The family of Joseph Rockwood 1671-1718

We are on a bit firmer ground when it comes to Joseph Rockwood and his family.  He was born in Mendon, Massachusetts, and died there, and all of his children seem to have stayed in the area.  Some are shown as Bellingham residents, but Bellingham was formed from Mendon so it may be that no one had really moved; they may have lived on their original lands.  This is an interesting family because we see other connections to some of our other lines as we explore the data for the children.  And, as usual, there are still some unanswered questions.

Joseph was born in 1671 in Mendon to John and Joanna (or Johannah) Ford Rockwood/Rockett.  The spelling of the last name didn't stabilize until this next generation, and even then there are some usages of the old Rockett spelling.  He married Mary, sometimes seen as Mary Ann, Hayward, the daughter of Samuel and Mehitable Thompson Hayward, and together they had at least 10 children.  Joseph was 47 years old when he died in 1718, and Mary died just four years later, so some of the children were still minors and needed guardians.

Mary was the first born, in 1690.  Some give her a birthdate of 1704, but that was a different Mary, because our Mary married in 1717/18, so a 1704 birthdate is too late to fit.  Her husband is Samuel Wheaton, the son of Benjamin and Margaret Ide Wheaton.  Although Mary lived until 1777, it appears that they had only one child, a daughter also named Mary.  I haven't found an accurate date of death for Samuel, but perhaps he died early, and that would be a reason for no additional children.

Joanna was born in 1792 and died before 1779 in Bellingham.  Her husband is Eliphalet Holbrook, the son of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook, who are our ancestors in another line.  Their children are Eliphalet, Ebenezer, Elisha, Seth, Noah, Naaman, Caleb, Elijah, and Johanna.  

John was the first born son, in 1696.  He married Deborah Thayer, the daughter of Ebenezer and Martha Thompson Thayer.  Their children are Ebenezer, John, Joseph, Simeon, Abigail, Mary, Reuben, Margery, and Deborah.  John died in 1778.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Margaret is a mystery.  She was born in 1698, but I have not located anything further about her.  She may have died as an infant or a young child, but I've not yet found proof.  

Samuel was born in 1700 and may have died in 1761 in Somers, Tolland County, Connecticut.  I am not positive this is our man; this may be a different Samuel Rockwood.  Our Samuel's wife was Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Josiah and Mary Felt Wood.  Their children are Josiah, Elizabeth, Olive, Samuel, and Chloe.

Josiah is another mystery.  He was born in 1702 and died in 1764 in Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts.  That is all that I know of his life.  I've found nothing about a marriage, or children, but of course the records could be lost.  

Trial (Tryal) was born in 1704 and died in 1730.  She married Samuel White, the son of Thomas and Mehitable Thornton White.  Their children are Samuel, Hanna, and Joanna.  It appears that Trial may have died as a result of child birth.  

Richard was born in 1706 and died in 1786.  He married Sarah Thayer, the daughter of Jonathan and Sarah Allen Thayer.  (Yes, Jonathan is a descendant of Ferdinando and Huldah Hayward Thayer, as is Deborah Thayer, who married John Rockwood, above.)  Their children are Josiah, Joseph, and Nehemiah.

Susanna was born in 1709 and died in 1736.  She married Moses Tenney, the son of Thomas and Sarah Tenney Tenney (not a typo; they were first cousins).  I only know of one child for them, Josiah.  After Susannah's death, which may have been related to childbirth, Moses remarried and had several more children.  

Benjamin Rockwood was the last known child of Joseph and Mary.  He was born in 1711, and married Margaret Greet, the daughter of John and Lydia Lineford Green.  Their children are Joannah, Benjamin, and Samuel.  After Margaret's death, Benjamin married an as yet unidentified Mehetabel, and had at least two more children, Silence and Seth.  I do not have a death date for Benjamin.

I'm sure if we knew their stories, there would be interesting life experiences for some of the Rockwoods.  There were several wars that may show Rockwoods as soldiers, and if not as soldiers, then in the militia.  The list of soldiers and sailors from Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War lists quite a few Rockwoods with the same names as are shown here, who were from Bellingham or Mendon, and others whose hometown was not designated.  This was a patriotic family.