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10. CAPTAIN JOSEPH PALMER (1717–1791) (George, Gershom, Walter)

Joseph Palmer was born on 16 August 1717 in Stonington. He was baptized on 1 September 1717 in Stonington. He died on 12 April 1791. He married first Zipporah Billings on 10 July 1738 in Stonington. He married second Elizabeth (Stevens) Stewart. [1]

Joseph Palmer was commissioned lieutenant of the sixth company of the eighth Connecticut regiment in May 1755. He was commissioned captain of the same company in October 1758. [2]

James Billings referred to Captain Joseph Palmer as his son-in-law in his will of 23 July 1761.

In 1738 Joseph Palmer, a son of George, sold to Joseph Minor for 150 pounds 3-1/4 acres of land lying by Gershom and Zebulon’s share in their deceased father’s estate. Joseph lived on Pendleton Hill in Stonington. [3]

11. ZIPPORAH BILLINGS (1715/6–1765/6) (James, Ebenezer, William)

Zipporah Billings was born on 2 October 1715/6 in Stonington. She was baptized on 21 October 1716 in Stonington. She died in 1765 or 1766. [4] She married Captain Joseph Palmer as his first wife.

Children of Joseph Palmer and Zipporah Billings, the births of the first five recorded in Stonington: [5]

i. David Palmer was born on 20 August 1738. He died in January 1821. He married first Grace Plumbe on 24 April 1760 in North Stonington. Grace, the daughter of Samuel and Grace (Babcock) Plumbe, was born on 19 April 1739 in Stonington. David married second Rachel Coffin of Nantucket. [6]

David was a private in the Revolutionary War and he moved to Clarendon, Rutland, Vermont. [7] In 1810 he headed a household in Clarendon with two men and a woman age 45 and older, two women age 26 to 45, one girl age ten to fifteen and two boys and two girls under ten. In 1820 he headed a household in Clarendon with a man and a woman over 45. [8]

ii. Ethel Palmer was born on 25 July 1740.  He died on 10 May 1798 in Voluntown. He married first Elizabeth Williams of Stonington on 22 December 1763. Elizabeth might be the daughter of Henry and Abigail (Avery) Williams, born on 10 November 1743 in Stonington. Ethel married second Thankful Hewitt. Thankful might be the daughter of Elkanah (Elkanah, Benjamin) and Elizabeth (Minor) Hewitt, born on 2 September 1753 in Stonington. [9]

Children of Ethel Palmer of North Stonington signed receipts for their share of his estate, received from Thankful Palmer, administratrix, on 9 January 1801. [10]

iii. Phebe Palmer (#5) was born on 3 September 1742. She died on 13 September 1793 in Stonington. She married Colonel Elias Sanford Palmer.

iv. Joseph Palmer was born on 1 February 1744/5. He died on 22 August 1829. He married Susannah Kenny in 1770. Susannah may be the daughter of Jeremiah and Mary (Starkweather) Kenny, born on 5 September 1751 in Voluntown. She died on 8 December 1850, age 103 years, three months and eight days. Joseph and Susannah are buried in the Cranson cemetery in Clockville, Madison County, New York. [11}

In 1850 Susan Palmer, age 101 and born in Connecticut, was living in Lenox with Asher H. Palmer and his household. [12]

v. Zipporah Palmer was born on 31 March 1747. She married Unknown Coats. Her husband may have been William, the son of William and Ansibias (or perhaps Austin or Austice) Gray, born on 14 April 1745 in Lebanon. This William Coats died on 7 September 1821 and was buried in the Twelve Thousand Cemetery in Otsego County, New York. [13]

In 1800 William Coats headed a household made up of a man and a woman 45 and older, a woman between 25 and 45, two males between 16 and 25, boys between ten and 15 and two boys under ten in Burlington, Otsego County. [14]

vi. Content Palmer was born on 8 August 1749 in Stonington. She probably died young.

vi. Gershom Palmer was born in 1755. He died on 30 April 1831, age 76, in Pendleton Hill. He married [his first cousin] Zerviah Palmer on 1 January 1778. Zerviah, the daughter of Reverend Gershom (George, Gershom, Walter) and Dorothy (Brown) Palmer, was born in 1756 in Preston and died on 16 December 1832 in Pendleton Hill. [15]

viii. Jemima Palmer was born about 1757. She died on 4 May 1811, age 54, in Preston or Griswold. She may be the Jemima Palmer of Stonington who married Jonathan Phillips of Preston on 21 January 1779 in Preston. Jonathan, the son of Jonathan and Jenevereth (Branch) Phillips, was baptized on 4 February 1753 in Griswold.  He died on 5 December 1815, age 63, in Griswold. [16] He married second Amy Unknown.

Jonathan wrote his will on 4 December 1815 and witnesses testified on 27 December 1815. He mentioned his wife Amy and his children Ethel, Palmer, Joseph, Jonathan, Mary and Asenath. [17]

ix. Eunice Palmer was born in 1759. She died on 1 February 1846. She married [her second cousin once removed] Stuckley (Stully or Stutely?) Palmer on 30 January 1780 in Stonington. Stuckley was the son of Wait (Wait, William, Gershom, Walter) and Mary (Stafford) Palmer. He was born on 23 January 1758 in Stonington. He died on 23 July 1832. Eunice and Stuckley are buried in the Dennison Corners Cemetery in German Flatts, Herkimer County, New York. [18]

Children of Joseph Palmer and Elizabeth Stevens:

10. Sabra Palmer was born on 25 April 1767. She died on 21 July 1850, age 83. She married Rowland Palmer on 1 January 1791 in Stonington.  Rowland, the brother of Sabra’s half sister Eunice’s husband, was born about 1767. He died on 29 April 1856, age 69, in Lafayette, Onondaga County, New York. Sabra and Rowland are buried in the Christian Hollow cemetery in Lafayette. [19]

Endnotes

Revised November 8, 2019

© 2019 A. Buiter