Muriel - In answer to a question you raised below - MF 23:1:163 does not cite a will for Thomas Weston. It says only that on 19 May 1743, Prudence Weston was named admx. of estate of husband Thomas. I also checked the Plymouth Co Probate Index and the following only are listed for Thomas Weston: 1. 1743, Plymouth, adm. ("our" Thomas) 2. 1776, Duxbury, will (son of Joseph Weston & Mercy Peterson) 3. 1776, Duxbury, gdn. (son of above) 4. 1800, Plymouth gdn. 5. 1834, Middleboro, will __________________________ The chain of events that are known for the Thomas Weston in question: An unidentified Thomas Weston married as his first wife, Mary Howland in 1723. <Plymouth VRs> MF 23:1:163 says Thomas was "perhaps son of Elnathan". The same source lists their son Thomas who was born and died in 1725 and says he married Isabella Campbell. (This marriage took place in Boston in 1751) Thomas and Mary had "a child named Thomas born March 20th 1724/5; decd. June 23, 1725" <Plymouth VR:79> No other children are recorded, nor are any children listed as buried on Burial Hill with Mary. Mary Westron, wife of Thomas, died in 13 Feb 1730 age 28 <Burial Hill by Drew:94, Kingman:15> Thomas m. 2nd Prudence Conant 4 May 1730 <Plymouth VR:96>. No children are recorded at Plymouth. Thomas of Plymouth died before 19 May 1743 <wf Prudence admx., Mayflower Deeds & Probates:207> Prudence Weston of Plymouth fined L4 for fornication, March 1745/6; pd by Micha Bume. <Plymouth Co.Court Recs.9:213> (She is not identified further and not called widow. Note that if this is Prudence (Conant) Weston, she would have been 39 yrs old) The will of Prudence Weston, widow, dated 26 Oct. 1765 <MDP:207> mentions three children: 1. Mary, wife of William Weston 2. three grandchildren, the children of son Thomas Weston, dec'd 3. Sarah Weston "(alias Ball") Prudence Weston, widow of Thomas, died 4 Jan. 1766, 59th yr <Burial Hill by Drew:94, Kingman:38> (buried next to Mary Weston above, d. 1730) At the court held September 1771 is found Robert Roberts (Plymouth, Marriner) and Sarah his wife, exec. Prudence Weston, Widow (Plymouth) v. William Warren adm. Joseph Warren....trespass on the case of a note dated 1761...... <PCCR 14:307> Sarah Westron of Plymouth m. Robert Robards now resident in Plimouth, int 12 Aug 1769 <Plymouth VR:257>, m. 27 Aug. 1769, she "Weston", he "Roberts"<Plymouth VR:358> Robert & Sarah (Weston) Roberts had 3 children rec. at Plymouth <Plymouth VR:228 1. Mary Roberts, 4 Oct 1769 2. Robert, 23 Sep. 1771; decd in Boston 1826 3. Sarah, 17 Aug 1773 _________________ Questions, conclusions, etc. 1. Thomas & Prudence Weston had 3 children, Mary, Thomas and Sarah (order given in Prudence's will). 2. A Thomas Weston m. Isabella Campbell at Boston, 20 Dec 1751 <Boston VR 28:339> 3. MF 23:1:163 attributes the above Boston marriage to the son of Thomas Weston and Mary Howland who was born and died in 1725. 4. Do the Plymouth vital records err in saying Thomas, son of Thomas & Mary who was born in 1725 also died in 1725? Unlikely. 5. Since the will of Prudence Weston proves SHE had a son named Thomas Weston, then this must be the son by her husband, Thomas Weston. Therefore it could have been this son who m. at Boston, Isabella Campbell but there is no proof. 6. Next - find out if Thomas & Isabella (Campbell) Weston had 3 children living in 1765 as per Prudence's will. In all of this, Bill's original question that started all this has yet to be answered - the parentage of Thomas Weston who m. Mary Howland and Prudence Conant. MF 23:1:163 says only "perhaps son of Elnathan". The only Elnathan I can find was at Duxbury - Plymouth Co. Probate Index shows a 1729 will. _____________________ Okay - I'm just having way too much fun with this and the afternoon is wearing away. I'm supposed to be packing to leave for Maui tomorrow......so back to the packing. Susan E. Roser www.friendsofthepilgrims.com www.rootsweb.com/~canms/canada.html -----Original Message----- From: mayflower-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:mayflower-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of flash1620@comcast.net Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 7:56 AM To: mayflower@rootsweb.com Subject: [MFLR] FW: Re: John HOWLAND Descendant: Mary HOWLAND,b.15 Feb 1701/1702 Plymouth Good morning Bill & Ken, I haven't researched this family but I notice that Thomas Weston, son of Thomas and Mary (Howland) Weston died a few months after birth. According to the 1903 Samuel Weston mss. Thomas Weston of Boston who m. Isabella Campbell "is thought by some" to be the son of Thomas Weston though there is nothing to substantiate the theory. The will of Prudence (Conant) Weston (thanks to Bill) mentions her daus. Mary, Sarah and deceased son Thomas Weston. It would be interesting to see the Thomas Weston will cited in Howland MF 23:1:163. It seems dau. Mary Weston m. William Weston, son of Benjamin and his 2nd wife Hannah (Coomer) Weston. Sarah Weston was born 3 years after the death of Thomas Weston and court records fining Prudence support the illegitimacy. Prudence's will mentions "my granchildren, the children of my son Thomas Weston, dec." The mss. lists Thomas Weston m. Isabella Campbell in Boston on 29 Dec. 1751 giving him a birth year of approx. 1730 (if 21). Mary (Howland) Weston d.13 Feb. 1730 (cause of death is not listed in Burial Hill, 1990, p.380) and Thomas Weston m. a few months later 4 May 1730 Prudence Conant. Perhaps Mary (Howland) died in childbirth and Thomas needed someone in a hurry to care for his infant son??? Thomas Weston of Boston could be the child of either wife but Prudence's will does confirm a son Thomas who married and had children. This is a quick overview. Any thoughts?? Relatively yours, Muriel Curtis Cushing