Was Anthony Haswell's second wife a widow?

Question

I'm working on descendants of Silas and Lucy (Knapp) Rice.  Several sources say that their daughter Elizabeth (Betsey) married Anthony Haswell.  

According to Anthony Haswell's biography on Wikipedia, that he adopted her children when they married in 1799.  If she already had children, I'm assuming the most likely scenario is that Rice was her married name, and then most likely she wasn't the daughter of Silas & Lucy Rice.

It looks like there are some NEHGR articles on Anthony Haswell that provide more detail.  Can anyone help provide some clarification?

Answer 1

New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 155: 2001: p. 350 Identifies Anthonys second wife only as Betsey Rice, without parentage.  However is does give her death date as April 16, 1815, aged 41 years, 5 months, making her calculated birth about November 11, 1773.  That dob might locate her parents see below?

(requires subscription) https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/new-england-historical-and-genealogical-register/image/?pageName=350&volumeId=11632&rId=23500178

Hubbardston Births list Rice, Betsey, d. of Silas and Lucy, Nov. 11, 1773.  see Systmatic History Fund, Vital Records of Hubbardston, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Franklin P. Rice, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1907 p. 87

Comments

Thank you for the research. 1773 would be consistent with the daughter of Silas Rice