SOME DESCENDANTS OF

BENJAMIN TWITCHELL 1599 - 1675/76

OF MEDFIELD, NORFOLK CO., MA.

Generations 1 and 2


 Page 2  - Page 3  -  Page 4


   My primary source for this line comes from The data base maintained by Edwin Twitchell, Edwin had his data base online but has recently changed providers for his web pages and hopefully will be back online sometime in the near future. Aside from his own research the largest concentrated source of information for Edwin was "Genealogy Of The Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell   1632-1927", compiled and edited by Ralph Emerson Twitchell Privately printed, N.Y., N.Y., 1929. Edwin is also in contact with many Twitchell descendants and has incorporated information and comments from them. He has recently informed me that a Twitchell Forum has been established on YAHOO at http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/twitchellfamily and at the cost of only a few minutes for membership sign-up you can post queries, announce reunions and other events of general family importance.

   Edwin also informed us in his Twitchell Newsletter of 29 Jan 1999 of something that will prompt a change in this page.

"There are two fundamental assumptions made in the 1929 Twitchell Genealogy that have received some attention recently. The first assumption is that Benjamin Twitchell was the founder of the Twitchell family in the U.S. Robert Charles Anderson in "The Great Migration Begins" has seriously questioned this assumption. In his work, Benjamin is placed as the son of Joseph Twitchell, rather than his brother. I am persuaded that this is the more likely scenario."

   In light of this I have changed my page to reflect Anderson's research and will add Joseph Twitchell's information as soon as I can.

   Before I was able to use Edwin's information I had gathered information on my families' Twitchell line up to Josiah Twitchell and (3) Mary Sidensparker Newcomb in generation six. But proved only through his grandson Eli Alvah Twitchell untill with the help of Kelly Huff in Burnham, ME. I was able to prove that Eli Alvah was the son of Gershom Twitchell and the Grandson of Josiah. After that Edwin's information took it back to Benjamin in one long jump.


   

GENERATION ONE

1. BENJAMIN  TWITCHELL (T1) was born in 1599 in Chesham, Buckingham, England. He was christened on 10 Jun 1599 in Chesham, Buckingham, England, and died in 1675/76 in Medfield, Norfolk, MA. Benjamin emigrated with his father Joseph Twitchell who was accepted as a freeman at the Gehall (General) Court, May 14th, 1634. This sets the latest date for Joseph and Benjamin Twitchell's arrival in Boston.

   Benjamin m. MARY RIGGS on 1 Sep 1652 in Dorchester, Norfolk Co., MA.. Mary was b. in 1625 in Lincolnshire, Eng., and d. in 1670 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA. She was the daughter of EDWARD RIGGS Sr.and ELIZABETH  (Holmes?). Some secondary sources cite Mary as being the daughter of Edward Jr. who m. Elizabeth Roosa but this is in error.  Edward Riggs Sr. notes in his will of September 2, 1670 that his only child left living was Mary Twitchell and as a legatee she was the principal heir to his estate. The "Riggs Family ..." genealogy incorrectly states that the Elizabeth Allen of Edward Sr.'s will was a grandaughter through one of his own daughters who m. an Allen.  Elizabeth Allen was in fact Elizabeth Twitchell Allen, dau. of Mary Riggs and Benjamin Twitchell, and wife of William Allen of Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA.

SOURCES:

  1. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, M.D. Massachusetts Historical Society. Records of the Governor & Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. Printed 1853. Vol. 1, pg. 369. )    
  2. "Genealogy of the Riggs Family" by John H. Wallace pub. 1901    
  3. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929


GENERATION TWO

Benjamin Twitchell and Mary Riggs had the following children:

2. Joseph Twitchell, b. bef.1640 in Dorchester, Suffolk Co., MA.,  d. 24 Oct 1710 in Sherborn, Middlesex Co., MA. (3) Rev. Levi W. Leonard in History of Dublin, New Hampshire, says Joseph:"was a man of irreproachable character; and tradition represents him to have been a Cyclops in stature and a Hercules in strength.

 Joseph married Lydia Johnson in 1673 in Sherborn, Middlesex Co., MA. (4) [Janet Ross gives date of 1673 (no source cited), and place of Medfield, MA.] Lydia was b. 1642 in Lancaster, Worcester, Co. MA., christened in Lancaster, and d. 27 Apr 1725 in Sherborn, Middlesex Co., Mass..(6) [The Twitchell Genealogy gives Lydia's last name as "probably Johnson" with no explanation of where the assumption comes from]. Lydia was assessed the sum of 1 shilling, eight pence for payment of the salary of Rev. Daniel Baker, minister at Sherborn in 1721.CHILDREN:

Sources:

  1. 2. Ralph Emerson Twitchell. Twitchell Family Genealogy. 1929. pg. 5.
  2. 3. Sherborn, Middlesex, MA Vital Records. pg. 225.
  3. 4. Clarence A. Torrey. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Vol. 11.
  4. 5. Ralph Emerson Twitchell. Twitchell Family Genealogy. 1929. pg. 5.
  5. 6. Sherborn, Middlesex, MA Vital Records. pg. 225.
  6. 7. Ibid. pg. 88.
  7. 8. Ibid. pg. 225.
  8. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929

3. Elizabeth Twitchell, b. 1648 in Dorchester, Suffolk, MA., d. in 1717 in Medford, Norfolk Co., MA.. She married William Allen 15 Feb 1668 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA.(9)

CHILDREN:

Sources:

  1. 9. Medfield, MA Vital Records. pg. 179.
  2. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929

