Joseph SIMONDS

HUSBAND:
[F1138]. Joseph SIMONDS.
Born 18 OCT 1652 at Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; son of William SIMONDS [F2276] and Judith PHIPPEN [F2277].

He married Mary TIDD [F1139] on 7 MAR 1680-1681 at Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Much confusion exists as to the exact marriage year, but Source 9 is quite clear that this is correct.

He had purchasing 47 acres there in a deed dated 15 October 1679 from his brother James, part of the farm called Shaw’s Farm, which their father had bought with Michael Bacon in 1648. He received that property from his brother in exchange for "one new dwelling-house not finished and a barn and orchard and about 15 acres appertaining thereto situate in Woburn," formerly the land of Michael Knight, along with 2 acres south of Concord Road, 4 acres in Long Meadow, a lot of woodland in the Seventh Division, 2 ½ acres in Maple Meadow Plain, 2 acres in Hogde’s Hole (now in Burlington), 2 ½ acres in Timber Field, and 20 acres near Settle Meadow. (S6).

He moved to Cambridge Farms, Massachusetts in 1681 with his father-in-law. He was a carpenter.

In the division of lots "beyond the eight mile Line betwixt that and Concord line" in 1683, he also received five acres in the seventh squadrant.(S6). At the election for town officers for Cambridge on 9 November 1685 and 8 November 1686, he was chosen a "survayor for ye high ways" for "ye farmes" (S6). On 14 November 1687, he was elected "Constable for ye farmes," (S6).

In December 1691 when Cambridge Farms was incorporated as a precinct, Joseph Simonds paid £2.00 in the subscription towards the first meeting house. (S6).

He was a subscriber to the first meeting house at Cambridge Farms in 1692.

He was assessed one of the six highest tax bills for the minister’s salary between 1 May 1692 and 1 May 1693, paying 17s.9d. (S6).

On 9 March 1695/6, he was chosen a tithing man for the Farms. (S6). On 14 March 1697/8 and 13 March 1698/9, he was chosen a selectman. (S6).

He was admitted to the church in Cambridge Farms in 1698. He was appointed caretaker of ammunition in 1700.

On 10 March 1700/01 and 3 March 1702, "Ensigne Jos: Symonds" was again chosen a tithingman for the Farms. (S6).

He was a common school subscriber in 1711. He was appointed as Ensign in 1712. [But S6 shows he was designated Engign in 1700].

Cambridge Farms became Lexington in 1713.

After Lexington was incorporated as a town on 20 March 1712/13, Joseph Simonds was one of the first five people to be elected a selectman for the new town on 30 March 1712/13. (S6).

He died 12 AUG 1733 at Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

He was buried in the old Lexington cemetery next to his wife where their stone still stands.(S6).

Here lyes Buried
ye Body of Mr
Joseph Simonds
Who Died Augst
Ye 12th 1733
Aged 81 Years

Also here lyes
ye Body of Mrs
Mary Simonds
wife to Mr Joseph
Simonds who Died
Decembr 4th 1733
Aged 77 Years

The will (S6) of Joseph Simonds was presented for probate to the probate court of Middlesex County (Middlesex Probate File 20428), and on 17 September 1733 his heirs were ordered to present themselves at 10 o’clock in the morning, September 21, to the house of the probate judge Jonathan Remington to make any objections they might have to the will which is as follows:

In the Name of God Amen. I Joseph Simonds of Lexington in the County of Middlesex in the Province of the Massachussets Bay in New England Yeoman, being at the Present writing hereof of a sound Disposing mind & memory, but sensible of my own Mortality, do therefore make & ordain this my Last will & Testament in manner & form as followeth

And first of all I Commend my precious & Immortal soul into the hands of Jesus Christ my gratious Redeemer & my Body I commit to ye Dust by a Decent funeral in hopes of a Joyfull Resurrecton; & as to my outward Estate my Will & Pleasure is to Dispose the same In the following manner.

I do Give unto my beloved children Joshua Jonathan & Daniel Simonds, Rebekah Wellington & Mary Grimes Ten shillings a Peice.

Item, I Give to my beloved children Joseph Simonds, Abigail Knight, & Elizabeth Brown Ten pounds a peice to Each of them.

all my Beds & Bedding I give to my Daughters Rebekah Wellington, Mary Grimes, Abigail Knight, and Elizabeth Brown.

my wearing apperell I give to to be Divided among all my sons Joshua, Joseph, Jonathan and Daniel Simonds.

Further I appoint that all my Debts & funeral charges be Justly Paid, & then my will is, that the Residue of my Estate both reall and Personal be equally divided among all my children saving that the part or Division of it that might appertain to my Daughter Abigail Knight, be reserved In the hands of my Executor & Improved to the use & behalff of her two sons William, & Edmund Hastings, & be fully paid to them with ye Interest as they come of age, & if one of them decease before that age of Twenty one years then the serviving son to Receive it, & if both Decease, it shall be paid to their mother without Interest.

and I do appoint my beloved son Daniel Simonds sole Executor of this my Last Will. And this is my Last Will, & that I do hereby putt my hand & seal this Sixteenth day of January, Anno Dom. one Thousand Seven hundred & Thirty Two, Three. In the sixth year of his Majes Reign

Signed sealed & declared to be my last Will in Presence of
Daniel Tidd
Joseph Simonds
David Cutler
Mary Cutler

The will was proved on September 21, and in accordance with the terms of the will, Daniel Simonds was appointed executor and directed by the court to present an inventory.

