Tag: Hutchinson

The Josiah of New Braintree

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A Tempting but Unproven Identification

The Josiah Many Trees Attach

A large number of online family trees identify my ancestor, Josiah Willington (husband of Polly Hutchinson), as the son of Josiah Willington and Susanna Stearns. This identification almost always rests on a single individual: the child described in Bond’s History of Watertown as “Josiah of New Braintree,” the only known child of Josiah Willington (b. 1745) and Susanna Stearns, who died in 1766.¹

At first glance, this seems appealing. The name matches. The time period overlaps. And “New Braintree” is geographically plausible within a Massachusetts–Vermont migration pattern. But genealogy is not built on plausibility alone.

What Bond Actually Says

Bond is careful, and his wording matters. He identifies Josiah Willington, born April 4, 1745, son of Thomas Willington and Margaret Stone, who married Susanna Stearns. Susanna died in 1766. Bond then lists one child, identified only as “Josiah of New Braintree.”²

Bond does not provide a birth date for that child, nor a marriage, spouse, children, migration trail, or death record. His entry ends there. This is not unusual in compiled genealogies, but it means the identification stops precisely where many modern trees begin to speculate.

The Age Question and the 1810 Census

The 1810 U.S. census for Braintree, Orange County, Vermont shows Josiah Willington as the sole adult male in his household, aged between 26 and 44.³ This bracket allows for a birth as early as 1766. If the “Josiah of New Braintree” were born in the same year his mother died, he would be 44 years old in 1810, which fits the census category.

Census age brackets establish possibility, not identity.

1810 US Federal Census for Braintree, Vermont.
Close-up of Josiah Willington household from the 1810 census.

The Age Gap with Polly Hutchinson

Polly Hutchinson was born in 1782.⁴ If Josiah were born in 1766, he would be approximately sixteen years older than his wife.

Such an age gap is not impossible in late eighteenth-century New England, but it is less typical for a first marriage. Larger gaps are more often associated with widowers, and there is no evidence that Josiah Willington had been previously married before his 1794 marriage to Polly Hutchinson in Worcester.⁵ The age difference does not disprove the theory, but it raises the standard of proof required to support it.

The Hutchinson Cluster in Braintree

The 1810 census page for Braintree is significant for another reason: the Hutchinson family appears on the same enumeration, near Josiah Willington’s household. The households of Lot Hutchinson and Abiathar Hutchinson are recorded in the same sequence as Josiah’s.³ These are not random names. Lot Hutchinson is Polly’s father, and Abiathar Hutchinson is Polly’s brother.⁶

This matters because early federal census schedules were recorded in the order the enumerator visited households, which typically reflects geographic proximity and often reflects kin-based settlement patterns. The Braintree census therefore shows Josiah living within Polly’s family network.

Equally important, there are no other Willington or Wellington households in Braintree in the 1810 census.³ Josiah appears as a single Willington household surrounded not by paternal kin, but by his wife’s family.

This does not prove his parentage, but it does show where his documented family network lies once the record trail becomes clear.

The Temptation to Explain Silence

At this point, it becomes tempting to construct a narrative: Susanna Stearns dies in childbirth or shortly thereafter; Josiah grows up motherless; his father remarries; Josiah becomes estranged from his paternal family; he leaves with no paper trail and reappears years later in Worcester and then Vermont.

This story is emotionally coherent, but genealogy cannot be built on satisfying explanations.

Estrangement is one of the hardest things to prove in eighteenth-century records, but it is rarely completely invisible. Even estranged children often appear in wills, guardianships, land divisions, apprenticeships, or church records. No such record has been found connecting the “Josiah of New Braintree” to the adult Josiah of Worcester and Vermont.

What we have is not evidence of estrangement. It is silence.

The Missing Documentary Bridge

If my Josiah were the son of Josiah and Susanna Stearns, at least one document would reasonably be expected to connect him forward in time: a record naming origin, a removal or church dismissal, a deed, a probate reference, or a Willington kin connection in Vermont.

Instead, the surviving records place him firmly in a different documented pattern: marriage in Worcester in 1794 with both parties “of Worcester,”⁵ residence in Braintree, Vermont by 1810 within the Hutchinson family cluster,³ and probate in Vermont with no references to Massachusetts Willington kin.⁷ No document links him backward to Watertown, Weston, or New Braintree.

Why This Identification Persists

The persistence of this theory in online trees is understandable. Researchers are confronted with multiple Josiah Willingtons in Massachusetts, incomplete birth records, and a conveniently named child whose adulthood is undocumented. Faced with a brick wall, many choose the explanation that makes the puzzle fit.

At present, identifying my ancestor Josiah Willington as the son of Josiah Willington and Susanna Stearns remains possible but unproven. It rests on age compatibility and name alone, without a single document bridging the gap between childhood and adulthood.

Possibility is not proof.

