Joseph Underwood of Watertown

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Joseph Underwood
Born 1614 in London, Middlesex, Englandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling%28s%29 unknown]
Husband of Mary (Wilder) Underwood — married 16 May 1645 [location unknown]
Husband of Mary (Howe) Underwood — married 26 Apr 1665 (to 28 Jan 1668) in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
DESCENDANTS descendants
Father of Unknown Underwood, Mary (Underwood) Onge, Martha Underwood, Joseph Underwood Jr., Elizabeth Underwood, Sarah Underwood, Hannah (Underwood) Gibson and Thomas Underwood
Died about 16 Feb 1677 at about age 63 in Hingham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
PROBLEMS/QUESTIONSProfile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree Find Relationship private message [send private message], Charles Bitterli private message [send private message], Diann George Find Relationship private message [send private message], and Loretta Heusser Find Relationship private message [send private message]
Underwood-63 created 11 Sep 2010 | Last modified 15 May 2022
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The Puritan Great Migration.
Joseph Underwood migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
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Contents

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1 Disputed Origins
2 Biography
3 Research Notes
4 Sources
Disputed Origins

A previous version of this profile claimed, citing only an online tree, that Joseph was son of Joseph (some claim John) Underwood and Rachel Edwards. That couple did have a son Joseph who remained and died in England.

Biography

Joseph Underwood born abt 1614 London, Middlesex, England, came from England in 1637 and settled in Hingham, Massachusetts.[1]

Admitted freeman MAY 1645 He was admitted freeman May 1645.[2]Joseph was a proprietor of Hingham in 1637, afterwards of Watertown.

Joseph married first on 16 May 1645 Watertown to Mary Wilder, daughter of widow Martha Wilder. Mary died 13 Dec 1658.

Children:

Mary b 13 Apr 1645 married Isaac Onge
Martha
Joseph b 1650
Sarah
Hannah Underwood married 14 Oct 1680 to John Gibson (she is not to be confused with the Hannah Underwood who married William Shattuck)
Elizabeth married 13 Sept 1693 to William Bull as his second wife.
Thomas b 11 Oct 1658
Joseph married second on 26 April 1665 in Dorchester to Mary Howe.[3]

His brother Thomas ("sometimes woolen draper in London") settled at Hingham, Mass, then Dorchester and finally at Watertown in 1651. His brother Thomas died in 1668, apparently childless, as he left his estate first to his widow Magdalen and after her death to his nephew Thomas (Joseph's son) who was living with them. It is possible that the younger Thomas actually married the widow afterward [4]

Joseph died 16 Feb 1676/7 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Inventory of his estate was taken on 3 March 1676/7.

Research Notes

In this reference,[5] the author is of the opinion that the legendary English ancestry presented in the various published genealogies written by Rev. Moses Wilder and revised and updated by his descendants is incorrect. That legendary descent is unsupported by available documentation, and appears to have been constructed based on a lot of wishful thinking and a little correspondence with the most prominent line of Wilders in England at the time of Rev. Moses Wilder. One can only conclude that subsequent researchers have chosen to overlook Rev. Wilder's statement in his book the he had never viewed any English document, and left such study to future research. The author has done research in many English sources, and has come to different conclusions than other authors have presented. In fact, the present author is of the opinion that probably no such person as the legendary patriarch of the family, Nicholas Wilder, the warrior of Bosworth, ever even existed !

Torrey's New England has a marriage for a JOSEPH UNDERWOOD to Mary Wilder UNDERWOOD, Joseph (1614-1676/7) & 1/wf Mary [WILDER] (-1658/9); by 1645, ca 1638?; Hingham/Watertown {Blake-Torrey 265; Pope's Pioneers 468; Reg. 6:185, 38:400, 61:278; Underwood 1:4; Gen. Bulletin 1:172; Converse (1905) 810-811; MD 16:24; R. Wheeler 117; De Pew 153 add}

UNDERWOOD, Joseph (1614-1676/7) & 2/wf Mary HOW (-1668); 26 Apr 1665; Dorchester {Converse (1905) 810-811; Dorchester VR 21; Tingley-Meyers 143; Reg. 38:400}

