Mary (Fuller) Jones (abt. 1635 - aft. 1692)

Born about 1635 in England

Ancestors

Wife of Ralph Jones — married about 1653 in Plymouth Colony, New England

Descendants

Died after 11 May 1692 after about age 57 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

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Biography

In 2020 Donald Blauvelt wrote an article in the Mayflower Descendant, "Ralph Jones of Barnstable, Massachusetts", that differs from what had previously been accepted as Ralph Jones' marriage records, among other things. In short, Blauvelt posits that Ralph Jones married, first, Mercy Fuller, daughter of Mayflower passengers Dr. Samuel and Bridget (Lee) Fuller. Mercy soon died, probably as a result of childbirth, and left no issue. Ralph then married Mary Fuller, daughter of Matthew and Frances (Hundsen?) Fuller, about 1653, based on the birth of their first child Shubael on 27 August 1654.^[1] See Ralph's profile for more details. Blauvelt's work corrects Amos Otis' 1890 book, Genealogical notes of Barnstable families.^[2], and also the later work of Bruce C. MacGunnigle in his TAG article Matthew Fuller of Plymouth Colony^[3] and his Mayflower Families Through Five Generations...family of Edward Fuller.^[4]

Using Blauvelt's analysis, Mary Fuller was born about 1635, based on her marriage year of about 1653, and on the 1633 marriage year of her possible parents. Her parents were, perhaps, Matthew and Frances (Hundsen?) Fuller. Her mother's maiden name is suggested by Blauvelt, which finds the 22 July 1633 marriage of Matthew Fuller and Frances Hunsden in the parish of Pulham Market, Norfolk, England.^[1] The marriage record is on FindMyPast.^[5] Pulham is near the parish of Redenhall where Mayflower passengers Edward and Samuel were born. Matthew Fuller arrived in New England after 1640 (not listed in Anderson's Great Migration Directory), so Mary was born in England. Of additional interest is the probable baptism record for Matthew Fuller of 24 February 1613/4, in Pulham, father John.^[6]

Mary married Ralph Jones, as his second wife, about 1653, based on the birth of their first child Shubael on 27 August 1654. Probably because of his Quaker beliefs, Ralph moved to Barnstable, Barnstable, Plymouth Colony in 1654, following his father-in-law Matthew and uncle Samuel Fuller.^[1] It is possible that the marriage occurred in Barnstable with a Quaker ceremony, as there is no town record for it in Plymouth or Barnstable. Matthew Fuller, in his 1678 will, gives land to "Shubael Jones my Grand Child the Reputed son of Ralph Jones".^[7][3] Blauvelt points out the incongruity of this statement, and suggests that perhaps Mary Fuller was pregnant before her marriage.^[1]

Ralph and Mary had children, all born in Barnstable, although only five are listed in Barnstable birth records. All the (surviving) children are mentioned in Ralph's will, cited below.^[8][1][2]

1. Shubael (27 Aug 1654) ^[8], probably died unmarried
2. Jedediah (4 Jan 1656/7) ^[8], married Hannah Davis on 18 Mar 1681/2
3. John (14 Aug 1659) ^[8], married Abigail _____ ca 1698
4. Matthew (ca 1644), married first, _____ ca 1689; married second, Mercy Goodspeed on 14 Jan 1694/5
5. Mercy (14 Nov 1666)^[8]
6. Ralph (1 Oct 1669) ^[8], married Deborah Coombs ca 1695
7. Samuel, married Mary Blish on 26 June 1718
8. Ephraim (b. after 1671)
9. Mary
10. Mehitable, married a Fuller

The three daughters are listed in their order of mention Ralph's will, but they may have all been born before Ephraim, who was a minor in 1692.

Ralph "Joans" dated his will 11 May 1692. His Quaker sympathies are clear as he requests "that after my decease my Body be decently buried by ye Advice and Assistance of my dear Friends ye people of God called quackers at their buring place in Sandwich", and further that "forty shillings I order to be disposed of for ye sd service by my friends called quackers in Sandwich". He gives his wife his house and household goods, and the fields around his home lot. He gives land to Shubael, Jedediah, Ralph, and Samuel. He gives son Matthew money. After his wife's decease his son John to possess the house, until his son Ephraim comes of age, when he will possess it. He gives money to daughters Mercy, Mary, and (Me)hittable.^[9]

Ralph died in early 1692, in Barnstable, based on the affirmation of his will on 20 April 1692. He was most probably buried in an unmarked grave in the Quaker Spring Hill burying ground in Sandwich. His widow Mary is probably also buried there, although her death year is not known.^[1]

Research Notes

Originally the profile above identified as Mehitabel born about 1651 probably at Plymouth; married John Fuller Jr.; removed to East Haddam, Connecticut. ^[2]. This contradicts the Silver Book, Vol 4, Edition 3, since the entry for Mehitable is " possibly the Mehitable Jones who is mother of Hannah, b. Sandwich 12 April 1696 reputed daughter of Gideon Gifford" with the note that all the children were born in Barnstable.

Mehitable's surname was Fuller in 1692 when she and others, including John Fuller, Jr., affirmed her father's will. A Mehitable, wife of "Little John Fuller", was admitted to the Barnstable church in 1688.^[10] A Mehitable Fuller had a child Shubal born or baptized in 1688^[11] This certainly seems to be the daughter of Ralph and Mary.

It is possible that Mehitable's husband died and that she remarried, to a Gideon Gifford.^[12] However, one would expect the marriage record to be for a Mehitable Fuller, rather than Jones. There is a marriage record found for a Gideon Gifford for a 1701 marriage to a Mehitable Jenney, in Dartmouth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Blauvelt, Donald G., "Ralph Jones of Barnstable, Massachusetts", Mayflower Descendant, v.68 (2020), pp.148-156 NEHGS member site
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Otis, Amos, Genealogical notes of Barnstable families:, (1890), v.2 pp.110-111 FamilySearch
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} MacGunnigle, Bruce C. et al. Matthew Fuller of Plymouth Colony, The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1932-. v.61 p.199 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)NEHGS member site
4. ↑ MacGunnigle, Bruce Campbell. "Mayflower Families Through Five Generations Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass, December 1620, Volume Four, Third Edition, Family of Edward Fuller." Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2006, pg 7
5. ↑ Norfolk Banns And Marriages, Pulham St Mary Magdalene Alias Pulham Market; (see original record for the spouse's name) FindMyPast member site
6. ↑ Norfolk Baptisms, Pulham St Mary Magdalene Alias Pulham Market; (based on transcript - original very difficult to decipher) FindMyPast member site
7. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: A Journal of Pilgrim Genealogy and History. v.13 pp.7-9; citing Plymouth Colony Wills 3:2:127-129; Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899- . (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010) NEHGS member site
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5} Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Barnstable, v.1 p.41(Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). NEHGS member site
9. ↑ “Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685-1789.” v.1 pp.69-70; Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) NEHGS member site
10. ↑ Vital Records from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Compiled from articles originally published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.) NEHGS member site
11. ↑ "Barnstable, MA: Church Records, 1639-1892." Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. p.94 CD-ROM. Boston, MA.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.)NEHGS member site
12. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-RQ7Y : Sat Mar 09 06:25:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Hannah Gifford and Gideon Gifford, 12 April 1696.

See also:

• "Early Cape Cod Quakers" (accessed 16 May 2023.)
• MacGunnigle, Bruce Campbell, Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Volume 4 Edward Fuller, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA., Third Edition, 2006, pp 6, 10-11

Acknowledgements

Contributors: Joyce Rosnel, Steven Shute, Michael Stephenson, Abby Brown.