unknown ‘Rebecca’ Roberts

Disputed Identity and Parents. Not a known daughter of Alexander Shapleigh & Mary Walker

First it must be noted that there is apparently no proof that her first name was actually Rebecca although it is asserted, without source in a variety of places. Her maiden name is seen as Hilton “by tradition.”

She married Thomas Roberts of the Dover Colony in current day New Hampshire about 1627, perhaps at the Dover Colony. She died before 1673, as she is not mentioned in his will.

[1] "Thomas Roberts was born in England about 1600, according to deposition. Rev. Dr. Everett S. Stackpole imparts the information that he had learned on 'excellent authority' that Thomas Roberts was apprenticed to a fishmonger of London, as 'son of John Roberts, of Wollaston Co.,[sic] Worcester, 29 April, 1622, and probably came over at once, as an apprentice to Edward Hilton, and lived within a stone's throw of Hilton's house, on Hilton Point.' He was not married at the time of coming over, but probably was married in 1627. The maiden name of his wife is not known, but there is a tradition she was sister of Edward Hilton. Further than that we know not.

Children of Thomas and his wife were named in his will:

1. John b. about 1630 m. Abigail Nutter
2. Thomas b. about 1636 m. Mary Leighton 
3. Hester married John Marytn of New Jersey 
4. Elizabeth married Benjamin Heard he m. (2) Ruth Eastman 
5. Ann married James Philbrick of Hampton, he drowned in the Hampton River in 1674, she married (2) William Marston in 1675.
6. Sarah married Richard Rich Feb 24, 1670 he drowned at sea c. 1690

Source: Thomas Roberts of Dover, New Hampshire Jeanieology, Saturday, January 5, 2013

Will of Thomas Roberts

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-504

Summary Thomas Roberts will is dated 7 Sep 1673; it is settled by 30 Jun 1674.[18]

He bequeathes cash sums, in shillings to his children: John (20); Thomas (5); Hester, now wife of John Martyn (5); Anne (now the wife of James Philbrooke of Hampton (5); and Elizabeth, no[w] the wife, of Benjamin Heard, of Cochechock (5).

He "bequeath, unto my Sone, in Law Richard Rich, the husband, of my dearly beloved daughter Sarah, and to his heires, Lawfully begotten (or to bee begotten) on the Body of my said Daughter (be it Either Males, or females) the Males, to bee Ever prferred, before the females, and the elder, before the younger, and to his, and their assignes forever, my dwelling house, where in, I now dwell, Lieing and Scituate, in Dover aforesaid, to gether also, with all, and Singular, the Out houseing, Orchards, planting Land, and pastures, within fence, or Laying, in Common priviledge, of Commons, proffitts, or Commodities, Advantages, hereditamts, and appurtenances, whatsoever, thereunto belonging, or in any wise, appertaining, and now in my owne Tenure, and occupac'on, and also, a Lott of fouer Acres, of planting Land, lieing and Scituate, in Dover aforesaid, neare my Said dwelling house, and Likewise three Acres, of marsh, by Estimac'on, bee it more or Lesse, Lieing, and Scituate, at the mouth of Winnycott River, neare Greeneland, in Piscattaqua River ..."

He nominated Richard Rich to be "my whole and Sole Exeuctor, (& in Case of Mortallity, my Daughtr Sarah above menc'oned) ..."

Comments

From http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2013/01/thomas-roberts-of-dover-new...

"It is "traditionally given that the wife of Thomas Roberts was Rebecca Hilton, sister of Edward and William Hilton". What does that mean?  I cannot find anywhere anything other than that statement when looking for detail on the wife of Thomas Roberts.  The baptisms of the children of William Hilton of Witton cum Twamsbrook, Cheshire are recorded in the parish records.  His children include Edward Hilton, William Hilton, Sr. and Richard who all immigrated to New Hampshire.  There is also a son John, and daughters Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth.  There is no Rebecca. There is no known date of birth and there is no known date of death.  There is no record of their marriage. They did not even name a daughter after her and interestingly only one of her five children named a girl Rebecca.   Everything that is written about her is pure conjecture and not fact.  I'm not even sure her name was really Rebecca."
"While we are on this Hilton topic, the father of the Hiltons was not Roger Hilton, it was William." 

