Mary Holt (abt. 1620)

Born about 1620 in England

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Biography

11 April 1639 entry. "censured for uncleane practises" "Aaron Stark to stand upon the pillory and to be whipt as Williams, and to cause the letter R. burnt upon his check and in regard to the wrong done to Mary Holt, to pay her parents L10 and in defect of such to the Comon Wealth and when both are fit for that Condition to marry her."^[1][2][3]

1 Aug 1639: "John Bennet and Mary Holt, were both sentenced to be whip't. for unclean practices, and the girls master is enjoined to send her out of this jurisdiction before the last of next month."^[1][2][3]

This is all we know about Mary Holt, from the records. Lets estimate a birth. She was old enough to be a participant in "unclean practices" so definitely older than 12. 1639-12=1627 and still subject to a master so probably not older that say 27. 1639-27=1612. So between 1612-1627. 1620 is a nice round number making her nineteen at the time of the court records. she was most certainly not born in 1582.

The record says "to pay her parents L10 and in defect of such to the Comon Wealth" So the government wasn't sure she had parents to pay the fine to and would have it paid to the government. There were no Holt families in Connecticut this early. Massachusetts and New Haven Colony had some settlers "Holt," but both William and Nicholas are estimated to have been born about 1610 so were not her parents. She probably came with her master.

The court thought that Stark and Holt should marry after the first offense, however, since Mary was in trouble again within a short time and was to be sent away from the Colony this seems doubtful. Plus the fact that Stark is known to have married a woman named Sarah.

Mary's husband, and death are unknown. "Chapter 3. Aaron Stark [1608-1685. Common Genealogical Myths, Mistakes, & Misconceptions,] gives a fairly good explanation about the internet fallacies claiming Mary as Aaron's wife.

Research Notes

Great Migration Directory, p 167.: Holt, Mary: Unknown; 1638; Connecticut (servant; court appearance only) [CCCR 1:28, 29].

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} 'The Blue Laws (Case, Tiffany & Co., Hartford, 1838) Page 86-7:
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Records of the Particular Court of Connecticut 1639-1663. pp 3, 4
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony May 1665. (Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850.) AKA Colonial Records of Connecticut. Volume I. 1636-1665, pp 28, 29

• http://www.starkeffect.com/users/stark/family_history/stark_family/persons/aaron_stark.html
• http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/STARK/2006-08/1156217294