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George Palmer (abt. 1636 - bef. 1686)

George Palmer
Born about in Providence, Rhode Islandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died before before about age 50 in Rochester, Kings, Rhode Islandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 14 Sep 2010
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Contents

Biography

Origins

The parents and birthplace of George Palmer are unknown. Some genealogies place him as a son of Walter Palmer (abt.1589-abt.1661); but the text, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33, [1] (page 1381, 1382) does not recognize George as one of the twelve cited children of Walter Palmer. The Great Migration... also mentions an Abraham Palmer (abt.1605-1653) and a William Palmer as early immigrants to America, but George is not linked as a child of these men either.

As noted previously, the location and date of George Palmer's birth are unknown. His name appears on a list of inhabitants of Warwick, Rhode Island prior to 1648, although he was not one of the eleven original purchasers of 1642.[2] He was "of Providence" in 1662 and an inhabitant of Narragansett in 1663. George took an oath of allegiance at Kingston in 1671. [3]

Marriage and Children

In his tome, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Clarence Almon Torrey asserts that George Palmer married Bethia Mowry on September 30, 1662 [4][3] when Bethia was 24 years old; [1] their marriage is subsequently affirmed in a land deed recorded in the Fones Record. Arranging the marriage appears to have been problematic. A letter written by Roger_Williams in 1656 (when Bethia was 18) describes his encounter with a "very angry George Palmer, speaking much of his being Wronged about Roger Mories daughter..."[5] Moriarty [3] boldly states that, George and Bethia "undoubtedly had issue at least two daughters" unfortunately it appears that Moriarty was making this claim as self-evident, as he did not document the information source for this conviction. though the nature of his statement suggests that he was of the opinion that this was self-evident as George Palmer was the only Palmer surnamed resident of Quidnessett between 1663 and 1687:

Death and Estate

George died sometime before the end of November in 1686 when a land deed transferring "ye land now in Possession of Bethia Palmer, Widow and Relict of George Palmer, late Deceased." [6] into the possession of a company composed of Thomas Mumford, Peleg Mumford, John Sheldon, and Samuel Meade, who were authorized to erect a grist and fulling mill at this location along the "Mattatuxett River," in North Kingstown. Map evidence suggests the property was sited at what is presently called the Shady Lea Mill due west of present day Plum Beach, Rhode Island. This, of course, places George and Bethiah Palmer at this North Kingstown address, just prior to his death and also affirms that John Sheldon, who was noted by family lore to have been the husband of Deliverance Palmer (purported daughter of George and Bethiah); was indeed well acquainted with the family of George and Bethia Palmer. It is also worth noting that George Palmer's death occurred just before the 1687 Andros Tax Levy and his absence from this tax record affirms that he was deceased by this date; however it is also worth noting that a William Palmer does appear on this 6 Sept 1687 tax list, less than two years after Bethia's 1686 land deed, offering strong circumstantial evidence suggesting that this William Palmer may have been the son of George and Bethia, or at least closely related. [7] However tempting it is to pair this Wm Palmer as a son or close relative of George, it turns out that is NOT the case. The William Palmer (abt.1657-) in the 1687 census was a gunsmith from Barbadoes, and had just purchased a Quidnessett, RI lot of Richard Smith on 11 Feb 1687. Fones Record, page 157.

George Palmer Life Event Timeline

The following sub section is a compilation of events drawn from a variety of genealogical sources.


End of Biography.


Genealogical Records

The following section of this profile provides detailed information found in the collected information sources. The purpose of this section is to provide the reader access to the information contained within the cited sources; to examine the genealogical record for areas of data corroboration and conflict, and to establish a hierarchy of reliability for the cited information. In addition, this section provides a platform to analyze, cross-correlate, and comment on important aspects of the cited historical data record.

  • Secondary Source, Clarence Almon Torrey, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, [4] Data extract:
  1. ) Torrey's Marriages; V2, page 1130: George Palmer & Bethia Morey/Mowry (1638-1686); 30 Sep 1662; Warwick, RI.; {Austin: GDRI 346; TAG 17:51, 19:222, 20:53, 228; Gen Mag 2:293; Mowry (#1)Supp. 15; Hall-Baldwin 137}
  2. ) Torrey's Marriages; V2, page 1130: Marriage of possible father:

George Palmer (1620-1670) & Elizabeth [?NORTON]; by 31 Dec 1650; Kittery, ME. {GDMNH 525; TAG 17:50+; Essex Ant. 7:25, 9:129}

Published Genealogical Information

  1. ) Fones Record; page 161 Bethia Palmer, widow of George sells land to be used for grist mill in the town of Rochester. 30 Nov 1686:

