Joshua Spooner (abt. 1741 - 1778)

Born about 1 Jun 1741 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Husband of Bathsheba (Ruggles) Spooner — married 15 Jan 1766 in Hardwick, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay

Died 1 Mar 1778 at about age 36 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

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Biography

John Spooner and Elizabeth Wells were his parents.^[1]

Joshua married Bathsheba Ruggles on 15 Jan 1766 in Hardwick, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.^[2]

Among their children were:

1. Elizabath Spooner, born on 8 April 1767 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.^[3]
2. Joshua Spooner, born on 21 Feb 1770 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.^[4]
3. John Spooner, born on 26 Feb 1773 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.^[5]
4. Bathshua Spooner, born on 17 Jan 1775 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.^[6]

In 1778, Joshua was beaten to death and his body stuffed down a well. His wife and three others were convicted and hanged for the murder.^[1]

In 1781, the guardian John Spooner of his children petitioned the Plymouth probate court to divide and secure a mortgage (dated 6 February 1765) to lands that had been his. The property had been leased out and rents were placed in the hands of the agent of Peter Oliver (a loyalist). The agent was ordered to pay one-half of the rents to the guardian for the benefit of his children.^[7]

Research Notes

The precision birth date and location is from FamilySearch, but is not directly linked to a source. The Navas (1999) text only mentions the birth year, but an exhaustive review has not been made. A death record is cited in sources on FamilySearch from what appears to be a legitimate source, but the link is broken.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Navas, Deborah; Murdered By His Wife. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999.
2. ↑ Marriage: "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007817586; FHL microfilm: 873754
   FamilySearch Record: FCHN-XLN (accessed 15 October 2023)
   Joshua Spooner marriage to Bathsheba Ruggles on 15 Jan 1766 in Hardwick, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.
3. ↑ Birth of daughter Elizabath Spooner: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007722331; FHL microfilm: 547195
   FamilySearch Record: VQ6J-7NB (accessed 15 October 2023)
   Elizabath Spooner born to Joshua Spooner on 8 Apr 1767 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.
4. ↑ Birth of son Joshua Spooner: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007722331; FHL microfilm: 547195
   FamilySearch Record: VQ6J-573 (accessed 16 October 2023)
   Joshua Spooner born to Joshua Spooner on 21 Feb 1770 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.
5. ↑ Birth of son John Spooner: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007722331; FHL microfilm: 547195
   FamilySearch Record: VQ6J-LGW (accessed 16 October 2023)
   John Spooner born to Joshua Spooner on 26 Feb 1773 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.
6. ↑ Birth of daughter Bathshua Spooner: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007722331; FHL microfilm: 547195
   FamilySearch Record: VQ6J-HP5 (accessed 16 October 2023)
   Bathshua Spooner born to Joshua Spooner on 17 Jan 1775 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97D-6Z9Q : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1780-1786 vol 28-29 > image 186-188 of 638; State Archives, Boston.

See also:

• Vaver, Anthony. EARLY AMERICAN CRIME: AN EXPLORATION OF CRIME, CRIMINALS, AND PUNISHMENTS FROM AMERICA's PAST. 27 May 2009. Accessed 15 Oct 2023.
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #17619386 (accessed 15 October 2023)
  Memorial page for Joshua Spooner Sr. (1741-1 Mar 1778), citing Brookfield Cemetery, Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Rich H. (contributor 46489213).