John Wetherbee, I, of Stow, MA

Summary

Marriage 1 Mary Howe

Marriage 2 Lydia Moore

Parents Unknown

Origins Unknown

Warning - he is not the son of John W Wetherbee and Elizabeth Rice or Whale.

Disputer Origins and Parents

John Weatherby's English origins are yet to be discovered. His parents are completely unknown. Trees on the Internet showing his parents as John W Weatherby and Elizabeth Whale are erroneous.

Children

Marriage 1 Mary Howe b: 18 NOV 1653 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Married: 18 SEP 1672 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
Children with 1nd wife:

1. John Wetherbee b: 26 MAR 1675 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
2. Thomas Wetherbee b: 05 JAN 1678 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
3. Joseph Wetherbee b: 18 SEP 1672 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
4. Mary (?)

Marriage 2 Lydia Moore b: 06 APR 1660 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Married: 16 SEP 1684 in Stowe, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Children with 2nd wife:

1. Jonathan Wetherbee b: 31 AUG 1686 in Stowe, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
2. Ephraim Wetherbee b: 1682 in Stowe, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
3. Mary Wetherbee b: ABT 1691 in Stowe, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
4. Lydia Wetherbee b: ABT 1693 in Stowe, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
5. Anne Wetherbee b: ABT 1695 in Stowe, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
6. David Wetherbee b: BET 1692 AND 1696 in Stow, Massachusetts

Biography

John Wetherbee was born about 1642 in England. Some trees allege he was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, but there are no Vital Records to support it in a place where Vital Records are very complete. His place of birth is unknown.

He first married Mary Howe on 18 Sep 1672 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Both Torrey's New England Marriages prior to 1700 and Sudbury Vital Records support this date, but Sudbury has a duplicate record listing a marriage date of 13 August 1672. The date is of interest, because son Joseph was born on the same 18 Sep 1672 date in Sudbury, according to Sudbury Vital Records. Mary Howe was born on June 18,1654, and is mentioned in the will of her father as my daughter Mary Witherbee. John and Mary had three children, Joseph (Sept. 18, 1672), John (March 26, 1675) and Thomas (January 5, 1678). She died 5 Jun 1684 in Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Fallass claims they also had a daughter Mary but her birth is not recorded in vital records.

During the King Philip's War John Wetherbee was assigned to the garrison house owned by William Kerley in Marlborough . Also assigned to this garrison house were his in-laws, John How(e) Sr., and Thomas How. On March 26, 1676, the Nipmuck Indian tribe raided Marlborough . The townspeople were at church when the sentry sounded the alarm. The congregation had to flee the church and make their way to the various garrison houses where they would fight off the Indians. A number of buildings were burned but most of the populace escaped harm behind fortified walls. The next night, the settlers, under the command of Lt. Jacobs attacked the Indians and killed 50 of them.

After the war, John along with 11 of his neighbors, including Josiah How and Thomas Martin, petitioned the General Court to grant him some of the confisgated Indian land. He cited his losses and service to the community as a reason for this request. This petition was not granted.

In 1681 John and his family moved to Stow, Mass. where they were granted 70 acres over the next two years. In 1684 he sold his remaining Marlborough land to Thomas Ward and on Sept. 19 married Lydia Moore, Mary having died on June 5, 1684. ( NOTE: This is NOT the Lydia Moore who married Samuel Wright and James Cutler. They are often confused in family trees.) He and Lydia had six children, David (1685), Jonathan (August 31, 1686), Ephraim, Mary, Lydia DUDLEY, and Anne STOW.

The date of his death does not appear upon the records of Stow, where he died; but from the probate records it appears to be about 1711. The will was dated October 13, 1707 and probated April 2, 1711. His estate was valued at 318 pounds 3 shillings and 8 pence .

