The Slovak Yankee

Surname Saturday: William Berry of Sandy Beach (Rye), N.H.

Sources below the fold.  Numbers continued only for my direct line and other tangential lines. 

First Generation

--------------------------------------------------

1. Jane. Born abt 1611 in England. Jane died aft 1687; she was 76  abt 1631 when Jane was 20, she first married William BERRY. Born abt 1611 in England. William died in Sandy Beach, New Hampshire, bef 1654; he was 43.

Research: “Descendants of William Berry of Rockingham County, NH for Four Generations: Book Three: William Berry and Jane ____ of Strawberry Bank” by June Berry (The Author, Kearns, UT, 1993)

"Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

They had the following children:

                                    2            i.            Elizabeth (~1632-)

                                    3            ii.            John (~1637-<1717)

                                    4            iii.            Joseph (~1639-<1717)

                                    5            iv.            Mary (~1640->1700)

                                    6            v.            James (~1645->1718)

                                    7            vi.            Rachel (~1650->1698)

                                    8            vii.            William Jr. (~1654-<1708) 

abt 1652 when Jane was 41, she second married Nathaniel DRAKE, son of Robert DRAKE, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Born abt 1613 in England. Nathaniel died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, abt 1691; he was 78. Possibly also a son; name not known.

 They had the following children:

                                    9            i.            Jane (~1653-<1723)

                                                 ii.            Rachel (~1655-)

 

Second Generation

--------------------------------------------------

6. James BERRY. Born abt 1645 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. James died aft 1718; he was 73. abt 1673 when James was 28, he married Eleanor WALLIS, daughter of George WALLIS & Eleanor, in Portsmouth, New Hamsphire. Born abt 1650.

Research: "Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

They had the following children:

                                    13            i.            George (1674->1733)

                                    14            ii.            James Jr. (1676->1762)

                                    15            iii.            Samuel (~1680-)

                                    16            iv.            Ebenezer (~1690-)

                                    17            v.            Rachel (~1701-1798)

 8. William BERRY Jr. Born abt 1654 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. William died in Newcastle, New Hampshire, bef 1708; he was 54.  On 8 Jul 1678 when William was 24, he married Judith LOCKE, daughter of Nathaniel LOCKE & Sabina HEMINS, in Newcastle, New Hampshire. Born on 16 May 1656 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Judith died in Greenland, New Hampshire, on 19 Jan 1753; she was 96. 

Research: “Descendants of William Berry of Rockingham County, NH for Four Generations: Book Three: William Berry and Jane ____ of Strawberry Bank” by June Berry (The Author, Kearns, UT, 1993)

"Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

 They had the following children:

                                    18            i.            Elizabeth (1680-<1686)

                                    19            ii.            Elizabeth (1686-)

                                    20            iii.            Nathaniel (1688-)

                                    21            iv.            Stephen (1690-~1762)

                                    22            v.            William III (1693-1786)

                                    23            vi.            Jeremiah (1695-1719)

                                    24            vii.            Frederica (1697-)

                                    25            viii.            Abigail (1699-)

                                    26            ix.            Jane (1702-)

 

9. Jane DRAKE. Born abt 1653 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Jane died bef  Feb 1723; she was 70.¹ On 15 Dec 1673 when Jane was 20, she married William WALLIS, son of George WALLIS & Eleanor, in Little Harbor, New Hampshire.² Born abt 1648 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.³ William died in New Castle, New Hampshire, aft  Feb 1723; he was 75.¹ 

Research: "Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

They had the following children:

                                    27            i.            Jane (~1677->1723)

                                    28            ii.            Samuel (~1683-<1741)

                                    29            iii.            Sarah (~1685->1723)

                                    30            iv.            William Jr. (~1690-1772)

10. Rachel DRAKE. Born abt 1655 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Rachel married Joseph BERRY (4) , son of William BERRY & Jane (1). Born abt 1639 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Joseph died bef 1717; he was 78. 

Research: "Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988

Third Generation

-------------------------------------------------- 

11. Hannah BERRY. Hannah married Daniel ALLEN, son of Charles ALLEN & Susannah HUGGINS. Born abt 1669 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Daniel died on 22 Jan 1745/6; he was 76.