    Articles of Agreement had made and Concluded on the last day of Novemb'r in the Second yeare of the Reigne of o'r Sovereigne Lord James the Second over England &c. Any'e Domy't 1686, Betweene Thomas Mumford, Peleg Mumford and John Shelden, all of the Towne of Rochester in ye Kings Province or Narragansett Countrey in New England, And Samuell Mead of the Towne of Warwick in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England afore Said, Witnesseth that whereas the S'd Persons above Named haveing Joyned themselves mutually in Partership to Elect, build and and sett up a grist mill in ye Township of Rochester afore S'd upon a river called and Knowne by ye Name of Mattatuxett, upon ye land now in Possession of Bethia Palmer, Widow and Relict of George Palmer, late Deceased, The which S'd Mill being by them erected, built and Sett up as afore S'd at ye proper costs and Charge of ye S'd Thomas Mumford, Peleg Mumford, John Sheldon and Samuel Mead, afore S'd Each of them Beareing an Equnll part and proportion thereof, doe agree that ye S'd Mill Shall be well finished and a fulling Mill anexed and Joyned to ye S'd Grist Mill at their proper costs and Charge, Each one Beareing his part and proportion which being done, performed and finished, The S'd Mills to Belong unto the S'd Thomas Mumford, Peleg Mumford, John Sheldon and Samuel Mead, their and Every of their heires and Assignes on Equall part (that is to say) a fourth part to Each Partner, to be and Remaine to Each and Every of them so long as ye S'd Mills shall Endure. In Witness whereof the parties above Named have with free and Joynt Consent, Sett to their hand & Seales the day and yeare first above written,

    Thomas Mumford & a Seale,
    Peleg Mumford & a seale,
    John Shelden & a seale,
    Samuell Mead & a seale.

    Signed, Sealed and declared to be the reall act and agreem't of ye Subscribers in Presence of us, Ephram More, John Fones.

    Entered upon Record Sept'r 17th, 1688.
    P. Jno. Fones, Record'r

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 1995. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010) By Subscription. Page 1314.
  2. Fuller, Oliver Payson. The History of Warwick, Rhode Island, Settlement in 1642 to the Present Time. Providence, RI: Providence; Angell, Burlingame, & Co.; 1875. page 40.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Moriarty, G. Andrews. "Additions and Corrections to Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island." The American Genealogist, Volume 20, 1943. By Subscription. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Page 54.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Torry, Clarence A. U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Baltimore, MD, USA; Genealogical Publishing Co., Copyright,1985. Seventh printing 2004. Available at:
    1. ) Ancestry.com -- seachable on-line database; data access fee required. Ancestry.com Operations Inc, Provo, UT, USA, 2012. Page 553.
    2. ) New England Marriages prior to 1700; at American Ancestors (fee reqd). IMPORTANT NOTE American Ancestors cites the version of Torrey which includes Torrey's Source References, the version at Ancestry does not!
      1. ) Torrey uses a coded abbreviation for his source citations; a cross reference manual which expands Torrey's abbreviations into a title string having sufficient information to perform a source verification search may be found HERE.
    3. ) Print edition. This manuscript is still in print and may be available at Amazon.com or Abebooks.com or other rare booksellers. Note the edition without the references is a single volume, with references is a multivolume set.
  5. Trask, William B. "Letter from Roger Williams 1656." New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 36. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) By Subscription. Page 78.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Arnold, James; The Records of the Proprietors of the Narragansett: Otherwise called the Fones Record; Narragansett Historical Publishing Company; Providence, RI.; 1894. Fones Record; page 161
  7. Beebe, Randolph; Cross Reference: Gov. Andros 1687 Rochester RI Tax Register to Wikitree profile; 2024

Other Sources

  • Find a Grave, database and images (: accessed February 20, 2024), memorial page for George Palmer (1630–1680), Find a Grave Memorial ID 178287982; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by Stan Arnold (contributor 48121400).
  • Gardiner, Sheridan Ellsworth. George Palmer, Father-in-Law of Nicholas Gardiner, The American Genealogist (1940) Vol. 17, Page 50-52.
George Palmer of this profile does NOT appear in this Palmer Genealogy.




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Comments: 6

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There are three "daughters" attached with no sources; they are linked to George and Bethia on FamilySearch, again with no sources. Unless there are objections, I'll disconnect them in about 30 days.
posted by Jill (Neibaur) Olson
Palmer-17636 and Palmer-254 appear to represent the same person because: Duplicate husband of Bethiah Mowry.
Palmer-16573 and Palmer-254 appear to represent the same person because: Duplicate husband of Bethiah Mowry. There is a few years' difference in dates but given the time period, it should not prevent a merge.
Palmer-12972 and Palmer-254 appear to represent the same person because: They are the same person, both are married to Bethiah Mowry.
posted by Jessica Petruff
Palmer-7115 and Palmer-254 appear to represent the same person because: It is possible these are duplicate profiles. It is impossible that they are the sons of Rebecca Short, since she never lived at Rhode Island. It was settled in 1636 by William Rogers. There is no Palmer in the lists of early settlers of R.I. Early Settlers of Rhode Island. Warwick was not founded until 1642 - check date/location for birth of Palmer-7115. Walter and Rebecca (Short) Palmer lived at Charlestown, MA, Rehoboth, MA, and Stonington, CT. I'm removing them as parents for both George Palmer profiles, as there is no evidence they had a son named George. (see Great Migration Begins, Vols I-III, pages 1382-3).
Palmer-7115 and Palmer-254 appear to represent the same person because: It is possible these are duplicate profiles. It is impossible that they are the sons of Rebecca Short, since she never lived at Rhode Island. It was settled in 1636 by William Rogers. There is no Palmer in the lists of early settlers of R.I. Early Settlers of Rhode Island. Warwick was not founded until 1642 - check date/location for birth of Palmer-7115. Walter and Rebecca (Short) Palmer lived at Charlestown, MA, Rehoboth, MA, and Stonington, CT. I'm removing them as parents for both George Palmer profiles, as there is no evidence they had a son named George. (see Great Migration Begins, Vols I-III, pages 1382-3).

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