John Wetherbee Sr. (abt. 1642 - bef. 1711)

Born about 1642 in England

Husband of Mary (Howe) Wetherbee — married 13 Aug 1672 (to 5 Jun 1684) in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Lydia (Moore) Wetherbee — married 16 Sep 1684 in Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died before 2 Apr 1711 before about age 69 in Stow, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

This profile is part of the Wetherbee Name Study.

John Wetherbee was born about 1642,^[1] presumably in England. His origins are unknown (see disputed parents).

New England

The first record concerning John Wetherbee is a deposition on 2 October 1666. On 6 September 1666, at the Court of Middlesex County at Cambridge, Massachusetts, William Kerley, Constable of Marlborough, charged Thomas Rice and Peter Bent of Marlborough with neglect of duty in keeping the night watch, and abusing the Constable. On 2 October 1666, John Witherbee testified to the Court that he was about 24 years old, that he was on the watch with Thomas Rice about three weeks prior, and testified to the events of that night and the next day.^[1] Based on his deposition, he was born about 1642.

Marriages

John Witherby married first Mary How on 13 August 1672, in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.^[2]

On 10 March 1672/3, John Withersby and Mary were charged with committing fornication together before their marriage.^[3] At the Court of Middlesex County at Cambridge, the Constable of Marlborough was required to warn the freemen of Marlborough to meet and choose two men to serve at the Court at Cambridge on 1 April 1673, one for the Grand Jury, and one for the Jury of Trials. William Ward was the witness. On 22 March, Soloman Johnson was chosen for the Grand Jury, and Joseph Rice was chosen for the Jury of Trials; John and Mary were warned to appear; William Ward was warned to appear.^[4] A record of the court proceedings on 1 April has not been found.

Mary, wife of John Whitherby, died 5 June 1684, in Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.^[5][6]

John Whitherby married second Lidia Moore on 16 September 1684, in Stow.^[5][7][8]

Will and Death

Last Will and Testament of John Witherby Sen'r, husbandman^[9]
Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
13 October 1707.
1 April 1709 (codicil).
2 April 1711 (proved).

In his Will, John names the following persons, in the following order:

• Lidia my beloved wife; one half of my now dwelling house in said Stow … upland
• my son David; other halfe of both houseing & land; other halfe of housing & land after his mothers decease or marriage
• my two sons (viz) Jonathan Witherby & Ephraim Witherby; all the upland that … I bought of Ruth Wheeler at ye place called Shabekin at Stow, together with two third parts of the meadow that doth belong unto the said land that I bought of Ruth Wheeler, also of that meadow ye belongs to my home lott
• the other Third part of the meadow belong to Each parcel of s'd upland … my s'd wife & him my s'd son David Witherby
• my three daughters (viz) Mary, Lidia, and Anne; unto each fifteen pounds [£15] & the same lot payd out of my personal Estate if the same will hold out after my wife has had her third ouf of my personal estate, my said daughters to be payd when they come of Lawfull Age or sooner if any happen sooner to marry
• my three Eldest sons, my son Joseph Witherby fourty shillings [£0.40.0], my son John & Thomas unto each twenty shillings [£0.20.0] being Added to what I have formerly given unto them in the wholl of what I do resolve to give them
• and the Remainder of my personal Estate after my wife hath her Third out of my personal Estate (the w'ch I do will unto her for Ever) unto her my said wife & David my son

Signed: John Witherby Sen'r (his mark).
Witnesses: John Hunt, Thomas Brown Sen'r, Ruth Browne.
Executors: my said wife [Lidia], David my son.

In his Codicil, John alters the original bequests in his Will:

• [review and add]

Signed: John Witherby Sen'r (his mark).
Witnesses: Thomas Baroman Thomas Brown Sen'r, Elizabeth Brown (her mark).

An Inventory and Appraisement of his Estate was taken 21 March 1710/1, by Jocob Stanors [?], John Taylor, and Thomas Brown, and returned to the Court on 2 April 1711 by his widow Lidia and son David.^[9]

Children

John and Mary had three children who were named in John's Will:^[9]

1. Joseph, b. 18 Sep 1672, Marlbrough.^[10]
2. John, b. 26 Mar 1675, Marlborough.^[11]
3. Thomas, b. 5 Jan 1678, Sudbury.^[12]

John and Lydia had six children named in John's Will:^[9]

1. David, b. c. 1685
2. Jonathan, b. 31 Aug 1686, Stow.^[5][13]
3. Ephraim, b. c. 1689
4. Mary, b. c. 1691
5. Lidia, b. c. 1693
6. Anne, b. c. 1699

Research Notes

Disputed Parents

The parents of this John Wetherbee are unknown. Online genealogies and family trees (hundreds) purport that his parents are:

• John W. Wetherbee (abt.1590-) and
• Elizabeth (Whale) Wetherbee (bef.1594-)

No source is known for either their marriage, or for them being John's parents. The origin of this unsourced marriage and relationship are therefore of interest.

