Mary Wiswall (1676)

Born 1676 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

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Biography

Mary Wiswall was the daughter of Noah and Theodocia (Jackson) Wiswall. Her birth is recorded in Newton records, but not the date she was born.^[1] Mary married Nathaniel Longley,^[2] or, according to Torrey, she married John Longley, a mariner.^[3] Considering that Nathaniel Longley was appointed guardian to two of Mary's nephews, Thomas & Ichabod, it is likely Mary's husband was Nathaniel.^[4] Nathaniel was alive in Jan 1726 while representing his wards in probate of their grandfather's estate, that of Capt. Noah Wiswall, after the decease of Noah's wife.^[5], however there is no mention of Mary (Wiswall) Longley in any of the settlement papers. Nathaniel Longley died age 56 in Newton 23 July 1732.^[6][7] In his will he named his wife Annah (Shepherd) as executrix, making bequests to his siblings and nieces & nephews.

Jackson says in A history of the early settlement of Newton...

"Nathaniel Longley came into Newton about 1700 and married Mary Wiswall, daughter of Capt. Noah. His place adjoined Bartlett's. His house was near Seminary Hill, on the southerly side, where he bought 34 acres of land, of Nathaniel Hancock, of Cambridge, in 1703, and 9 acres of land in Newton, of Capt. Thomas Prentice, in 1713. He also bought of Nathaniel Parker and William Clark, half of the saw mill, fulling mill, grist mill and eel wear, at the Upper Falls, in 1725; a member of the school commitee in 1721; was guardian to Judge Trowbridge's sister Mary in 1724. He died July 23, 1732, age 56."^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ NEHGS, compiler, Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: NEHGS, 1905), p. 220. "Wiswall, Mary, ch. Noah and Theodocia ___."(no date given)
2. ↑ Rev. Anson Titus, "The Wiswall Family of America. Four Generations," NEHGR Vol. 40:60 (Jan 1886)
3. ↑ Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700, citing Middlesex Co. Deeds, and the above NEHGR article, though the name there is Nathaniel.
4. ↑ Hannah Wiswall, Noah Wiswall, Sarah Wiswall, Mary Wiswall, Elizabeth Wiswall, Thomas Wiswall and Ichabod Wiswall, Guardianship records Docket #25373; Probate records, Vol. 16:185-186, Middlesex Co. Probate Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
5. ↑ Noah Wiswall, Probate Records Docket #25369 (First series, from 1648 to 1871), Middlesex Co. Probate Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
6. ↑ Newton VRs
7. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 13 November 2019), memorial page for Nathaniel Longly (1676–23 Jul 1732), Find A Grave: Memorial #7104266, citing East Parish Burying Ground, Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Jim Sanders (contributor 506) .
8. ↑ Francis Jackson, A history of the early settlement of Newton, county of Middlesex, Massachusetts, from 1639-1800.(Stacy & Richardson: Boston, 1854) pp. 361-2