The family of Zerubabbel Snow 1672-1733

Down through the centuries, there have been several, perhaps as many as a dozen but certainly at least 6, men named Zerubabbel Snow.  Who would do that to a child, and why?  The name means "seed of Babylon", and is Biblical, as are many of the names in the Snow family.  One wonders whether they were called by their full name, or by nicknames of some sort, both for the general public and to distinguish between the separate families and generations.  

This particular Zerubabbel Snow was born in 1672 in Woburn, Massachusetts, and died there in 1733.  It may be that the only time he left the village was when it was burned to the ground during King Philips War, when he was just a toddler.  Or he may have been involved in some of the many battles with indigenous tribes, and the French, during King William's War, Queen Anne's War, and other not quite wars of the time.  He married Jemima Cutler, the daughter of James and Phoebe Page Cutler, and together they had at least nine children.  (There may have been more because there are at least two gaps of 4 or more years which would allow for more pregnancies, perhaps unsuccessful).  

Their first son was named (what else?) Zerubabbel, born in 1698 and died in 1774, another Snow who apparently did not leave Woburn.  He married Elizabeth Wyman, the daughter of Jonathan and Hannah Fowle Wyman,  Their children are Elizabeth, Hannah, Reuben, Abigail, Uriah, James, Jesse, and Lucy.  

Josiah was born in 1700 and died in 1774, variously given as in Woburn, and Lunenburg, Massachusetts.  He is the mystery of this family.  Many trees cite his marriage to Sarah Bellows in Mendon, Massachusetts, but I don't think this is the same Josiah.  It is possible that he married "Mary" but that has not been proven or disproven to my satisfaction.  I would certainly like to hear from anyone who has been able to trace him further.  Did he have children?

Jabez was born next, in 1701.  There is little to say about him, because he died in 1714, just a young teen-ager.  His parents would have grieved.  Sadly, this was not the first child they lost to an early death.

Jemima was born in 1702 and died in 1745 in Woburn.  She married Abraham Joslin, the son of Nathaniel and Hester Morse Joslin, who are our ancestors through another line.  Their children are Jemima, Abraham, Ebenezer, Dorothy, Azubah, Peter, Samuel, James, and Bridget. Some of these children were quite young when Jemima died; one hopes that family stepped in to care for them.  

Ebenezer was born in 1704 and died in 1732 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, a year before his father died.  He married Experience Joslin, the daughter of Nathaniel and Hester Morse Joslin (see above paragraph).  Their children are Lucy, and two Ebenezers who died as infants, one in 1731 and one in 1732.  Zerubabbel mourned not only his son, but his two grandsons in the years just before he himself died.

John was born in 1706 and died in 1777 in Chesterfield, New Hampshire.  He married Abigail Brigham, the daughter of Gershom and Elizabeth Warren Brigham. Their children are John, Edmond, Seth, Warren, Mehitable, Abigail, Zerubabbel and Phebe.  

William was born in 1707 and died in 1774 in Lunenburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  He married Elizabeth Stevens, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Tidd Stevens.  Their children are Silas, Jemima, Rebekah, Esther, Joseph, William, Abigail, Bette, Lucy, and another William.  I'll follow this family in my next post.

Abigail was the next born, just the second (and last) daughter in the family.  She was born in 1711 and died the following year.  Her parents were surely still grieving her when their son Jabez (above) died in 1714.

Nevertheless, another child, the second by the name of Jabez, was born in 1716.  He married Keziah Newton, the daughter of Isaac and Sarah Belknap Newton.  Their children are Jabez, Keziah, Jimimah, Jemima, Esther, Sarah, Martha, Ebenezer, Elijah and Mary.   He later married Susannah Gleason, perhaps a widow but I have not yet located information for her.  I know of no children that were born to this couple.

If we could trace the lives of the grandchildren of Zerubabbel and Jemima, we would find all sorts of stories.  Some doubtless served in the French and Indian War and some in the Revolutionary War.  All helped the Massachusetts colony become part of the country we know and love today.  Thank you, one and all!