John Stetson (bef. 1738)

Born before 15 Jan 1738 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Roy Lamberton [send private message]

Biography

Birth

John Stetson was born before January, 1737/38 ^[1] and baptized 15 Jan 1737/38, He was the 2nd child of Caleb Stetson and Deborah (Morton) Stetson ^[A] and the second child of Caleb's to be named John

Marriage

married Bathsheba Dunbar in Scituate, 10 Sept. 1761

Research Notes

• Stetson Kindred Genealogical Index: 1-3-6-9 (or

A. His Father, Caleb's 2nd marriage is not recorded in The Descendants of Cornet Robert Stetson ^[1], however, on Page 74, there is recorded a Caleb Steton (1-3-3-1) the son of Gershom and Mary Stetson. O.F. Stetson records 2 children, Caleb, b. 1734 and this John, b. 1737 at Plymouth. ^[1]

There is a serious discrepancy between "The Descendants" and books about the Mayflower descendants. Stetson Genealogist Barbara Merrick answered my (Lamberton's) question about this discrepancy, and sent this response:

Pymouth Co. L.R. 26:185 documented "Thomas and Mary Thommpson; Jonathan and Deborah Ingle; Joanna Vaugh, widow; all of Middleboro; John & Phebe Murdock of Plymouth; and John & hannah Hodges of Norton sold 45 acres in the South Purchase 5th divison in Middleborough (the original right of their father John Moton, deceased,") to Benoni Shaw of Plimton.

This deed proved that John Morton;s daughter Deborah was not one and the same as the Deborah Morton, who was married to Caleb Stetson alleged to have been son of Gershom Stetson. Therefore the children assigned in the Descendants of Cornet Robert Stetson to Caleb and Deborah belong to another Caleb Stetson. The only other Caleb Stetson available would have been Caleb, son of Thomas, whose first wife Sarah Brewster had died between 20 March 1929/30, when she acknowledges a deed [Plymouth Co. L. R 25:177] and before the marriage intentions of Caleb and Deborah Morton were published on 21 October 1731/2 .

In checking the court copy of the original will of Gershom Stetson, it was noted that he appears to have had NO CHILDREN and the clerk made an error in recording it. Gershom mentioned his" wife ANN Stetson and left the children of his brother Thomas; brother Joshua; son Caleb; children of Sister Hannah Foster; sister Mary Basset; sister Ruth R and; sister Margaret Pickles,; and brother Elisha, one eighth part of his real and personal estate." [Plymouth Co. PR #19,274]

I believe the clerk erred in using the word "son Caleb". Why would a man leave 7/8th of his estate to his siblings or their children and give his alleged son only 1/8th part? No records were found for Caleb Stetson this alleged son of Gershom, nor for any unnamed Steson children allegedly assigned to him per his father's will. Thus he does not belong where placed in the Descendants of Cornet Robert Stetson.

This Stetson material has all been published by the General Society of Mayflower Descendant in the MFIP series way back in1993, as well as republished in MF 24 for Elder William Brewster. -- Barbara Lambert Mitchell, Jun 2020

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} StetsonVol 1, no 2, pg 73

See Also:

• Barbara Lambert Merrick, comp., Scott Andrew Bartley, ed., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, William Brewster, Volume 24, Part 1, Generations 1 through 4, (Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2014), p. 374
• O.F. Stetson, Ed., et al; Descendants of Cornet Robert Stetson of Scituate, Massachusetts (Stetson Kindred of America, Inc., 1933, 1956, 2008)