Mercy (Goodspeed) Jones (1670 - aft. 1749)

Born 18 Feb 1670 in Barnstable, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Wife of Matthew Jones — married 14 Jan 1695 (to 1749) in Barnstable, Barnstable, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died after Aug 1749 after age 79 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Joyce Weaver [send private message]

Biography

Mercy Goodspeed was born on 19 February 1669/70 in Barnstable, Plymouth Colony. She was the first-born child of John and Experience (Holley) Goodspeed.^[1]

There is some uncertainty as to Mercy's marriage year and children, due to Barnstable records recording her marriage to Matthew Jones on 14 January 1694/5, and also attributing two children to Matthew prior to that date.^[1] It is possible that the recorded marriage date is simply wrong, as Mercy was old enough to have married by, say, 1689. It is now generally accepted that she was Matthew's second wife, and that his first two children were with an otherwise totally undocumented first wife. This is the interpretation taken by Donald Blauvelt in his Mayflower Descendant article on Ralph Jones, v.68 (2020).^[2] Otis in his Genealogical notes of Barnstable families also assumes this, but introduces several errors that Blauvelt corrects.^[3] The basic assumption is that the Barnstable birth and marriage record dates for Matthew are accurate, so two marriages are indicated.

Matthew Jones first married in about 1689, to an unknown wife, and they had two children recorded in Barnstable records:^[1]

1. Benjamin (5 Jan 1690/1), married Hannah Gifford
2. Ralph (5 Jan 1692/3), married Abigail Linnell

This first wife probably died in 1694, death not recorded, leaving Matthew with two very young children.

Mercy Goodspeed married Matthew Jones on 14 January 1694/5, in Barnstable.^[4]

Mercy and Matthew had children, all born in Barnstable:^[1]

1. Experience (1 Mar 1697/8), unmarried in 1749 when mentioned in father's will
2. Josiah (14 Jun 1702), not mentioned in father's will of 1749
3. Ebenezer (6 Jun 1706), married Hannah Jones, then Rebecca Crocker
4. Rebecca (ca 1708), mentioned in father's will as wife of Reuben Meigs (married 1732)

At some point Matthew moved to Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony, as he was of Sandwich when he wrote his will. Mercy was given the use and improvement of her husband Matthew Jones' whole estate in his will dated 1 June 1749. His will was probated on 1 August 1749.^[5]

No death record is found for Mercy; she died sometime after August 1749. Then 79 years of age, she probably lived out her life with one of her children, likely her unmarried daughter Elizabeth.

Research Notes

Mercy has been disconnected as the mother of Benjamin and Ralph Jones, the earlier children of Matthew Jones. A clue to their unknown mother's identity might be the given name of Benjamin, which was not a Jones family name at the time.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Barnstable, v.1 p.30, 41(Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). NEHGS member site
2. ↑ Blauvelt, Donald G., "Ralph Jones of Barnstable, Massachusetts", Mayflower Descendant, v.68 (2020), pp.148-156 NEHGS member site
3. ↑ Otis, Amos, Genealogical notes of Barnstable families:, (1890), v.2 pp.110-111 FamilySearch
4. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. Torrey, v.2 p.868 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. NEHGS member site
   • Text: "JONES, Matthew & Mercy GOODSPEED (1669-); 14 Jan 1694, 1684?, had Benj. 1690, 1688; Plymouth {MD 6:140; Barnstable Fam. 2:110; Goodspeed 86; Hamlin 1:399}"
5. ↑ Barnstable County, Mass. probate records, v.8 p.411 FHL Film #007705403 image 231 FamilySearch

• WikiTree profile Goodspeed-128 created through the import of PaulAncestry.ged on Jan 26, 2012 by Joyce Rosnel. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Joyce and others.