Sources

↑ "The Underwood families of America" by Lucien Marcus Underwood and Howard James Banker, publ 1913 2 Vols, [1]
↑ Henry Bond,Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, NEHGS, Boston, 1860.
↑ Dorchester Vital Records, Vol. 1, Page 21
↑ https://archive.org/stream/underwoodfamilie01unde#page/3/mode/1up
↑ Richard Wilder of Shiplake
Savage, James. Genealogical Dictionary of New England, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, 4 vols. Reprint, Baltimore Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3ZKZ-1LQ : accessed 2017-09-11), entry for Joseph /Underwood/.

It has been reported that he was the son of John and Rachel (Edwards) Underwood, and a grandson of Joseph Underwood, of Dorchester, England. No proof.

http://nealsgenealogy.awardspace.info/underwod.htm

Joseph probably emigrated from London to Hingham, Massachusetts in 1635. Joseph Underwood removed from Hingham to Watertown was admitted a freeman May 16, 1645. He married first Mary and second Mary How of Dorchester April 29, 1665. The names of children are found in the record of the settlement of estate. He died February 16, 1676/77 aged about sixty two years.

Children

1. Thomas b. October 11, 1658, Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; d. June 07, 1691, of Dorchester and Watertown, Massachusetts.
2. Elizabeth b. Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; d. Aft. 1678. The Underwood Family in America by Lucien Underwood names her as 2nd wife of William Bull, this is incorrect. See wife of Joseph Underwood, Elizabeth's brother.
3. Mary b. April 13, 1645, Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; d. Aft. 1670; m. May 18, 1670 Isaac Ong
4. Martha b. Abt. 1656, Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts54; d. Aft. 1668
5. Sarah b. Abt. 1652, Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; d. Aft. 1673.
6. Joseph b. 1650, Watertown Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; d. April 07, 1691, Dorchester, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts or Watertown?
7. Hannah b. Abt. 1659; d. Aft. 1682. Needs to be verified: Married October 14 1680 John Gibson

Joseph Underwood's brother Thomas moved to Hingham, MA in 1637, and he probably went with him to Watertown; in any event he was admitted freeman at Watertown, MA in 1645. Thomas died in 1668, apparently childless, as he left his estate first to his widow Magdalen and after her death to his nephew Thomas (Joseph's son) who was living with them. It is possible that the younger Thomas actually married the widow afterward.

Married

1. Mary Wilder c. 1640 (c. 1614-1658)
2. Mary Howe April 29, 1665

Children of Joseph Underwood and Mary Wilder (order unknown)

• Thomas
• Elizabeth married Sep 13, 1693 William Bull (his second marriage)
• Mary 1645-c. 1739
• Martha
• Sarah
• Joseph 1650-
• Hannah married Oct 14, 1680 John Gibson

Sources

• http://vault.hanover.edu/~smith/u1.htm
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~walkersj/Underwood.htm
• Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs by Cuyler Reynolds, Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1911

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b. Abt. 1614, d. 16 Dec 1676) Joseph Underwood was born Abt. 1614 in England, and died 16 Dec 1676 in Watertown, Mass.He married Mary Wilder on Abt. 1644 in Hingham, Mass, daughter of Thomas Wilder and Martha Keene.

Records do not show the exact birthplace of Joseph and Thomas Underwood. Joseph came from England in 1637,( he might have come from Hingham, county of Norfolk, Eng. along with many of the 206 settlers in Hingham, Mass in 1639) and settled in Hingham, MA. His brother, Thomas, came to Hingham the year before.

Later Joseph went to Watertown, with brother Thomas,where he was admitted as a freeman, May 1645 and considered to be a founder. In this Puritan community, joining the Anglican Church was a prerequisite to being a freeman. Joseph remained in Watertown the rest of his life. Thomas married Magdalen, last name unknown, but had no children.In his Will, Thomas generously left much of what he owned to Joseph and family.

