Bathsheba (Smith) Parker (1715 - 1795)

Born 14 Jun 1715 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Parker — married 20 Feb 1737 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 6 Jun 1795 at age 79 in Shaftsbury, Bennington, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Diane Flynn [send private message]

Research Notes

The reason I originally hesitated to initiate the proposed merge [Smith-193776 and Smith-15292] is because I strongly doubted that Bathsheba Parker (Smith-193776)'s mother Elizabeth -- the wife of Thomas Smith II -- was identical with a woman named Elizabeth Emins. If I okayed the merge, the resulting connections to their putative ancestors and descendants on WikiTree will perpetuate multiple false connections/conflations in the Emins, Smith and the Parker families.

Here is the basis for my argument:

I believe that Thomas Smith IV, (b 1683, son of John) and Elizabeth Emins of Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts who married 13 Jul 1704 at Ipswich has been conflated by many family historians with Thomas Smith II (b. 1679 Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, son of Thomas) and his wife Elizabeth whose maiden name is unknown.

Documented facts:

1. For 4 generations, the Smith ancestors of Bathsheba Smith were recorded at Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

2. The line of descent began with John Smith of Sudbury, England, whose marriage to Sarah Hunt was recorded in 1647 at Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Early Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to About 1850 (Search & ReSearch Publishing Corp., 1998), "Sudbury Marriages," p. 268. "SMITH, John and Sarah Hunt, Oct. 13, 1647."

3. John and Sarah Smith had a son, Thomas (the first of the name) b. 1658 at Sudbury, who married Abigail Rice, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Moore) Rice. Early Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to About 1850 (Search & ReSearch Publishing Corp., 1998), "Sudbury Births," p. 135. "SMITH, Thomas, s. John and Sary, July 29, 1658. [s. Jo[h]n and Sarah, M.R.]"

4. Thomas and Abigail Smith had a son Thomas (the second of the name) b. 1679 at Sudbury, who married Elizabeth whose maiden name is unknown. Early Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to About 1850 (Search & ReSearch Corporation, 1998), "Sudbury Births," p. 135. "Smith, Tho[mas], ch. Tho[mas] and Abigail, Dec. 3, 1679. M.R."

5. Thomas and Elizabeth (____) Smith were the parents of "Barshabah" Smith who married Thomas Parker 20 Feb 1737 at Sudbury. (Thomas Parker had NO middle name; he was NOT "Thomas Jesse Parker" as seen on multiple Internet trees). Early Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to About 1850 (Search & ReSearch Corporation, 1998), "Sudbury Births," p. 132. "SMITH, Barshabah, d. Thomas and Elizabith, June 14, 1715;" and Early Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to About 1850 "Sudbury Marriages," p. 268. "Smith, Bershebe and Thomas Parker, Feb. 20, 1737. [Barthsheba, M.R.]"

6. Thomas Parker was b. 19 Jan 1715, recorded at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Early Vital Records of Suffolk Co., MA to about 1850 (Search and ReSearch), "Boston Doc. 130," vol. 24, p. 110. "Thomas, Son of Willm. Parker and Anna his Wife, 19 Jan 1715."

7. Bathsheba ("Barshabah") Smith was b. 14 Jun 1715, recorded at Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Early Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to About 1850 "Sudbury Births," p 132.

8. Gravestone inscriptions at Shaftsbury, Bennington, Vermont list the dates of death and ages at death of Thomas and Bathsheba (Smith) Parker: Thomas- 24 Sep 1788, a. 73 [b. 1715] ; Bathsheba-06 Jun 1795, age 80 [b. 1715] Elwell, Levi Henry, Gravestone Records of Shaftsbury, Vermont (Amherst, Mass., s.n.: 1911), p. 51. "PARKER, Mr. Thomas, d. Sept. 24, 1788, in 73d y. [Bennington Cemetery]" and "PARKER, Mrs. Bathsheba, w. Mr. Thomas Parker, d. June 6, 1795, a. 80 y. [b. 1715] [Bennington Cemetery]"

Discussion:

1. Many family historians, falling into "the name's the same" and "geography doesn't matter") errors, have conflated this Elizabeth (____), mother of Bathsheba Smith, with a woman named Elizabeth Emins/Emmons who married Thomas Smith IV (b. 1683), son of John, of Ipswich, Essex County Massachusetts.

2. A treatment of the Ipswich Smith/Emmons connection [which counts four daughters of Peter Emmons who married men of the Smith family] appeared in the 1956 New England Historic Genealogical Society Register 110: 202-205.

3. Ipswich Vital Records, vol. 2, p. 153, details the marriage of Thomas Smith of Ipswich like this: "Eliza[beth], and Thomas Smith [4th, s. John, int.], July 13, 1704.*Intention also recorded."

4. The marriage of Thomas Smith, b. 1679 Sudbury and his wife Elizabeth is not recorded at Sudbury. However, their first child, Elisabeth, was recorded there Apr 15, 1704; their marriage must have occurred by 1703 since there is no indication in Sudbury records that the first child was conceived before marriage or born out of wedlock.

5. Thomas and Elizabeth (____) Smith of Sudbury had a total of 12 children, ALL RECORDED AT SUDBURY, born between 1704 and 1726 (town clerk's spelling of forenames): Elisabeth 1704; Zepheniah 1705; Bezelah 1706-7; Kazia 1708-9; Abegail 1711; Mary 1712-3; Barshaba 1715; Elijah 1717; Eunis 1719-20; Abigail 1721; Henry 1724; and Lois 1726.

6. a. Two entries on WikiTree for Thomas Smith b 1679 Sudbury claim the marriage to Elizabeth Emins: [Smith-96797 and Smith-15304] [a merge of these two Thomases has been proposed, but it will only compound the errors of misplaced children and incorrect ancestors if these issues are not also addressed].

b. Smith-15304 compounds the errors by the addition of 16 children (12 of them belonging to the Sudbury Thomas and Elizabeth).

Biography

Barshabah Smith, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Smith, was born on 14 June 1715 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts. She passed away in 1795.

Sources

• Birth1: Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts to about 1850 (Search & ReSearch Corporation, 1998), Sudbury Births, p. 132. "SMITH, Barshabah, d. Thomas and Elizabith, June 14, 1715".
• Birth2: Parker, Augustus G., ed. and comp., Parker in America: 1630-1910 (1970), Sutro Library, 33.
• Marriage: Early Vital Records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts to about 1850, Sudbury Marriages, p. 268. "Smith, Bershebe and Thomas Parker, Feb. 20, 1737. [Barthsheba, M.R.]".
• Death: Elwell, Levi Henry, Gravestone Records of Shaftsbury, Vermont (Amherst, Mass., s.n.: 1911), LDS Genealogical Library, Salt Lake City ?, 51. "PARKER, Mrs. Bathsheba, w. Mr. Thomas Parker, d. June 6, 1795, a. 80 y. 5[Bennington Cemetery]".