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Joseph Harding (b. by 1632), son Unknown Harding and (likely) Martha Doane
Bethiah Cook (b. c. 1640), daughter of Josiah Cook and Elizabeth Ring
Joseph was born by 1632. He married Bethiah Cook on 4 April 1660 in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.1
Bethiah Cook was the daughter of Josias (Josiah) Cook.2 She was born about 1640 in Plymouth.3 She probably died in Eastham, her death date is unknown.3
Bethiah is referred to as Bethiah Harding, the wife of Joseph Harding of Eastham, in the 1 June 1687 settlement of her father's estate.
Samuel Smith, the late constable of Eastham, complained that Joseph Harding had abused him while he was executing his office. On 5 March 1671 the court ordered that Mr. Freeman was to have Samuel return Joseph's gun to him and Joseph was to be fined ten shillings. [RPC5, 85]
Children of Joseph Harding and Bethiah Cook: Births recorded in Eastham as children of Joseph (following marriage of Joseph and Bethiah)1
i. Martha Harding was born on 13 December 1662. She married Samuel Brown on 19 February 1682 in Eastham.1,4
ii. Mary Harding was born on 19 August 1665.
ii. Lieutenant Joseph Harding was born on 8 July 1667. He died in early 1745.5 He married Dinah Hedges probably about 1690 in Chatham.6 Dinah was the daughter of Tristram and Anne (Nickerson) Hedges.5 She was the granddaughter of William Nickerson of Yarmouth and Chatham. She died on 28 January 1738, age 76.5
Joseph and Dinah settled in Chatham. The lived on the neck southeast of Cockle Cove called Ragged Neck. Joseph owned all of the neck at the time of his death. Harding's Beach in Chatham is named after him.5
Joseph was lieutenant of the military company from as early as 1702 until 1775.5
On 20 January 1719, Captain Joseph Harding of Chatham was appointed administrator of the estate of his son-in-law William Baker, who had died intestate.7
Joseph wrote his will on 16 February 1738/9; it was proved on 8 May 1745.5
iii. Josiah Harding was born on 1 August 1669.
iv. Amaziah Harding was born on 1 November 1671. He died on 5 June 17134 in Barnstable. He married Hannah Rogers.
v. John Harding was born on 9 October 1673. He died on 14 June 1697 in Eastham.1 He married Susanna Unknown. She married second William Brown.
vi. Joshua Harding was born on 15 February 1671.
vii. Nathaniel Harding was born on 25 December 1674 (town record) or 1677.8 He died on 1 August 1741, age 63, in Truro, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.8 He married Hannah Collins on 20 March 1700/1 in Eastham.1 Hannah, the daughter of Joseph and Ruth (Knowles) Collins, was born the "latter end" of February 1680/1.8 She died on 2 April 1724, age 43 years and two months, in Truro.8 Nathaniel married second Hannah Young on 30 November 1725 in Truro.8 Hannah, the daughter of David and Anne (Doane) Young and granddaughter of John Young, was born on 6 September 1693 in Eastham.8 She died after 13 March 1750. She married second as his second wife John Merrick on 17 December 1746 in Truro.8 John married first Ann Sears, the daughter of Paul Sears.8
Roser argues that Nathaniel's recorded birthdate is an error.8
Hannah Young was mentioned in the 13 March 1750 will of her second husband.8
viii. Abiah Harding was born on 26 January 1679. He married Rebecca Young on 24 September 1713 in Eastham.1
ix. Samuel Harding was born on 1 September 1683.
References:
1. "Eastham, Mass, Vital Records," Mayflower Descendant 5: 197 (marriage of Martha); 4: 142 (marriage of Abiah); 7: 13 (births of the children, death of John); 9: 9 (marriage of Nathaniel).
2. "Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1630," database with images, AmericanAncestors (2010), 854.
3. John Insley Coddington, "The Widow Mary Ring of Plymouth, Mass., and Her Children," The American Genealogist 42 (1966): 193–205.
4. David Hamlin, "First Settlers of Eastham, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6 (1852): 41–46.
5. "New Englanders in Nova Scotia," database with images, AmericanAncestors (2010, https://www.americanancestors.org/DB398/i/12125/70/137024965), image 70, citing R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA.
6. "New England Marriages to 1700," digitized books, AmericanAncestors (2008), vol. 2: 698, originally published as: Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015).
7. “Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685–1789,” database with images, AmericanAncestors (2008, https://www.americanancestors.org/DB19/i/7362/353/6105577), 3: 354.
8. Susan E. Roser, "Harding-Merrick Notes," The American Genealogist 72 (1997): 109–10.
RPC5. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, Vol. 5, 1668–1678 (Boston: William White, 1856).
Last revised: 23-Nov-2022