B. 22 Oct 1620 in Cruwys Morchard, England
M. (1) 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: Joseph Long
M. (2) after May 1651 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: Joseph Farnsworth
M. (3) 20 Apr 1660 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: John Wilcox
D. before 7 Sep 1671 in (probably) Middletown, Connecticut
When Mary Long’s husband went on a trip in the mid-17th century, she never heard from him again. And before moving on, she had to prove in court that he was no longer alive.
Mary was born on October 22, 1620 in Cruwys Morchard, England, a village in the heart of Devon. She was the fifth of seven children born to William and Agnes Lane. Devon had a large population of Puritan followers, many of whom migrated to Massachusetts during the Great Migration. Mary and her family were among them, and it's believed that they all arrived in 1635 (possibly not all on the same ship). The family settled in Dorchester, and this was where Mary married Joseph Long in 1638. The couple was known to have had at least children together, both of them boys.
Sometime before about 1650, Mary’s husband Joseph learned that his father had died back in Devon, and that he needed to go there in person to receive an inheritance of £60. In spite of the fact Joseph was “not in good health,” he boarded a ship to England. He was said to have arrived in London and wrote to his family in Massachusetts on the day before he was to deal with the estate. But after he sent the letter, there was no further word of him, and this left Mary alone with two young boys to care for.
Mary’s only option was to find a new husband, but she couldn’t remarry if Joseph Long was possibly still alive. Time passed and finally she turned to the court, petitioning to have her husband declared legally dead. Several people made an effort to locate Joseph in England, and no one was successful. So on May 22, 1651, the court concluded that he must have died, and permission was granted that she could remarry.
Around this same time, Mary’s father died and bequeathed her part of his estate, including 24 acres of land, plus some cattle, hay, corn, malt, swine, pewter, brass and bedding. His will also said that she would have use of his house for a period not exceeding six months. Mary found a new husband, a widower named Joseph Farnsworth, and they were married at an unknown date. In about 1656, she gave birth to a third son, but the death of Joseph on January 12, 1659 left her again without a man to take care of her family.
Over a year later, on April 20, 1660, Mary married her third husband, John Wilcox, in Dorchester. Within a couple of years, they moved to Middletown, Connecticut, where John had lived before he met Mary. John brought three children from his earlier wives into the marriage, and his oldest, Sarah, would marry Mary’s son Thomas in about 1668.
Sometime during early 1671, Mary became seriously ill, and she made out her will. Her death date isn’t known, but her husband John was in court on September 7th and stated that he had given his late wife permission to write the will. The details of the document showed that Mary gave personal thought to family members, even those who weren’t blood relatives. In addition to property she gave to her sons, she mentioned her white waistcoat and red "tammy coat” for her step-daughter Mary Wilcox, and a feather bed, bolster, a cloth waistcoat with “great silver lace,” and a petticoat for her step-daughter/daughter-in-law Sarah Wilcox Long.
Children by Joseph Long:
1. Joseph Long — B. 1640s, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 26 Aug 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts; M. Mary, 3 Dec 1661
2. Thomas Long — B. 1644, Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. Nov 1711, Windsor, Connecticut; M. (1) Sarah Wilcox (1648-1718), (probably) Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Sarah Elmer (1664-1741), before 1688, (probably) Connecticut
Child by Joseph Farnsworth:
1. Samuel Farnsworth — B. 1656, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 1697, (probably) Connecticut; M. Mary Stoughton, 3 Jun 1677, (probably) Connecticut
Sources:
Fifty Puritan Ancestors, 1628-1660, Elizabeth Todd Nash, 1902
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