece of Medow Known by ye name of parkers medow with about fourty three acres of upland ajoyning on sd Medow
To David Whetcomb My Second Son I give ten acres of Entervaill lying at ye plumtrees & five & twenty acres lying at long hill & two small peces of Medow Known by the name of Cramby medow & Rattlesnake medow & allso such a part of my Town Rights as to Make up what I have allready given him on third part of what I was possessed of before Desposed of any part there of by deeds of gift Allso on Eaight part of my Rights in a plantation Called Littleton -- to be to ye sd David Whetcomb with what I have alredi given him by deed of gift & allso abought Sixty acres of Land Lying neer ye east corner of Lancaster Town ship
To Hezekiah Whetcomb My yougest Son I give all ye Remaining part of My humplace Excepting ye improvement of on third part there of which I have given to my beloved Wife as before Expresssed and foure acres of upland lying Near wigwam Medow allso Sixty acres of upland lying at long hill with all ye Remaining part of My Town Right & allso on Eaight part of My Right in a plantation Called Littleton to be to him ye said Hezekiah with what I have allready given him by deed togeather with ye bildens there upon: Save allso his Mothers Rights in them
To My Daughter Rebekah Houghton I give on fifth part of My Moveable Estate that shall be found at my decease & allso on fifth part of My debts & money Excepting what I have all Ready before willed to my beloved Wife & allso on Eaight part of My Rights in a plantation Called Littleton to be to her Eldest son when he Comes of age
To ye Children of My Daughter Joanna Joslin I give on fifth part of My Moveable Estate with what shall be found due to me at my decease & money by me & to Peter Joslin Her Eldest son I give on Eaight part of my Rights in a plantation Called Littleton: Excepting as before what I had before willed of my moveable Estate to my beloved wife
To My Daughter Mary Farnsworth I Give on fifth part of my Moveable Estate & a fifth part part of my Money & debts which shall be found at my deceas Excepting what I had before willed to my beloved wife I allso give on Sixteenth part of my Rites in a plantation Called Littleton to her Children which she had by Simon Willard & on Sixteenth part to her Children which she had by Samuel Farnsworth in ye aforesaid Land & Rights in Littleton
To Damaris Wilder I Give one fifth part of My Moveable Estate & Moneys & Debts which shall be found due to me at my deceas excepting what I before have willed to my beloved Wife I also give to Nathaniel Wilder ye Eldest Son of my daughter Damaris on Eaight part of my Rights in a Plantation Called Littleton
To Abigel White My youngest Daughter I give on fifth part of all My Moveable Estae & Moneys & debts which shall be found due to me at my deceas Excepting what I have before willed to my beloved wife: I Give allso to Jonathan White her Eldest son on Eaight part of my Rights in a plantation Called Littleton
Lastly I do here by Make and Constitute My three Sones to wit Josiah Whetcomb David Whetcomb & Hezekiah Whetcomb Joynt Executors to this my will & that this is My Last Will and Testament I Declare by My Hand & Seal here to Annext ye day and year just above dated--
Signed Sealed & Declared in presents of
John wilder | His
Joshua Wheler[:TAB:| Josiah Whetcomb
Joseph Wilder | mark
Sworn 22 apr 1718 & proved, adm Comitted to Hezekiah (David refused &Josiah is dead) bond taken etc.10
Family | Rebecca Waters b. abt. 1644, d. aft. 1718 |
| Children |
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| This person was last edited on | 2 Nov 2014 |
Citations
- [S16] Mary L. Holman, Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and His Wife Francis Helen Miller (Concord, New Hampshire: Rumsford Press, 1948), 86-93, further cited as Holman, Stevens-Miller Genealogy.
- [S778] George E. McCracken, "Early Cogans English and American; Part D. The Cogan Family of Taunton and Wellington, co. Somerset," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 111 (Jul 1957): 168-187, further cited as McCracken, "Cogan Family of Taunton and Wellington."
- [S16] Holman, Stevens-Miller Genealogy, 91.
- [S1796] Charlotte Whitcomb, The Whitcomb Family in America: A Biographical Genealogy with a Chapter on Our English Forbears "By the Name of Whetcomb" (Minneapolis Minnesota: s.p., 1904), figure facing 396, further cited as Whitcomb, Whitcomb Family.
- [S907] Henry Stedman Nourse, The Birth, Marriage, and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1643-1850, two vols. (Clinton, Massachusetts: W. J. Cooper, Printer, 1890), 1:11, further cited as Nourse, Vital Records of Lancaster.
- [S1872] Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 3 vols. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), 1646, further cited as Torrey, New England Marriages (2011).
- [S1796] Whitcomb, Whitcomb Family, 396, citing Nourse, Early Records of Lancaster: 124.
- [S1796] Whitcomb, Whitcomb Family, 396-397.
- [S1796] Whitcomb, Whitcomb Family, 397.
- [S16] Holman, Stevens-Miller Genealogy, 91, citing Middlesex Probate, 24440.