Rebecca Fisher

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Woodward-116

Rebecca (Woodward) Fisher (abt. 1647 - 1721)

Rebecca Fisher formerly Woodward

Born about 30 Dec 1647 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Daughter of George Woodward and Mary (Unknown) Woodward

Sister of Mary (Woodward) Waite, Sarah (Woodward) Gates, Amos Woodward, John Woodward, Susanna Woodward, Daniel Woodward, Mercy (Woodward) Bearstow, George Woodward Jr. [half], Thomas Woodward [half], Elizabeth (Woodward) Eddy [half], Nathaniel Woodward [half] and Sarah (Woodward) Whitney [half]

Wife of Thomas Fisher III — married 11 Dec 1666 in Dedham, Norfolk, Mass, Mass

"Rebecka woodward the Daughter of George and Mary woodward Borne the 30th day of the 10 month" [1647] at Watertown, Massachusetts.[1][2]

She was christened on 30 Dec 1647 at Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.[citation needed]

Rebecca Woodward married Thomas Fisher at Dedham, Massachusetts, on 11 Dec 1666 [3][2][4]

"Rebeckah, the relict widow of Thomas [Fisher,] dec'd. May 21th 1727" at Dedham.[3][4]

Mother of Elizabeth (Fisher) Wight, Rebecca (Fisher) Gay, Mary (Fisher) Gay, Sarah Fisher, Susanna (Fisher) Smith and Hannah (Fisher) Newell

Died 21 May 1721 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Profile last modified 13 Feb 2019 | Created 21 Sep 2010

Notes

The following was extracted from "Ancestors and Descendants of Justus Akin and his Two Wives ..." by Jane C. Whitacker, 1997.

An interesting article on Judith Smith was found in [The American Genealogist, October 1992, Vol. 67, No. 4, 'Judith at the Island' by Edwin G. Sanford.] "In an article about the 1640 church trial of Richard Wait, a Boston tailor, there was mention of a woman who was referred to only as 'Judith at the Island.' The 'at the island' was commonly understood in New England in 1640 to mean Aquidneck, i.e., "Island of Rhode Island." The two towns then comprised by Aquidneck were Portsmouth and Newport. Of all the known people (less than 500) living on that island there was only one person there in 1640 with the first name of Judith. She was Judith Fisher, the wife of Edward Fisher. They were probably married in 1639/40. Following the basic assumption that the Judith mentioned in the trial at Boston was the same person, who married Edward Fisher of Portsmouth, R.I., a great many facts fell into place.
Notes about Trial

"The trial records indicate that 'Judith at the Island' was earlier in Boston, and had been associated with Richard Wait. Although there were other women named Judith in Boston at that time, only one was likely to have been involved with Wait who was an adherent of the 'Hutchinson Party,' which was charged by the colonial authorities with anti-nomianism. She was Judith Smith or 'Judye Smith,' the maid-servant of Edward Hutchinson, brother-in-law of the famous Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson. ( NYGBR 45[1914]:165-66%29 "Judye Smyth was admitted to membership in the Boston church on 2 October 1634. Less than four years later, on 15 April 1638, the church records state (Boston 1st Church Records, 39:22): 'Judith Smith having beene formerly in private admonished of sundry errors was then for her obstinate persisting therein in the Congregation and for sundry lyes then expressed by her and persisted in Cast out of the Church with ioynt Consent.' "Richard Wait had joined the Boston church on 28 August 1634; and he was disarmed as a Hutchinson adherent in 1637, and was also cast out of the Boston church (in his case for stealing leather) on 13 11m [January] 1638 (Boston Church Records, 39:22) In the spring of 1640, he approached the Boston church leaders to be reinstated, and this resulted in his confession and trial. The Boston clergy were inclined to accept his statement of repentance, but several of the lay members of the church were unwilling to do so, and brought out several other offences which Wait had not mentioned in his confession, such as his 'keepinge Company with Lewde and wicked persons Since he was Cast owt of the church (Wm. and Mary Quarterly, 3d ser., (44[1987]:319). In particular, one member noted 'his company keepings with Judah.' To this charge Wait answered that prior to his censure by the church: 'I was not Soe Carefull of the choyse of my Company as I should have bine, and for Judith, I must Confesse my Carriage with her hath bine wanton, and too familiar, and I would have committed wickedness with her, and yet I was more ready to have blamed her than my Selfe.' "At another session of the trial six days later, a different lay member of the church charged that there were two women whom Wait had 'offered much wronge in attemptinge thear chastetie.' ( Wm. and Mary Quarterly, 3d ser., 44[1987]:324) One of these women was Mary Stanyon, wife of Anthony Stanyon, who was living in Exeter, N.H. by 1640. Elder Thomas Oliver stated that the church had received a letter from the Stanyons in which they said that they were satisfied with Wait's repentance. However, Edward Bendall reported that the same could not be said for the other woman, viz.: 'Judith at the Island' who 'professeth her Selfe altogether unsatisfied, and much discontented with her Carriage.' 'Goodman Waight' answered: 'I did befor acknowledge my Sine herin, and in this it was the greater, that I did Labor to Lay the greatest blame upon her whan the first rise and wicked attempt was from my Selfe, and I did after Submit my Selfe to her and Confest my Sine to her and she Sayde she did forgive me.' "Judith Smith apparently married Edward Fisher and again the name Wait comes into the story. For over twenty-five years, beginning in July 1639, Edward Fisher and Thomas Wait, both of Portsmouth, R.I., were associated together. At a town meeting at Portsmouth in that month they were granted houselots on adjoining land. On 27 May 1644, they were granted additional lands at the upper ends of their lots. Less than three years later, on 4 Feb. 1646/7, they were each granted thirty-acre lots between the heather hedge at Wading River and the Newport path. On 8 July 1650, they were chosen as jurymen; on 16 June 1651, they were to be paid for the five fox heads they had brought in before that order was nullified, and on 7 June 1658 they were chosen constables. [Early Records of the Town of Portsmouth] "Thomas Wait died intestate before 13 Sept. 1665. His inventory, was taken on 13 November 1665 by Philip Shearman, Edward Fisher, and William Hall. [Rhode Island Roots] It is interesting to note that Edward Fisher made his will on 18 September 1665. The Will was proved on 5 October 1677 and his inventory was taken the following September. Fisher died leaving his wife, Judith, who was supposedly still living in 1680 and three daughters: Ruth, wife of John Potter of Warwick, R.I.; Hannah, wife of John Briggs of Tiverton, R.I.; and Mary, wife of Thomas Briggs of Dartmouth, Mass. [John 0. Austin, The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island] "Fisher also had a connection with the Hutchinson family, and it is even possible that he also had been a Hutchinson servant. Judith Smith was a servant in the Hutchinson household. As an unmarried person, Judith Smith probably had little choice but to go to Rhode Island with her employer or her former employer. "Although there is no list of the approximately two hundred passengers carried by the "Griffin" which arrived at Boston on 4 Sept. 1633, it is very likely that this was the vessel on which the Hutchinson family came to New England. It would seem almost a certainty that the Waits and Judith Smith were the servants of the Hutchinsons in England, and that they probably came with them to Boston. For this reason, it would be logical to look for their origins in Alford, Lincolnshire, long known as the origin of the Hutchinsons. (NEHGR 20[1866]: 355-67) It is even possible that Edward Fisher may have come from Lincolnshire as well, but no identification has been made."[5] Marriage

Husband: Thomas Briggs Wife: Mary Fisher Child: Mary Briggs Marriage: Date: ABT 1670 Source: #S2511 Page: p. a1 Ancestral File Number

Ancestral File Number: JNNX-F3 Ancestral File Number: 4W1T-KG

Sources

↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books. Watertown, MA: for the Historical Society, by Press of Fred G. Barker, 1894. accessed at Massachusetts Vital Records Project Page 13 ↑ 2.0 2.1 Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635", Vol. II Author: Robert Charles Anderson Publication: N.p.: n.p., n.d. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dedham (Mass. : Town. The early records of the town .. Dedham, Mass: Dedham Transcript Press, 1886. Open Library Marriage: Page 10; Death: Page 52 ↑ 4.0 4.1 Early Families of New England. (Original Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2013. (By Alicia Crane Williams, Lead Genealogist.) Article about George Woodward ↑ Source: #S2509 robert_akin "at" yahoo.com, www.akinfamilyhistory.com Source S2509 Title: Robert Larry Akin Source S2511 Title: Samuel Briggs, A Partial Record of the Descendants of Walter Briggs of Westchester, NY. ... (Name: Fairbanks, Briggs &, 1878;) Repository: #R16755 Repository R16755 Name: Heritage Quest Source S2521 Title: Frank J. Doherty, Settlers of the Beekman Patent - Dutchess County, New York (Name: Pleasant Valley, New York 12569;) Repository: #R16756 Repository R16756 Name: R. L. Akin Library See Also:

Millennium File Family Data Collection - Deaths American Genealogical- Biographical Index (AGBI) U.S. New England Marriages Prior to 1700 U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900