A possibility has been identified. The family genealogy Early Generations of the Wetherby, Witherby, Wetherbee, Witherbee Family in New England: John, of Sudbury, Marlborough and Stow, Massachusetts, Part I,^[14] apparently by Winthrop Wetherbee (Boston, MA) contains a passage, that if misread, might lead one to believe that John's parents are John and Elizabeth Whale. The passage reads:

"John Witherby[1]

His second wife, Lydia Moore, was daughter of Ensign John Moore[2], who was the eldest son of John[1] and Elizabeth (Whale) Moore. John[1] came in the "Planter" 1635 a. 24 from London. He was in Sudbury in 1640, bought a house of Edmund Rice, md. 1642 Elizabeth Whale, dau. of Philemon. He died January 6, 1673, at Sudbury (V. R.). His will, dated August 25, 1668, was probated April 7, 1674."

If the second occurrence of John[1], which refers to John Moore, is misconstrued to be John Witherby[1], then one can see where this marriage may have originated.

Birth Place

Some trees allege he was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, but there are no Vital Records to support it in a place where Vital Records are very complete.

Alternate Mary How Marriage Date

The source^[2] cited for the marriage of John Witherby and Mary How on 13 August 1672, in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is apparently a transcription of an earlier source. It also contains a duplicate entry for the marriage, 18 September 1672, in image 125.

Another source,^[15] clearly a later transcription of the first source^[2] (see image 6), also lists the marriage date as 13 August 1672.

Both Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts (see p323) and Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (see p787) refer to the two alternate dates, Vital Records referring to 13 Auguust 1672, as a "dup[licate]."

The marriage date of 18 September 1672, is suspect because son Joseph was born on that date in Marlborough.^[16]

John and Mary were therefore probably married on 13 August 1672.

Spratlin-29 19:09, 7 September 2023 (UTC)

Marriage to Lydia Moore

This is NOT the Lydia Moore who married Samuel Wright and James Cutler. They are often confused in family trees.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Clerk of Courts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Colonial county court papers, 1648-1798, Court papers - Folios 27-60 1647-1672; database with images, FamilySearch (image 566).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Superior Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, and deaths, 1651-1793; database with images, FamilySearch (image 189). 13 . 6 . 72 [O.S.] is presumably 13 August 1672 [N.S.]. Referred to as Old original book in image 158. See Alternate Mary How Marriage Date.
3. ↑ Clerk of Courts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Colonial county court papers, 1648-1798, Court papers - Folios 61-81 1670-1678; database with images, FamilySearch (image 97).
4. ↑ Clerk of Courts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Colonial county court papers, 1648-1798, Court papers - Folios 61-81 1670-1678; database with images, FamilySearch (image 98).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Superior Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, and deaths, 1651-1793, p118; database with images, FamilySearch (image 225).
6. ↑ Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1911), p266; digital images, Archive.org (p266). Alternate surname spelling Whitherby, Mary, w. John, June 5, 1684. Middlesex County record, East Cambridge.
7. ↑ Town Clerk, Stow, Massachusetts, Vital records, 1683-1900, Births/deaths/marriages 1692-1840; database with images, FamilySearch (image 143).
8. ↑ Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1911), p220; digital images, Archive.org (p220). Alternate surname spelling Whitherby, John and Lidia Moore, Sept. 16, 1684. Intention not recorded. Middlesex County record, East Cambridge.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} Probate Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts), Probate papers 24074-24181; database with images, FamilySearch (images 1162-1166).
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCM1-298 : 10 November 2020), John Wetherby in entry for Joseph Wetherby, 18 Sep 1672; citing Birth, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004198966.
11. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC99-MHK : 20 May 2022), Jno. Wetherby in entry for Jno. Wetherby, 26 Jan 1675; citing Birth, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004198966.
12. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4D4-39P : 20 May 2022), John Wethersby in entry for Thomas Wethersby, 1678.
13. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHV2-VGH : 20 May 2022), John in entry for Jonathan Witherby, 31 Aug 1686; citing Birth, Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007011039.
14. ↑ Winthrop Wetherbee, Early Generations of the Wetherby, Witherby, Wetherbee, Witherbee Family in New England: John, of Sudbury, Marlborough and Stow, Massachusetts, Part I, p19; digital images, FamilySearch (title page).
15. ↑ County Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Court records, 1649-1699 [Middlesex County, Massachusetts], Transcribed court records v. 1 (1649-1663 ) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]; database with images, FamilySearch (image 41).
16. ↑ Superior Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, and deaths, 1651-1793; database with images, FamilySearch (image 126).

See also:

• Crowell, Olivia. Stow, Massachusetts 1683-1933. Stow: the author, 1933, page 104. pdf
• Cutter, William Richard. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial (Lewis Historical Publishing, New York, New York, 1914) Page 13
• Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Marlborough (Boston: Press of T. R.. Marvin & Son, 42 Congress Street, 1862); p. 472
• Mazza, Ethel Wetherbee. John Wetherbee of Marlboro and Stow, Massachusetts (E.W. Mazza, Rochester, New Hampshire, 1991).
• Ezra S. Stearns (1875). History of the Town of Rindge, New Hampshire, from the Date of the Rowley Canada Or Massachusetts Charter, to the Present Time, 1736-1874: With a Genealogical Register of the Rindge Families. Press of G. H. Ellis. Page 747.
• Virkus, F.A., ed. Compendium of American Genealogy, Vol. VII. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1968, p. 816. Ancestry Sharing Link (Senn)