Josiah Conant Sr. (1681 - bef. 1721)

Born 26 Nov 1681 in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Washburn) Conant — married 1 Sep 1701 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died before 11 Oct 1721 before age 39 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts

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Biography

Josiah was born 26 Nov 1681 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts.^[1] He was baptized the next day. ^[2]

Josiah died intestate shortly before his inventory was taken at Middleborough on 11 October 1721.^[2]

Marriage

• Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910:

Name Josiah Conant

Spouse's Name Elizabeth Washbourn

Event Date 01 Sep 1701

Event Place Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts

• From John A. Maltby:

Elisabeth Washburn, eldest daughter of Thomas Washburn and Deliverance Packard, married Josiah Conant, son of Nathaniel and Hannah (Mansfield) Conant,^[3] on 1 Sept. 1701 in Bridgewater.^[4] He was born on 26 Nov. 1681 in Beverly, MA,^[5] a grandson of Lot Conant, of Beverly, and they lived in Middleborough, MA. Josiah Conant and wife Elizabeth, of Bridgewater, were fined £4 for “carnal copulation” before marriage, as “convict by confession.”^[6]

Josiah Conant died intestate in 1721 in Middleborough, MA, and his widow Elisabeth Conant was granted administration of his estate on 20 Sept. 1721.^[7]

His estate was inventoried on 11 Oct. 1721 by Ichabod Southworth, Samuel Barrow, and Samuel Pratt, which included his homestead with his dwelling house and other buildings valued at £250, and several small lots of land, swine & geese, a horse and mare, 7 cows, 2 steers, 4 yearlings, and 4 calves, and an enslaved black boy,^[8] and it and was divided between his heirs, the widow Elizabeth, eldest son Joseph Conant, son Josiah Conant, daughter Jerusha Pratt, the wife of Samuel Pratt, Mary Cobb, the wife of John Cobb, Prudence Conant, and Susanna Conant, on 1 June 1729.^{[9] [10]} Elisabeth Washburn and Josiah Conant had chil­dren,^[11] including:

• Jerusha Conant, born on 8 Jan. 1701/2 in Middleborough, married Samuel Pratt (3rd), son of Samuel (Jr.) and Hannah (Miller) Pratt, of Middleborough, in ca. 1722.

• Mary Conant, born on 20 Dec. 1703 in Middleborough, married John Cobb (3rd), son of John (Jr.) and Rachel (Soule) Cobb, as his second wife, on 26 Aug. 1725 in Middleborough.

• Prudence Conant, born on 3 Mar. 1707 in Middleborough, married Thomas Weston, of Plymouth, possibly son of Elnathan and Jane Weston, of Duxbury, as his second wife, on 4 May 1730 in Plymouth. Prudence (Conant) Weston died on 4 Jan. 1766 in Plymouth.

• Joseph Conant, born on 30 Aug. 1709 in Middleborough, possibly married 1.) Marcy Hail on 26 Dec. 1735 in Stafford, CT, and 2.) Thankful Gale on 17 Mar. 1737 in Norwich or Lisbon, CT.

• Susanna Conant, born on 7 Aug. 1711 in Middleborough, married 1.) James Wins­low, of Plymouth, on 7 Dec. 1732 in Middleborough, and 2.) Jesse Bryant, son of Benjamin and Hannah (Eaton) Bryant, of Plympton, on 10 Apr. 1744 in Middleborough. Susanna (Conant) (Winslow) Bryant died on 17 Apr. 1801 in Middleborough.

• Josiah Conant (Jr.), born on 20 Jan. 1717/18 in Middleborough, married Anna Ames, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Jennings) Ames, of Bridgewater, before 1753, probably in CT.

Sources

1. ↑ Early Records of Town of Beverly, MA, Copied by Augustus Galloupe, Boston: Eben Putnam, 1907. Page 11 ("Josiah Conant the son of Nathaniell and Hannah Conant born on the six and twentieth day of November Anno: Do: 1681")
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Conant, Frederick ODell. History and Genealogy of the Conant Family. Portland (Privately published), 1887. Page 171.
3. ↑ Wood, Ralph V., Jr., Francis Cooke of the Mayflower, The First Five Generations, published as Volume 12 of “Mayflower Families Through Five Generations,” Picton Press, Rockport, ME, 1996, p. 246.
4. ↑ Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, To the Year 1850, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1916, Vol. 2, p. 383.
5. ↑ Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, Vol. 1, p. 85.
6. ↑ MF5G: Cooke, p. 246; Konig, David Thomas, ed., Plymouth Court Records 1686-1859, 16 Volumes, Pilgrim Society, May 1978, republished on a CD-ROM, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 2002, Vol. 1, General Sessions of the Peace, Session 6, p. 192.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-FJDV : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1717-1724 and 1854-1862 vol 4-4Q > image 164 of 485; State Archives, Boston.Starts at bottom right hand side
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-FN28 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1717-1724 and 1854-1862 vol 4-4Q > image 202 of 485; State Archives, Boston.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-FCFM : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1724-1731 and 1838-1842 vol 5-5T > image 384-386 of 596; State Archives, Boston.
10. ↑ Plymouth Co. Probate Docket #4819, Vol. 4, pp. 287-288, 363-364, Vol. 15, p. 696; MF5G: Cooke, p. 246.
11. ↑ Mitchell, Nahum, History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater, in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Boston, 1840, reprint, Heritage Books, Bowie, MD, 1983, [hereinafter Mitchell, History of Bridgewater], p. 138, says they had Joseph, Josiah, Susanna and Prudence.

• Roser Susan E Early Descendants of Henry Cobb of Barnstable MA Stewart Publishing and Printing, Canada, 2008

• Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V58S-WR1 : 4 December 2014), Josiah Conant and Elizabeth Washbourn, 01 Sep 1701; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 164,691, 164,692.

• John Maltby - Elisabeth Washburn