Establishing the Man Before Chasing the Parents
When a genealogical problem remains unresolved after decades of research, the difficulty is often not a lack of effort but a lack of clarity. Before asking who someone’s parents were, it is essential to establish a more basic fact: who the person actually was.
This post documents what can be stated with confidence about Josiah Willington, husband of Polly Hutchinson, without assigning unproven parentage or speculating about his birth.
Josiah Willington in Braintree, Vermont
The most reliable summary of Josiah Willington’s adult life appears in H. Royce Bass’s History of Braintree, Vermont. Bass was writing from town-level records and local knowledge, and his work is generally careful in distinguishing settlers from one another. In his entry for Josiah Willington, Bass states that Josiah “came from Worcester, Mass.; m. Polly Hutchinson; d. in 1817; occupation, carpenter.”¹
This statement establishes several critical facts. Josiah resided in Worcester, Massachusetts, immediately before settling in Vermont. He married Polly Hutchinson, died in 1817, and worked as a carpenter. Bass then lists Josiah’s children, whose names and order form a consistent family group. There is no indication that Bass is referring to more than one man, nor does he express uncertainty about Josiah’s identity as a settler of Braintree.
Marriage in Worcester, Massachusetts
Josiah Willington married Polly Hutchinson on 6 September 1794 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The marriage record states that both parties were “of Worcester.”²
In late-eighteenth-century Massachusetts records, the phrase “of Worcester” denotes legal residence at the time of marriage rather than place of birth. This confirms that Josiah was a recognized resident of Worcester by 1794, not a transient individual marrying while passing through the town. The marriage record aligns closely with Bass’s statement that Josiah later “came from Worcester” when he removed to Vermont.
Occupation: Carpenter
Bass identifies Josiah’s occupation as carpenter, a detail that helps explain his migration pattern. Carpenters in this period typically learned their trade through apprenticeship or extended employment, lived for years in the towns where they worked, and relocated when land or opportunity became available elsewhere.
This occupational profile fits well with Josiah’s documented residence in Worcester during the early 1790s and his subsequent move to Vermont, where skilled tradesmen were in demand during early settlement.
Removal to Braintree and Death
Josiah eventually settled in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont, where he lived until his death in 1817. Vermont probate records dated the following year confirm his death and demonstrate continuity of identity from Worcester to Braintree.³ No evidence has been found to suggest that more than one man named Josiah Willington lived in Braintree during this period.
Children of Josiah Willington and Polly Hutchinson
H. Royce Bass includes a list of children for Josiah Willington and his wife Polly Hutchinson in his entry for early settlers of Braintree, Vermont.¹ Bass’s account establishes the composition of the household but does not provide full birth details for each child. As is common for early Vermont families, surviving vital records are incomplete, and not every child can be documented with a contemporaneous birth registration.
The children attributed to Josiah Willington and Polly Hutchinson through Bass’s account and corroborated by later records are as follows:
Ashley Hiram Willington, born 25 February 1795.⁴ Ashley’s birth is one of the few supported by a specific date and appears consistently in later Vermont records identifying him as a son of Josiah and Polly.
Lucy L. Willington, born about 1801.⁵ Lucy’s birth year is approximate and derived from later records rather than a surviving birth entry.
David Willington, born 8 April 1803 in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.⁶ David’s birth is supported by Vermont vital records and consistently attributed to Josiah and Polly.
Polly Willington, born after 1803 and died in 1842.⁷ No contemporaneous birth record has been located for Polly, but her placement within the family is supported by compiled family records and probate-era documentation.
Luther Willington, born after 1803 and died in 1839.⁸ Luther does not appear in surviving birth registers, but his association with the Willington family is consistently reported in later records.
Levi Sylvester Willington, born in 1813 in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.⁹ Levi’s birth year and parentage are supported by Vermont vital records.
Amos Hubbard Willington, born 24 March 1815 in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.¹⁰ Amos is the youngest known child, born two years before Josiah’s death, and his birth is recorded in Vermont records.
Although individual birth records have not survived for every child, this group forms a coherent family unit across multiple independent sources. The names, sequence, and time span are consistent with a single household headed by Josiah Willington and Polly Hutchinson, residing in Vermont following their removal from Worcester, Massachusetts.
What Is Not Known
Despite the clarity of Josiah Willington’s adult life, certain facts remain unproven. His birthplace is unknown. His birth year is undocumented. His parents are not identified in any surviving record.
These gaps are not the result of casual research. Town records, county records, newspapers, and published genealogies have been examined repeatedly over many years. The absence of evidence must be acknowledged honestly.
Establishing Identity Before Parentage
In genealogical research, particularly when dealing with common given names, assigning parents before establishing identity often leads to error. This case involves multiple contemporaneous men named Josiah Willington or Wellington living in Massachusetts during the same period. Without careful separation, it is easy to merge records that do not belong together.
By first establishing who Josiah Willington was—where he lived, whom he married, what he did for a living, and where he died—we create a firm foundation for responsible analysis.
Sources
- H. Royce Bass, History of Braintree, Vermont (Braintree, VT: Town of Braintree, n.d.), entry for Josiah Willington.
- Worcester, Massachusetts, marriage records, 6 September 1794, Josiah Willington and Polly Hutchinson.
- Vermont probate records, Orange County, estate of Josiah Willington, proved 1818.
- Vermont Vital Records, birth of Ashley Hiram Willington, 25 February 1795.
- Vermont Vital Records and later compiled records, Lucy L. Willington, b. c. 1801.
- Vermont Vital Records, birth of David Willington, 8 April 1803, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.
- Vermont Vital Records and compiled family records, Polly Willington, d. 1842.
- Vermont Vital Records and compiled family records, Luther Willington, d. 1839.
- Vermont Vital Records, birth of Levi Sylvester Willington, 1813, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.
- Vermont Vital Records, birth of Amos Hubbard Willington, 24 March 1815, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.
The Tumbleweed 