Watertown records show Joseph's age at death was 62, so Joseph must have been born about 1614. He came to Massachusetts at the age of 23. On the files of the court is a paper relating to the settlement of his estate, which names his children as Joseph, Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, Thomas, and Martha--though they are evidently not mentioned in their birth order. The inventory of his estate included a house and about 90 acres of land. Including the household goods, the estate was valued at about 110 pounds. Joseph had married again4/29/1665, 7 years after his first wife's death, a Mary How of Dorchester.She died in 1667. Inventory and Estate of Joseph Underwood A true Inventory of the housing land and Catell and other goods of Joseph Underwood who deceased the 16 day of Feb. 1676, appraised by us whose names are underwritten the 3 of March 1676/7. L S. D. Housing and home stall of 20 ace.............................................................. 40 - - A divident of thirty-three ace...................................................................... 33 - - fifteen ace, more of a divident land............................................................ 2 10 - Twenty acres of Township land.................................................................. 3 - - An acre and halfe of meadow land inpatch meadow.................................. 6 - - Two cows and a steer..................................................................... ........... 9 10 - fforteen sheep and six lambs.................................................................... 3 12 - Swine to the valew of........................................................................ ......... 1 07 - Twenty two bushells of Indian Corne......................................................... 3 06 - ffour bushels of Barley and four bushells of rye....................................... 1 12 - one bushell of Indian meal...................................................................... ... - 03 - Pork and Bacon..................................................................... ..................... 1 15 - Bedding, bedstead and curtains................................................................ 1 15 - A Trundlebed and bedstead.................................................................. ..... 1 05 - A pr of old sheets and some other old linen.............................................. - 15 - His wearing apparrell................................................................. ................ 1 15 - Brass and pewter.................................................................... ................... 2 11 - Iron ware in house for houskeeping.......................................................... - 09 - One barrill of Cyder..................................................................... ............... - 12 - Lumber.................................................................... ................................... - 14 - A Spinning Wheel..................................................................... ................. - 04 - Two Chests and a Cubbard................................................................... .... - 14 - Two old Chests 2 a Sack 3........................................................................ - 05 - An old Matchlock, muskett, & old sword, powder & bulletts..................... - 10 - A plow and plow Chayne & severell pr cells of Iron ware........................ 1 19 - Earthen and a small pr-cell of Tobacco.................................................... - 02 - A prcell of books..................................................................... .................. - 06 - Ten pound of Sheeps wool...................................................................... . - 06 - Dishes and spoons & an old chayr & an old Table.................................. - 03 - W. A. Servant Boy....................................................................... ............. 9 - - Henry Spring Samuel Sternes Thomas Loverane More About Joseph Underwood and Mary Wilder: Marriage: Abt. 1644, Hingham, Mass. Children of Joseph Underwood and Mary Wilder are: +Mary Underwood, b. 13 Apr 1645, Hingham, Plymouth, Mass, d. date unknown, Burlingtn Co. NJ.

Joseph was also a member of a well known Puritan family in England, who were members of the Dorchester company: Fire from Heaven: Life in an English Town in the Seventeenth Century

By David Underdown Page 146 https://books.google.com/books?id=4jbmUq4Lo5sC&pg=PA140&lpg=PA140&d...

GEDCOM Source

@R-1697784381@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=29622281&pid...

Source <Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, biographical--genealogical; (Volume 12)>:

"... The Underwoods are of distinctively English descent. The origin of the name is apparent from some of the more ancient forms of spelling of the name : Underwode, Underode, Underwoode, Under the Wode and Under the Wood. The earliest trace of the documents is found as far back as 1177 in the genealogy of Underwood of Bixley, Norfolk, in the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum. The principal Underwood families of England are those of Heilfordshire, Hereford, and of Bixley and Hevringham, Norfolk. The arms in all these families are strikingly alike and would seem to indicate a common origin. The arms of Underwood of Bixley are as follows:  Arms Sable on a fess ermine between three annulets or, a lion passant sable.  Crest A hind's head or, encircled by a wreath vert.

