At age 22 Mary married Daniel Simonds “of Westborough” on 13 November 1749 in
Shrewsbury, and removed to Lexington where her five children were born. Her marriage was recorded in Shrewsbury,
Westborough and Lexington, Massachusetts.
She lost her husband on 9 February 1761, at age 41 years. Mary gave birth to a daughter, Lucy,
posthumously on 18 August 1761.
Two years later she married Andrew Munroe, my 5th
great grandfather on 25 May 1763 in Lexington.
She had Andrew, Jr. in 1764 (my 4th great grandfather), and
then her husband died on 16 September 1766.
He was only 48 years old, and Mary gave birth to her second posthumous
child, Ishmael, on 9 October 1766. She
was destitute this time, a second time widow with seven children. She administered Andrew’s estate with her
brother in law, Jonas Parker (who was later killed in the Battle of Lexington
Green on 19 April 1775). Mary had to ask
the town for a pauper’s allowance for lying in with a posthumous child and for
care of two minor children by Andrew.
Mary married her third husband, Caleb Simonds, on 6 December
1774 in Lexington, just two short years before the start of the war, and the
big Battles of Lexington and Concord. During the battle on Lexington Green, Jonas Parker was killed, and so was Andrew's brother Robert Munroe.
Caleb Simonds, Mary's third husband, was a cousin of her first husband, Daniel Simonds. He also served in the Revolutionary War. After such a hard life, Mary seemed to have found a good husband, who only served in the war for six months and came home safely to their house in Woburn, Massachusetts. The Revolutionary War, that affected so many lives in Lexington, ended in 1783.
Caleb Simonds, Mary's third husband, was a cousin of her first husband, Daniel Simonds. He also served in the Revolutionary War. After such a hard life, Mary seemed to have found a good husband, who only served in the war for six months and came home safely to their house in Woburn, Massachusetts. The Revolutionary War, that affected so many lives in Lexington, ended in 1783.
But on 3 September 1783, according to family tradition, Mary
went for a pail of water at the well and was kicked by a horse. She fell and struck her head on the door
stone, and was instantly killed. She was
55 years old. This family story is
verified by the town records written by Reverend Mr. Marrett of Woburn,
Massachusetts “She was instantly killed by a runaway horse while standing at
her own door”, and in the Lexington Vital Records where next to her death date
it read “Killed by a horse running over her killing her instantly”.
Mary’s child, Andrew Munroe, Jr (1764 – 1836) married a girl
named Ruth Simonds. Ruth’s parents were
Caleb Simonds and Susanna Converse.
Caleb was Mary Mixer’s third husband, and so my 4th great
grandparents were two step siblings who married each other.
Although Mary had a tragic life, she must have eventually made a happy
home for her seven children and her eight step children from her three marriages. It is nice to think that something good came
from her woeful story. Andrew, Jr. and Ruth removed to Danvers, Massachusetts and had eleven children who all married and had children of their own. During the Revolutionary War, Andrew Jr. rose to the rank of Colonel and was granted land in New Grafton, New Hampshire. They were able to pass on quite a legacy from Mary.
The photograph is from Vincent Rojo, taken at Plimoth Plantation 2008.
The photograph is from Vincent Rojo, taken at Plimoth Plantation 2008.
To see my MIXER lineage, click on this link:
To see my MUNROE lineage, click on this link:
To see my SIMONDS lineage, click on this link:
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To Copy/link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Woeful Life of a Colonial Woman", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 23, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-woeful-life-of-colonial-woman.html: accessed [access date]).
Interesting story, and the first time I've read a blog post about someone with a connection to anyone I know. Andrew Munroe's grandfather was William Munroe, and my husband is descended from William's son Josiah.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol, please click on the label MUNROE in the right side column of my blog. I've written dozens of stories about William Munroe and his family in Lexington. I'll be writing more near Patriot's Day (April 19th). Your husband and I must be cousins!
DeleteI grew up in Burlington MA (once part of Woburn). When I was growing up there was only one park in town. It was call Simonds Park. Marshal Simonds, who was born in 1825 left the farm (which was in the center of the town) that he bought with the some of money that he made by investing in Chicago to the town to build a park. He must have been a cousin of yours.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful story.
ReplyDelete