Josiah Child

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JOSIAH CHILD (1728–1789/1800), son of Joshua Child and Sarah Stearns

EXPERIENCE READ (1734–aft. 1801), daughter of Isaac Read and Experience Willis

Unless stated otherwise, all places on this page are in Massachusetts.

Josiah, the son of Joshua and Sarah (Stearns) Child, was born on 20 December 1728 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [1][2] He died between 20 December 1789 and 4 November 1800, probably in Framingham, Middlesex County. Josiah of Rutland married Experience Read [3] on 10 October 1753 in Sudbury, Middlesex County. [4, 181]

Experience, the daughter of Isaac and Experience (Willis) Read of Sudbury, was born on 6 November 1734 in Sudbury. [4, 118][3] She was baptized on 10 November 1734. [3]

Josiah lived for a time in Rutland, Worcester County. He and his wife were admitted to the Framingham church on 23 May 1779 by a letter from the church in Rutland. [2]

Josiah Child, yeoman of Framingham, made his will of 20 December 1789. He left his wife Experience his half his real estate and buildings during her widowhood and all his furniture and livestock forever. He left his son Abel Child the other half of his real estate and buildings and all of his farming tools. He left his sons Josiah Child and Daniel Child the other half of his real estate and buildings after their mother's widowhood. He also left each of them seven pounds and ten shillings and half his wearing apparel. He left his daughters Sarah Bemis and Elizabeth Johnson each 15 pounds a year after their mother's death. He appointed his son Abel his executor. Inventory on his estate, presented on 15 November 1800 was made up of 80 acres, a house, and barn worth 1,300 dollars; household furniture worth 58.24 dollars; farming tools worth 5.32 dollars; livestock—two cows and a pig—worth 35.56 dollars; wearing apparel worth eight dollars; bedding and household furniture worth 68.34 dollars; grain, hay and cider worth 72.95 dollars; and a security worth 30 dollars. The will was proved on 4 November 1800. An agreement was signed by Experience Child (with her mark), Phinehas Bemis, Abel Childs, an agent for Captain Daniel Childs, and Josiah Child [but not Amos Johnson] on 30 November 1801 and was accepted by the court on 4 November 1801. [5]

Children of Josiah Child and Experience Reed: Births of the first five recorded in Framingham as the children of Josiah and Experience. [6, 42]

i. Sarah Child was born on 4 September 1755. She married Phinehas Bemis. [7]

ii. Abel Child was born on 9 November 1759. He died on 17 May 1807. [2] He married Hannah, the daughter of Noah Eaton. [2] Hannah, the widow of Abel, died on 14 September 1843, age 82, in Framingham. [6, 418][2]

iii. Josiah Child was born on 23 August 1761. He died young. [2]

iv. Daniel Child was born on 20 April 1764. He died on 25 May 1767 in Framingham. [6, 418]

v. Elizabeth Child was born on 30 April 1766 in Framingham. She died on 6 or 19 August 1835. She married Amos Johnson.

vi. Josiah Child was baptized on 10 June 1770. [2] Josiah Childs, the son of Josiah and Experience, died on 10 April 1848, age 77 years, ten months, and 19 days in Natick, Middlesex County of "wounds inflicted by highway robbery" on 1 April. [8, 209] He married Nancy Brown on 31 March 1796 in Framingham. [6, 255]. Nancy, the daughter of Aaron and Martha (Walker) Brown and granddaughter of Thomas Brown and Azariah Walker, was born on 29 May 1777 in Framingham. [6, 33][2] The widow Nancy Childs, daughter of Aaron and Martha Brown, born in Framingham, died of "old age" on 21 March 1860, age 82 years, nine months and 22 days, in Natick. [9] Josiah and Nancy are buried in the Dell Park Cemetery in Natick. [10]

vi. Captain Daniel Child was was baptized on 26 June 1772. [2] He drowned about 1824. [7] He married Abigail Hayden (Haven) of Marlborough on 16 June 1796. [6, 255][7]

vii. Pede Child was baptized on 24 September 1775 in Framingham. [6, 42] She probably died before 20 December 1789, when she was not mentioned in her father's will. She drowned in a well. [2]

Endnotes:

1. "Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620–1850, database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Watertown, 2: 85.

2. J.H. Temple, History of Framingham (Framingham: the town, 1887), 487, 499.

3. Frances (Davis) McTeer and Frederick Warner, "The Willis Family of Sudbury, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 114 (1956): 22–43.

4. Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts, To the Year 1850 (Boston: New England History Genealogical Society, 1903).

5. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, case 44210.

6. Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Framingham, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850 (Boston: Wright & Potter, 1911).

7. William Barry, A History of Framingham, Massachusetts (Boston: J. Munroe & Co., 1847), 206.

8. Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Natick, Massachusetts, To the Year 1850 (Boston: Stanhope Press, 1910).

9. "Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1840–1910," database with images, AmericanAncestors, vol. 139: 152.

10. Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 14 September 2023), memorial pages for Josiah Childs (23 Aug 1761–10 Apr 1848), Memorial ID 210089767 and Nancy Brown Childs (29 May 1777–21 Mar 1860), Memorial ID 210089945, citing Dell Park Cemetery, Natick, Middlesex County, MA; Maintained by Madeline B (contributor 48190048).

14-Sep-2023 1:32 PM