Research: "Charles Allen of Portsmouth, NH, 1657 and Some of His Descendants" by Frank W. Allen (Boston, 1902) 

13. George BERRY. Born in 1674 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. George died in Kittery, Maine, aft 19 Oct 1733; he was 59. Acts on the Estate of John Andrews of Kittery.  No records thereafter. 

On 1 Jan 1701/2 when George was 27, he married Deliverance HALEY, daughter of Andrew HALEY & Deborah WILSON, in Hampton, New Hampshire. Born abt 1680. Deliverance died in Kittery, Maine, aft 1719; she was 39.

 Research: "Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

They had the following children:

                                    31            i.            Deborah (~1703-~1742)

                                    32            ii.            George Jr. (~1706-1776)

                                    33            iii.            Elizabeth (~1708-)

                                    34            iv.            Mary (~1718-1778)

                                    35            v.            Josiah (~1712-1791)

 

20. Nathaniel BERRY. Born on 13 Feb 1688/1689 in Newcastle, New Hampshire. 

Research: “Descendants of William Berry of Rockingham County, NH for Four Generations: Book Three: William Berry and Jane ____ of Strawberry Bank” by June Berry (The Author, Kearns, UT, 1993)

"Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

abt 1712 when Nathaniel was 23, he married Esther WALLIS, daughter of George WALLIS Jr. & Ann SHORTRIDGE. Born abt 1688 in Little Harbor, New Hampshire. 

21. Stephen BERRY. Born on 18 Jan 1690/1691 in Newcastle, New Hampshire. Stephen died in Rochester, New Hampshire, abt 1762; he was 71.

Buys land in 1733 in Rochester; called of Rye alive in 1760 when he deeds land to son Stephen Berry, Jr. (Rockingham Deeds 69:368) deed recorded on 16 Nov 1763 (perhaps after his death)

Deeds land to brother-in-law Joses Philbrick (Rockingham Deeds 24:406)

Admitted to the church in Rochester on 16 Oct 1737.  His wife was admitted with children on 26 Feb 1737/8 (NHGR 7:89 (1910)).

Research: “Descendants of William Berry of Rockingham County, NH for Four Generations: Book Three: William Berry and Jane ____ of Strawberry Bank” by June Berry (The Author, Kearns, UT, 1993)

"Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

NHSOG Record 10 (1993):69-71 (my article on Philbricks)

On 4 Jan 1716/1717 when Stephen was 25, he married Ann PHILBRICK, daughter of Joseph PHILBRICK & Tryphena MARSTON, in Newcastle, New Hampshire. Born on 13 Jan 1694 in Hampton, New Hampshire.⁴ Ann died in Rochester, New Hampshire, bef 1760; she was 65.

parentage is proved by a deed (Rockingham Deeds 24:406) where husband Stephen Berry deeds land to his "brother-in-law" Joses Philbrick. She probably dies before 1760 when her husband deeds land to their son Stephen Berry, Jr. and there is no dower clause. 

They had the following children:

                                    36            i.            Joseph (1717-)

                                    37            ii.            Tryphenia (1719-)

                                    38            iii.            Judith (1722-)

                                    39            iv.            Stephen Jr. (1724-1820)

                                    40            v.            Ephraim (1727-)

                                    41            vi.            James (1731-)

                                    42            vii.            Anna (1734-)

 

Fourth Generation

--------------------------------------------------

31. Deborah BERRY. Born abt 1703 in Kittery, Maine. Deborah died in Kittery, Maine, abt 1742; she was 39. Nine children between 1725 and 1737. On 16 Jan 1723/24 when Deborah was 20, she married William WALKER in Kittery, Maine. Born abt 1695 in Newington, New Hampshire. 

32. George BERRY Jr. Born abt 1706. George died in Falmouth, Maine, on 24 Mar 1776; he was 70.

33. Elizabeth BERRY. Born abt 1708. On 22 Oct 1730 when Elizabeth was 22, she married Tobias FERNALD in Rye, New Hampshire.

34. Mary BERRY. Born abt 1718. Mary died in Falmouth, Maine, in Nov 1778; she was 60. On 3 Oct 1741 when Mary was 23, she married Samuel LUNT Jr. in Kittery, Maine. Born abt 1720. Samuel died in Falmouth, Maine, on 26 Jul 1772; he was 52. Son of Samuel and Charity (Emery) Lunt

35. Josiah BERRY. Born abt 1712 in Kittery, Maine. Josiah died in Kittery, Maine, in Dec 1791; he was 79. Occupation: Caulker. 