See http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=8&p=localities.nor... & discussion https://www.geni.com/discussions/154689?msg=1077598

"... One of the features of the Libby-Noyes-Davis work is in its cross-referencing, but there is none here. It seems clear that they did not consider any relationship nor connection of (7) John (who removed to Piscataway, NJ.) with Francis or the Devon Martin/Martyn family. While Ms. Hamner and Mrs. Mohler at least attempt to tie John to a family in the same general geographical area, as contrasted with Charles William Francis' looking to Rehoboth and Plymouth, there seems to be no documentation or real justification for the conclusions in either case. Esther was the d/o Thomas Roberts, one of the early settlers on Dover Neck, NH. Her mother was Rebecca, maiden name unknown but often erroneously given as Rebecca Hilton, for which there is no documentation or logic. Whatever the maiden name of her mother, "Hilton" is probably the least likely."

Notes

It has been Roberts family tradition to believe that Rebecca was the sister of Edward Hilton though there is no contemporary evidence to this effect. Since Thomas Roberts came to New England between 1623-1627 with Edward and Wiliam Hilton [SIC: "Ultimately no one can really say exactly when Thomas arrived"]; was permanently settled at Dover Point by 1628; and married Rebecca 1625-1629, it is plausible that Rebecca was a Hilton (see Jacobsen, p. 2, 21; Piscataqua Pioneers, p. 363). The Hilton surname, therefore, should be seen as possible and consistent with tradition, but not based on any better evidence.

Edward Hilton and his brother, William Hilton, Sr. also did business with the Winslows of Worcestershire, who had immigrated to Plymouth in 1621, and so Rebecca could have met Thomas Roberts through mutual acquaintance with the Winslows.

References

1. "U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700", database with images Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD, USA, Volume Title New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Ancestry Sharing Link (free access) Ancestry Record 3824 #165152 (Accessed 14 April 2023) Rebecca ? marriage to Thomas Roberts in 1628 in New England, USA.
2. Land deed: Thomas Roberts, Senr., and wife Rebecca, to John York, certain "land at Durham." — (Underhill, citing "New Hampshire Deeds, Book 3:129-a" records of 1 July 1669)[3][4][5]
3. Burial: "U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current", database Find A Grave:< Memorial #102308677 > Ancestry Record 60525 #72773725 (subscription required, accessed 14 April 2023) Rebecca Roberts burial (died on 27 Sep 1673) in Kings Chapel Burying Ground, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States of America. Rebecca Roberts birthdate is reported by Find a Grave to have been 1602 at Monkwearmouth, Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England.
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35126239/thomas-roberts Colonial Governor of Dover New Hampshire. Inscription on stone reads: "Pioneer settler at Dover Point with Edward Hilton - 1623. Colonial Governor of Dover 1640 - 1643". He married Rebecca Hilton in 1627-1628 in Dover NH.She died 27 sep 1673, in Dover NH. She was the daughter of Mark-Roger Hilton. [sic: disputed]. His daughter Sarah Roberts (1643-1692) married Richard Rich (1635-1690).
5. "The Robertses of Northern New England" Author: Thomas A. Jacobsen, Publication: Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie MD, 1995.
6. W. Prosaky GED, World Connect Project, Rootsweb.com
7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-504
8. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hilton-53 cites
   1. John Scales, History of Dover, N.H. (1989), pp. 302-303.
   2. The Family Connection, http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2013/01/thomas-roberts-of-dover-new...
   3. Lora Altine Woodbury Underhill, "Descendants of Edward Small of New England" at 1116, citing New Hampshire Deeds, Book 3:129-a, for 1 July 1669, "Thomas Roberts, Senr., and wife Rebecca, to John York, certain "land at Durham.""
   4. Everett S. Stackpole, et al., (Thomas Roberts sold land to John York on 1 July 1669.) p.35. (Accessed 14 Apr 2023) https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t6xw4qw0n?urlappend=%3Bs...
   5. FamilySearch library access is restricted: Province New Hampshire deeds and probate records from 1623-1772)
   6. Quint, Alonzo Hall, Historical memoranda concerning persons and places in old Dover, N.H. Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.
   7. Batchellor, Albert Stillman, ed., Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire 1635-1740. (Concord, NH, USA: Rumford Printing Co., 1907). New Hampshire Probate Records, 1635-1753 Ancestry.com Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2003
9. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:G9S7-JLW
10. Heritage Walking Tour Booklet October 1998 by the Dover Heritage Group, Dover, NH, c. 1998. < link >