Mary Fish

MARY FISH'S PARENTAGE IS UNKNOWN. ANY PARENTS SHE IS SAID TO HAVE HAD ARE ONLY SPECULATION AND HAVE NEVER BEEN PROVEN. SEE DISCUSSION TAB.

speculation: Mary SOULE OR AYERS

Thomas Fish- b. 1 January 1619 at England; m. 1645 Mary at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; he d. 1 December 1687 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI.

Their Children:

• 1. Thomas b. abt. 1646 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; m. 10 December 1668 Grizzel Strange; d. 1684, aged 38 years.
• 2. Mary b. abt. 1650 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; m. 18 March 1672 Francis Brayton; d. 4 April  1747, aged 97 years.
• 3. Alice b. abt 1652 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; m. William Knowles; d. 1734 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI, aged 82 years.
• 4. John b. abt 1653 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; m. Johanna Fish Nee Unknown; d. 20 April 1742 at Dartmouth, Bristol, RI, aged 89 years
• 5. Daniel b. abt 1655 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; m. 1 May 1682 Abigail Mumford; d. 16 September 1723, aged 68 years.
• 6. Mehitable b. abt 1656 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI; m. 6 August 1667 Joseph Tripp;  d. aft 1719 at Dartmouth, Bristol, MA, aged 63 years
• 7. Robert b. abt 1657 at Portsmouth, Newport, RI

notes

Thomas's will was recorded on the 9th of February 1687, and proved on the 13th of December 1687. It named his wife, Mary as executrix and mentions four sons, three daughters and seven grandchildren. It bequeathed "to son John land bought of James Babcock. To son Robert 20s, and like amount to daughters Mehitable, Mary and Alice. To grandson, Preserved, son of Thomas, Jr., 5s, to wife remainder of the estate. Inventory, 49 pounds, 10s."

From Randy Seaver April 2014:

Here is what I have in my database about Mary --?-- the wife of Thomas Fish.

She is probably not a Sherman - there is no credible evidence found to date that she is a Sherman.

More About Thomas Fish:
Baptism: January 01, 1618/19, Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England Will: February 09, 1686/87, Portsmouth, RIProved 13 Dec. 1687; inventory 49 pounds 10s. More About Mary Ayres: Will: September 09, 1697, Portsmouth, RICodicil 12 July 1699; Her estate was worth 130 pounds, 2s, much more than she received from her husband's estate. [Where did this money come from? Her father?]

Mary, the wife of Thomas Fish, may have been an Ayres, daughter of a Portsmouth couple who deeded Thomas Fish property in return for maintaining them in their old age. However, it is possible that they were simply a childless couple needing care.

Mary Fish, widow of Portsmouth, died testate, having written a will dated 9 September 1697, with a codicil dated 12 July 1699. The will was proved on 9 August 1699. The will mentions sons John Fish, Robert Fish, Thomas fish deceased and Daniel fish; daughters Mehitable Tripp, Mary Brayton and Alice Knowles; grandson Preserved Fish, son of son Thomas deceased; grandson Thomas Fish, son of Daniel Fish and granddaughters Comfort fish and Ruth Fish, daughters of son Daniel Fish; granddaughter Mary Fish under age 16, daughter of son John Fish; grandson Robert Fish, son of son Robert Fish (Source: "Portsmouth Town Council and Probate, Volume 2, 1697-1725," pages 170-171, abstracted by Nellie M.C. Beaman, "Abstracts of Portsmouth, R.I. Wills," in Rhode Island Genealogical Register, Volume 5, Number 1, July 1982).

No evidence to support Samuel Sherman & Esther Burges as parents. Disconnected April 2014

Links

• http://jskent.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

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Date and place of death have been erroneously reported to be 1615 at Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island. One of these data might be correct, but not both.
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[http://jtbullock.com/Tree/AbigailWilbur.html]

Mary, the wife of Thomas Fish’s maiden name is unknown. Some researchers say she was a Sherman, because Clarence Almon Torrey in his book New England Marriages Prior to 1700 lists her as Mary [?Sherman]. Others say her maiden name was Soule, because Frank J. Doherty in his book Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, states that Thomas m. Mary _ (poss. Soule). Still other researchers say her surname was Ayers, because in 1651, the town traded two acres of land adjoining Thomas‘ land to Henry and Ann Ayes. Nine years later, Thomas puts up a fence on their 2 acres in return for the deed of their house, allowing them to remain in the house rent free as long as they live. Any one of these could be her surname, or none of them! There are no marriage records for them, so her maiden name will remain a mystery.

Mary and Thomas married about 1643-4, and they had at least seven children, all born in Portsmouth – Mehitable, born about 1644-5, married Joseph Tripp in 1667; Thomas, born about 1649, married Grizigon Strange, and died prior to his parents; Mary, born about 1652, married Francis Brayton in 1671; Alice, born about 1655, married William Knowles; ancestor Daniel; John, born about 1657; and Robert, born about 1665, married Mary Hall in 1686 and he was a blacksmith who owned slaves.

Mary Fish wrote her will on September 9, 1697. She made Daniel, her eldest surviving son, executor. It is interesting to note that one of the witnesses to her will was John Anthony. The land that The Old Portsmouth Cemetery is on, where her husband was buried, was owned by the Anthony family. The will, found in the Portsmouth R.I. Town Council and Probate, Vol. 2, reads in part as follows:

“Last will . . . of Mary ffish of . . . Portsmouth . . . widow . . . Bequeths to: sons John ffish and Robert ffish, £5 each; daughter Mehittable Tripp £5 and brass chafindish, one pewter plater, three porringers and a ______; to daughter Mary Brayton, £5, table with a drawer in it, a brind bason my bigest, pewter platter of long cup and a plait; daughter Alice Knowles , £5 and two new T_____ fether pillows, a great round bason, one pewter platter, a pewter candlestick and a plait; daughter Mehitable Tripp my least chest; to daughters Mehittable Tripp, Mary Brayton, and Alice Knowles, all waring apparrell both linin and wollllen with all other my Linin and cotten an Linins except what is otherwise disposed of; grandson Preserved ffish 20 shillings; grand daughter Mehitable ffish daughter of son Thomas deceased 10 shillings; grand daughter Comfort ffish, daughter of son Daniel, "be ad and boulster with the ____ which use lodge on with three blankits and ye coverlet ... ; grandson Thomas ffish son of son Daniel my winscot beadsteed which I use to Lodge in; grandaughter Ruth ffish daughter of my son Daniel ffish my box where I use to put my small linin and my Great Chest; to granddaughter Mary ffish daughter of son John fish, feather head which use to lye in the high beadstead in chamber with a boulster and c___, two blankits and a new couverlet at 16 years or at marriage; grandson Robert son of son Robert two goood ewe sheep. The rest of the moveables to son Daniel. To daughters Mehitabel, Mary, and Alics all bankits not otherwise dispossed”

On July 12, 1699, Mary wrote a Codicil to the will, making only a few slight changes in the bequests. Mary died shortly after this codicil was written, as the inventory “of the goods and Estate of the Late deceased Mary ffish of Portsmouth” was taken just seven days later on July 19th. The inventory totaled £130, 2s and included £32, 5s for animals, £8, 8s in cash and £29, 14s owed to the estate. The will with the codicil was proved on August 9, 1699. Mary was probably buried with her husband.

GEDCOM Source

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=1030088&pid=...