York Co. Me. Probate #1070

Enumerated as Josiah Brier in Kittery, 1790, with a household of 2 men over 16 (he and his son William); and three women (Mary, and two others)

Sells land to son York Deed 54:130.

On 20 Dec 1740 when Josiah was 28, he married Mary HIDDEN, daughter of John HIDDEN Jr. & CROCKETT, in Kittery, New Hampshire.⁵ Born in May 1719 in Kittery, Maine. Mary died in Kittery, Maine, aft 16 Sep 1793; she was 74.  Mary HIdden was entered into full communion at Kittery on 30 July 1735 [NEHGR 151:46] 

They had the following children:

                                                i.            William (1742-<1763)

                                                ii.            Mary (1743-)

                                                iii.            Deborah (1745->1830)

                                                iv.            John (1755-)

                                                v.            Josiah Jr. (1756-)

                                                vi.            William (1763-1795)

 

39. Stephen BERRY Jr. Born on 21 Apr 1724 in Rye, New Hampshire. Christened on 14 Jun 1724 in Rye, New Hampshire. Stephen died in Nottingham, New Hampshire, on 4 Apr 1820; he was 95.⁶ Occupation: Tavern Keeper. Religion: Free Will Baptists.

Birth in Town Records of Rye, NH

Hallowell newspaper notes death at age 96 "Lt. Stephen Berry died at Nottingham, fought at Quebec and Am. Rev." Got land from father on 17 Apr 1760; deed recorded on 16 Nov 1763 (Rockingham Deeds 69:368)

In Rochester by 1742 Estate List.

Military: French and Indian War and Revolutionary War Service as a Lieutenant 

Research: "Genealogical Dictionary of ME and NH" by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis (Portland, 1939, reprinted Baltimore, 1988)

"Vital Records from Maine Newspapers 1785-1820" by David C. Young and Elizabeth Keene Young (Heritage, Bowie, MD, 1993) p. 41

“Descendants of William Berry of Rockingham County, NH for Four Generations: Book Three: William Berry and Jane ____ of Strawberry Bank” by June Berry (The Author, Kearns, UT, 1993)

"Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1790: New Hampshire" (GPO, 1907, reprinted Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992), p. 94

In 1745 when Stephen was 20, he married Mary ALLEN, daughter of John ALLEN & Mary BURNHAM, in Rochester, New Hampshire. Born on 12 Feb 1724 in Durham, New Hampshire.^7,8 Mary died in Rochester, New Hampshire, on 22 Jul 1816; she was 92.⁹ Religion: Free Will Baptists.

 Age at death given as 92 years; 5 mos; 10 days

Quitclaims to her brother William Allen (Strafford Deeds 3:15)

Her funeral is mentioned in “Journal of Enoch Hayes Place 1810-1865” transcribed by William E. Wentworth (NEHGS, Boston, 1998, in 2 vols.) 1:97. 

They had the following children:

                                                i.            John (1747-)

                                                ii.            Tryphenia (1750-)

                                                iii.            WINGATE (Twin)

                                                iv.            Lois (Twin) (1754-)

                                                v.            Mary

                                                vi.            Judith (1760-)

                                                vii.            Bridget (1761-1847), wife of Thomas Pinkham.

                                                viii.            Susannah (1764-)

                                                ix.            Olive (1767-)

                                                x.            Stephen III (1771-1836)

John Hidden of Kittery, Maine

In addition to my study of Josiah Berry of Kittery, I did a short study of his father-in-law, John Hidden.  This man leaves even less records that Josiah!

John³ HIDDEN was born at Rowley, Mass. about 1688, son of John² (Andrew¹) and Elizabeth (Jewett) Hidden.  It is likely that John married at Portsmouth, N.H. at the North Church on 4 July 1711 to (---) CROCKETT. [New Hampshire Genealogical Record 5(1908):41]  It should be noted that the transcription says Joseph Hidden, however, since John Hidden is immediately thereafter having children baptized in Kittery, this must be an error.  Perhaps the original document (which I have not seen) says J^o. Hidden which should be read John but is often mistaken for Joseph. 

