Mary (Unknown) Banks (1620 - bef. 1694)

Wife of Thomas Sherwood Sr. — married about 1638 in Connecticut Colony [uncertain]

Wife of John Banks — married before 18 Jan 1659 in Fairfield, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died before 13 Mar 1694 before age 74 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut

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Mary (Unknown) Banks migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Unknown is the Correct LNAB. There is no evidence that Mary was a Fitch.
A 1938 "Note" by Donald Lines Jacobus, "The Second Wife of Joseph Loomis of Windsor, Conn." published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register 92:303, discusses the misinformation that Mary 2nd wife of Thomas Sherwood, and 2nd wife of John Banks, was Mary Fitch. Jacobus believes that Elizabeth Hubbell Schenck, in her "History of Fairfield" made a slip of the pen, when writing the 2nd wife of John Banks was Mary Fitch, confusing the wife of Matthew Sherwood, Mary Fitch, with his mother Mary Unknown. He also mentions that no evidence has been found to support Mary's surname as Fitch. Robert Charles Anderson has accepted this position in his Great Migration article on Robert Sherwood.

Biography

Birth

An estimate birth of 1620 is based on her estimated marriage about 1640/1641.

Marriages and Children

(1) Mary's first husband Thomas Sherwood immigrated to Boston, in 1634, with his first wife and children. He went to Wethersfield in 1635, and then about 1640 went to Stamford, New Haven Colony, and then to Fairfield, Connecticut, about 1648. He died in 1655.^[1] Where the couple were married is dependant on whether they were married in Wethersfield, Connecticut before the move to Stamford, New Haven Colony, or if they were married in 1640 then part of New Haven.

1. Stephen Sherwood m. (1) by 1661 Rebecca Turney and (2) by 1688 Hannah (Jackson) Galpin and (3) Mary (Adams) Guire Murvin.^[2]
2. Mary Sherwood m. 1659 Joseph Loomis^[2]
3. Ruth Sherwood m. 1663 Joshua Holcombe^[2]
4. Mathew Sherwood m. (1) Sarah Turney & (2) Mary Fitch.^[2]
5. Abigail Sherwood m. by about 1669 Daniel Lockwood^[2]
6. Isaac Sherwood m. by 1676 Elizabeth Jackson.^[2]

(2) Fairfield Deeds 18 Jan 1658 [1658/9] mention that "John Banks hath married Mary Sherwood the relict"^[1]

Death and Will

Mary Banks' will was dated at Fairfield 6 January 1693 [1693/4]. After the opening paragraph commending her soul to God and her body to a "comly burial," she made bequests to Ruth Sherwood, daughter of her son Steven Sherwood; Mary Sherwood, daughter of her son Matthew Sherwood; hanah Lomis; daughter Ruth, son Steven; son Izack; all the rest to son Matthew Sherwood named executor. Ens. Wheeler and James Bennett Sr. were to be overseers. Witnessed by Mary Bennett and James Bennett Sen. Mary made her mark. It was presented at Fairfield Court 13 March 1693, along with her inventory of L 71.10.06 or 00^[3]

Some Ancestry trees claim that Mary died 1693 in Rye, Westchester, New York, but her estate was probated in Fairfield.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Jacobus, Donald Lines, MA (compiler, editor.) History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield. Fairfield, Conn.: The Eunice Dennie Burr Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, 1930. p. 548
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S. "Robert Sherwood" (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.
3. ↑ Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. Fairfield Probate District 1693 #285. Mary Banks.

• Jacobus, Donald Lines. "Notes: The Second Wife of Joseph Loomis of Windsor, Conn." New England Historical and Genealogical Register, v. 92 (1938), page 303. Donald Lines Jacobus provides an explanation of why Mary Fitch is probably not the wife of Thomas Sherwood. He agrees that Thomas Sherwood had a wife named Mary, it is the name Fitch that is in doubt. Thomas' son Matthew Sherwood had a wife named Mary Fitch which may be the source of the original confusion.
• Virkus, Frederick Adams. The Compendium of American Genealogy (Chicago, A.N. Marquis & company, 1925-). "Sherwood, Thomas (1586-1655), m 2nd, Mary Fitch (d 1693/94)."
• Jacobus, Donald Lines. History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield (Genealogical Publishing Company, 1930) Page 548:
• Find A Grave Memorial #9072676 for Thomas and his wives. The memorial plaque placed by his descendants has both of his wives listed incorrectly.
• Abstract of Probate Records at Fairfield, Connecticut, Down to 1721 (n.p., ?) Page 43: 1694 "Bancks, Mary widow, will of, dated Jan. 6, 1693/4, of Fairfield, probated 1694..."
• Find A Grave: Memorial #9072684 Thomas Sherwood's gravestone shows her name as "Fitch". Per a RootsWeb article by Jura Sherwood, Mary's maiden name was mistakenly written as Fitch, and is unknown. However, their son Matthew Sherwood (abt.1644-1715), is the person who married Mary (Fitch) Sherwood (abt.1643-1730).