B. 22 Aug 1699 in Northampton, Massachusetts
M. 1727
Wife: Abigail Lewis
D. 30 Mar 1763 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Joseph Lyman met his future spouse as part of a blended family in 18th century Massachusetts. He was born on August 22, 1699 to Benjamin Lyman and Thankful Pomeroy, the oldest of their 12 children. The family lived in Northampton, and Joseph could trace his roots back to the town’s beginnings through both of his parents. His father Benjamin was said to be financially well-off, and involved in Northampton’s civic leadership, but on October 14, 1723, he died at the age of 59.
Joseph’s mother needed a new husband to support her large family, and she remarried in July 1726 to a widower named Nathaniel Lewis, who had several children of his own. His oldest daughter was named Abigail, who became acquainted with Joseph. Whether the two lived in the same house as step-siblings is unknown because Joseph was already of age, but he courted Abigail and they got married sometime in 1727. The location of the wedding may have been Farmington, Connecticut where the Lewis Family lived, or in Northampton, where Joseph set up his own household with his new bride. Their first child was born in May of 1728, and by September 1737, they had a total of six, one of whom died young.
Joseph lived for the rest of his life in Northampton on land he had inherited from his father. He was a farmer who didn’t feature prominently in town records, so little detail is known of his life. He passed away at age 63 on March 30, 1763. His gravestone at Bridge Street Cemetery reads, ”This shall our mouldering members teach, what now our senses learn. For dust and ashes loudest preach Man's infinite concern." The grave is mentioned on a virtual tour of the cemetery on the Historic Northampton website.
His wife Abigail outlived him. She died at Northampton on May 1, 1776. They were both the 3G grandparents of Franklin Roosevelt.
Children:
1. Eunice Lyman — B. 30 May 1728, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 22 Apr 1785, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Clarke (1720-1807), 30 Nov 1748
2. Mercy Lyman — B. 7 Sep 1729, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 29 Nov 1806, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Hawley (1723-1788), 30 Nov 1752, Northampton, Massachusetts
3. Joseph Lyman — B. 4 May 1731, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 21 Oct 1804, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Mary Sheldon (1733-1805), 5 Aug 1756
4. Eleanor Lyman — B. 18 May 1732, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. before 24 Sep 1737, Northampton, Massachusetts
5. Elisha Lyman — B. 22 Jun 1734, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 13 Aug 1798, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Abigail Jones
6. Eleanor Lyman — B. 24 Sep 1737, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 1813, Charlotte, Vermont; M. Oliver Lyman (1739-1799), about 1760
Sources:
Genealogy of the Lyman Family in Great Britain and America, Lyman Coleman, 1872
WikiTree
