Richard’s Last Will & Testament provided valuable information. He did not name his wife in this document which indicates she died before 1728. He did list his surviving children which included his daughters’ married names.

Richard Adams

Born: 19 APR 1651 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA

Father: James Adams (1626 to Unknown)
Mother: Frances Vassall (1623 to Unknown)

Spouse: Rebecca Davis (1654 to Unknown)

Married: 24 JUN 1679 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA

Children:

Richard Adams (11 APR 1680 to 3 OCT 1745)
Rebecca Adams (3 FEB 1682 to 9 JAN 1760)
Sarah Adams (8 MAY 1683 to 16 APR 1751)
John Adams (26 OCT 1686 to 19 APR 1734)
Daniel Adams (4 MAR 1688 to 20 MAR 1774)
William Adams (29 JAN 1689 to 1727)
Hannah Adams (1692 to Unknown)
Joseph Adams (1694 to 10 OCT 1753)
Isaac Adams (30 JAN 1696 to 26 APR 1757)
Mary Adams (1698 to 16 FEB 1767)
Abigail Adams (1700 to Unknown)

Died: 24 AUG 1728 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA

Timeline:

1675 Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
1684 Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
1690 Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA
1701 Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut, USA
1716 Preston, New London County, Connecticut, USA
1728 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850
Global, Find a Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current
Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999
American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI)

Variations of Surname: none

Who Was Richard’s Wife?

There are over six thousand family tree owners on Ancestry.com that have listed Rebecca Davis as Richard Adams’ wife. Almost all have her birthplace as Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. This assumption was based on the 1679 marriage record.

This is where these family trees seem to diverge. The majority had her listed as Rebecca Davis (1658 Boston). The others had her listed as Rebecca Davis (1650 Sudbury).

Which woman did Richard Adams marry?

I searched my family tree website and the internet to see what information I could find on both women. Here is what I discovered:

Rebecca Davis (1658 Boston):

Rebecca Davis was born on 3 AUG 1658 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. She died in 1731 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Rebecca’s father was William Davis. He was born in 1617 in England. He died in 1676 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Rebecca’s mother was Huldah Symmes. She was born in 1631 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. She died on 19 AUG 1674 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

I found a book on the Internet Archive website entitled “Davis Families of Early Roxbury and Boston“. Rebecca’s father was called “William Davis the Apothecary“. His life story begins on Page 203. On Page 214, the author entered the following information concerning Rebecca:

William Davis died in 1676. His son, Benjamin, was the executor of his estate. When Benjamin died in 1705, his administrators told his surviving siblings that they had already received their portion of his estate.

In 1708, William’s seven daughters filed a petition with the courts. They explained that they had not received their inheritance from the administrators.

You can view this document on the American Ancestors website.

All seven daughters signed the petition. As you can see, Rebecca’s married name was Lawrence.

Rebecca Davis (1650 Sudbury):

This individual is more of a mystery. No birth record has been found to confirm her birth year or birthplace.

Erosion may have destroyed the document. It may have been thrown out to make room for newer records. It could also be assumed that her baptism was mistakenly omitted from the church records.

I did find an entry for a person named Rebecca Davis in James Savage’s “A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England“, Volume 2, Page 21. You can view this publication on the Internet Archive website.

Other family trees supplied the following information:

Rebecca’s father was Robert Davis. He was born in 1608 in England. He died in 1655 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA.

Rebecca’s mother was Bridget Loker. She was born in 1613 in England. She died in 1685 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA.

In James Savage’s narrative, Rebecca was listed after her sister, Sarah. That would mean she was born after 1646.

If this person was Richard Adams’ wife, I believe she was born closer to 1654. I based this estimate on the birth years of the oldest and youngest children.

My Opinion:

In 1708, Rebecca Davis (1658 Boston) was married to a man named Lawrence.

In 1709, Richard’s wife, Rebecca, was admitted into the First Congregational Church of Norwich, Connecticut.

This would mean that Rebecca Davis (1658 Boston) could not possibly be Richard’s wife.

Does this mean that Rebecca Davis (1650/54 Sudbury) was Richard’s wife? I believe so.

Ongoing Research:

No one has yet to find a death record for Richard’s wife. He died in 1728 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut. He did not list her in his Last Will & Testament.

That seems to indicate that Rebecca died between 1709 and 1728. But where? In Norwich? Most of their adult children lived in Pomfret and Canterbury. I could find no death record in the Barbour Collection.

Family Search has five volumes of vital records for Norwich, New London, Connecticut, USA. I am currently looking through these to see if I can find Rebecca’s death record.

Richard and Rebecca’s Daughters:

Rebecca Adams:

Rebecca was born on 3 FEB 1682 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA.  She died on 9 JAN 1760 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA.

Rebecca married Moses Haggett on 16 OCT 1712 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. Five known children were born during their marriage. The children were all born in Norwich.

Rebecca Haggett (1713)
Moses Haggett (1717)
Abigail Haggett (1720)
Lois Haggett (1722)
Ruth Haggett (1725)

Who was Rebecca’s Husband?

I hit the proverbial brick wall when I was searching for information on Rebecca’s husband. To be exact, all I had was his name, Moses Haggett.

Here is the information that I did find on this family:

In 1712, Rebecca and Moses were married in Canterbury where her family lived. The entry listed in Ancestry.com’s “Early Connecticut Marriages” database indicates that they were living in Norwich at the time. The city of Norwich is 14 miles southwest of Canterbury.

The “Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920” database shows that the family attended the Newent Congregational Church in Lisbon. This town is three miles northwest of the Thames River that bounds the east side of Norwich.

Family Search’s database “Norwich, New London County, Connecticut Vital Records”, Volume 1, Image 42, supplied the marriage date, the birth dates of the children, and Rebecca’s death date.

This document did not include a death date for Moses. That omission seems to indicate that he was still living in 1760. It also means that he did not die in Lisbon.

False Lead:

There was another individual named Moses Haggett. He appears in a manuscript entitled “The Haggett Family of Andover“. You can view this publication on the Memorial Hall Library website.

He was born in 1672 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. He married Martha Granger in 1700. They had nine children. Their youngest daughter was born in 1719.

Rebecca and Moses’ youngest child was born in 1725. This means the above individual could not possibly be Rebecca’s husband.

Ongoing Research:

No one has found a birth or death record for Moses Haggett that would tie him to Rebecca Adams. The fact that vital records are scarce for this time period also adds to the difficulty.

Are there any surviving descendants of this family? Could they hold the key to this puzzle?

That is where my next search will commence.

Sarah Adams:

Sarah was born on 8 MAY 1683 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 16 APR 1751 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

Sarah married Henry Adams on 19 DEC 1706 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. Four known children were born during their marriage:

Mary Adams (1707)
Rebecca Adams (1709)
Thomas Adams (1711)
Ahaziah Adams (1715)

Henry Adams was born in 1684 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. I do not know when he died.

Sarah’s Husband Did Not Die in 1749:

There are many family trees that listed Henry Adams’ death date as 28 JUN 1749. Through my research, I discovered that this was not when Sarah’s husband died. There was another man named Henry Adams living in Canterbury at the same time.

There are memorials on the Find A Grave website for Sarah and Henry Adams. The memorial numbers are #219232585 and #219232574.

This man was Henry Adams, Sr. He was born in 1663 in Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 28 JUN 1749 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

The Find A Grave memorial for Henry Adams, Sr. is #105646680.

There is a probated Last Will & Testament that names his last wife, Hannah, and his surviving children. One of his children was also named Henry. You can view this document on Ancestry.com with a paid membership.

The Barbour Collection for Connecticut shows the following death entries for these two men.

Henry Adams’ entry included the suffix Sr. because he had a son named Henry. This entry, along with the probate record, confirms that Henry Adams, Sr. was not Sarah’s husband.

I believe her husband died on May 30th. This record along with the one directly below it was entered on Page 67. Neither included a death year. This was probably due to the page being damaged by erosion.

Could a descendant of this family have the answer to this question? If so, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Hannah Adams:

Hannah was born in 1692 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. She died in 1767 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

Hannah married John Perkins in 1711 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. Two known children were born during their marriage:

John Perkins (1712)
Hannah Perkins (1715)

John Perkins was born in 1687 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 15 JUN 1716 in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. John was 29 years old when he died.

After John died, Hannah married John Bacon on 25 DEC 1716 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. Six known children were born during their marriage:

Joseph Bacon (1718)
Mary Bacon (1721)
Lucy Bacon (1723)
Benjamin Bacon (1726)
Elizabeth Bacon (1728 to 1736)
Rebecca Bacon (1731)

John Bacon was born on 27 FEB 1683 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 19 FEB 1740 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

John had previously married Marcy Foster on 23 MAY 1710 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. Three known children were born during their marriage:

John Bacon (1711)
Jacob Bacon (1714)
Ebenezer Bacon (1716)

Marcy Foster was born on 29 AUG 1692 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. She died on 9 MAY 1716 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. Marcy was 23 years old when she died.

Mary Adams:

Mary was born in 1698 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. She died on 16 FEB 1767 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

Mary married John Baldwin on 22 FEB 1721 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. Six known children were born during their marriage:

Ebenezer Baldwin (1721)
Mary Baldwin (1724)
Edith Baldwin (1727 to 1733)
Isaac Baldwin (1730)
William Baldwin (1733)
James Baldwin (1735)

John Baldwin was born in 1697 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. He died on 6 JUL 1759 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

A Family Connection:

Mary and John’s son, James Baldwin, was born on 24 MAY 1735 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. He died on 9 NOV 1761 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. James was 26 years old when he died.

James married Thankful Clark on 13 SEP 1758 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. One known child was born during their marriage:

Elisha Baldwin (1759)

Thankful Clark was born on 8 NOV 1736 in Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. She died on 18 JAN 1824 in Lisbon, New London County, Connecticut, USA.

After James died, Thankful married Joseph Baldwin on 1 JUN 1763 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. Four known children were born during their marriage:

Mary Baldwin (1764)
Lydia Baldwin (1767)
Phoebe Baldwin (1769)
Eunice Baldwin (1773)

Joseph Baldwin was born on 24 JUL 1734 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. He died on 23 NOV 1804 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

James and Joseph Baldwin were first cousins. The line of descent is:

James Baldwin (1735)_____first cousins_____Joseph Baldwin (1734)
John Baldwin (1697)________father______Timothy Baldwin (1709)
Benjamin Baldwin (1673) grandfather

Benjamin Baldwin was born on 20 JAN 1673 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 11 DEC 1759 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

Their great-grandfather was Henry Baldwin. He was born circa 1625 in England. He died on 14 FEB 1698 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA.

Henry and his descendants appear in several genealogical publications. You can view these digitized books on the Internet Archive website.

“Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families, 1620-1700”
by Frank R Holmes, published in 1999.

“Genealogical and Family History of Central New York” by William Richard Cutter (1847 to 1918), published in 1912.

“The Baldwin Genealogy from 1500 to 1881” by Charles Candee Baldwin (1834 to 1895), published in 1881.

Abigail Adams:

Abigail was born in 1700 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. I do not know when she died.

Abigail married John Brown on 30 NOV 1721 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. Three known children were born during their marriage:

Jabez Brown (1722)
John Brown (1723)
Mary Brown (1726)

John Brown is another mystery in this family lineage.

There are other family trees that show he was born in 1696 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. The Barbour Collection for Canterbury lists births from 1703 to 1850. That means there is no birth record that would confirm his year of birth.

There are also no death records in this collection for John, Abigail, or the children. That seems to indicate that they moved out of the state of Connecticut.

I did discover that their daughter, Abigail, and her second husband, Samuel Standish, had moved to New York. He died sometime after 1771 in Amenia, Duchess County, New York. She died in 1824 in West Granville, Washington County, New York, USA.

Finding death records for this time period is very difficult. The New York State Education Department posted this on its website:

“New York began statewide registration of births, marriages, and deaths (“vital records”) in 1880-81, under supervision of the State and local boards of health. Compliance with the law was incomplete until 1913 or even later; therefore certificates are lacking for many events.”

This statement is confirmed on other websites including Family Search. They suggest looking for church or cemetery records for deaths prior to 1880. The problem is that there are limited online sources for this information.

I will be revisiting this family’s profile in the future. By then, there may be more data available online that will answer the question of when and where Abigail and John Brown died.

Notes:

John Adams (1595 to 1633) was the first person with that English surname to immigrate to North America from England. In 1621, John boarded the Fortune. This was the second ship, after the Mayflower, to bring puritans to North America. In late November of that year, the Fortune arrived at Plymouth Colony. John was the progenitor of all the Adams descendants listed in these posts.

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!