Deborah Church (1677-1752) is #743 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandmother, who married #742 Samuel Gray (1682-1712) in 1699 in Little Compton, Rhode Island.
I am descended through:
* their daughter, #371 Lydia Gray (1707-????) , who married #370 Joseph Ladd (1701-1748), in 1731
* their daughter #185 Elizabeth "Betsy" Ladd (1735-1814), married #184 Benedict Oatley (1732-1821) in 1755.
* their son # 92 Joseph Oatley (1756-1815), married #95 Mary Hazard (1765-1857) in 1781.
* their son #46 Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872), married #47 Amy Champlin (1798-1865) in 1813.
* their daughter #23 Amy Frances Oatley (1826-1864), married #22 Henry Arnold White (1824-1885) who married in 1844.
* their daughter #11 Julia E. White (1848-1913) who married #10 Thomas Richmond (1848-1917) in 1868.
* their daughter #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) who married #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) in 1900.
* their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
* their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)
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1) PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
* Name: Deborah Church[1–4]
* Alternate Name: Deborah Grey[5-6,9]
* Alternate Name: Deborah Throope[7]
* Alternate Name: Deborah Church Gray Throope[8]
* Sex: Female
* Father: Joseph Church 1638-1711
* Mother: Mary Tucker 1640-1710
2) INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
* Birth: 12 March 1676/7, Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States[1–3]
* Distribution: 12 March 1710/1 (age 34), father's will proved ; Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island, United States[5]
* Distribution: 2 April 1712 (age 36), husband's will proved; Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island, United States[6]
* Death: 8 June 1752 (age 76), Lebanon, New London, Connecticut, United States[7–8]
* Burial: after 8 June 1752 (after age 76), Old Cemetery, Lebanon, New London, Connecticut, United States[8]
3) SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
* Spouse 1: Samuel Gray 1681-1712
* Marriage 1: 13 July 1699 (about age 22), Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island, United States[1–2]
* Child 1: Samuel Gray 1700-1764
* Child 2: John Gray 1701-1702
* Child 3: Dorothy Gray 1704-1740
* Child 4: Joseph Gray 1706-1706
* Child 5: Lydia Gray 1707-
* Child 6: Simeon Gray 1709-1742
* Child 7: Ignatius Gray 1711-1712
* Spouse 2: Daniel Throope 1670-1737
* Marriage 2: 21 January 1713 (age 36), Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island, United States[1-2,9]
* Child 8: William Throope 1714-1714
* Child 9: Daniel Throope 1715-1771
* Child 10: Joseph Throope 1717-1799
4) NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
Deborah Church was born 12 March 1676/7 in Hingham, Massachusetts, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Tucker) Church[1-3]. The Church family moved to Little Compton, Rhode Island in about 1680.
She married (1) Samuel Gray (1682-1712), son of Edward and Dorothy (Lettice) Gray, on 13 July 1699 in Little Compton, Rhode Island[1-2,4]. The Samuel Gray family resided in Musquosh Hollow in Little Compton. Samuel and Deborah had seven children, all recorded in the Little Compton town records:
* Samuel Gray (1700-1764), married 1721 Hannah Kent (1702-1769).
* John Gray (1701-1702).
* Dorothy Gray (1704-1740), married (1) Samuel Throop (1700-1726); (2) 1729 Ebenezer Hyde (1702-1742).
* Joseph Gray (1706-1706).
* Lydia Gray (1707-????), married 1731 Joseph Ladd (1701-1748).
* Simeon Gray (1709-1742), married 1731 Ann Hide (1713-1773).
* Ignatius Gray (1711-1712).
Deborah's father, Joseph Church of Little Compton Esq., wrote a will dated 15 February 1710/11 and proved on 12 March 1710/11 in Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court[5]. His daughter, Deborah Gray, was bequeathed:
"I give and bequeath to my Daughter Deborah Grey the wife of Samuel Grey one whole share to them & their heires and assignes as aforesd."
Samuel Gray died on 23 March 1712 in Little Compton, Rhode Island. He wrote his will on 20 March 1712 which was proved in Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court on 2 April 1712. His wife, Deborah Gray and his brother Thomas Grey were joint Executors. He bequeathed to his wife Deborah:
"Imp-s. I give and bequeath unto Deborah Grey my Dearly Beloved wife the Improvem-t of my whole Estate both Real and personall for her own and her Childrens maintenance so long as she haves my name or Remaines my widowand do allso Constitute make & ordain Her and my beloved brother Thomas Grey Joynt Executors of this my last will & Testament. Item my will is y-t if my wife after my decease do see cause to Marry again that then she shall have one hundred pounds Currant money of this Province payd to her out of my Estate and shall quit her Right, tithe, interest & ronrom (?) to & with any of the rest of my Estate.
Ten months after Samuel Gray's death, Deborah Gray married (2) Daniel Throope (1670-1737) in Little Compton on 21 January 1713, as his third wife[1-2,9]. He was the son of William and Mary (Chapman) Throope. Daniel Throop and Deborah (Church) Gray had three children:
* William Throope (1714-1714)
* Daniel Throope (1715-1771), married 1737 Susanna Carey (1717-1754).
* Joseph Throope (1717-1799), married 1740 Deborah Buell (1718-1811).
Daniel Throope died on 3 December 1737 in Lebanon, Connecticut.
Deborah (Church) (Gray) Throope died 8 June 1752 in Lebanon, Connecticut[7-8]. She was buried in Old Cemetery in Lebanon[8]. The inscription on her stone says:
"In memory of Deborah Throope, consort of Mr. Dan Throope, who lived a sober and virtuous life and died in hope of eternal life through Christ, June the 8th, 1752, in the 70th year of her age."
5. SOURCES
1. Robert S. Wakefield (compiler), Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Volume 18: Family of Richard Warren (3 Parts) (Boston, Mass.: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1999), Part 1, page 103, Deborah Church family sketch.
2. Benjamin Franklin Wilbour, Little Compton Families ( Little Compton, R.I.: Little Compton Historical Society, 1967), page 294, #6 Samuel Gray (1682-1712) family sketch.
3. "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," indexed database and digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), "Hingham > Births, Marriages, and Deaths," page 39, image 2419 of 3625, Deborah Church birth entry, 12 March 1676/7.
4. "New England Marriages to 1700," online database with digital images, AmericanAncestors.org (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008), page 651, Samuel Gray and Deborah Church marriage entry, 13 July 1699.
5. "Probate Records, 1687-1916; Index, 1687-1926," Bristol County, Massachusetts, Probate Court Records, on 199 FHL US/CAN Microfilm rolls; original records at Probate Registry, Taunton, Mass., Volume 3, Pages 21-23, probate records of Joseph Church of Little Compton, 1711, on FHL Microfilm 0,461,882.
6. Bristol County [Mass.] Register of Probate, Bristol County (Mass.) Probate Records, 1686-1880, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org), Case 11298 (6 images), estate papers of Samuel Gray of Little Compton, 1712.
7. Robert S. Wakefield (compiler), Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Volume 18: Family of Richard Warren (3 Parts); Part 1, page 103, Deborah (Church) (Gray) Throop death entry, 8 June 1752.
8. Find A Grave, indexed database and digital image, (http://www.findagrave.com), Old Cemetery, Lebanon, Conn., Deborah Church Gray Throope memorial #46181013.
9. Benjamin Franklin Wilbour, Little Compton Families, page 294, Daniel Throop and Deborah Grey marriage entry, 21 January 1713.
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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog in 2014. I have extended this theme in 2023 to 520 Ancestors in 520 Weeks.
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