1700's revisited

The 1700's are an interesting time with lots of things undocumented. It may be that more becomes documented as time goes along; it has seemed that way. I am working through some new theories so bear with me. All of this is pure speculation.

My latest theory is that Mary (1674?), Hudson's daughter, spent significant time growing up with Hudson in Roxbury. He wrote a will in 1692 that included her, but when he died she would have been left with her stepmother (or possibly mother), Elizabeth, who was to live many more years and die in Roxbury in ~1718.

If William (~1692) was her son, then his arrival in Boston to marry Mary Whitridge (1715) could imply simply moving back in with his grandmother, or step-grandmother as the case may be, or moving back to occupy one of several houses in a sprawling Roxbury family estate. There were signs of Leveretts around that place for many years and, though we tend to be looking at Chelsea where later things happen, he could have started out in Roxbury. It was a time when you wouldn't just arrive in Boston and try to make it, without knowing anyone, of course, that's still true now. It's also a matter of looking where things would make most sense. Mary was not with him; she married in Wenham in 1713, and would die there in 1728. Does he feel a responsibility to her? Or, did she, to her stepmother, who still lived back in Roxbury? When Elizabeth died, nobody was around to pay the bill, except for her daughter-in-law's family. That sounds kind of bleak and alone to me.

Later in the 1700's, things start happening. Knight marries and has two boys, John (1728) and Thomas (1730). Both of these guys marry and have families, and also attend the church again, which one does if one wants to get ahead in business. By the late 1750's they are both up and running. John appears to be living downtown in the house that Hudson occupied before he fled to Roxbury, right around the corner from the church. The house had been in the family forever, if it's the one I suspect. Thomas somehow had an estate out in Medford or possibly Chelsea, and seemed to be making piles of money printing. In Thomas's family they spoke of an older half-brother, John W. This half-brother had still not come of age when the Revolution broke out, Thomas died, and someone had to be responsible for him. But if that boy was born in 1759 or so, would he be a half brother of John's kids? Thomas's kids? A half brother by whom or how?

Let's assume we go through the John's, as that's what both Joseph and Washington would have us believe. John, John, William (~1727) and William (1773). Since Col. John (1726) and John Esq. (1758) already put us too late to have grandfather (~1727) third in line, something has to give. What if John W. (~1759) was grandfather, and was both the John and William that would tie this together? Could he still have a William (1773)? No, because that William has to marry in Chelsea in 1759. That William would have to be at least sixteen in 1759 to pull that off, so for that we'd have to look for a John/William/John William born about 1742 or so.

But let's say Col. John is impressed at the age of 16, in 1742 (he wouldn't be the only one), finds himself in England, and looks up family friends the Grays and Hannah becomes pregnant. She comes to the USA with a John W. who is now a half-brother; she doesn't marry Col. John but instead marries Thomas. We don't know their marriage date but know that Thomas and Hannah don't start having their own kids until 1758. If this John W. is an older half-brother, he seems to be hanging around Thomas's family so it seems like he would be an older half-brother to them. But if, born in 1742, he is ready to appear in Chelsea and marry Rachel (1759), then what we have to explain is who it is that is not of age during the revolution, when Martha has to assign the older son Thomas the duty of raising the younger kids, Benjamin and whoever else is hanging around. During the revolution this William who married Rachel already has a few of his own, including one William (1770), who died. Is that him? People confuse names a lot in this era.

Just trying to work out what could have happened. Will find evidence later.