Ruth (Todd) Wright (1657 - 1717)

Born 11 Apr 1657 in Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Wife of Samuel Hunt — married 1 May 1678 in Ipswich, Essex Co, Massachusetts Bay

Wife of John Senter — married 1686 (to 31 Dec 1706) in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Wife of Joseph Wright II — married 9 Feb 1707 (to 18 Feb 1717) in Boston, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 18 Feb 1717 at age 59 in Woburn, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Ruth Todd (or Tod) was born in Rowley, Massachusetts, on April, 11, 1657 ("11 : 2m : 1657" in the town record), the daughter of John and Susannah Todd.^[1][2][3][4]

She married first, on May 1, 1678, in Ipswitch, Massachusetts, Samuel Hunt of Ipswitch.^[5] The Hunts had many children. However, the marriage ended and Mary ended up marrying two more times to John Center and Josiah (Joseph) Wright.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Mrs. Ruth (Todd) Wright died in Woburn, Massachusetts, on February 18, 1716-17. She was buried at First Burial Ground in Woburn, where her gravestone reads:^{[4][10][11][13][14]}

Here lyes y^e Body

of My^rs Ruth Wright,

wife to M^r Jofeph

Wright; Formerly

Wife to M^r John

Center; Died Feb^ry

18^th 1716-17 Aged about 60

Research Notes

• Marriages Problems: Attached sources do seem to provide evidence for 3 marriages, but the cited birth dates for the children of Samuel Hunt, 1678 to 1699, and John Center, 1687 to 1697, overlap. In addition, "Hazen" cites that Ruth was the first wife of Samuel Hunt, that she died and he married Mary before 1689. Missing links: marriage sources for Samuel Hunt's alleged other wife, Mary, and for Ruth's marriage to John Center.

Sources

1. ↑ Rowley Records: Page 224. Births. Citing: "TODD, Ruth (Tod), d. John and Susanna, 11 : 2m : 1657."
2. ↑ Blodgett: Pages 384-385. Citing: "203. John Todd ... his wife, Susannah ... Children born in Rowley: ... 3. Ruth, b. 11 : 2mo. : 1657; m. in Ipswitch, 1 May, 1678, Samuel Hunt of Ipswitch. She m. (2) John Center (36)."
3. ↑ Essex Institute: Pages 47-48. Citing: "112 John Todd ... brought with him his wife Susannah, her name may have been Hunt. ... Children: ... 3. Ruth, b. 11-2mo., 1657; m. in Ipswitch, 1 May, 1678, Samuel Hunt of Ipswitch."
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 15 January 2019), memorial page for Ruth Todd Wright (11 Apr 1657–18 Feb 1716), Find A Grave: Memorial #20705799, citing First Burial Ground, Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Carolyn Gray-Yeaw (contributor 47062093).
5. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCCS-16P : 9 February 2018), Samuell Huntt and Ruth Tod, 01 May 1678; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 0547505 IT 1.
6. ↑ Hazen: Pages 75-76. Citing: "HUNT. 1. Samuel ... He was active in securing the incorporation of Tewksbury. He m. 1678, May 1. Ruth Tod. She d. and he m. Mary - before 1689. He d. 1742-3, Jan. 11. Ch. Samuel, 2, b. 1678-9. Feb. 4. John, 3, b. 1680. Elizabeth, b. 1682-3; d. 1685, July 13. Jeremiah, 4, b. 1685, March 29. Elizabeth, b. 1687, June 3; m. Thomas Farmer, 4. Thomas, 5, b. 1689, Sept. 2. Peter, 6, b. 1690, May 6. Joseph, 7, b. 1694, Sept. 21. Mary, b. 1696, July 1; m. Ebenezer Dows, 1. Susanna, b. 1699, Oct. 2."
7. ↑ Wyman: Page 82. Citing: "[Hunt,] SAMUEL of Tewksbury, s. of Samuel. 1657.
   RUTH TOD. [m.] May 1, 1678.
   MARY [m. ?]
   1678-Feb. 4. Samuel. - Oct. 13, 1738.
   1680, 30 (10). John. - Jan. 22, 1740-1.
   1682-3, 4 (1). Elizabeth. - July 13, 1685.
   1685, Mar. 29. Jeremiah. - 1787.
   1687, June 3. Elizabeth. Farmer.
   1689, Sept. 2. Thomas. - Sept. 16, 1709.
   1692, May 6. Peter. - April 3, 1770.
   1694, Sep. 21. Joseph. - n. 1743.
   1696, July 1. Mary. Dowse.
   1699, Oct. 2. Susanna.
   