John has seven children baptized at Kittery, Maine. [Parish Records of the First Church & Society of Kittery, Maine 1714-1791, reprinted at NEHGR 151 (1997), various pages].  John left no land records.  In fact, he is not even a witness to a land record in York County up to 1737 which is now searchable electronically.  He left no probate papers.  His first wife died after the birth of their last child in 1730 and before 1756.  On 4 January 1756 John was admitted to full communion at the Kittery church [NEHGR 151:52].  On 25 April 1756, Rachel Clinton was also admitted to full communion at the same church [NEHGR 151:52].  These events preceded their marriage on 28 July 1756. [Vital Records of Kittery, Maine To the Year 1892, ed. Joseph C. Anderson II and Lois Ware Thurston (Camden, Me.: Picton Press, 1991), hereinafter Kittery VRS, p. 125].  She seems to be Rachel DOLBY who was the successive widow of Lawrence Amee and Jacob Clinton.  John appears on a tax list at Kittery on 1 September 1760. He, thereafter, disappears from the records.

Most of this research is the product of one of his descendants, Richard M. Hunt, in his excellent article "The Hiddens Have Gone to Newburyport" The Essex Genealogist 24 (2004):165-68. I've added very little to his discoveries.  It should be noted that this Hidden family is different from the Hatten family of the Isle of Shoals and Kittery that variantly spelled their surname Hidden.  There is also a branch of the Heaton family living in Portsmouth.

The woman noted as [blank] Crockett in the first marriage record would seem to be part of the Thomas Crockett family of Kittery.  How is the question.  If married in 1711, she was born ca. 1690.  She was born no earlier than 1685 based on the 1730 birth of her last child.  Thomas had six sons: John (who died without children), Ephraim, Hugh, Elihu, Joseph, and Joshua. [All this from Gen. Dict. of Me. and N.H., p. 171-72] Ephraim left a will and his two daughters married men not named Hidden.  Hugh's first recorded child was Margaret born 12 May 1698 with three more.  If Margaret is the eldest, Hugh cannot be the father because any child of his would be too young to marry in 1711.  Elihu left precious few records and is only given one son Thomas.  Joseph left a will that named five daughters all by first name only.  At least two of those daughters were known to be married when he wrote his will on 12 March 1713/14.  All the daughters are accounted for with husbands except Mary Crockett who seems to be the woman who was admitted to full communion on 22 July 1716 at the Kittery Church as Mary Crockett  [NEHGR 151:42]. Lastly Joshua who lived at Newington is given five children, and he left no will.  There seems no conclusive evidence.  Based on naming and the fact that Mary, the daughter of Joseph is alive as of his will writing, it would seem logical that it was she that married John Hidden.  The 1716 Kittery church record could either apply to her sister-in-law Mary (Ball) Crockett, wife of Joseph (Jr.) or simply be scribal mistake and noted her maiden name rather than married name. Sadly, because John Hidden literally appears nowhere in land or probate records, there is no inference as to which Crockett branch he might belong to. 

Children of John³ and (---) (Crockett) HIDDEN, all born in Kittery:

i. Joseph⁴ baptized 18 September 1715 [NEHGR 151:220], married Newbury, Mass., 29 September 1737, Mary HALE.  This is the ancestor of Richard M. Hunt and the focal point of his article.  

ii. David⁴ baptized 5 August 1716 [NEHGR 151:221].  No further record.

iii. Mary⁴ baptized 22 May 1720 [NEHGR 151:224] and likely born earlier based on her sister's baptism.  Mary owned the covenant and was admitted to full communion on 30 July 1735 [NEHGR 151:46].  She is clearly the Mary Hidden, daughter of John named in a bastardy suit dated October 1739.  Sadly only the initial petition survives so the specifics of the case, including its outcome, do not survive.  However, Mary had intentions filed at Kittery on 5 March 1739/40 to David WELCH.  [Kittery VRs, p. 102] Perhaps this was the father of the child.  In any case, it appears the marriage never happened because intentions were filed again on 20 December 1740 to Josiah⁴ BERRY, son of George³ (James² William¹) and Deliverance (Haley) Berry.  [Kittery VRs, p. 103].  For their family see the above hyper-link to Josiah Berry.

iv. Elizabeth⁴ baptized 6 November 1720 [NEHGR 151:225].  No further records.

v. Anne⁴ baptized 17 March 1722/23 [NEHGR 151:226].  She married at Kittery on 2 October 1742 [Kittery VRs, p. 215], Benjamin BILLING, son of Joseph and Hannah (Wilson) Billing.  No further records. 

vi. William⁴ baptized 26 July 1730 [NEHGR 151:234], although born earlier based on his brother's baptismal date.  No further record.

vii. Robert⁴ baptized 20 September 1730 [NEHGR 151:234].  No further records.

