Olive Whitford

Notes:

Arnold's transcriptions of East Greenwich marriages shows a Nicholas Whitford marrying Ruth Shippee, 29 Sept 1764. Is this the one? Probably. He likely married second to Elizabeth Potter. Compare their wills. It is unclear whether they each had a daughter Elizabeth, or whether there was only one. His will mentions his wife Elizabeth; sons Ezekiel, Nicholas, & John; and daughters Eleanor Rice, Hannah blanchard, Mary Weaver, Ruth Harrington, Elizabeth Whitford, Sally Greene, & Olive Whitford.

Nicholas married Elizabeth Potter Aft 1777. Elizabeth died 1826. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Elizabeth was probably the widow of Mr. ? Potter when she married Nicholas. Her will mentions a son Bennett Potter, and a granddaughter Cloe Elizabeth Potter, plus daughters Elizabeth, Sally, and Olive. From my dates, it is unclear whether Elizabeth is the daughter of Nicholas's first wife, Ruth, or of the second, Elizabeth. It is also possible that she had a daughter Elizabeth from her first marriage. Compare her will with that of Nicholas.

Notes:

James N. Arnold's transcriptions of East Greenwich marriages shows an Ezekiel Whitford, son of Ezekiel deceased, marrying Mary Hill, of Thomas, on 9 March 1755. That Ezekiel could possibly be a son of this one who died in 1754. However, Craig Rice shows him as son of Ezekiel Whitford and Mary Stafford.

Ezekiel — Ellen Spencer. Ellen (daughter of William Spencer) died Bef 1754. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Craig Rice shows two wives for Ezekiel: Mary Spencer and Ellen Spencer, with Ellen being the mother of Nicholas, as shown in Arnold's "Vital Record of RI." However, I am wondering if they are sisters, both daughters of William Spencer, or if they are one and the same -- Mary Ellen Spencer. Need to check on this. Ezekiel's will, dated 5 April 1754, mentions his wife Mary and his father-in-law William Spencer.

Notes:

It is believed that Nicholas lived in Portsmouth, West Greenwich, and North Kingstown, RI. He was reportedly a weaver by occupation. His name is found in several legal documents:
On 13 March 1683 he received a legacy of a loom from Orpheus Pomeroy of Portsmouth.
On 21 January 1697 he bought land in East Greenwich from David Shippee for 6 pounds.
On 29 November 1703 he sold a house and 30 acres of land in East Greenwich to William Underwood for 15 pounds (witnessed by John and Elizabeth Pearse and John Heath, Vol. 3 p. 96).
On 3 February 1709/10 he was granted a "quarter right" in the vacant lands of Narragansett, apportioned by the 13 original proprietors as per Act of the RI Assembly (Narra. Hist. Reg., Vol.3, p. 3); this land comprised the present town of West Greenwich.
On 14 August 1721 he and his wife, Mary, mortgaged 25 1/2 acres and a house, for 30 pounds.
On 12 March 1733 he deeded his son Pasco 20 acres.
On 7 November 1733 the mortgage of 1721 was discharged.

In his will, dated 3 December 1743, proved 28 March 1748 W. G., Nicholas mentions:
his eldest son, Pasco, second son Robert, son David, youngest son Ezekiel, eldest daughter Catherine Peckham, and daughters Dinah Weaver, Mary Greene, Ruth Summers, grandsons Jonathan Hill and Thomas Jackwaise, and great-grandson Henry Jackwaise son of granddaughter Elizabeth Jackwaise.

(for additional info see Carl Stone's notes [Dutton family] at Rootsweb's Worldconnect)

Nicholas — Mary CARR. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

It is known that Nicholas's wife was Mary. It is believed she was Mary Carr because some of the male given names of Nicholas's sons and grandsons are names found among male relatives of Mary Carr, possibly indicating that they were named after these relatives. Alden Beaman says she was Mary Casey, born ca. 1674.

If she was Mary Carr, born about 1676-1678, her parents may have been Caleb and Phillip/Phillis Carr, and her paternal grandparents were Robert and Elizabeth Carr. These are our ancestors through the Carr/Kerr line.