Sources

1. Alexander, Lura (Fallas), Genealogy, Descendants of William and Dorcas Fallas of Boston, Mass.: Both Male and Female Lines Brought Down Several Generations, Male Lines Bearing the Family Name,(Kansas City, Mo.: privately printed, 1929) 102
2. John Weatherbee of Marlborough and Stow Massachusetts" by Ethel Wetherbee Mazza (Somersworth, NH, 1991)
3. Dean Crawford Smith, The Ancestry of Eva Belle Kempton, 1878-1908, Part III: The Ancestry of Henry Clay Bartlett, 1832-1892 (Boston 2004) 3:256-69
4. The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine (Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1910+) 20:153
5. Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1911) Page 220: alternate surname spellings, John and Lidia Moore, Sept, 16, 1684, Intention not recorded. M.R. Middlesex County record, East Cambridge. Page 266: alternate surname spellings, Mary, w. John, June 5, 1684. M.R. Middlesex County record, East Cambridge. Deaths under the spelling Mary Whitherby on p266; Stow Marriages for the spelling Whitherby, p220
6. Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Marlborough (Boston: Press of T. R.. Marvin & Son, 42 Congress Street, 1862)
7. Ezra S. Stearns (1875). History of the Town of Rindge, New Hampshire, from the Date of the Rowley Canada Or Massachusetts Charter, to the Present Time, 1736-1874: With a Genealogical Register of the Rindge Families. Press of G. H. Ellis. Page 747.
8. Cutter, William Richard. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial (Lewis Historical Publishing, New York, New York, 1914) Page 13
9. "The English Origins of Philemon Whale of Sudbury, Mass." by Robert Charles Anderson, The Genealogist 6 (1985):131-41.You'll see that Philemon Whale who married Ann/Agnes Norwood was from Essex, not Suffolk.Their daughter Elizabeth married at Henham, Essex, on 18 Oct 1609, William Cofield, a grocer.
10. "Stone-Gregg Genealogy: The Ancestors and Descendants of Galen Luther Stone and his wife Carrie Morton Gregg" ed. by Alicia Crane William (Baltimore, 1987)
11. “Howe Genealogies: This Volume Contains the Genealogy of John Howe of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts” by David Wait Howe (ed. Gilman Bigelow Howe) (NEHGS, Boston/Haverhill, 1929) 1:6
12. "John Weatherbee of Marlboro and Stow Massachusetts" by Ethel Wetherbee Mazza (Somersworth, NH, 1991)
13. Weatherbee Round-up (Decatur, IL, Weatherbee Family Association) (serial)
14. Leonard, Ermina F. (Newton), Newton Gene- alogy: Genealogical, Biographical, Historical; Being a Record of the Descendants of Richard Newton of Marl- borough, Mass., 1638, with Genealogies of Families (DePere, Wis.: B. A. Leonard, 1915) 91

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Wetherbee aka Wetherby, Witherby, Witherbye

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wetherbee-45

John Wetherbee (abt. 1642 - bef. 1711)

John Wetherbee aka Wetherby, Witherby, Witherbye

Born about 1642 in England

Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]

[sibling%28s%29 unknown]

Husband of Mary (Howe) Wetherbee — married 13 Aug 1672 (to 5 Jun 1684) in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Lydia (Moore) Wetherbee — married 16 Sep 1684 in Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Father of Joseph (Wetherbee) Witherbee, John Wetherbee, Thomas Wetherbee, David Wetherbee, Jonathan Wetherbee, Ephraim Wetherbee, Mary Wetherbee, Lidia (Wetherbee) Dudley and Anne (Weatherbee) Haven

Died before 2 Apr 1711 before about age 69 in Stow, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts

Wetherbee-45 created 6 Mar 2011 | Last modified 27 Sep 2023

Biography

John Wetherbee was born about 1642,[1] presumably in England. His origins are unknown (see disputed parents).

New England

The first record concerning John Wetherbee is a deposition on 2 October 1666. On 6 September 1666, at the Court of Middlesex County at Cambridge, Massachusetts, William Kerley, Constable of Marlborough, charged Thomas Rice and Peter Bent of Marlborough with neglect of duty in keeping the night watch, and abusing the Constable. On 2 October 1666, John Witherbee testified to the Court that he was about 24 years old, that he was on the watch with Thomas Rice about three weeks prior, and testified to the events of that night and the next day.[1] Based on his deposition, he was born about 1642.

