Saturday, September 05, 2009

Mary Flagg b 2 Feb 1683-4

Mary Flagg is the oldest woman in my family born in February. She was born February 2, 1683-4 in Woburn, MA. She was the eighth child and third daughter born to Gershom and Hannah Leppingham Flagg.


It is important to note that 1690 was the start of the French and Indian wars beginning with King William’s War which was from 1690-1697. This was a terrifying and dangerous time for the colonists of the New World. The French had allied themselves with the Indians and encouraged them to attack the English settlements. There were atrocities, including massacres of entire villages on both sides.

Gershom Flagg, was a tanner and had his tannery in the town center of Woburn, MA. He was also a lieutenent in King William’s war. He was a member of Capt Wiswall’s company and was killed by Indians at Wheelwrights Pond or Lamprey River in what is now Lee, NH, 6 July of 1690.

Mary was only 7 years old at the time. Her mother, Hannah was left with 6 children under 16 years of age.

On Dec 10, 1696, Hannah married widower Ensign Israel Walker, whose wife, Susannah, had died in 1694. He had five children from that marriage. Mary was 11 years old by this time and was certainly expected to help her mother with many of the chores. With Hannah’s 2nd marriage, Mary now had a step father.
At the age of 31, Mary married John Adams, 27 Oct 1714 in Middlesex county, MA. John was five years younger than Mary, born 2 Sept 1688 in Waltham, Middlesex co, MA. This seems a little unusual, especially Mary’s age. Perhaps as one of the youngest daughters she remained with her widowed mother.

Mary and John had 10 children, all born in Lexington, Middlesex co, MA. Records indicate she died 21 July 1786 in Watertown, MA. She lived to be 103 years old. John died 18 May 1774.

I am related to Mary Flagg in two ways. First she is my 6th maternal gt grandmother and secondly she is a 1st cousin 8 times removed again on the maternal side. Her relationship to my children is 7th maternal gt grandmother and 1st cousin 9 times removed.

The picture above is a representation of what Mary may have dressed like.

4 comments:

Daniel T. Rogers said...

At URL = http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ware&id=I7646
Lance Ware, (Ware/Erdman/Williams/Ingalsbe Family) presents his research on Mary Flagg, whose relatives are much confused. The Mary Flagg presented here (b. 2 Feb. 1682/3) is actually the husband of William Pike.

John (3) Adams married Oct. 27, 1714, Mary Flagg, at Watertown. There were three granddaughters of old Thomas (1) Flagg at Watertown named Mary; and Bond has quite confused their marriages, and I have spent considerable study in straightening them out. Mary (3) (Allen 2, Thomas 1), born about 1690, married, according to Bond, 1706, William Pike of Framingham. Mary (3) (Michael 2, Thomas 1), born Dec. 7, 1690, married, according to Bond, Dec. 13, 1711, William Hagar. Mary (3) (Gershom 2, Thomas 1), born Feb. 2, 1682-3, married, accroding to Bond (with a question-mark), Oct. 27, 1714, John (3) Adams (George 2-1). Only Michael Flagg, of the three brothers, left a will, and in it, under date 1711, he mentions his daughter, Mary Flaggs, showing that she was unmarried then. Allen Flagg died 1712, and in settling the estate his widow, Sarah, mentions a sum of money due her son-in-law, William Hagar. This proves that Mary (3) (Allen 2, Thomas 1) was the one who married, Dec. 13, 1711, William Hagar. Mary (3) (Michael 2, Thomas 1) was unmarried in 1711, so it must have been Mary (3) (Gershom 2, Thomas 1) who married, 1706, William Pike, and her birthdate show she was of the right age. This leaves Mary (3) (Michael 2, Thomas 1), born Dec. 7, 1690, to marry, Oct. 27, 1714, John (3) Adams. She named a son Michael for her father, and a daughter Prudence for her sister. W. W. N. Y. Text: 19 Jul 1915, #4884

This straightens out the confusion on which Mary Flagg married which husband.

Jo said...

Daniel, thank you for posting your comment. The text dated 19 July 1915 is I assume from the Boston Transcript column. His logic is sound and I have heard of other instances where Bond has gotten the women confused, understandably. I will use this information and sources to update my data. Again, thank you. Are you a Flagg descendent?

Dan Rogers said...

I am not a Flagg descendant, but Mary's grandfather Thomas Flagg is my 6th cousin 10 times removed. I am interested in cousins and thus post a lot of early American settlers, trying to straighten out the copying errors that occur from time to time.
I tried to get you as a cousin but was only able to hook you to my internet tree.
Dan Rogers

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