M. (1) before 22 Jan 1668 in (probably) Hartford, Connecticut
Husband: Thomas Long
M: (2) 3 Oct 1684 in (probably) Connecticut
Husband: David Ensign
D. 3 Feb 1718 in (probably) Connecticut
The story of Sarah Wilcox sounds almost contemporary. A married woman has an affair with another man and gets caught, then she divorces her husband and marries her lover. The twist in Sarah’s saga is that she lived in Puritan Connecticut — not today, but in the 17th century.
Sarah was born in Hartford on October 3, 1648 to John Wilcox and Sarah Wadsworth. She was the only child of the couple and her mother died within two weeks of her birth. Sarah’s father remarried three times giving her ten half-siblings. One of Sarah’s step-mothers brought children from a previous husband into the marriage, and when Sarah came of age, she married one of them. His name was Thomas Long and he was technically her step-brother. The wedding took place by about 1668, and on August 31, 1669, Sarah gave birth to a son. By early 1679, she had five more children.
Then Sarah met a married man by the name of David Ensign and began “keeping company” with him. Adultery was a crime in colonial New England and subject to prosecution in court, so they were risking a lot with their actions. In 1679, both were charged with having sexual relations on many occasions, suggesting that they were serious about each other, and likely in love. On September 4, 1679, Sarah and David were each arrested and charged with “accompanying together in a secret manner and in an obscure place.” Two weeks later, Sarah’s husband Thomas put up his property as bond in order to get her released from jail.
Then Sarah met a married man by the name of David Ensign and began “keeping company” with him. Adultery was a crime in colonial New England and subject to prosecution in court, so they were risking a lot with their actions. In 1679, both were charged with having sexual relations on many occasions, suggesting that they were serious about each other, and likely in love. On September 4, 1679, Sarah and David were each arrested and charged with “accompanying together in a secret manner and in an obscure place.” Two weeks later, Sarah’s husband Thomas put up his property as bond in order to get her released from jail.
Scandalous behavior in colonial New England.
After getting out of prison, Sarah apparently continued her affair with David. In 1681, Thomas sued for divorce on the grounds that Sarah was guilty of adultery, and the divorce was granted on December 15th. She had to wait for another year and a half for David to be divorced from his wife. Soon after, the two lovers married, and in 1688, she had a baby boy.
Within a couple of years, Thomas and the former wife of David each married new spouses. Everyone continued to live in Hartford; it isn’t known in which household Sarah’s older children were raised. She remained with David for the rest of her life, dying on February 3, 1718. David died in 1727 at the age of 83. Sarah is the ancestor of actress Julie Bowen.
Children by Thomas Long:
1. Joseph Long — B. 28 Jan 1668, Hartford, Connecticut; D. after May 1713, (probably) Coventry, Connecticut; M. Martha Smith (1674-?), before 1694, (probably) Connecticut
2. William Long — B. 4 Feb 1671, Hartford, Connecticut; D. Jul 1740, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Mary Henbury (1672-1759), 1701, Hartford, Connecticut
3. Jerusha Long — B. 1672, Hartford, Connecticut; D. 11 Jan 1723, Hartford, Connecticut
4. Sarah Long — B. 1673, East Greenwich, Rhode Island; D. Mar 1756, Morris County, New Jersey; M. John Colver, 30 Jun 1695, Groton, Connecticut
5. Mary Long — B. 1676, Hartford, Connecticut; M. Ephraim Bushnell, 9 Nov 1697, Old Saybrook, Connecticut
6. Hannah Long — B. 26 Feb 1679, Saybrook Point, Connecticut; M. Simon Large (~1670-~1702), 24 Jun 1700, Saybrook, Connecticut; (2) Jonathan Moore (1679-1770), 9 Jan 1705
Children by David Ensign:
1. David Ensign — B. 10 Oct 1688, Hartford, Connecticut; D. 4 Dec 1759, Hartford, Connecticut; M. (1) Hannah Smith (1689-1719), 16 May 1709, Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Sarah Moody (1702-1776), 29 Apr 1726
Sources:
New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Volume 2, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Women Before the Bar; Gender, Law and Society in Connecticut, 1639-1789, Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 2012
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