Marriages and Children

John Witherby married first Mary How on 13 August 1672, in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.[2]

On 10 March 1672/3, John Withersby and Mary were charged with committing fornication together before their marriage.[3] At the Court of Middlesex County at Cambridge, the Constable of Marlborough was required to warn the freemen of Marlborough to meet and choose two men to serve at the Court at Cambridge on 1 April 1673, one for the Grand Jury, and one for the Jury of Trials. William Ward was the witness. On 22 March, Soloman Johnson was chosen for the Grand Jury, and Joseph Rice was chosen for the Jury of Trials; John and Mary were warned to appear; William Ward was warned to appear.[4] A record of the court proceedings on 1 April has not been found.

John and Mary had three children who were named in John's will:

Joseph, born 18 September 1672 in Marlbrough[5]
John, born 26 1st month [March] 1675 in Marlborough[6]
Thomas, born 5 January 1678 in Sudbury[7]
Mary died 5 June 1684, in Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.[8][9]

John Whitherby married second Lidia Moore on 16 September 1684, in Stow.[8][10][11]

John and Lydia had six children named in John's will:

David, born c. 1685
Jonathan, born 31 August 1686 in Cambridge[12]
Ephraim, born c. 1689
Mary, born c. 1691
Lidia, born c. 1693
Anne, born c. 1699
Will and Death

The last will and testament of John Witherby of the Town of Stow was dated 13 October 1707 with a codicil dated 1 April 1709. An inventory of his estate was taken 21 March 1710/1 and his will was proved 2 April 1711 in Stow. In his will and codicil he made bequests to:[13]

Lidia my beloved wife (co-executor)
my son David (co-executor)
my two sons Jonathan Witherby and Ephraim Witherby (land that I bought of Ruth Wheeler)
my three daughters Mary, Lidia, and Anne
my son Joseph Witherby
my son John and Thomas
Research Notes

Disputed Parents

The parents of this John Wetherbee are unknown. Online genealogies and family trees (hundreds) purport that his parents are:

John W. Wetherbee (abt.1590-) and
Elizabeth (Whale) Wetherbee (bef.1594-)
No source is known for either their marriage, or for them being John's parents. The origin of this unsourced marriage and relationship are therefore of interest.

A possibility has been identified. The family genealogy Early Generations of the Wetherby, Witherby, Wetherbee, Witherbee Family in New England: John, of Sudbury, Marlborough and Stow, Massachusetts, Part I,[14] apparently by Winthrop Wetherbee (Boston, MA) contains a passage, that if misread, might lead one to believe that John's parents are John and Elizabeth Whale. The passage reads:

"John Witherby[1]
His second wife, Lydia Moore, was daughter of Ensign John Moore[2], who was the eldest son of John[1] and Elizabeth (Whale) Moore. John[1] came in the "Planter" 1635 a. 24 from London. He was in Sudbury in 1640, bought a house of Edmund Rice, md. 1642 Elizabeth Whale, dau. of Philemon. He died January 6, 1673, at Sudbury (V. R.). His will, dated August 25, 1668, was probated April 7, 1674."
If the second occurrence of John[1], which refers to John Moore, is misconstrued to be John Witherby[1], then one can see where this marriage may have originated.

Birth Place

Some trees allege he was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, but there are no Vital Records to support it in a place where Vital Records are very complete.

Alternate Mary How Marriage Date

The source[2] cited for the marriage of John Witherby and Mary How on 13 August 1672, in Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is apparently a transcription of an earlier source. It also contains a duplicate entry for the marriage, 18 September 1672, in image 125.

Another source,[15] clearly a later transcription of the first source[2] (see image 6), also lists the marriage date as 13 August 1672.

