Seymour Sherwood (abt. 1736)

Born about 1736 in Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Ruth (Lockwood) Sherwood — married 14 Jun 1762 in Province of New York

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Biography

Seymour Sherwood is an apparent son of Gabriel and Martha (Seymour) Sherwood, based on his approximate age, residence, and given name. Donald Lines Jacobus gives five children born to Gabriel and Martha (Seymour) Sherwood, asserting "bapt. Westport":^[1]

Seymour married Ruth Lockwood, daughter of Nathan and Sarah Lockwood, by marriage bond supposedly dated 14 June 1762 in the Province of New York.^[2]

The reason for doubt as to this date is that Nathan Lockwood's last will was executed on 11 June 1761, yet he left 12 shillings to his grandson Lebbeus Sherwood.^[3] If one did not notice that the bequest was made before Ruth and Seymour were granted a marriage bond, the obvious conclusion would be that Lebbeus was their son. Instead the obvious question is, why did Nathan have a grandson Lebbeus Sherwood before Ruth was married to Seymour? One possibility is that Lebbeus was not Seymour's son, and/or not Ruth's son. Was he the son of a daughter deceased and married to Seymour or some other Sherwood? Was Ruth married to a different Sherwood before she married Seymour? Is the transcribed date of their marriage incorrect? Was it a common law marriage until 1762?

Sarah Lockwood, widow of Nathan, executed her last will on 16 December 1769, bequeathing to Ruth Sherwood and her four sisters the residuum of her estate after bequests to Ruth's two brothers -- monies and debts, moveable estate and wearing apparel. Nathaniel Reynolds and Seymour Sherwood were executors.^[4]

The couple has not yet been positively identified in any subsequent records.

Sources

1. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, 2 vols, New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1930-1932, 1:558; consulted as '"Fairfield, CT: Families of Old Fairfield. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008, 2:843. No baptisms of the children are found in the Barbour Collection. As DLJ gives specific dates for the two Elizabeths, they would probably be found in the Records of Green's Farms Congregational Church, Westport, Conn., 1711-1923 at the Fairfield Museum and History Center. It is peculiar that DLJ makes a blanket assertion that the children were baptized in Westport, while putting question marks next to Seymour and Isaac, giving no date for Isaac, and date guesses for Solomon and Seymour. Perhaps their baptismal records are undated and/or do not name the parents, or perhaps the implication that the children were baptized in Westport is partially a guess.
2. ↑ Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued by the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784. Albany: Weed, Parsons and Co, 1860, p. 349, citing Province of New York Marriage Bonds 6:191.
3. ↑ Probate record, estate of Nathan Lockwood (will and inventory), 1761. Stamford Probate Book 5:145-8; Fairfield Probate Records (Stamford District), Vol 4-5, 1772-1782, images 287-8.
4. ↑ Probate record, estate of Sarah Lockwood (will), 1769-'70. Stamford Probate Book 3:374-5; Fairfield Probate Records (Stamford District), Vol 1-3, 1728-1772, images 654-5.

• Holden, Frederic. & Lockwood, E. Dunbar. Descendants of Robert Lockwood (Philadelphia, PA., 1889) Page 67 & Page 142
• Marriage Licenses Issued by the State of New York

• "1762 14 Jun; Seymour Sherwood; Ruth Lockwood"