Sources

  1. Henry Bond, Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1860), Wellington section.
  2. Ibid.
  3. 1810 U.S. Census, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont, households including Josiah Willington, Lot Hutchinson, and Abiathar Hutchinson.
  4. Sutton, Massachusetts, vital records, birth of Molly (Polly) Hutchinson, 1782.
  5. Worcester, Massachusetts, marriage records, Josiah Willington and Polly Hutchinson, 6 September 1794.
  6. Perley Derby, The Hutchinson Family: or the Descendants of Barnard Hutchinson of Cowlam, England (Salem, MA: Essex Institute Press, 1870), entries for Lot Hutchinson and his children, including Polly and Abiathar.
  7. Vermont probate records, estate of Josiah Willington, proved 1818.

Who Was Josiah Willington?

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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

Willington Family in History of Braintree, Vermont by H. Royce Bass.

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

  1. H. Royce Bass, History of Braintree, Vermont (Braintree, VT: Town of Braintree, n.d.), entry for Josiah Willington.
  2. Worcester, Massachusetts, marriage records, 6 September 1794, Josiah Willington and Polly Hutchinson.
  3. Vermont probate records, Orange County, estate of Josiah Willington, proved 1818.
  4. Vermont Vital Records, birth of Ashley Hiram Willington, 25 February 1795.
  5. Vermont Vital Records and later compiled records, Lucy L. Willington, b. c. 1801.
  6. Vermont Vital Records, birth of David Willington, 8 April 1803, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.
  7. Vermont Vital Records and compiled family records, Polly Willington, d. 1842.
  8. Vermont Vital Records and compiled family records, Luther Willington, d. 1839.
  9. Vermont Vital Records, birth of Levi Sylvester Willington, 1813, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.
  10. Vermont Vital Records, birth of Amos Hubbard Willington, 24 March 1815, Braintree, Orange County, Vermont.

Revolutionary War connections

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In 2014, I joined the Daughters of the American Revolution under my 6th great-grandfather, Benjamin Byam. I did my application through him because he was an already established patriot and I already had most of the documentation needed to prove my descent from him, so it was an easy application to do. In reality, I do have other Revolutionary War Patriots in my ancestry that I could have submitted under – and I’ll probably submit them as supplementals one day.

Benjamin Byam was born November 29, 1733 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He had some military service prior to the Revolution, but during the War, he served both in Massachusetts and New Hampshire (where he moved to). Benjamin ended up dying in Randolph, Vermont on November 22, 1795.

Lot Hutchinson, another 6th great-grandfather, was born in Sutton, Massachusetts on August 1, 1741. Lot served as a Sergeant in Captain Abijah Burbank’s company among others during the war, marching from Sutton to Providence, Rhode Island. Lot would eventually move his family from Massachusetts to Braintree, Vermont where he died on March 24, 1818. Lot has not previously been proven a patriot in the DAR database.

Lot’s father-in-law, Moody Morse, my 7th great-grandfather, was born April 1, 1719 in Newbury, Massachusetts. Moody is a proven DAR patriot for performing civil service during the war. Moody died on August 14, 1805 in Sutton, Massachusetts.

Josiah Blanchard was born on December 10, 1733 in Concord, Massachusetts and is another 6th great-grandfather. Josiah is not a currently approved DAR patriot, but he does appear on the muster roll for Cogswell’s Regiment of the Militia in 1778 (part of the 16th Regiment for Massachusetts). He also appears on the rolls for Captain Danforth’s company of Colonel Nixon’s regiment. Josiah died March 18, 1800 in Barre, Vermont.

Abraham Smith (one of several in my tree) was born in 1730 in Subury, Massachusetts and is yet another 6th great-grandfather. He is a DAR approved patriot who served under Captains Brownson, Simonds and Colonels Allen, Warner and Bradley. He died in Tinmouth, Vermont on November 4, 1809.

Bartholomew Towne was a private in Captain Josiah Crosby’s Company of Colonel Moses Nichol’s Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers. Bartholomew was born April 8, 1741 in Topsfield, Massachusetts and died in 1800 in Milford, New Hampshire. Bartholomew is not currently a DAR approved patriot.

Eli Stiles was born May 22, 1746 in Westfield, Massachusetts. He appears on the rolls as serving under Captain Darby’s company of Colonel Scammel’s registment in New Hampshire. It is not known yet exactly when Eli died. He is not currently an approved DAR patriot.

John T. Wortman was born August 25, 1757 in New Jersey and is a fourth great-grandfather. John is an approved DAR patriot who was a teamster in George Allen’s & Samuel Hunt’s teams.  John died on May 19, 1831 in New Jersey.

John’s father, another John Wortman was born November 16, 1730 in Somerset County, New Jersey. He is a DAR approved patriot for being a Corporal and a Wagon Master during the war. John died on August 25, 1807 in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Daniel Munson was born April 4, 1745 in Stratford, Connecticut and is a fifth great-grandfather. Daniel is an approved DAR patriot for having civil service during the war as he was a surveyor of highways in Milford. Daniel died on October 27, 1827 in Milford, Connecticut.

There are probably others that I just haven’t discovered yet. 9 out of 10 of these ancestors are through my mom’s side of the family. I’m sure there are probably more on dad’s side – I just haven’t discovered them yet.