[This will shows quite clearly that daughter Rebecca was married to Wellington. This indicates that Rebecca Whitmore, who is often cited as the wife of Thomas Wellington, could not have been married to him. Rebecca Simonds and Rebecca Whitmore were born within about 8 years of each other, and in the same town, but as no record of marriage is found for either, this will must stand as proof of the correct relationship. This leaves the question open of who the husband of Rebecca Whitmore could be, but I see no indication in the records that it was Thomas Wellington. RAM].

WIFE:
[F1139]. Mary TIDD.
Born 13 NOV 1656 at Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; daughter of John TIDD [F2278] and Rebecca WOOD [F2279].

She married Joseph SIMONDS [F1138] on 7 MAR 1680-1681 at Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Much confusion exists as to the exact marriage year, but Source 9 is quite clear that this is correct.

The following report is given (S6), involving her and Benjamin Simonds the brother of Joseph. Benjamin became a respected resident of Woburn, however, in his younger years he was accused of a serious crime. In 1676, he was indicted before the Court of Assistants for raping Elizabeth Pierce, the daughter of Robert Pierce near his father’s house, which was being used as a garrison during King Philip’s War. The jury found him guilty not of rape, but of attempted rape. In December 1676, the case was referred to the Middlesex County Court under the charge of "wanton dallying with Elizabeth Pierce tending to uncleanness." Benjamin chose a jury trial during which two jurors were objected to. Elizabeth Pierce testified that she had told him to "lett mee alone for it will bee both sin and a shame to you and me as long as we live." Her father, Robert Pierce, also testified to the lax moral behavior in the Simonds’ garrison house to which he had been ordered, "it being Appoynted a fortified house…In the garrison or fortified house of the Widdo Simons was soe much disorder and rudeness…and uncivill carriages as in particular of Benjamin Simons and Mary Tids being laide on a bed together…Benjamin Simons and Mary Tids [did] dance together…Mary Tids [did] sit in the lap of Benjamin Simons and smoke tobaco and these things they did freely practise." Robert Pierce then went "to the next garison which was goodman bakers, which being somewhat more straitened then at ye other place." Despite this testimony, it appears that evidence, now lost, must have been presented that Elizabeth Pierce was not the unwilling victim that she and her father claimed. She, along with Benjamin Simonds, was fined two pounds.

She went with her husband to Cambridge Farms shortly after their marriage. All her children were born there.

She was admitted to the church at Cambridge Farms in 1698. She died 4 DEC (JAN-S5) 1732 at Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. She was buried in the old Lexington cemetery, where her stone still stands. (S6).

CHILDREN of Joseph SIMONDS [F1138] and Mary TIDD [F1139]:
  1. [F569]. Rebecca SIMONDS. Born 11 JUN 1682 at Cambridge Farms, Massachusetts. She married Thomas WELLINGTON [F568] in 1708. She died 6 Nov 1734 at Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
  2. Mary SIMONDS. Born (15-S1,S5,S6)(16-S2) DEC 1684 at Cambridge Farms Massachusetts. She married in 1705 William GRIMES, son of George GRIMES and Elizabeth BLANCHARD of Billerica. She died (probably at Lexington) before 12 March 1759.
  3. Joshua SIMONDS. Born 23 JAN 1686-7 at Cambridge Farms Massachusetts. He married Hannah POULTER (b. Nov. 12, 1697; d. Nov. 11, 1789), daughter of John POULTER and Hannah HAMMOND. He died 3 NOV 1768 at Lexington, Massachusetts.
  4. Joseph SIMONDS. Born 8 JUN 1689 at Cambridge Farms, Massachusetts. Married first Rachel, second Mary, and third, Nov. 17, 1738, Hannah ABBE. His children were all born at Killingly, CT. He was bur. Congregational Church Yard, Ware, MA.
  5. Jonathan SIMONDS. Born about 1692-3 at Lexington, Massachusetts. Selectman in 1732. Married Lydia BOWMAN (b. 1695; d. Apr. 18, 1790), daughter of Francis BOWMAN and Lydia STONE. As widow of Jonathan, Lydia married second Thomas CUTLER. She married third Samuel WINSHIP. He died 22 FEB 1747-8 at Lexington, Massachusetts.
  6. Daniel SIMONDS. Born (about 1692-S5) 3 NOV 1693 at Cambridge Farms, Massachusetts. Chosen Hog-reeve 1716, and selectman 1740 and 1755. Married Nov. 29, 1716 Abigail SMITH (b. Jul. 7, 1697, Watertown, MA; d. Apr. 2, 1776, Lexington, MA), daughter of Jonathan SMITH and Jane PEABODY. He died 3 APR 1776 (1777-S5).
  7. Abigail SIMONDS. Born about 1695, probably at Cambridge Farms, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. She married first William HASTINGS (bap. Jul. 13, 1690; d. Oct. 20, 1723), son of John HASTINGS and Abigail HAMMOND; and second John KNIGHT, the son of John KNIGHT and Abigail CRAGGIN. She lived at least until 1736 when her last child was born.
  8. Elizabeth SIMONDS. Christened 13 NOV 1698 at Cambridge Farms, Massachusetts. She married about 1719 Jonathan BROWN, the son of Capt. Abraham BROWN and Mary HYDE. She died 6 AUG 1765 at Waltham, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Watertown Burying Ground.


SOURCES: