Moses Orcutt (abt. 1713 - 1748)

Born about 1713 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Mercy (Allen) Sturtevant — married 30 May 1739 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 22 Oct 1748 at about age 35 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay

Biography

Probate

He died intestate on 22 Oct. 1748 in Bridgewater, aged 34 years,[288] and his widow, Marcy Orcutt, was granted administration of his estate on 21 Dec. 1748.^[1]

The inventory of the estate of Moses Orcutt, late of Bridgewater, Gentleman, was appraised by Josiah Edson Jr., Eleazer Carver, and Solomon Leonard on 27 Dec. 1748, and totaled £3089.18.11, old tenour, including his homestead valued at £2100. Marcy Orcutt, the administratrix, gave her oath to the inventory on 7 Feb. 1748[/9].^[2]

In 1750, Marcy gave an account of his debts and estate charges to the probate court.^[3]

Research Notes

The following quote from the attached reference has some possible errors: "Moses Orcutt, born ca. 1713 in Bridgewater,[285] married Mercy Allen, daughter of Nathaniel and Bethiah (Conant) Allen,[286] on 30 May 1739 in Bridgewater.[287]

She possibly remarried to John Waterman, of Halifax, MA, on 10 Apr. 1770 in Bridgewater.[290] Moses Orcutt had children:

a. Moses Orcutt (Jr.), died on 7 June 1740 in Bridgewater, aged 7 weeks.[291]

b. Hannah Orcutt, died unmarried, and was buried in the same grave with her father.[292]" ^[4]

PROBLEM #1 with the above quote: Nathaniel Allen's second wife, Mary (Lovell) Allen, was the mother of Mercy Allen, not Bethia (Conant) Allen. Bethia had died about 9 years earlier. ^[5]

PROBLEM #2 with the above quote: Nathaniel Allen's daughter, Mercy, was born 19 October 1717 in Middleborough, Massachusetts. (see her profile for source). I conclude that the Mercy Orcutt that married John Waterman [Jr.] was probably the daughter of Moses Orcutt and Mercy Allen. They were married in 1770 and produced children from 1771 to 1792. A person born in 1717 could not do that. The names given to the children are consistent with this theory. Moses Orcutt failed to report births of his children to the town, so it is quite possible he had a daughter named Mercy who had the following children: (The children's names strongly suggest this scenario.)

Moses WATERMAN b: 8 Apr 1771 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Moses WATERMAN b: 27 Aug 1772 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Luther WATERMAN b: 22 Jun 1774 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Nathaniel WATERMAN b: 12 Jun 1776 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Rebecca WATERMAN b: 21 Apr 1778 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA John WATERMAN b: 20 May 1780 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA George WATERMAN b: 3 Mar 1782 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA UNKNOWN WATERMAN b: 13 Sep 1783 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA George WATERMAN b: 12 Mar 1785 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Mercy WATERMAN b: 31 Mar 1787 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Polly WATERMAN b: 21 Jun 1789 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA Fear WATERMAN b: 4 Feb 1792 in Halifax, Plymouth Co., MA ^[6] (Comments by Gillby Weldon-647).

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-NNT7 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1748-1750 and 1841-1848 vol 11-11B > image 66 of 642; State Archives, Boston.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-NN67 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1748-1750 and 1841-1848 vol 11-11B > image 88-89 of 642; State Archives, Boston.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-F6GZ : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1749-1752 and 1848-1853 vol 12-12C > image 82 of 596; State Archives, Boston.
4. ↑ http://www.maltbyfamily.net/genealogies/washburn/washburn_plymouth_10.html
5. ↑ Middleborough, MA Vital Records. Available FREE at www.midlib.org
6. ↑ Halifax, Massachusetts Vital Records

• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1861) Vol. 3, Page 315.
• http://www.maltbyfamily.net/genealogies/washburn/washburn_plymouth_10.html