Dorcas (Burt) Stiles (abt. 1643 - bef. 1684)

Born about 1643 in Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Wife of John Stiles — married 28 Oct 1658 in Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died before Mar 1684 before about age 41 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Orinda Spence [send private message] and Robert Stiles [send private message]

Biography

What is thought to be Dorcas Burt's birth record indicates that a daughter was born to Henry and Eulalia Burt at Springfield, Massachusetts Bay on "[torn] mon 19 day 1643 about 8 of ye clock at night."^[1][2] If correct, she was age 15 on the 28th of the 8th month (October, not August) 1658 when she married John Stiles.^[3] The couple's first child was born in Springfield and the remainder at Hartford, Connecticut:^[4]

1. Sarah b Sep 12, 1661; m Ephraim Bancroft
2. Hannah b Mar 23, 1664/5; m Samuel Bliss
3. John b Dec 10 1665; m 1st Ruth Bancroft
4. Ephraim; m Abigail Neal
5. Thomas; m Bethia Hammer

Research Notes

• Some sources give Dorcas' birth as 1638, presumably estimated from her marriage; the NEGHR article gives no date.^[5] Age 15 is really too young for marriage at that time in that place. A birth in 1638 or earlier seems much more likely. If she's a daughter of these parents, then she may have been born in England or during their migration.
• The Dorcas Stiles who married John Sheather at Killingworth on January 7, 1712/13 went on to have several children. This would have been impossible for an almost 70 year old woman.
• No primary sources are known to provide a death date or location, although the date 15 April 1743 is claimed in many family trees.

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1ZQ-WJ8?cc=2061550&wc=Q4DG-7MQ%3A353349501%2C353356001%2C353395401 : 20 May 2014), Hampden > Springfield > Births, marriages, deaths 1638-1728 vol 1 > image 10 of 137; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Springfield Vital Records, 1638-1887," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XPJX-BHW : 9 February 2018), Burt, 19 May 1643; citing , Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, Springfield City Hall; FHL microfilm 185,414.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Springfield Vital Records, 1638-1887," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XPJJ-5NG : 9 February 2018), John Stiles and Dorcas Burt, 28 Aug [sic] 1658; citing item 1, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, Springfield City Hall; FHL microfilm 185,414.
4. ↑ Stiles, Henry Reed. The Stiles Family in America, Genealogies of the Connecticut Family and the Southern Family. Jersey City, NJ. Doan & Pilson, Printers, 1895. Page 80. http://www.archive.org/stream/stilesfamilyinam00stil#page/80/mode/2up/search/dorcas
5. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11593/220/23522681