Further thoughts on Andrew¹ Hidden.  I've seen many web sites and family trees that give his wife as Sarah Houston.  Clearly they were married at Rowley on 7th day 4 mo. 1654 as "Andrew Headen and Sarah Hosetine." I would posit that Hosetine is a variant of Hasetine or Hazeltine, and therefore some relation to the Haseltine brothers who came to Rowley: John and Robert.  See Patricia Law Hatcher's article on Rowley families in The Great Migration Newsletter 18 (2009):27 and National Genealogical Society Quarterly 68:10-11 for clues to their English origins.  Based on their relative ages (the two brothers) and Sarah's age, she cannot be their daughter, but perhaps a niece or cousin.

Josiah Berry ca. 1712-1791 of Kittery, Maine

Josiah BERRY was born ca. 1712 at Kittery, the son of George and Deliverance (Haley) Kittery.  George and Deliverance were supposedly married at Hampton, N.H. on 1 January 1702 [Sanborn &  Sanborn, Vital Records of Hampton, N.H. to the End of the Year 1900, I:57 as "Gorge Berry and Deliverance Healey"].  George and Deliverance owned the covenant and were baptized at the first church of Kittery on 20 June 1719 [Parish Records of the First Church & Society of Kittery, Maine 1714-1791, reprinted at NEHGR 151 (1997), various pages, p. 223]. Their family appears in Stackpole's Old Families of Kittery, Maine.  The births of their children do not appear in either church or town records.  George is apparently alive up to the 1730s in various records, but leaves no probate papers.

Josiah was a caulker by trade. [A caulker literally caulked ships, and Kittery was a ship building town].  He married with intentions given on 20 December 1740 [Vital Records of Kittery, Maine To the Year 1892, ed. Joseph C. Anderson II and Lois Ware Thurston (Camden, Me.: Picton Press, 1991), hereinafter Kittery VRS, p. 103] to Mary HIDDEN, the daughter of John Hidden baptized 22 May 1720 at Kittery [NEHGR 151:224].  Josiah has six children baptized in Kittery between 1741 and 1763.  There are no grantee deeds for Josiah at York County.  He must be living at Kittery in the 1790 census, but his name is mis-indexed as Josiah Brier.  We can establish that by triangulating his neighbors in the census with those in his only deed.  He clearly describes his land as abutting Samuel Smallcorn and then Elihu Weeks.  Those are the two preceding names to Josiah Brier in the census.  The household of Josiah "Brier" consisted of two males over 16 and three females.

On 10 June 1791, Josiah, caulker of Kittery sold to William Berry, mariner of Kittery his land in Kittery for life support.  No wife is mentioned (although she was alive).  His lot in Kittery Point is clearly described and Josiah takes care to give the land to William and his heirs and no other of Josiah heirs. [York County Deeds 54:130--is this just legal boilerplate or proof that Josiah indeed had other heirs?].  This deed is recorded on 7 December 1791.  Josiah died in December 1791 according to his probate papers [York County Probate #1070].  On 21 May 1792, Mary Berry, widow declines administration of the estate due to old age and infirmity.  William Berry, mariner acts as administrator.  The estate is valued at £17-1-7 and costs were evaluated conveniently enough at £17-1-7 including £5-14-10 to the widow on 16 September 1793. [John Eldridge Frost, Maine Probate Abstracts 1775-1800, Volume 2 (Camden, Me.: Picton Press, 1991), pp. 1021, 1054, although only page 1021 is indexed for Josiah. I also found his abstracts for this family poor and don't include the widow's name Mary or Josiah's death date, both of which are given in the original records. You see when a family flies under the radar, they seem to be maligned and done in for all eternity.]

