Bridget Palmer

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Clarke-2161

Bridget Clarke married, first, Thomas Baxter in July 1650 in Gravesend, Long Island, New Netherlands (later, Brooklyn, New York City).

Born in England, Thomas worked for the New Netherlands government in various ways, including building the wall that once stood on Wall Street in Manhattan. When war began between the Netherlands and England, he was fired and arrested. After getting out of jail, he went over to the English side, took to sea as a privateer under debatable letters of marque, and captured several vessels. That ended badly for Thomas, who was forced to reimburse the owner(s) of the captured vessels. Perhaps because of that trouble, he undertook to return to England.

Thomas and Bridget had, in New Netherlands:

1. Elsje, bp. Aug. 17, 1652. This was probably Alice Baxter, who married John Hunt on June 16, 1670, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey Colony[1]
2. Thomas, b. about 1653.

In December 1659, Thomas made his departure will in conjunction with his planned return to England, naming Bridget as executrix. In May 1662, in Connecticut, Bridget divorced Thomas for desertion and subsequently married John Palmer, later Justice of the Peace, in Westchester[2][3]

Apparently, Bridget and John Palmer had at least three children:[4]

1. Mary, b: ABT 1666 in Newtown, NY, married Rev. Francis Doughty, died 21 DEC 1741 in Flushing, Queens, NY
2. Abigail b: ABT 1667 in Newtown, Queens, NY, married Thomas Farrington
3. Bridget b: 1668 in Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY, married in Westchester, NY in 1698 Roger Barton, who was b. 1666 in Long Island City, Queens, NY Bridget also was named in a will of a neighbor Richard Osburn as "Bridget, wife of my neighbour, Justice John Palmer, and her daughter Bridget." Osburn's will was dated Dec. 19, 1684. [5]

Death

A number of rootsweb.com trees show Bridget Clarke Baxter Palmer having died in Mayo, Ireland without source. [6]

Her son Thomas Baxter, 2nd, was living in Westchester in 1675, with wife Rebecca, and in his will of 1714 mentioned his wife Rebecca and many children, of which we know he had eleven, the oldest being Thomas Baxter, 3rd born 1675. [7]

Thomas Baxter, 2nd, clearly received many riches from his Father.

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L26T-QQN/bridget-clarke-1630-...

Bridget Clarke about 1630–1690

Birth • 0 Sources about 1630 Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Age 61 Death • 0 Sources 1690

SPOUSES AND CHILDREN

Captain Thomas Baxter 1626-1713

Marriage: 1651 Westchester, New York, United States

Bridget Clarke 1630-1690

Children (6)

John Baxter 1648-

Alice Elsie Baxter 1652-1684

Thomas Baxter 1653-1713

Sarah Baxter 1656-1760

William Baxter 1658-1663

Bridget Baxter 1660-

PARENTS AND SIBLINGS

Robert Clark 1597-

Marriage: 25 October 1622 Stroud, Gloucestershire, England

Mary Barnes 1600-1645

Children (5)

Bessie Clerk 1619-

Mark Clark 1625-

Bathsua Clarke 1630-

Bridget Clarke 1630-1690

Elizabeth Clark 1630-

Family

From https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=REG&db=mcsmed&id=I11852

She married John PALMER, son of William PALMER and Sarah HEATH. He was born ABT 1625.

	  Children of Bridget Clark and John PALMER are:

* 2 i. Bridget PALMER.

• + 3 ii. Mary PALMER.

Daughter Abigail also

Notes

1692 On 30 November, Bridgett Palmer, widow of John Palmer, late of Westchester, Francis Doughty of Flushing and Mary his wife, eldest daughter of John Palmer, Thomas Farington of Flushing and Abigail, his wife, second daughter of John Palmer, and Bridget Palmer, Jr., youngest daughter of John Palmer, all unite in a deed. Grantee: Thomas Baxter Description: Land in Westchester County on Frogs Neck on the Sound to the Bronx River. [7][8]

Title: Compiled and edited by Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of The Families of Old Fairfeild Repository: Page: page 455

Note: Captain Richard Osborn left legacies to Bridget wife of neighbor Justice John Palmer and her daughter Bridget Palmer in his will.

Note: Connecticut Puritan Settlers, 1633-1845

Hill, William, (in No. 1, of Windsor,) moved to Fairfield in 1658, and was appointed Collector of Customs there in '59. (Hill, Thomas, Fairfield, juror in 1730.) William Hill, N. Gold and Mr. Sherman, of Fairfield county, were ordered to examine a letter which had been sent to Bridget Baxter from her husband in England, (she having petitioned for a divorce from him,) and compare the letter with his other writings, and if they found a strong similarity in the hand writing--then to declare to the said Bridget that the Court frees her from her matrimonial bond with said Baxter.

Abbrev: History and Genealogy of The Families of Old Fairfeild Title: Compiled and edited by Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of The Families of Old Fairfeild Repository: Page: page 39

Note: Bridget was divorced from Thomas Baxter im May of 1662.

Citations

• http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m5407x5569.htm
• The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volume 43. “The Doughty Family of Long Island.” Page 281. link
• The Baxter Family: Descendants of George and Thomas Baxter, of Westchester ... By Frances Baxter. Page 27. link

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Married her first husband: Thomas Baxter at Gravesend 7-1650 and from whom she was granted a divorce by the court at Hartford May 15, 1662. and by whom she had a son Thomas Baxt 1654-1714. per Findagrave.com