Is there any proof Timothy Conant (b. 1751) is son (illegitimate) of Timothy Conant (b. 1732)

Question

     Timothy Conant (born 1751 Bridgewater, Massachusetts) was apparently an illegitimate son of Thankful Bassett:  Timothy, "Conant alias Bassett", s. Thankfull Bassett, May 31, 1751 

     The birth record only indicates his father's surname was Conant.  The father was presumably a young Timothy Conant (born 1732, Bridgewater, Mass.), but is there any definitive proof?   

Answer 1

It is unclear if she was the Thankful Bassett born in 1724 (daughter of Joseph Hallett).  She was supposedly married in 1750 to Joshua Brimhall, and the 1751 birth of Timothy says Bassett, not Brimhall.  There seem to have been lots of females named Thankful Bassett.

Answer 2

Hi Ken,

Timothy b1751 was not the son of Timothy b1732. Timothy b1732 had a son Timothy b1770. Unlike Timothy b1751; there are lots of sources that confirm Timothy 1770 as son of Timothy b1732.

Best regards,

Ron Perkins

Comments

Yes, I realize that he had a legitimate son Timothy in 1770 (with his wife).  However, the Timothy born in 1751, being illegitimate, was named by his mother Thankful.  Therefore, I think it is possible that Timothy (b. 1732) could have had two sons named Timothy.

Answer 3

The birth record (Timothy, "Conant alias Bassett", s. Thankfull Bassett) is somewhat unusual since for illegitimate children, usually only the mother's surname is given.  I suspect that Thankful Bassett, being 27 years old, was anxious to get married and may have seduced the much younger Timothy Conant in hopes that he would then marry her.   And when he didn't volunteer to getting married, perhaps she thought naming the child after him might put pressure on him to get married.  If so, it clearly didn't work.  Anyway, I just don't know any other Conant in Bridgewater who would be such an obvious candidate to be the father.