The Berry family of N.H. was thoroughly researched by June Berry of Kearns, Utah in manuscript form available at the Family History Library and NEHGS (among other places).  I already descended from this family and was aware of this work.  She gives nothing more than I do (and quite frankly less--no deeds or probate).  

Children of Josiah and Mary (Hidden) BERRY, all born in Kittery:

i. William, baptized 24 October 1741 as son of John (sic); dies before 1763. [NEHGR 151:359]

ii. Mary, bapt. 18 December 1743 [NEHGR 151:360] No further records unless she is one of the three females living in the household of her father in 1790.

iii. Deborah, bapt. 8 December 1745 [NEHGR 151:363].  The possible wife of Nathaniel Wallis of Greenland, Epsom and Moultonborough, N.H.

iv. John, bapt. 22 June 1755 [NEHGR 151:446].  No further records.

v. Josiah, bapt. 10 October 1756 [NEHGR 151:447].  No further records.

vi. William, bapt. 9 October 1763 [NEHGR 151:448]. Clearly the mariner of Kittery who administered his father's estate and gained his house lot in Kittery [York Deeds cited above].  He is likely the other man over 16 in his father's household in the 1790 census.  He married at Kittery with intentions dated 21 September 1793, Elizabeth FERNALD, daughter of Tobias and Lucy (Lewis) Fernald. [Kittery VRs, p. 251].  William died at sea shortly before 30 May 1795 as the newspaper Oracle of the Day of that date printed the death of  " Mr. William Berry, [mate] of Kittery."  He left no probate papers.  He left no deeds.  It is unknown if he had children.  His widow remarried with intentions dated 2 December 1797 ["Rolof Nelson & Betty Berry] Ralph NELSON. [Kittery VRs, p. 254].  She remarried a third time with intentions dated 24 November 1806 to Edmund S. WEEKS [Kittery VRs, p. 263].  No grantor deeds exist for Elizabeth/Betty/Betsey Berry/Nelson/Weeks at all.  She supposedly outlived her last husband and died on 12 March 1842.  If so, she left no will.

Following the land of Josiah is frustrating.  He gave the land to his son William in 1791.  William died in 1795.  His widow would only be entitled to one-third of the land and only until she remarried which she did in 1797.  Unless she had a child by William, the land would have reverted to the other children of Josiah Berry or their heirs.  However, no land transactions seem to show this.  As few as the records of this family appear to be, there are even fewer and worse records for the family of John Hidden of Kittery, the father of Mary.  

Was Deborah Berry the Wife of Nathaniel Wallis?

Almost a year ago, I posted a message about, what I considered, my worst brick wall.  It was about the wife of Nathaniel⁵ (Samuel⁴ William^3-2 George¹) Wallis of Greenland, Epsom and Moultonborough, N.H.  Unlike some other stuck places in my ancestry, I had no leads on her whatsoever.  Judging by the time frame and the work I had done to date, I was sure that it was impossible to track her down.

As I've mentioned I discovered the death certificate of one of her children.  Massachusetts death records start ca. 1850 and can give a wealth of information including parents' names and places of birth.  This certificate from Haverhill dated 11 June 1861 [Massachusetts Deaths for 1861, 147:198] shows that Joseph was a widower, farmer, aged 80, born in Epsom, with a father named Nathaniel Wallace born in Greenland, N.H. and a mother named Deborah (---) born in Kittery, Maine.  In a perfect world, her maiden name would have been given, but as I look at all the entries on that page, none of the maiden names of the mothers are given.  The question must have been: Parents names?  Answer: Nathaniel and Deborah.  Done.

However, this was new and important information.  The accuracy of death certificates always have to be questioned since the decedent is not the person filling out the information.  However, the birth place of Joseph as Epsom is correct and the birth place of his father Nathaniel as Greenland is correct.  We have the baptism of Nathaniel in Greenland in 1746 to back this up.  It, therefore, seems quite probable that Deborah's birth place was also correct.  How to find her is now the problem.  The only other piece of information we have on Deborah is her relative age.  In the 1830 census she is given (unnamed of course) as aged 80 to 90.  So is her husband.  If accurate, she was born 1740-1750.  Her children are born from 1772 (eldest) to 1792 (youngest).  The 1772 date of Samuel Wallis is from his Bible record as reprinted at NEHGR 67 (1913):271-2.  The 1792 is based on Deborah (Wallis) Whipple's ages in the 1850 and 1860 censuses.  So, if a very young 16 at marriage in 1771, she was born ca. 1755.  If a very old 50 when she gave birth last in 1792, she was born ca. 1742.  Given all these parameters, you can set her probable birth between 1742 and 1750.

