Elizabeth (Putman) Bailey (1659 - aft. 1722)

Born 30 Aug 1659 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

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Biography

Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Putnam and his wife Ann, was born 30: 6m: (August) 1659 in Salem.^[1][2]

Elizabeth is named (no mention of surname, spouse, or children) in her father's 1682/3 will and 1685 codicil. In the 1695 will of her stepmother Mary, she is named as Elizabeth Bayley.^[2]

Elizabeth married Joshua Bailey or Bayley. They had no children. In Joshua's 1722 will, he names his wife Elizabeth and several "cousins" with the Putnam surname, mainly Elizabeth's niblings.^[2] Elizabeth was living as his widow in 1727;^[3] the record of her death hasn't been found.

Research Notes

Col. Perley Putnam has claimed, according to Putnam p. 58, that Benjamin Putnam m. 25 Aug 1686 this Elizabeth. This is obviously incorrect. The mother of Benjamin's children is not named Elizabeth. The date is not a marriage date, but the birth date of Benjamin's son Nathaniel, and on Putnam p. 22, the will of Thomas Putnam's widow, Mary, dated 8 Jan 1695 names her husband's children, including "Elizabeth Bayley", which clearly indicates she was otherwise married. Therefore, she was not the first wife of Benjamin to whom he was married from abt. 1684 to 1705. Despite all evidence to the contrary, this urban legend continues to get propagated by careless researchers.

Sources

1. ↑ Vital records of Salem, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, vol. 2 (Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute, 1918), p. 210.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Putnam, Eben, A history of the Putnam family in England and America: recording the ancestry and descendants of John Putnam of Danvers, Mass., Jan Poutman of Albany, N.Y., Thomas Putnam of Hartford, Conn. (Salem, Mass.: The Salem Press, 1891), pp. 7-8, 16, 19, 22.
3. ↑ Perley, ed., Sidney, “Descendants of John Bailey of Salisbury,” Essex Antiquarian, vol. 5, no. 7, 8, 9 (Jul, Aug, Sep 1901): p. 123.

See also:

• Bill Putman The Putnam & Putman Families #2 Thomas Putnam #vii Elizabeth
  • vii ELIZABETH PUTNAM, b. June 30, 1659, Salem, Massachusetts; d. WFT Est. 1673-1753; m. JOSHUA BAYLEY, WFT Est. 1672-1703.
    • Notes for ELIZABETH PUTNAM: CONT CONT m. Joshua, son of John and Eleanor (Emery) Barley, b. in Newbury, 17 Feb., 1653: a brother of Rev. James Barley who m. Mary Carr, sister of Mrs. Ann Putnam (12). Joshua and Elizabeth Barley left no children and after her death his property fell to her nephews and nieces, viz., Susanna Putnam, Timothy Putnam, and Experience, widow of David Barley.