Mary (Abbott) Walling (abt. 1631 - 1669)

Born about 1631 in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Wife of Thomas Wallen — married 1651 in Providence, Providence, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Descendants

Died 1669 at about age 38 in Providence, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

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Biography

Mary Abbott was most likely born in Cambridge in the Massachusetts Bay colony in about 1631. She was the daughter of Daniel Abbott and his wife Mary.^[1]

When she was a young girl, her family migrated from the Massachusetts Bay colony to Providence Plantation in Rhode Island, possibly as early as 1636 and no later than 1639.^[2]

Mary's mother died in 1643, and her father Daniel died four years later, leaving Mary an orphan in Providence in 1647.^[3] By January 1651, Mary had announced her plans to marry Thomas Walling -- marriage plans that caused Roger Williams himself to express concerns to the Providence town council for her well-being in light of Thomas' scandalous reputation.^[4] Nonetheless, Mary and Thomas were married by July 1651, when Thomas Walling is referred to as her husband in the records contained in the probate file for Mary's father Daniel.^[5]

Roger William's concerns turned out to be well-founded. As described in more detail in the profile of Thomas Walling, their marriage did not end happily. By November 1662, Thomas had abandoned Mary and her child (or children) for a woman named Ann Smith. He was still absent in July 1663, when the Providence town council seized all of his land and assets for the support of his abandoned family.^[6] That affair had apparently ended by October 1664, when Thomas was convicted of the crime of fornication back in Providence.^[7]

But Mary and Thomas do not appear to have reconciled, at least not for long. In October 1666, Thomas was convicted of assaulting a neighbor, Robert Colwell. He was ordered to post a £20 bond, which he then forfeited by failing to appear in court.^[8] The likely reason for this incident appears in the court records a few months later in May 1667, when the Court granted the petition of the town council for permission to use the forfeited £20 bond for the sustenance of Mary and her children because Thomas had abandoned them again, leaving his family "destitute." The Court found that Thomas had "run away with Robert Colwell's wife, of the said towne."^[9] Two months later, on July 2, 1667, the Court granted Robert Colwell's petition for divorce from his wife Margaret.^[10]

Thomas was brought back to Providence to face justice in May 1668. One of the two men who brought him to justice was Mary's brother Daniel Abbott. Thomas was convicted of fornication for a second time, and this being his second offense, he was sentenced "to be forth with whipt with fifteen stripes in Newport, and a week after, the licke punishment in the Towne of providence and to pay Court Fees."^[11]

Mary Walling died in Providence in 1669, possibly of a broken heart.^[12]

Children

Children of Thomas Walling and Mary Abbott include:^[13]

• Thomas
• Gershom
• Abigail
• James

The details of their birth dates are uncertain. The eldest child of Thomas and Mary was likely born in 1652-53, based on the marriage date. Thomas' will indicates that Thomas, James, John & William were all under the age of 21 when he made this will in July 1674 (and therefore all born in 1653 or later).^[14] All of their children were likely born before 1662, when Thomas abandoned his family in Providence.

Research Notes

Some researchers give an exact date of 13 Dec 1629 for her birth, but the original source of this claim is unclear.

Sources

1. ↑ GMB: 1620-1633, at 1:3.
2. ↑ GMB: 1620-1633, at 1:1.
3. ↑ Early Rec. of the Town of Providence, at 5:203.
4. ↑ See profile of Thomas Walling.
5. ↑ Early Rec. of the Town of Providence, at 2:58.
6. ↑ Early Rec. of the Town of Providence, at 3:30-37.
7. ↑ Rhode Island Court Records, at 2:35.
8. ↑ Rhode Island Court Records, at 2:52.
9. ↑ Records of Rhode Island Colony, at 2:210.
10. ↑ Records of Rhode Island Colony, at 2:204.
11. ↑ Rhode Island Court Records, at 2:64 & 2:66.
12. ↑ Early Rec. of the Town of Providence, at 5:203.
13. ↑ Austin, at 214-15.
14. ↑ Early Rec. of the Town of Providence, at 6:13-16.

• Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633. 3 volumes. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995 ["GMB"].

• Arnold, James Newell. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850. 21 volumes. Providence, RI: Narragansett Historical Pub. Co., 1891-1912.

• Austin, John Osborne. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. Albany, NY: Joel Munsells Sons, 1887. Image copy. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/genealogicaldict00aust : accessed 3 Jan 2020.

• Rhode Island Court Records: Records of the Court of Trials of the Colony of Providence Plantations 1662-1670. 2 volumes. Providence, 1920-22. Image Copy. Hathitrust, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/010426126 : accessed 10 Jan 2021.

• Rogers, Horatio, et al., The Early Records of the Town of Providence. 21 volumes. Providence, RI: Snow & Farnham City Printers, 1892-1915. Image copy. Hathitrust, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008651161 : accessed 4 Jan 2021.

• Wilder, Maribelle. A Wallen-Walling Genealogy. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1985.