Using my new "imperfect" system of culling available females from Ancestry. com, I looked at all females named Deborah born between 1742 and 1754 in Kittery, Maine.  There is only one that is not given a husband.  She is Deborah Berry, baptized at Kittery on 8 December 1745, the daughter of Josiah⁴ (George³ James² William¹) and Mary (Hidden) Berry.  On the surface, this seemed like a good match.  It would mean that Nathaniel and Deborah were third cousins through the Wallis family [the wife of James² Berry was Eleanor Wallis].  The Berrys had family ties to Greenland as well.  She was the right age and born in the right place.  All in all, she was a worthwhile candidate to explore.

Sadly, I can find no evidence to either prove or disprove this relationship.  Indeed, I have found almost nothing on this family.  Using basic genealogical records, there is nothing: no vital records, church records, land records, probate records, etc. In a separate posting, I will explore what is known of Josiah Berry.  For now, the pros and cons are these:

Pros:

• We know Deborah was born in Kittery sometime between 1742 and 1750.  Deborah Berry was baptized at Kittery on 8 December 1745.  She would be about 25 at marriage; 26 at the birth of her first child and 46 at the birth of her last child.  In the 1830 census she would be 84.
• There is no husband given for Deborah.
• There are no records for the family of Josiah beyond the baptisms of his children.  He was poor and his estate when administered in 1792 was worth only 17 pounds (and change).  Therefore, whatever he would have given a daughter was done so during his lifetime.
• The two families would have known each other.

Cons:

• There is no marriage record for Nathaniel and Deborah.  None in Kittery Vital Records or in the Late Returns for York County, Maine.  None in neighboring Berwick, York, or Wells.  None in Portsmouth, Greenland, or Rye, N.H.  Barrington, N.H. marriages start in 1777 and therefore, are, as always, worse than useless. 
• Nathaniel and Deborah don't name any children Josiah or Mary.  On the other they also don't name a daughter Phebe, Nathaniel's known mother.  They name their daughters Elizabeth, Meribah, and Deborah.
• Neither Nathaniel nor any of his children use familial middle names that might support this conclusion such as Berry, Hidden, Haley or Crockett.
• There are no grantor or grantee deeds for Nathaniel or Deborah Wallis in York County, Maine, quitclaiming land.

On the one hand the lack of evidence makes this identification seem unlikely.  And yet, it is precisely that lack of evidence which has me convinced that the identification is true.  If a marriage record existed, someone long before me would have pieced this together.  In other words, if the "easy" evidence of genealogy were extant, we wouldn't be having this discussion.  If Josiah Berry left a will, even if in York Co., Maine, naming a daughter Deborah Wallis, someone would have written this up long ago.  The fact is the Berry family of Kittery is a poor family that lived well under the radar, leaving very few records at all.  The only reason to make this identification is the tie-in between a baptism in Kittery and a death record 120 years later two states over.  No one has ever put those two records together before.

I have a few research choices left, but they are "hail Mary passes."  

• I can check the death record at Haverhill to see if a maiden name was given that was left off the state record
• I can check the death records of Nathaniel Wallis in Ossipee, N.H. and his sister Elizabeth (Wallis) Drew in Holderness, N.H.  Neither appear in the state level N.H. death records.  Perhaps the records exist on a town level.
• Court records for York County, Maine.  They are online (indexed) only to 1740.  They exist in manuscript form at the NEHGS library from 1729-1792.  From 1792 onwards, I would have to go either the Maine State Archives or the York County Court House.
• Court records from either Rockingham or Strafford, N.H. counties.

Sadly, I know these are the last chances.   I have checked everything else including newspaper records. 

Lt. Stephen Berry 1724-1820

Another early newspaper death notice.  His age and war service are key here.  Stephen is also the only officer in the Am. Revolution from whom I descend.  Michael, of course, is descended from General George Doherty.  Never do your spouse's genealogy!