GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From: wprokasy <>
Subject: Peter EMERSON of Haverhill
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 19:36:10 -0400

Cousins and Colleagues...

Were there two Peter Emersons of approximately the same age living in
Haverhill during the 1740's-1760's? If so, who are the parents of the
Peter who was not born to John and Abigail (Stevens) Emerson July 17,
1723?

A related question is: is Miriam sometimes an alternative name for Mary?

The Haverhill VRs have Peter Emerson marrying Miriam Marble June 1744
and also Peter Emerson marrying Mary Stanton "bef 1748." Jane Emerson
James (History of the Haverhill Emersons Revisited, p. 59,61) lists
these as one Peter Emerson marrying Mary after the death of Miriam and
lists the death year of Mary as 1759 or 1760.

There are complications if these are not distinct Peter Emersons. The
Haverhill VRs have 4 children born to Peter and Miriam from 1745 to
1760, including an eleven-year gap between 1745 and 1756. The VRs also
have 13 children born to Peter and Mary over a span of 1747 to 1771.

Militating against there being just one Peter Emerson is not only the
overlap in birth years, but that, according to the Haverhill VRs, both
Miriam and Mary had children in July 1758 and also in, respectively,
March and May of 1760. (James reports the former pair as possible twins
and the May birth of the latter pair as May of 1761, which, if true,
avoids the complication.)

If there is but a single Peter Emerson, then how are the VRs to be
reconciled with this? If there are two Peter Emersons, what is the
ancestry of the second?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Bill

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William F. (Bill) Prokasy
Genealogy Page: http://www.arches.uga.edu/~wprokasy/home.htm
USGENWEB Methuen: http://members.home.net/williampro/index.ht

This thread:

• Peter EMERSON of Haverhill by wprokasy <>