Margaret (Blessing) Buffum (bef. 1590 - bef. 1634)

Born before 20 Aug 1590 in Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, England

Wife of Robert Buffum — married 23 Aug 1613 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

Died before 11 Aug 1634 at about age 43 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

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Biography

Margaret (Blessing) Buffum was born in Norfolk, England.

See Blessing Free Space Page for more information about this family.

Margaret Blessing was born to John and Margaret Blessing somewhere near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. She was baptized in the parish of Caister-on-Sea on 20 August 1590.^[1]

Margaret married Robert Buffum (abt.1590-abt.1669) at Great Yarmout, Norfolk, England 23 August 1613^[2]

Margaret's children were:

1. Mary baptized on August 21, 1614; married Adam Mills at Great Yarmouth on December 6, 1635, but died shortly thereafter. ^[3]
2. Samuel baptized on December 26, 1616; married Margaret Greney on January 10, 1637/8; remained in England. ^[3]
3. Deborah baptized on September 26, 1619. Thought to have died young, as Robert and Tamosin named a daughter Deborah. ^[4][3]
4. Joshua baptized on August 25, 1622; buried on September 23, 1631. ^[3]
5. Abraham baptized on August 17, 1625; buried on October 31, 1631. ^[5][3]
6. Jacob baptized on October 28, 1627; buried on October 13, 1631. ^[6][3]
7. John baptized on May 22, 1631; no further record of this child. ^[7][3]

Death

Margaret's burial record has not been found, but it was before 11 Aug 1634 when Robert remarried Thomasine Ward at St. Lawrence, South Walsham, Norfolk.^[8]

Research Notes

In addition to the W.G. Davis artice described below, please see Blessing FSP for more information. Davis apparently did not have several key parish records including the Caister on Sea christenings of the children of John Blessing and the Great Yarmouth 1597 and 1612 burials of John and Margaret Blessing which casts new light on the family.

In 1957, Walter Goodwin Davis published "The Four Blessing Sisters" in The American Genealogist, (Vol 33(1957):199-202). Key findings from it include:

• Cites Boyd's Suffolk Marriage index for 1569 Somerlyton marriage of John Blyssinge and Joane Preaste.
• Cites Somerlytown baptisms for two children of the above couple: Julian (daughter) b 1571; William b 1575.
• Cites Great Yarmouth, co. Norfolk (on Suffolk border, 7 miles from Somerlytown), parish records for marriages of three Blessing girls (who the author surmises were the granddaughters of the Somerlyton couple above):
  • Margaret Blessing m 1613 Robert Buffam (who emigrated to New England, settled in Salem); she died in England by 1634 when he married Thomasine (Ward) Thompson
  • Jone Blessing m 1620 William Towne (who both settled in Salem, MA; see bequest from Alice to sister Joan Towne in Alice's will below)
  • Julian Blessing m Thomas Goose 1622
• Concludes that Alice Blessing was a fourth sister; that she married about 1615 ____ Firmage (var. spellings). He died either in England or on way over as she is a widow by 29 Oct 1639 when she appears in Salem with her brother-in-law Robert Buffam and her son Mark Firmage. She removed to Boston by the mid 1640s. Alice made her will 8 Feb 1656 and died the next day. It is this will that places her in this family unit. It names:
  • my sister Joan Towne
  • my daughter Esther Estick
  • my grandchild Susan Goose
  • my daughter Sary Langdon
  • my son Mr. Edward Hutchinson
  • my daughter Abigail Hutchinson

Sources

1. ↑ "England, Norfolk, Parish Registers (County Record Office), 1510-1997," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-65RN-2Z?cc=1416598&wc=4JZS-H9M%3A29420001%2C29358102%2C29420002 : 25 June 2014), Caistor next Yarmouth > Baptisms, Marriages, Burials > 1563-1837 > image 24 of 273; Record Office, Norwich.
2. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NXB1-CY7 : 13 March 2020), Margeret Blessing in entry for Robert Buffam, 1613.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Walter Goodwin Davis, "The Four Blessing Sisters" in The American Genealogist, Vol 33(1957) p. 206 $subscription some of this article is extracted (without citation!) here.
4. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NXK4-XNT : 20 March 2020), Mary in entry for Deborah Buffam, 1619.
5. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NTQG-QXN : 20 March 2020), Margt. in entry for Abraham Buffam, 1625.
6. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7NF-G9Y : 20 March 2020), Margt. in entry for Jacob Buffum, 1627.
7. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J312-MV9 : 20 March 2020), Margt. in entry for John Buffum, 1631.
8. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2PP-58Q : 12 March 2020), Robert Buffam, 1634.