Who is Mary Shotwell (b. 1707), FIRST wife of Samuel Marsh of New Jersey

Question

        Mary Shotwell (b. April 1717; daughter of John Shotwell Jr. and Mary Thorne) was married about February 17, 1744, New Jersey, to Samuel Marsh (as his SECOND wife).  However, the following page makes her the mother of Joseph and William Marsh (both born long before 1744):    http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Shotwell-129   

          They clearly have to be sons of Samuel Marsh's first wife, who was supposedly also named Mary Shotwell (b. 22 March 1707).  She is often said to be daughter of John Shotwell Jr. and Mary Thorne (but their daughter Mary was born April 1717; and they weren't married until 1709 anyway).  Abraham Shotwell wasn't married until 1712.   Daniel Shotwell of Staten Island had a daughter Mary (1700?) but she was married to Abraham Thorne.        

      So who are the parents of this mysterious Mary Shotwell (supposedly born 22 March 1707, New Jersey)?  She is the right age to be Samuel Marsh's first wife (married about 1728). However, I have been unable to find an actual birth record for her. With the exact birth date, there presumably should be a birth record for her (with her parents' names).     

 

Answer 1

Hi Kenneth,

Here is an interesting piece about Samuel Marsh and his wives:

http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/shotwell/568/

Regards, Ann

PS The birth records of Rahway and Plainfield NJ indicate that both wives of Samuel Marsh were called Mary. To reach any other conclusion from the birth records is a leap too far!  The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volumes 9-10, page 175-176.

Shotwell, Mary
Married: Marsh, Samuel
Year: 1743 Page #: 026   Rahway & Plainfield Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends, Record of Marriages, 1712 - 1889

Comments

Thanks Ann,

        I guess I need to keep looking for a Mary who was born on 22 March 1707 in or near New Jersey (if that was actually her birth date).  In the meantime, I have created a profile (Mary Unknown) for Samuel's first wife, and made her the mother of Joseph and William.

             ----------Ken

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Mary Unknown is just perfect until new evidence comes to light.

Perhaps the Calendar of Wills is a place to hunt - a father or mother who mentioned a daughter Marsh or grandchildren of Samuel and Mary Unknown.

Happy hunting.

Answer 2

I do hope that I can clear this up for you.  We are dealing with two predominant families that were some of the first pioneers of New Jersey.  Immigrant Abraham Shotwell and Immigrant Samuel Marsh.  Samuel Marsh is my 8th G-grandfather and he became one of the Original Elizabethtown Associates.

Immigrant Samuel Marsh had seven children of whom the oldest boy was named Samuel Marsh, Jr. 1649-1684, who married a Mary Shotwell 1651-1673 the second child and daughter of Abraham Shotwell who had five children.

Immigrant Samuel Marsh's seventh and youngest son (brother of Samuel Marsh, Jr.) Joseph Marsh 1663-1723 married Mary S Hinds 1675-1772 and they had eight children of which the third oldest was named Samuel Marsh 1700-1773. This Samuel Marsh married your Mary Shotwell 1717-1805.

This is the confusing part:

On the Marsh side the lineage went from Immigrant Samuel to his son Samuel Marsh, Jr. whose brother Joseph Marsh had a son Samuel Marsh, or the third generation from Immigrant Samuel.

On the Shotwell side the lineage went from immigrant Abraham to his daughter Mary Shotwell whose brother Abraham Shotwell Jr. had a son John R Shotwell 1686-1762 who had a daughter Mary Shotwell 1717-1805, or the fourth generation from Immigrant Abraham.

If you are part of the Shotwell family, I highly recommend that you trace the lineage up from Abraham.  His father is Lord Jonathan Shotwell married to Jane Hodes from Nottinghamshire, England.  After two generations they become or were Shatwell's.  In any case I traced the Shotwell/Shatwell line up seven generations and three generations of Lords and Lady Shatwells.  The second generation up Sir John Shotwell/Shatwell is married to Lady Judith Dillingham and her line also has considerable nobility. Six generations up through Lady Judith Dillingham is Sir Edward Dillingham 1465-1495. Pretty impressive family line.

I do hope that this cleared up your question about Mary Shotwell.

Comments

Apparently, I was not clear about the second wives...etc..etc...or Citations. The question was specific towards Mary Shotwell.

For one, all of the Records of Elizabethtown were burned in a fire along with church records and a lot of the history had to be replicated as well as possible years later through grave stones and family history...etc.

The first Samuel Marsh Jr. was married twice. His first wife was Mary Trimmins 1650-1750. Their Source Citations include American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) A genealogical dict. of the first settlers of New England, showing three generations of those who came before May 1692, By James Savage. Boston; Ancestry Family Trees;  Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920; New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1790 and U.S. Also a Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, more specifically (Woodbridge, Rahway & Plainfield Monthly Meeting, N.J. - Births 1705-1901, Deaths 1705-1908 and Marriages 1712-1885) referencing Samuel Marsh & Mary Shotwell #276. In this record on page 276, it states: Samuel Marsh of Woodbridge was married to Mary Shotwell Borough of Elilzabeth, Essex County of Rahway.  Mary Trimmins records were most probably burned.

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Samuel Marsh Jr. was married to Mary Trimmins in 1675, apparently in New Haven, Connecticut, or Boston, Massachusetts.  So that record was apparently not burned.

 What my question was about is the first wife of his nephew Samuel Marsh (son of Joseph).  Her maiden name is now shown as Unknown:  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-323572

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DUH....ONLY the Elizabethtown records were burned.  I have spent over an hour explaining a lot to you and everything disappeared when I tried to add the will of Samuel.  There is also a Source Citation for her age: U.S. and International Marriage Records, Source # 4116.000; electronic database; number of pages: 1; Submitter Code: JJ2 that indicates she was born in 1706.  You are officially on your own.  I have tried but I keep getting your guff.  If you have all the information, then why are you bothering other people.