M. about 1636 in (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts2
Wife: Mary Lane
D. before 22 May 1651 in (probably) England3
When someone crossed the Atlantic during the 17th century, the loved ones left behind never knew if they would see them again. And in the case of New England settler Joseph Long, who took a trip from Boston to London in about 1650, his story ended in a mystery.
There’s unproven information about Joseph’s origins, but plenty of circumstantial evidence of his probable identity. Many researchers believe he was born about 1600 into the Longe family who lived in Devon County, England.1 On January 28, 1611, a Joseph Longe married Elizabeth Hill, and it’s said that this was Joseph’s father.4 Joseph was later known to have a half-brother William, and a child by that name was born to this couple in 1616.1
Joseph’s supposed father was a “gentleman” who “held land at Broadmayne.”1 The location of Broadmayne is significant because it was only a few miles from Dorchester, England, which would supply much of the population of Dorchester, Massachusetts, the place where Joseph would one day live. In 1624, Longe was one of the investors in the Dorchester Company, an attempt to establish a fishing settlement in New England.1 The plan ultimately failed, but this gives further evidence of his connection to Joseph.
St. Martin's Church in Broadmayne, Dorset.
Joseph first appeared in Dorchester, Massachusetts in about 1638.2 He married a woman named Mary Lane, and they had two sons born during the early 1640s.5 Then in about 1650, Joseph’s father died back in England, leaving an estate that required Joseph’s presence in order to collect an inheritance of £60.6 This was a hardship because Joseph was “not in good health.” But he had to go, so he said goodbye to his wife Mary, and sailed back across the Atlantic. He arrived in London, and wrote to Mary on the day before he was to have a meeting about the estate.6
This was the last anyone heard from him. What happened to Joseph? It’s possible that whatever sickness he had became worse, and he died from it shortly after writing the letter. Or he may have succumbed to his illness on the voyage back to America. The distance between England and Massachusetts made solving his disappearance a challenge for his wife. After a period of time, she went to the authorities to have Joseph legally declared dead, which was done in a ruling on May 22, 1651.3 Mary went on to have two more husbands before she passed away in Connecticut in 1671.7
Children:
1. Joseph Long — B. 1640s, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 26 Aug 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts;8 M. Mary, 3 Dec 16618
2. Thomas Long — B. 1644, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. Nov 1711, Windsor, Connecticut; M. (1) Sarah Wilcox (1648-1718), about 1666, (probably) Hartford, Connecticut;8 (2) Sarah Elmer (1664-1741), before 1688, (probably) Connecticut8
Sources:
1 Dorchester & Fordington (website)
2 The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
3 Records of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in New England, p. 232
4 Marriage record of Joseph Longe and Elizabeth Hill, 28 Jan 1611, Colyton Church, Devon, England
5 Probate records of Joseph Farnsworth, 2 Jan 1659,
6 Massachusetts Archives, Book 9, p. 16
7 Probate records of Mary (Lane) Wilcox, 7 Sep 1671
8 Long Family Genealogy (website)
