Mary (Colby) Challis (abt. 1670 - bef. 1727)

Born about 1670 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Wife of Theophilus Griffin — married about 1688 (to 17 Mar 1689) in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Wife of Thomas Challis — married before 3 Sep 1696 (to before 1727) in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died before 1727 before about age 57 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rosa Lane [send private message]

Biography

Mary Colby, daughter of John and Frances (Hoyt) Colby, was born in Salisbury, Massachusetts c 1670. ^[1]

Mary married 1st Theophilus Griffin about 1688. She was pregnant with their only child when Theophilus passed away on March 17, 1689. Their child was son Theophilus Jr. born in October 1789.

Mary married 2nd Thomas Challis before September 3, 1696. Thomas was born at Amesbury on June 22, 1673, son of Philip and Mary (Sargent) Challis. ^[1]

Mary's father, John Colby, wrote his will on January 22, 1673/4, naming all his children including daughter Mary. His will further stated that whatever remains of what was left to him from his father's estate, after his mother Susanna Withredge's deceased, should be equally divided among all his daughters. ^[2]

On September 3, 1696,Thomas Challis with Mary, his wife, acknowledged the receipt from her brother Thomas Colby of Amesbury, of the L5 bequeathed to the said Mary by the will of her father John Colby of Amesbury. ^[2]

On September 28, 1698, Thomas Challis, Orlando Bagley, Ephraim Weed and Ebenezer Blaisdell, all husband's of the daughters of John Colby, deceased, and grandchildren of Anthony and Susannah Colby/later Withredge, petitioned the court regarding the administration of John Colby's portion of Anthony's estate, indicating that Samuel Colby, brother to their wives, was 'exhausting, wasting and embezzling' the estate, to their detriment. ^[3]

Mary died between June 6, 1712 when she appeared on a deed and 1727, when Thomas remarried. ^[4]

After Mary's death Thomas married second, Sarah Weed on September 22, 1727. ^{[5] [6]}

Thomas Challis died at Amesbury on March 12, 1752. ^[5]

Children 1st Marriage

1. Theophilus Jr., born in Oct. 1689 in Amesbury.

Children 2nd Marriage

1. Philip, born on November 16, 1697 ^[1]; married Dorothy Weed on December 2, 1725. ^{[5] [6]}
2. Ann, born on August 11, 1700 ^[1]; married Jonathan Currier on on January 25, 1722 ^[5]; died at South Hampton, New Hampshire on July 25, 1742. ^{[7] [6]}
3. Judith, born on August 22, 1704 ^[1]; likely died young, as Thomas had a second daughter Judith by wife Sarah. ^[6]
4. Mary, born on January 20, 1707/8. ^{[5] [1]}; not mentioned in the will of her father or brother. ^{[8] [9] [6]}
5. Thomas, born on December 18, 1709 ^[5]; likely died young as Thomas had a second son named Thomas, by wife Sarah. ^[6]

Research Notes

Amesbury Births

Challes, Mary, d. Thomas and Mary, Jan. 20, 1707-8. (p. 47)

Challes, Thomas, s. Thomas and Mary, Dec. 18, 1709. (p. 47)

Challis, Phillip s, Thomas and Mary Nov 16 1697. (p. 49)

Amesbury Marriages

Challis, Thomas, and Sarah Weed, d. George, Sept. 22, 1727. (p. 303)

Challis, Anne, and Jonathan Currier, Jan. 25, 1721-2. (p. 302)

Challis, Philip, and Dorothy Weed, Dec. 2, 1725. (p. 303)

Amesbury Deaths

Challis, Thomas, March 12, 1752. (p. 530) ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts: With Some Related Families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich, and Hampton, and of York County, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island, 1897 p. 89-91; 105
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Case 5919: . 1-12: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)
3. ↑ Estate of Anthony Colby in: The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts: Volume 1: 1635-1664, The Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, 1916, p. 409
4. ↑ Smith, Dean Crawford and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The ancestry of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1844-1916: with lines from Annis, Chase & Ordway of Newbury, MA in: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, NEHGS, Boston, Massachusetts, 1900, p. 154
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} Vital Records of Amesbury Massachusetts to the end of the Year 1849, The Topsfield Historical Society, Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1913
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Nelson, Glade Ian. Challis Corrections in: The American Genealogist, Volume 49, D. L. Jacobus, New Haven, Connecticut, 1973, p. 1725 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)
7. ↑ Currier, Harvey Lear Currier & John McNabb Currier. Genealogy of Richard Currier of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts (1616--1686-7) and Many of His Descendants, Newport, Vermont, 1910 p. 38
8. ↑ Case 4898: p.1-9 : Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)
9. ↑ Case 4899: p. 1-11; Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)

• Find A Grave: Memorial #178314076 (includes detailed biography with vital data for Mary Colby); Accessed on June 25, 2020 by Rosa Lane; Created on April 11, 2017 by Stan Arnold and maintained by same, contributor 48121400: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178314076/theophilus-griffin

Acknowledgements

• This person was created through the import of Weaver.ged on 03 January 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.
• WikiTree profile UNKNOWN-114551 created through the import of Cato Family Tree_book_EN.ged on Sep 21, 2011 by Linda Cato. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Linda and others.