Menu Items

 

274. Rebecca Norton (Married: Daniel Dunham (#273) about 1703 in Massachusetts, an LDS source says 1680 in Plymouth) (ca 1702) . Banks states there is no authority for Daniel's wife Rebecca Norton, nor is it known for certain if she was the mother of any or all of his children, or if she was his only wife. All that is known about her is that she was named in Daniel's will. According to North American Family Histories, 1500-2000: Dunham Genealogy: Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts: 1589-1669 p. 80, posted at ancestry.com, Daniel married Rebecca Norton, who died February 3, 1783, in Easthampton , Connecticut.)

Born: ?

Died: February 3, 1783 in Easthampton, Connecticut. [Note: This is 41 years after her husband's death in 1742].

 

[Her siblings if any, are unknown to this webmaster.]

 

Miscellaneous: Daniel was the Executor of his father’s estate. He inherited the home at Edgarton, Massachusetts. According to North American Family Histories, 1500-2000: Dunham Genealogy: Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts: 1589-1669: Dunham Genealogy: Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts: 1589-1669 p. 79 & 80, posted at ancestry.com, it is confirmed that he was the executor of his father's estate, and was willed by his father the dwelling house and lands in Edgartown and debts due. [Note: When Daniel's father died in 1717 and Daniel inherited the farm, he had a wife. She is mentioned, but not by name, in his father's will. At the time Daniel and his wife had 8 children. The children's ages ranged from <1 to 14. His wife at that time may have been Rebecca Norton, but that cannot be confirmed.]

[Note: If Daniel was born in 1656, he was ~47 when he fathered his first child and no less than ~63 at the time of his last child's birth. Whoever was the mother of his children had to have been much younger than he was.] In all, Daniel had 12 children: Matilda, Zephaniah, Rebecca, Sarah, Daniel (#137), Persis, Mary, Eleazer, Samuel, Dinah, Silas, and Jacob.

According to North American Family Histories, 1500-2000: Dunham Genealogy: Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts: 1589-1669, p 80 posted at ancestry.com, Daniel's will was made at Chilmark, on August 1, 1741, and probated in Tisbury, March 5, 1742. Rec. Vol. 3, page 127. Daniel's will, dated 1 August 1741 and proved 5 March 1741/2, mentions wife Rebecca and the following children, viz sons Zephaniah, Daniel, Jacob, Silas, {Eleazer} and Samuell; and daughters Matilda Vinson, Rebecca Pease, Dinah Dunham, Sarah Pease, Persis Dunham and Mary Curtis. [Note: Daniel's will below was copied from pages 133-135 of Susan Roser's book.]

 

Will of Daniel Dunham Senr. In the Name and fear of god amen: I Daniel Dunham Senr. of Edgartown in Dukes County on Marthas Viineyard in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England yeoman: being very weak & low in body but of Perfect mind and memory Thanks be to god for itt: and calling to mind the mortality of my Body That itt is appointed for all men once to Dye. I make & ordain this my Last Will & Testament: In manner and forme as follows: and first of all I Recommend my soul into the hands of almighty god who gave itt; and my body to the Earth to be Decently Buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named: and as concerning these Temporall Blessings wherewith it hath Pleased god to endow me with: I give & bequeath in manner as follows: First my minde is that all my Just Debts & funerall Expences be duely paid by my said Executor. Item: I give to my true & loving wife Rebecca Dunham the one third of my estate Reall & Personal: Item. I give to my son Jacob Dunham my now Dwelling house & barn also the one halfe of the Lott with one halfe of meadow & Meadowish Land swamps with one half of the fencing & brush & one halfe of all the appurtinences thereto belonging: Item: I give to my two sons Daniel & Jacob Dunham all my other lands as common land Lotts or any other Lands or meadows which may be found belonging to me in sd Edgartown or Elsewhere to be Equally Divided between them & their heirs or assigns forever. Also my mind is that my Right in the fishing creek in sd Edgartown be equally Divided amongst my three sons Zephaniah Daniel & Jacob Dunham: Item I give to my son Silas Dunham Twelve pounds which is due to me by contract now in the hands of William Dunham if I should not live to want it: Item: I give to my two sons {Eleazer} & Samuell Dunham ten shillings each to be paid by my Executor within two years of my Decease: Item my minde and will is that my said Executor pay as a legacy to my three daughters Matilda Vinson Rebecca Pease & Dinah Dunham four Pounds Each in money within two years after my Decease. Item: my mind is that my sd Excr pay as a Legacy to my Daughters Sarah Pease Persis Dunham & Mary Curtis two Pounds Each within two years after my decease; only my mind is that the part of Legacys which my said son Jacob Dunham is to pay as his part is to be paid out of the Out Lands & not out of the homestead and I do hereby appoint & ordain my Loving son Daniel Dunham Junr. (#137) to be my sole Executor of this my Last Will & Testament utterly Disanulling all other Wills gifts & grants & writings by me at any time hertofore made & own this and only this to be and contain my Last Will & Testament: In Presence & witness whereof I have to these Presents sett to my hand & seal this first Day of August annoque Domini 1741. Daniel Dunham Witnesses: Mary Daggett Mary Norton, John {Mires}

 

Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com