Ruth (Graves) Merriam (1674 - 1755)

Born 25 Nov 1674 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Wife of William Merriam — married 7 Nov 1711 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 12 Nov 1755 at age 80 in Meriden, New Haven, Connecticut

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Biography

Biography

This profile is part of the Graves Name Study.

Ruth Graves was born 25 November 1674 to Benjamin Graves and Mary Hoar in Concord, Massachusetts.^[1]

She married John Webb 25 January 1699/1700 in Saybrook, Connecticut,^[2] and with him had the following children there:

• John Webb, b. 1700 (d. 1702)^[2]
• Hannah Webb, b. 1702^[2]
• Mary Webb, b. 1704^[2]
• Ruth Webb, b. 1705^[2]
• Sarah Webb, b. 1707^[2]
• Gideon Webb, b. 1709^[2]
• John Webb, b. 1711^[2]

John died in 1711,^[2] and Ruth married, second, William Merriam 7 November 1711,^[3] and with him had the following children there:

• Ruth Merriam, d. William and Ruth, Nov. 2, 1713.^[4]
• Samuel Merriam, s. William and Ruth, May 20, 1716.^[4]

The couple then moved to Wallingford, Connecticut, where they had:

• Ebenezer Merriam, b. 1718^[5]
• Joseph Merriam, b. 1724^[5]

William died in 1752,^[6] and Ruth lived three years as a widow before her death 12 November 1755 in Meriden, Connecticut.^[7] She was buried in the Indian Cemetery in Marlborough, Connecticut.^[8]

Ruth had seven minor children when she married WIlliam, and it is written that Ruth was his fourth wife.^[9] One wonders how many children he brought into the marriage, and where they kept them all. With so many children of earlier marriage(s) to contend with, it would be likely that many of the children would be strongly encouraged to marry young, or perhaps would have been indentured in order to maintain order, if nothing else, at home.

1. She passed away in 1755.

2. The Life Summary of Ruth When Ruth Graves was born on 25 November 1674, in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, her father, Benjamin Graves, was 29 and her mother, Mary Hoar, was 26. She married John Webb on 25 January 1700, in Old Saybrook, Middlesex, Connecticut, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 4 daughters. She lived in Massachusetts, United States in 1674. She died on 12 November 1755, in Saybrook, New London, Connecticut Colony, at the age of 80, and was buried in Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Children, (7) John Webb, Male 1700–1702 • Hannah Webb, Female 1701–1755 • Mary Webb, Female 1703–Deceased • Ruth Webb, Female 1705–1791 • Sarah Webb, Female 1707–1707 • Gideon Webb, Male 1709–1799 • John Webb, Male 1711–1799

3. Death date: 12 November 1755, Saybrook, Connecticut

Sources

1. ↑ "Early Vital Records of Massachusetts From 1600 to 1850," The Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Births - G, Concord, Middlesex, (http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Middlesex/Concord/aBirthsG.shtml : accessed 3 September 2015). Graves, Ruth, d. Benjaman and Mary, Nov. 25, 1674".
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} "Saybrook Vital Records from Barbour, 1668-1852 - T-Y Transcribed by Coralynn Brown," Dunham - Wilcox - Trott - Kirk (http://dunhamwilcox.net/barbour/saybrook_barbour_t-y.htm and on Wayback Machine : accessed 3 September 2015).
3. ↑ "Early Vital Records of Massachusetts From 1600 to 1850," The Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Marriages - W, Lynn, Essex, (http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Lynn/aMarriagesW.shtml : accessed 3 September 2015). Webb, Ruth, and William Merriam, Nov. 7, 1711".
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Early Vital Records of Massachusetts From 1600 to 1850," The Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Births - M, Lynn, Essex, (http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Lynn/aBirthsM.shtml : accessed 3 September 2015).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Wallingford, New Haven Co., CT, Vital Records from Barbour, 1670-1850 - M Surnames- Part I Transcribed by Coralynn Brown," Dunham - Wilcox - Trott - Kirk (http://dunhamwilcox.net/ct/wallingford_ct11.htm and on Wayback Machine : accessed 3 September 2015).
6. ↑ "Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F78T-34C : accessed 4 September 2015), William Merriam, 26 Feb 1752; citing Bristol Connecticut, reference ; FHL microfilm 3,169.
7. ↑ "Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F78T-SYC : accessed 4 September 2015), Ruth Merriam, 12 Nov 1755; citing Meriden, Connecticut, reference ; FHL microfilm 3,169.
8. ↑ "Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F72C-GQH : accessed 4 September 2015), Ruth Merriam, ; citing , reference 27; FHL microfilm 3,344.
9. ↑ The Essex Genealogist, Vol 11 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1991 (http://www.americanancestors.org/databases/essex-genealogist-the/image/?pageName=201&volumeId=12782&rId=144164221 : accessed 3 September 2015). "William... m. (1)... Hannah Daggle (or Duggle/Douglas)... (2) ... Athildred Berry... (3)... Abigail Mower... (4)... Mrs. Ruth Webb, widow of John..."

• Himebaugh, Maria Walton, 1913. Hungerford Genealogy: A Genealogical & Biographical Record of the Hungerford Family in England, Ireland, Canada and United States. Privately published, Wichita, Kansas, page 114
• Gillespie, Charles Bancroft. An Historic Record And Pictorial Description Of The Town Of Meriden, Connecticut And Men Who Have Made It (Journal Pub. Co., Meriden, Conn., 1906) * Page 161.
• https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KNWZ-64S/ruth-graves-1674-1755
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KNWZ-64S
• Graves Family Association Genealogy 166, John Graves. https://graves-fa.org/gen-histories/gens/gen166.html
• http://www.kennaweb.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I52&tree=default