Martha (Joyce) Godfrey (abt. 1667 - bef. 1735)

Born about 1667 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Plymouth Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of John Godfrey — married about 1688 (to before 23 Oct 1732) in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Plymouth Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

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Biography

Martha Godfrey was born about 1667 the daughter of Hosea Joyce and his first wife, Martha (Unknown) Godfrey. She married about 1688, John Godfrey, the son of Richard Godfrey.^[1] She died between 25 July 1728 and 7 August 1735.^[2][3]

John Godfrey of Yarmouth, along with his brother Richard of Taunton, on 4 April 1692, sold land at Taunton to James Leonard, and his wife Martha released her dower rights.^[4]

Martha "Godfree" is named in her father's will, 26 January 1711/2, when he gave £4 to his only child by his first wife, Martha Godfree.^[5][6]

By a deed of 27 June 1712 John Godfrey and wife Martha quitclaimed Taunton property from his father's estate to his brother Richard.^[7]

The will of Hosea Joyce, dated 25 July 1728, names his sister Martha "Gafroy".^[2]

The will of her husband, John Godfrey, was dated 7 August, proved 23 October 1732.^[8] He does not mention his wife, though he does enumerate all of his known children, living and deceased. We can therefore assume that Martha was deceased by the date of John's Godfrey's will. Witnesses to the will were Petter Thacher, Thomas Joyce, and Joseph Studly Jr.^[3]

At a Barnstable Court, 10 March 1741, Mary Carseley of Barnstable, on behalf of herself and brother and sisters, all children and heirs of Martha Godfree, late of Yarmouth, deceased, petitioned the court for a share of the estate of Samuel Joyce, declaring her mother Martha was "sister of the half blood to Samuell Joyce, late of sd Yarmouth, yeoman, deceased intestate, leaving neither wife nor child." She argued that she and her siblings were entitled to a per stirpes share of his estate "with the brothers and sisters of the whole blood ..."^[9] Martha Godfrey's heirs participated in the distribution of the estate of her deceased brother, Samuel Joyce, in 1742.

Her children's birth records are not found, but were named in their father's will in 1735:^[10][1]

1. John, b. perhaps ca. 1689; d. before 7 Aug 1735 (date of father's will); m. ca. 1719 Meltiah (Gray) Smith, b. Yarmouth 6 Jun 1694, dau. of Edward and Melatiah (Lewis) Gray, and widow of Elisha Smith.
2. Martha, b. ca. 1691; d. before 30 Jan 1722/3 (when her husband remarried); m. 23 Feb 1710[/11?] William Basset, son of Nathaniel and Dorcas (Joyce) Bassett. He m2. at Barnstable 30 Jan 1722/3 Sarah Jenkins.
3. Mary, b. ca. 1693; d. after 10 March 1741/2; m. at Yarmouth 4 March 1713/4 Benjamin Carsely, son of John Carsely/Casely.
4. Dorcas, b. ca. 1695; d. after 7 Aug 1735 (date of father's will as "Dorkis White")^[10]; m1. at Yarmouth 29 March 1715 Israel Hamblin Jr.,^[1][10] m2. as "Dorcas Hambling" in 1716 or 1717, probably at Yarmouth, Jonathan White, d. Dutchess Co., NY 1759, son of Jonathan and Hester (Nickerson) White.^[10]
5. Uriah, b. ca. 1697; m. 24 Feb 1736/7 Melatiah Smith, b. ca. Feb 1716 (based on age at death), d. Yarmouth 14 Dec 1805, age 89 years 10 months, daughter of Elisha and Melatiah (Gray) Smith.
6. Elizabeth, b. ca. 1699; d. after 7 Aug 1735 (date of father's will).
7. Priscilla, b. ca. 1701. She was probably the Priscilla Godfrey wo had marriage intentions at Yarmouth dated 17 Nov 1734 with Caleb Chase; howver, her father's will dated Aug 1735 calls her unmarried. Caleb Chase, b. Yarmouth 25 Sep 1713, son of Jonathan and Sarah (Green) Chase, apparently was the Caleb Chase who m. at Yarmouth 8 Sept. 1736 Mary Wixson.
8. Thankful, b. ca. 1703; d. before Aug 1735 (date of father's will); m. at Yarmouth 16 Feb 1720/1 Thomas Hakes or Haux.^[10] (or ___ "Halles"^[1]).
9. Else "Alice", b. ca. 1705; d., perhaps in childbirth ca. 13 Oct 1730; m. at Yarmouth 15 Feb 1721/2 Elisha Crowell. Elisha m2. at Yarmouth 28 Dec 1731 Remembrance Luce.
10. Mehitable, b. ca. 1707; d. perhaps 28 Oct 1778 and bur. in the Perkins Family Lot, Exeter, RI; m. at East Greenwich, RI, 29 Oct 1732 Newman Perkins (also Parkins), b. Preston, CT, 8 Mar 1711, son of Ebenezer and Hannah (Safford) Perkins, d. between 1 May 1796 and 4 Jun 1796, bur. Perkins Family Lot, Exeter.
11. Dorothy, b. ca. 1709; d. Yarmouth 19 Jan 1743/4.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Maclean W. McLean, "John(1) Joyce of Yarmouth, Mass. (ca. 1615-1666)", TAG 43(1967):6-7.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Additions and Corrections" to McLean's "John Joyce of Yarmouth, Mass. (ca. 1615-1666)", TAG 43:124 citing Mansfield Probates 1, pt. 1, p. 271
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Barnstable County Probate Records, Vol. 5:253-4
4. ↑ Mclean, John Joyce of Yarmouth citing Bristol County Deeds 12:505
5. ↑ Will of Hosea Joyce, Barnstable County Probate Records Vol. 3:227
6. ↑ Elizabeth Pearson White, John Howland of the Mayflower, The first five generations : documented descendants through his third child Hope Howland, wife of John Chipman (Camden, Me. : Picton Press, 2008) Vol. 3, p. 37.
7. ↑ Mclean, John Joyce of Yarmouth citing Bristol County Deeds 21:321
8. ↑ Mclean, John Joyce of Yarmouth citing Barnstable County Probate 5:253.
9. ↑ Mclean, John Joyce of Yarmouth citing BCP 6:280
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} Helen Schatvet Ullman, "Richard(1) Godfrey of Taunton, Massachusetts, and his Children and Grandchildren," NEHGR Vol. 162(2008):270-272.

See also:

• Mayflower Families Through Five Generations Volume 13 2006 p. 51 (Esther White - "She m. (1)...JOHN JOYCE...son of Hosea and Elizabeth (Chapman) Joyce...". It does not speak further about Hosea and his wife, Elizabeth or that he had another wife. It says of John Joyce that his will "...names unm. daus. Fear and Desire, wife Esther, his wife's sister Elizabeth White and his brothers...").

Acknowledgments

Contributors: Linda James, Bobbie Hall.