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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Who Was Joseph Bonnell's First Wife, if Rebecca Dod(d) Riggs Was His Second Wife?


Charlie Bonnell asked me to post this–can anyone help?

A typical genealogical puzzle – Joseph Bonnell, 280016 in Claude’s database, supposedly married Rebecca Dod(d) in 1705 and they supposedly had 4 children: Joseph, 1706-1761; Phebe, 1708-; Keziah, 1710-1759; Samuel, 171_ - ?.  The problem is Rebecca was the widow of Samuel Riggs who didn’t die until about 1709/1710.

In the New Jersey Calendar of Wills, 1670-1760, page 386 (see screen shot below, from Ancestry.com:  Samuel’s will was dated 31 Jan 1709 and made his wife, Rebecca the executrix. The will was proved May 16, 1711, “and on the same day the executrix, then wife of Joseph Bunnell, sworn in.” 

Rebecca and Samuel had one child, Sarah Riggs born in 1710. 

So it appears that the earliest that Rebecca and Joseph would have likely married was 1710. Thus, Joseph’s first 2 children, Joseph and Phebe, should not have been Rebecca’s.

Has anyone found anything that would lead to a name for a probable first wife of Joseph before Rebecca?




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