Joseph Otis (1665 - 1754)

Born 3 Jun 1665 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Thomas) Otis — married 20 Nov 1688 (to 11 Jun 1754) in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died 11 Jun 1754 at age 89 in New London, Connecticut

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Biography

Hon. Joseph Otis was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Plymouth County from 1703-14. He was born in 1665 in Scituate, MA. Joseph was baptized in Hingham, MA, on 3 Jun 1666. Joseph died on 11 Jun 1754 in Montville, CT. Occupation: judge.

From A Memoir of the Otis Family:

Judge Otis’ residence at Scituate was on the south of Coleman’s Hill, the former residence of Gilbert Brooks, Esq. He held the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Plymouth Co. from 1703-1714. In 1709 the town of Scituate voted that ‘the Society empower Joseph Otis, Esq. to finish the meeting house by pewing it, and also to appoint two and two to a pew[when they do not agree to couple themselves], each couple paying the cost of building the pew.’ In 1710 he was elected under the governor’s order, representative to ‘the Great and General Court’, and again in 1713. He held other town offices. He moved to New London about 1721, where many of his relations and acquaintances lived, and bought of James Harris a tract of 650 acres of land ‘lying in the North parish in New London, adjoining a pond called Obplintksok,’ now Gardiner’s Lake, a mile or more in length. This land was purchased by Thomas Stanton, or Stonington, of Owaneco, 11 Nov 1698, and by him sold to Joseph Otis. He was received to the communion of the church at New London 19 Nov 1722.

He was much in public employment, was Moderator of town meetings, on parish and church committees almost yearly, etc.

From the records of Colchester, Conn. it appears that in 1724 he purchased of Capt. Samuel Gilbert a house and farm of 180 acres, lying in the east part of the town of Colchester, on the old country road for ‘770 pounds lawful money of New England.’ He is described in the deed, as of Scituate. This land Joseph deeded to his son Nathaniel in 1735, ‘for and in consideration of the love, good will and affection which I have for and do bear unto my beloved son, and is the whole of what I design my said son shall have of my estate’. The house erected on this land by Nathaniel, has been occupied successively by five generations.

Judge Otis is spoken of by his contemporaries as a gentleman of great integrity, a judicious and useful citizen. The following portrait was written of him soon after his death ‘He was a Christian upon principle, a public spirited and useful man, distinguished by talents of the solid, judicious and useful, rather than of the brilliant and showy kind. He was of large stature, his countenance solemn and serene, frank and open in his manner, of ready wit and sound understanding. As a private individual he had the union of simple dignity and benevolent courtesy which marks the gentleman. He died universally lamented.

On 20 Nov 1688 Joseph married Dorothy Thomas, daughter of Hon. Nathaniel Thomas (1643-22 Oct 1718) & Deborah Jacob (ca 1643-17 Jun 1696), in Marshfield, MA. “Joseph Otis and Dorothy Thomas were Married the 20th day of November 1688. by Mr Thomas Mighell Minester”.

Born on 6 Nov 1670 in Marshfield, MA. Dorothy died in Montville, CT, on 10 Jan 1755; she was 84.

Joseph and Dorothy were first cousins. Their mothers were sisters.

A brother of James the Patriot's grandfather. He was educated and became a judge. He married Dorothy Thomas, a cousin on the Jacobs side, daughter of Judge Nathaniel Thomas and Deborah Jacobs of Marshfield. Judge Thomas was a judge of the Plymouth (Pilgrim) colony. Joseph was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Plymouth Colony, 1703-1704. In 1710 he was elected under Governor's order to the "Great and General Court," and again in 1713. He also held other town offices.

He moved his family to New London, CT on the Long Island Sound in 1721. Here he was moderator to town meetings and is on parish and church committees. That same year, he bought 650 acres, adjacent to Gardiner Lake. The land had belonged to American Natives 30 years prior. Later, he bought land at Colchester (now Montville) a farm of 280 acres, some accounts say 180 acres. This land was willed to his oldest some Nathaniel.

Joseph died in 1754 at the age of 90. He was noted at the time as being the oldest person in town. Dorothy died a year later. They are buried at the Montville old cemetery at Raymond Hill.

Children-

1. Nathaniel Otis (30 Jan 1689/90-15 Apr 1771)
2. James Otis (21 Jan 1692/3-6 Sep 1754)
3. Deborah Otis (24 Apr 1694-)
4. Mary Otis (20 or 23 Mar 1695/6-)
5. Dorothy Otis (24 Apr 1698-)
6. Elizabeth Otis (2 Sep 1700-bef 1754)
7. Anne Otis (21 Sep 1702-)
8. Bethiah Otis (20 Nov 1703-29 May 1750)
9. Delight Otis (19 Dec 1706-15 Oct 1747)
10. Hannah Otis (Died young) (10 Dec 1709-1725/1726)
11. Deacon Joseph Otis (1 Oct 1712-ca 1793)
12. Rachel Otis (1 Dec 1713-21 Sep 1761)

His death in the newspaper reads: "New London, in Connecticut, October 28, 1754. Lately died here Joseph Otis, Esq., in the 90th year of his age. He formerly lived at Scituate in the county of Plymouth and was one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace and inferior Court of Common Please for said county; and was a gentleman of superior natural powers, & considerable acquired accomplishments; by which means he was enabled to discharge the several offices which he sustained with fidelity and to good acceptance. He shone also in the Christian life, and died in peace. he married Dorothy Thomas, one of the daughters of the Hon. Nath. Thomas, Esq., late of Marshfield, in the county aforesaid, deceased, with who he lived in the married state sixty five years and seven months, and now remains his sorrowful widow, and hath left surviving one hundred and twenty six children and grandchildren."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ THE Boston Gazette, OR, WEEKLY ADVERTISER. (Boston, MA) 19 November 1754, page 3 GenealogyBank https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A1036CD2E61FB47A0%40GB3NEWS-10444F8A87528FB9%402362018-10444F8AA35F71E1%402-10444F8AEB1580CE%40Mortuary%2BNotice : accessed 10 August 2023

• History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts (The Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1893): Vol III, p.102
• American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Repository: Godfrey Memorial Library, American Genealogical-Biographical Index, Middletown, CT,