Mary Collyer was born to John & Ruth Collyer and was baptized on 21 Nov 1773. She married Samuel Bowden on 10 Dec 1792. She married Isaac Collyer on 16 Dec 1800. All in Marblehead.
The following is how I came to the conclusions listed above:
Mary's death record records that her parents were Ruth & John Collyer. The death date and age in that record match this grave marker. The grave marker links Mary to Isaac Collyer. Vital Records records that Isaac married "Mrs." Mary Bowden. Therefore, Mary had to have married a Bowden before she married Isaac Collyer. That marriage had to take place after she as 15 (I assume), and her marriage to Isaac, so between 1789 and 1800.
After this point, it is speculation based on some circumstantial evidence:
There is only one vital record reporting a Mary Collyer marrying a Bowden in this period, and that is a "Polly Collyer" marrying a Samuel Bowden on 10 Dec 1792. Samuel Bowden would (probably) have had to die for Mary to be free to marry Isaac, but here is no vital record for Samuel's death before Mary's marriage to Isaac in 1800. There is a record of a Samuel Bowden dying in 1840 that seems to match his age and could be him. There is no record of this Polly Bowden remaining married to Samuel and dying as Mrs. Bowden.
Therefore, it cannot be ascertained with certainty if the Mary (Collyer) Bowden-Collyer buried here is indeed the woman who married Samuel, or not. Perhaps she obtained a divorce, in which case, all the evidence is consistent, except for the rarity of divorce in that era.
I welcome any hard evidence that might nail down this matter.
Mary Collyer was born to John & Ruth Collyer and was baptized on 21 Nov 1773. She married Samuel Bowden on 10 Dec 1792. She married Isaac Collyer on 16 Dec 1800. All in Marblehead.
The following is how I came to the conclusions listed above:
Mary's death record records that her parents were Ruth & John Collyer. The death date and age in that record match this grave marker. The grave marker links Mary to Isaac Collyer. Vital Records records that Isaac married "Mrs." Mary Bowden. Therefore, Mary had to have married a Bowden before she married Isaac Collyer. That marriage had to take place after she as 15 (I assume), and her marriage to Isaac, so between 1789 and 1800.
After this point, it is speculation based on some circumstantial evidence:
There is only one vital record reporting a Mary Collyer marrying a Bowden in this period, and that is a "Polly Collyer" marrying a Samuel Bowden on 10 Dec 1792. Samuel Bowden would (probably) have had to die for Mary to be free to marry Isaac, but here is no vital record for Samuel's death before Mary's marriage to Isaac in 1800. There is a record of a Samuel Bowden dying in 1840 that seems to match his age and could be him. There is no record of this Polly Bowden remaining married to Samuel and dying as Mrs. Bowden.
Therefore, it cannot be ascertained with certainty if the Mary (Collyer) Bowden-Collyer buried here is indeed the woman who married Samuel, or not. Perhaps she obtained a divorce, in which case, all the evidence is consistent, except for the rarity of divorce in that era.
I welcome any hard evidence that might nail down this matter.
Inscription
ISAAC COLLYER
Died
Nov 4, 1847
AEt. 67 yrs.
MARY
his wife
Died Aug. 21, 1855
AEt. 81 yrs.
[A verse follows which was not noted]
Gravesite Details
Maiden and married names are both "Collyer".
Family Members
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