4. BENJAMIN TWITCHELL

5. Mary Twitchell, b. 1 Sep 1658 in Dorchester, Suffolk Co., MA (13), and d.15 Sep 1699 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA. She married Josiah Rockett 9 May 1677 in Medfield.(14)

CHILDREN:

Sources:

  1. 13. Dorchester, Suffolk, MA Vital Records.
  2. 14. Medfield, Worcester Co., MA Vital Records. pg. 179.
  3. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929

6.   Hannah Twitchell, b. 8 Jun 1660 in Dorchester, Suffolk, MA. (13), and d. 8 Oct 1723 in Medway, Norfolk, MA. She m. Samuel Hill 4 Nov 1679 in Medfield, Norfolk, MA. (15)

CHILDREN:

Sources:

  1. 13. Dorchester, Suffolk, MA Vital Records.
  2. 15. Medfield, Worcester Co., MA Vital Records pg. 179.
  3. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929

7.     Abiel Twitchell, b. 1 Nov 1663 in Medfield, Norfolk, MA.(16), d. in 1744 age 81.

    According to Henry D. Twitchell, Abiel had two children out of wedlock, one of which was Benoni. Abiel's brother-in-law Josiah Rockett/Rockwood allowed Abiel to stay in their home in Medfield, even after the church threatened him with church discipline for doing so.

     "Abiel married (1) Robert Corbett abt. 1690. [He had been m. to Priscilla Rockett/Rockwood]. Abiel m. (2) John Bugbee, 10 Jul 1696. V.R.'s from Mendon, Worcester Co., MA show "Abiel was born in 1663 to Benjamin and Marie TWITCHELL." She had two children with Robert Corbett, Damorous (b. 15 Feb 1692) and Daniel, b. 29 Dec 1693. Vital Records from Woodstock, CT are quoted, Vol 1, p. 4, "Daniel Corbit, son of Robert Corbit and Abiel his wife, born December 29, 1693". The book also indicates that a reference to Abiel's marriage to John Bugbee, as a widow to Robert Corbett, shows her name as "Abigail", but this was based on a published source, not the original VR". [Descendants of Robert Corbett, 1683 - 1995", complied by Gordon L. Corbett and James L Corbett.]

"Prior to this book, I believed Robert CORBETT's (the "immigrant" ancestor) only wife was Priscilla Rockwood. Robert, came from England (exactly where or when is unknown), however he was in Mendon, MA before 1682, where he married Priscilla, and he died in Woodstock, CT 18 Sept 1695. He had 2 children with Priscilla - John & Joseph." [Alicia Williams, decendent of Daniel Corbett].

    Ralph Emerson's"Twitchell Genealogy" stated that Abiel was a "son" of Bejamin Twitchell. This was in all probablility a simple slip on his part or a printer's error since on page twelve he stated that Mary's "sister, Abiel, lived with them at Medfield." This is the Joshua Rockett/Rockwood mentioned above.

CHILD OF UNKNOWN FATHER/s

CHILDREN BY ROBERT CORBETT:

Sources:

  1. (16) Medfield, MA Vital Records. pg. 99
  2. Vital Records from Woodstock, CT, Vol 1, p. 4
  3. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929
  4. V.R.'s of Mendon, Worcester Co., MA
  5. Descendants of Robert Corbett, 1683 - 1995", complied by Gordon L. Corbett and James L Corbett.
  6. Information from Alicia Williams, a decendent of Daniel Corbett

8. Bethia Twitchell, b. 1665 in Medfield, Norfolk, MA. [Jameson's Hist.states Bethia b. in Dorchester, MA.] She d. 1 Jan 1706 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA.(17) Bethiah m. Rev. John Rockett on 19 Jul 1688 in Medfield, Norfolk, MA. (18)(19) (20) He b. 12 Feb 1662 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA.(21) (22), and d. 16 Dec 1746. (23)(24)  CHILDREN:

Sources:

  1. 17. Jameson's History of Medway. 1885. pg. 520.
  2. 18. Medfield, MA Vital Records. pg. 179.
  3. 19. Jameson's History of Medway. 1885. pg. 520.
  4. 20. Rev. Abner Morse. Genealogical Register of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Sherborn &
  5. Holliston. 1856, Boston, Press of Damrell & Moore. pg. 216.
  6. 21. Jameson's History of Medway. 1885. pg. 520.
  7. 22. Rev. Abner Morse. Genealogical Register of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Sherborn &
  8. Holliston. 1856, Boston, Press of Damrell & Moore. pg. 214.
  9. 23. Jameson's History of Medway. 1885. pg. 520.
  10. 24. Rev. Abner Morse. Genealogical Register of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Sherborn &
  11. Holliston. 1856, Boston, Press of Damrell & Moore. pg. 214.
  12. 25. Jameson's History of Medway. 1885. pg. 520.
  13. 26. Ibid. pg. 520.
  14. 27. Ibid. pg. 520.
  15. 28. Ibid. pg. 520.
  16. 29. Ibid. pg. 520.
  17. 30. Ibid. pg. 520.
  18. 31. Ibid. pg. 520.
  19. 32. Ibid. pg. 520.
  20. 33. Ibid. pg. 520.
  21. 34. Ibid. pg. 520.
  22. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929

9. Marie Twitchell, b. 1667 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., MA., and d. in 1717. She m. Samuel Meuls (Hills?) o3 Feb 1684 in Medfield, Norfolk, MA. (35)

Sources:

  1. 35. Dedham, Norfolk, MA, Vital Records.
  2. "Genealogy of the Twitchell Family, Record of the Descendants of  The Puritan Benjamin Twitchell 1632-1927:, Comp. & Ed. by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, N.Y., N.Y., 1929



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