Ann Pitman

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).[2] He married third to Dorothy.[2]

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![3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8][9]

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.[7]

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:[10]

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][10][11]
2. Mary, m. 16 Apr. 1674 Stephen Otis.[1][10][11]
3. Ezekiel[1][10]
4. Elizabeth m. Stephen Jenkins[1][10]
5. Sarah, Thrisco/Drisco in 1682[1][10]

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

1. Frances[1][10]
2. John[1][10]
3. Joseph, b. 1669; killed by Indians in 1704, at age 35, leaving widow and 6 children[1][10]
4. Ann m John Sias[1][10]

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

1. Nathaniel[1][10]
2. Zachariah[1][10]
3. Hannah,[1][10]
4. Judith, youngest, m. John Ham[1][10]

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]

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]

Children by wife #1:

1. Mary
2. Ezekiel

Children by wife #2:

1. John
2. Frances
3. Nathaniel
4. Joseph, b. 1669; killed by Indians in 1704, at age 35, leaving widow and 6 children
5. Elizabeth
6. Abigail m. Stephen Wiley. She and 3 daughters taken to Canada, 1689.<ref name=Moore/>
7. Sarah Ann
8. Zachariah
9. Hannah
10. Judith

Sources

• 1 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 - 54link alt link
• 2 Clarance Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, April 2011 p 1201
• 3 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
• 4 Azariah Boody Sais. The Sias Family in American 1677 - 1952 The first 275 Years (Orlando, FL, Florida Press, 1952) link
• 5 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
• 6 Artemas Canfield, The Hamon Genealogy Comprising all branches in New England (Washington, DC: Gipson Bros, 1920) p 11 link
• 7 Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, History of the town of Durham NH (Durham, NH) Vol 2 p 307 – 308
• 8 John R Ham, Dover NH Marriages 1623 - 1823 (Dover NH 1880 - 1902) p 167
• 9 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
• Clarance Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, April 2011 p 1201
  • ("PITTMAN, William (?1632- 1682), Dover, NH, & l wf Barbary EVONS/Barbara EVANS; 29 Nov 1653; Boston/Piscataway {Reg. 28: 160; Dover NH Mar. 167; Durham NH 2:307; Munsey-Hopkins 145; Otis (1924) 60; GDMNH 558; Snow-Estes 2 55}").
  • (“PITMAN, William (-1682) & 2/ wf. Ann [ROBERTS]?; by 1665, by 1661?; Dover, NH/Durham, NH”) Citing: 1) John R Ham, Dover NH Marriages1623 - 1823 (Dover NH 1880 - 1902) p 167, 2) E.S. Stackpole History of the town of Durham NH (Durham NH) Vol 2 p 307, 3) Artemas C. The Hamon Genealogy Comprising all branches in New England (DC Gipson Bros 1920) p 11, 4) David Ozro Smith Lowell, A * Munsey-Hopkins Genealogy : Being the Ancestry of Andrew Chauncey Munsey and Mary Jane Merritt Hopkins (Boston 1920) p 145
  • ("PITMAN, William & 3/wf Dorothy ; by 1673 {Durham NH2:319; GDMNH 558}")
• http://dgmweb.net/FGS/S/Sias_-_Roberts.html
• http://dgmweb.net/FGS/R/RobertsWilliam-_.html
• http://dgmweb.net/FGS/S/SiasJohn-SarahAnnPitman.html
• History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire : (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes. by Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927; Thompson, Lucien, b. 1859; Meserve, Winthrop Smith, 1838-. Page 318-319. < Archive.Org > (perhaps) ANN ROBERTS; m William Pitman