Both Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts (see p323) and Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (see p787) refer to the two alternate dates, Vital Records referring to 13 Auguust 1672, as a "dup[licate]."

The marriage date of 18 September 1672, is suspect because son Joseph was born on that date in Marlborough.[16]

John and Mary were therefore probably married on 13 August 1672.

Spratlin-29 19:09, 7 September 2023 (UTC)

Marriage to Lydia Moore

This is NOT the Lydia Moore who married Samuel Wright and James Cutler. They are often confused in family trees.

Sources

↑ 1.0 1.1 Clerk of Courts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Colonial county court papers, 1648-1798, Court papers - Folios 27-60 1647-1672; database with images, FamilySearch (image 566).
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Superior Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, and deaths, 1651-1793; database with images, FamilySearch (image 189). 13 . 6 . 72 [O.S.] is presumably 13 August 1672 [N.S.]. Referred to as Old original book in image 158. See Alternate Mary How Marriage Date.
↑ Clerk of Courts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Colonial county court papers, 1648-1798, Court papers - Folios 61-81 1670-1678; database with images, FamilySearch (image 97).
↑ Clerk of Courts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Colonial county court papers, 1648-1798, Court papers - Folios 61-81 1670-1678; database with images, FamilySearch (image 98).
↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCM1-298 : 10 November 2020), John Wetherby in entry for Joseph Wetherby, 18 Sep 1672; citing Birth, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004198966.
↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC99-MHK : 20 May 2022), Jno. Wetherby in entry for Jno. Wetherby, 26 Jan 1675; citing Birth, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004198966.
↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4D4-39P : 20 May 2022), John Wethersby in entry for Thomas Wethersby, 1678.
↑ 8.0 8.1 Superior Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, and deaths, 1651-1793; database with images, FamilySearch (image 225).
↑ Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1911), p266; digital images, Archive.org (p266). Alternate surname spelling Whitherby, Mary, w. John, June 5, 1684. Middlesex County record, East Cambridge.
↑ Town Clerk, Stow, Massachusetts, Vital records, 1683-1900, Births/deaths/marriages 1692-1840; database with images, FamilySearch (image 143).
↑ Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1911), p220; digital images, Archive.org (p220). Alternate surname spelling Whitherby, John and Lidia Moore, Sept. 16, 1684. Intention not recorded. Middlesex County record, East Cambridge.
↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHV2-VGH : 20 May 2022), John in entry for Jonathan Witherby, 31 Aug 1686; citing Birth, Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007011039.
↑ Probate Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts), Probate papers 24074-24181; database with images, FamilySearch (images 1162-1166).
↑ Winthrop Wetherbee, Early Generations of the Wetherby, Witherby, Wetherbee, Witherbee Family in New England: John, of Sudbury, Marlborough and Stow, Massachusetts, Part I, p19; digital images, FamilySearch (title page).
↑ County Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Court records, 1649-1699 [Middlesex County, Massachusetts], Transcribed court records v. 1 (1649-1663 ) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]; database with images, FamilySearch (image 41).
↑ Superior Court, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, and deaths, 1651-1793; database with images, FamilySearch (image 126).
See also:

Crowell, Olivia. Stow, Massachusetts 1683-1933. Stow: the author, 1933, page 104. pdf
Cutter, William Richard. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial (Lewis Historical Publishing, New York, New York, 1914) Page 13
Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Marlborough (Boston: Press of T. R.. Marvin & Son, 42 Congress Street, 1862); p. 472
Mazza, Ethel Wetherbee. John Wetherbee of Marlboro and Stow, Massachusetts (E.W. Mazza, Rochester, New Hampshire, 1991).
Ezra S. Stearns (1875). History of the Town of Rindge, New Hampshire, from the Date of the Rowley Canada Or Massachusetts Charter, to the Present Time, 1736-1874: With a Genealogical Register of the Rindge Families. Press of G. H. Ellis. Page 747.
Virkus, F.A., ed. Compendium of American Genealogy, Vol. VII. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1968, p. 816. Ancestry Sharing Link (Senn)