The branch herein traced dates in New England from Joseph Underwood, founder of the Watertown family. He came from England in 1637, at twenty three years of age, settling in Hingham, but later going to Watertown, where he was admitted a freeman in 1645. He married Mary Wilder, daughter of the widow of Thomas Wilder. Mrs. Thomas Wilder came to America from Lancashire, England, in 1638, bringing three children, Edward, Elizabeth, and Mary. They settled at Hingham, Massachusetts, and Mary married Joseph Underwood. Mary (Wilder) Underwood died December 13, 1658, and he married (second), April 29, 1665, Mary How, of Dorchester. Joseph Underwood died February 16, 1676-77, aged about sixty-two years. He was the father of the following children : Mary, born April 13, 1645, married, May 18, 1670; Isaac Onge; Martha; Joseph (2), of further mention ; Sarah ; Hannah, married, in October, 1680, John Gibson ; Elizabeth, married, September 13, 1693, William Bull, his second wife; Thomas, born October 11, 1658, married Mary Palmer." ____________________________ Source <http://www.archive.org/stream/underwoodfamilie01unde/underwoodfamil...>:

"THE UNDERWOOD FAMILY IN AMERICA according to the true intent and meaning hereof, for confirmation whereof I have hereunto annexed my hand and Seale this 15th of the I2th mo. 1667. The marke of ( \emdash Thomas Underwood (Seal) Sealed and subscribed in the presence off Nathaniel Treadaway. John Warren. Joseph Taynter. After the death of Thomas Underwood his widow Magdalen Underwood m. (2) Thomas Underwood (no. 569), the second one of that name to migrate to America. (See II. Lincoln Family.) 3. Joseph Underwood, the founder of the Watertown, Mass., family of his name, came from England in 1637 and settled in Hingham, Mass. Later he went to Watertown, Mass., where he was admitted freeman in 1645.. He married Mary Wilder, dau. of widow Martha Wilder,* and had children in Watertown: i. Mary, b. 13 April, 1645; m. 18 May, 1670, Isaac Onge (orOng)." ____________________________

Source <Family memorials: Genealogies of the families and descendants of ..., Volume 1> Par Henry Bond: "... JOSEPH UNDERWOOD, brother of Thomas; proprietor of Hingham, 1637, afterwards of Wat.; adm. freeman, May, 1645. [He was nearly if not exactly of the same age as that Joseph Underwood, who embarked at London, 1635, for Virginia.] He d. prior to 1677. On the files of Court is a writing concerning his estate and naming his children, viz.: Joseph, Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, Thomas, and Martha. 1. Joseph, b. 1650; adm. freeman, Ap. 18, 1690. Will, dated Feb. 16, 1690-1, proved Ap. 7, 1691, mentions wife, and sons John, Joseph, Jonathan, Joshua; drs. Mary, Hannah, and Elizabeth. Inventory, Mar. 24, 1691, £304. 10.6.; wid. Elizabeth admin. Chil., ... 2. Sarah. 3. Mary, m., May 18, 1670. Isaac Ong. 4. Martha.  5. Hannah, m., Oct. 14, 1680, John Gibson, q. v. 6. Elizabeth, (?) m., Sept. 13, 1693, William Bull.  7. Thomas. His Will, dated July 19, 1679. proved Oct. 5, 1680, Inventory, Oct 2, 1680, gave all his property to wife Magdalen [who had had another husband], except some movables to son Thomas." ____________________________

Source <England marriages prior to 1700> Par Clarence Almon Torrey,Elizabeth Petty Bentley: "... UNDERWOOD, Joseph (1614-1676/7) £ 1/wf Mary (WILDER] (-1658/9); b 1645, ca 1638? Hingham/ Watertown UNDERWOOD, Joseph (1614-1676/7) £ 2/wf Mary HOW (-1668); 26 Apr 1665; Dorchester"

Joseph married Mary WILDER [1004] [MRIN: 247], daughter of Thomas WILDER, Sr [1445] and Martha [1490], about 1640 in Hingham, Plymouth, MA. (Mary WILDER [1004] was born in 1623 in Shiplake, Oxfordshire, England 2 and died on 13 Dec 1658 in Hingham, Plymouth, MA.)

Joseph next married Mary HOW [81] [MRIN: 103] on 29 Apr 1665 in Dorchester, Suffolk, MA.2 (Mary HOW [81] died in 1668 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.)