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Biography

William Pitman was a blacksmith.[1] He was born about 1632 and died in 1682 in Dover, New Hampshire. He married first to Barbara Evans in Boston on 29 Nov 1653[2] He married second to Ann (Unknown) about 1661.[2] He married third to Dorothy by 1673 who was called as a witness in 1673 in the Philip Chesley Case.[2] At Thomas Wheeler’s house he hit Roger Rose with a pint pot and was order to pay the surgeon.[3]

Did William Pitman marry Ann Roberts, daughter of William Roberts? No, probably not. Her name was Ann and that’s all we know. The theory that Ann was the daughter of William Roberts is based on the fact that William Pitman lived on the land of William Roberts rent free for a short period of time according to Walter Goodwin Davis. Arguing strongly against this theory is the conveyance the estate of William Roberts into 1/5th of shares which proves that he only had five heirs. His son was “simple” and died leaving no children. There were four living daughters each of whom received 1/5 shares. The last 1/5 share was divided between the children an unnamed daughter who had married 1st John Sias, the elder, 2nd Salathiel Denbow and 3rd William Graves. If William Roberts had another daughter, Ann he would have divided his estate into sixths not fifths![4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9][10]

Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole points out in the history of History of Durham, NH (p 52 and p p.319) that William Roberts sold land to William Pitman and his son Ezekiel Pitman. However, this was as part of a legal settlement resulting from a default and probably has nothing to do with his relationship to William Pitman. William Roberts at the same time also sold land to Thomas Doughty who had no relationship with William Roberts. In other words this was a forced sale by the court and arms length transactions.[8]

Children

According to Howard Moore his first two children: Mary, and Ezekiel were from his first wife and his remaining children were from his second wife.[1] However Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby and Walter Goodwin Davis in the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire supported by marriage dates listed in Torrey provide us with a more accurate division of the children between his respective wives as follows:[3]


Children by his first wife Barbara Evans (born after 1653):

  1. Abigail m. 1st by 1671 Stephen Willey, m. 2d 6 Oct. 1710 Edward de Flecheur in Canada, where she was sometimes Gabrielle, but bp. Marie Louise. She and 3 daughters taken to Canada, 1689.[1][3][11]
  2. Mary, m. 16 Apr. 1674 Stephen Otis.[1][3][11]
  3. Ezekiel[1][3]
  4. Elizabeth m. Stephen Jenkins[1][3]
  5. Sarah, Thrisco/Drisco in 1682[1][3]

Children by his second wife Ann (born after 1661):

  1. Frances[1][3]
  2. John[1][3]
  3. Joseph, b. 1669; killed by Indians in 1704, at age 35, leaving widow and 6 children[1][3]
  4. Ann m John Sias[1][3]

Youngest children by his third wife Ann (born after 1673):

  1. Nathaniel[1][3]
  2. Zachariah[1][3]
  3. Hannah,[1][3]
  4. Judith, youngest, m. John Ham[1][3]

For an interesting discussion of some of his children and grandchildren see also Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 During the French and Indian Wars (Boston, MA: NEHGS, December 2012) (Grizel and Christine Otis).[11]

Death

He died 31 OCT 1682 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire.[4][3]

Will

WILLIAM PITMAN 1682 DURHAM

October the last, in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred eighty & two, I William Pitman of Oyster river in the Province of New Hampshire being weak in body and being perfect in memory & mind ; willing to settle my estate for the future, committing my soul unto him that gave it, & my body to the dust and Christian burial. My Will is, that my son John Pitman be my sole Executor of all my estate houses lands goods & chattels debts monies whatever All my legal debts being paid.

My Will is, that my Wife shall have two Cows, a bed and bedding and accommodation in the house And provisions for her this winter until they may be placed out, And one third of the income of my unmoveables during her natural life, or until she marry.

My Will is, that my son Francis Pitman have & enjoy as a gift of mine All that Place or tenement which I bought of Richard Knight, commonly called Giles’s place, he paying my Executor four pound.

Item I give unto my sons Ezekiel Pitman & Nathaniel Pitman, that parcel of marsh that I bought of Richard Knight lying near the Meeting house equally betwixt ym.

Item I give unto my son Joseph Pitman all my part of land near the valley of twenty five acres at Colley’s marsh, as appears more large by Records.

I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Jenkins fifteen shillings.

I give unto my daughter Abigail Willy, Sara Thrisco, Ezekiel Pitman, Ann Pitman, Zacharias Pitman, Hanna Pitman, Judith Pitman, each of them aforenamed three shillings a peece.

My Will is that Edward Leathers 8 : Stephen Jenkins should be the Overseers of my Wife & children, & of my executors, to see this my Will performed.

Witness William Pitman John Woodman his X mark Stephen Otis & seal [seal]

[Inventory, Nov. 15, 1682; amount, £173.6.o.; signed by Robert Burnham and Joseph Smith.][12]

Biography and sources by Roland Henry Baker, III

Sources
  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Howard Parker Moore , The Descendants of Ensign John Moor of Canterbury, N. H. Born 1696-died 1786 (Rutland, Vt.: The Tuttle company, 1918) p 53 - 54 link alt link
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Clarance Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, April 2011 p 1201
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby and Walter Goodwin Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1928/2011) p 558 link
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Walter Goodwin Davis, The Ancestry of Lydia Harmon 1755- 1847, Wife of Captain Joseph Waterhouse of Standish, Maine (Boston, MA: Stanhope Press, 1924) p 26 link
  5. ↑ Azariah Boody Sais. The Sias Family in American 1677 - 1952 The first 275 Years (Orlando, FL, Florida Press, 1952) link
  6. ↑ David Ozro Smith Lowell, A Munsey-Hopkins Genealogy: Being the Ancestry of Andrew Chauncey Munsey and Mary Jane Merritt Hopkins (Boston, MA: Self-published, 1920) p 143 – 145 link
  7. ↑ Artemas Canfield, The Hamon Genealogy Comprising all branches in New England (Washington, DC: Gipson Bros, 1920) p 11 link
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, History of the town of Durham NH (Durham, NH) Vol 2 p 307 – 308
  9. ↑ John R Ham, Dover NH Marriages 1623 - 1823 (Dover NH 1880 - 1902) p 167
  10. ↑ Edith Bartlett Sumner, Ancestry of Edward Wales Blake and Clarissa Matilda Glidden, with ninety allied families (Los Angelese, CA: Self-published, 1948) p 212 link
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 During the French and Indian Wars (Boston, MA: NEHGS, December 2012) (Grizel and Christine Otis).
  12. ↑ Albert Stillman Batchellor, Otis Grant Hammond, Ezra Scollay Stearns, Henry Harrison Metcalf, Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire ... 1635-[1771], (Concord, NH: Rumford Printing Company, 1915) Volume 31 p 260 date: 1682 name: William Pitman. link