8. ↑ Ipswitch Records: VOLUME II. MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. Page 237. Citing: Marriage: "HUNTT (See also Hunt), Samuell, and Ruth Tod, May 1, 1678. CT. R.."
9. ↑ Blodgett: Page 64. Citing: "36. JOHN CENTER (Senter) “was of Boston, and by wife Mary had John, 8 Aug., 1682; Jonathan, 8 Feb., 1685; and by wife Ruth had Eleanor, 6 July, 1687; Ruth, bp. 15 May, 1692 ; Sarah, 20 July, 1695, and Jeremiah, 20 Jan., 1697. Widow Ruth married Josiah Wright and died 18 Feb., 1717, aged 60” (Savage). We think he married (2) about 1686, Ruth, widow of Samuel Hunt of Ipswich, and daughter of John Todd (203). Children of record in Rowley :
   36-1. ELIZABETH,2 bp. 13 Nov., 1681.
   36-2. JOHN, bp. 29 Oct., 1682.
   36-3. ELEANOR, bp. 11 Dec., 1687. The record is as follows: "1687 Goodm Center Br Tods son in law daughter Eleanor Decemb 11” (Ch. R.)."
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Torrey: Volume I. Page 290. Citing: "CENTER, John (1660-1706) & Ruth [HUNT] (-1717, ca 60), m/2 Josiah WRIGHT; by 1687, by 10 Apr 1682; Boston/Chelsea {Rowley MA Fam. 64; Sv. 1:350; Reg. 37:78; TAG 20:111}"
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Savage: Volume I. Page 350. Citing: "CENTER, JOHN, Boston, by w. Mary had John, b. 8 Aug. 1682; and Jonathan, 8 Feb. 1685; and by w. Ruth had Elinor, 6 July 1687; Ruth, bapt. 15 May 1692; Sarah, 20 July 1695; and Jeremiah, 20 June 1697. His wid. m. Josiah Wright, and d. 18 Feb. 1717, aged 60."
12. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC7M-8YM : 9 February 2018), Joseph Wright and Ruth Center, 09 Feb 1707; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 0928191 IT 2.
13. ↑ Woburn Records: PART II. DEATHS. Page 212. Citing: "WRIGHT, Ruth, wife of Mr. Joseph, Feb. 18, 1717; 60y."
14. ↑ Woburn Records: PART II. EPITAPHS, FIRST BURIAL-GROUND. Page 19*. Citing: "(63.) 'Here lyes ye Body of Mrs Ruth Wright, wife to Mr Joseph Wright; Formerly Wife to Mr John Center; Died Feb'ry 18th 1716-17 Aged about 60.'
    Ruth Wright, wife of Joseph Wright, of Woburn, and formerly wife of John Center, of Boston, whose first wife was named Mary. (Vide Savage, Genealogical Dictionary.)"

See also:

• Blodgett, George. Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts (Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, 1887).

• Essex Institute Historical Collections. Volume XXIV(24). (The Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1888).

• Hazen, Henry Allen. "History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical register" (A. Williams and Co., Boston, 1883).

• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1862).

• Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985). Also:
  New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org($). New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.

• Wyman, Thomas Bellows, and Wellington L. G. Hunt. Genealogy of the name and family of Hunt : early established in America from Europe : exhibiting pedigrees of ten thousand persons, enlarged by religious and historic readings, enriched with indices of names and places (J. Wilson and Son, Boston, Massachusetts, 1863).

• Tolman, George. Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1635-1850 (Beacon Press, Boston, Mass., 1895).

• Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1910).

• Vital Records of Rowley, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex institute, Salem, Mass., 1928-31).

• Johnson, Edward. Woburn Records of Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Marriage Intentions, from 1640 to 1900 (Woburn, Mass., 1890-1919).