16 Joshua 2 BIGELOW,
sixth child and fifth son of John 1
and Mary (WARREN) BIGELOW , was born 5 Nov
1655 in Watertown, Middlesex county, MA. Just before reaching his majority,
on 20 October 1676, he married Elizabeth FLAGG, daughter of Thomas and Mary (?) FLAGG. She was born in Watertown
22 March 1657, according to the BIGELOW genealogy, but the FLAGG genealogy and Bond's history give this correctly
as 1655. She died in Watertown
9 Aug 1729. Some authorities list Elizabeth's maiden name as FLEGG (which
may be correct).
Joshua served in the colonial engagement known as
King Phillip's War, as a member of Capt. Ting's company. He was wounded, and
as a result was given a grant of land in Narragansett No. 2, which we know
as Westminister, MA. However, Joshua continued to live in Watertown until
his last few years, the grant passing to his son Eleizer. See also Bodge's
volume on the colonial wars.
Joshua was appointed executor of his father's will,
along with his brother in law Isaac LARNED. In return for which he received
a larger share of his father's estate than did his brothers and sisters.
He appears to have been well known in his lifetime.
Howe's Bigelow Family in America says that "in his
87th year, being anxious to reside on the land he had earned at the peril
of his life", Joshua removed to Westminister with his son Eleizer, and lived
there until his death on 01 February 1745. He outlived all his brothers and
sisters save Abigail (BIGELOW) HARRINGTON.
Joshua and Elizabeth (FLAGG) BIGELOW had twelve children,
all born Watertown:
161 Joshua, born 25 Nov 1677; died 09 May 1728 Weston, MA; married 17 Oct 1701 Hannah FISKE. Resided Weston. 9 children.
162 Jonathan, born 22 Mar 1679; died after 1745 (his will is dated Jan 1746) at Weston, MA; married (1) 11 June 1702 Elizabeth BEMIS, who died 1734; and (2) 29 Jan 1742 Mary RICE. Resided Weston. 5 children.
163 Lieut. John, born 20 Dec 1681; died 8 Mar 1770 Colchester, CT; married four times as follows: (1)about 1705 Hannah ______, who died 1709; (2) 09 Nov 1709 his first cousin Sarah BIGELOW; (3) about 1755 Abigail ______, who died 1760; and (4) Hannah MUNN. Lived Hartford, CT. to 1709, then Colchester, CT. 2 sons from first marriage (John and David), 3 children from second.
164 Benjamin, born 20 Jan 1683; he was "in the public service", and was injured by being thrown from a horse. Died 27 Oct 1709, unmarried.
165 Jabez. There are no actual records of this son. Family tradition says he moved to Bristol, England, and became a merchant. But genealogists have never found any trace of him in England.
166 Elizabeth,
born 3 Aug 1687;died Sept 26 1748, Worcester, Ma.* ; married 28 Feb 1724 Jonathan
HARRINGTON. 1 daughter.
* Reference Source is: Bryce Index
His Source: Weis, F.L. "Early Generations of the Family of
Robert Harrington of Watertown, Massachusetts, 1634, and some of his descendants"
pp. 16,19, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 46, 47, 86,
117-118, additional information on the Harrington side.
?. Mercy. Bond's "Genealogies and History of Watertown" places a daughter of this name in Joshua's family, but it is now generally agreed that there was no such daughter, and Bond was confused by Samuel(2) BIGELOW's daughter Mercy, whose birth was accidentally recorded as "Martha".
167 David, born 30 Apr 1694; said to have died in Spain, but there is no proof.
168 Joseph, born 29 Dec 1695; died 6 Jan 1765 Weston, MA; married (1)about 1720 Sarah ______, who died 18 Feb 1755 "in her fifties"; and (2) 10 July 1755 Thankful ROBINSON, who outlived him to marry (2) 1766 Ezra GRAVES, and (3) 1769 Isaac RICE, both of Sudbury. Joseph resided Weston, and had 3 children born 1720's.
169 Daniel, baptized 29 Aug 1697; died about 1769 Worchester, MA; married at unknown date Elizabeth WHITNEY. Resided Worchester, MA. 6 children.
16A Ebenezer, born 04 Sept 1698; married 29 May 1720 Hannah BROWNE. They moved to Weston, then Worchester, next Newton, then Waltham. Ebenezer was a ship's carpenter, and is said to have died in Cuba. Church records show 12 children, several of whom have proved untraceable.
16B Gershom, born 06 Sept 1701; died 02 Feb 1769 Auburn, MA; married 25 June 1724 Rachel GALE. Resided Weston, Sutton, and Auburn. 9 children at least, of whom only 5 are listed in Bigelow genealogy. Of these, one daughter's marriage is incorrect, and a son's family is also incorrect.
16C Eleizer or Eleazer,
born 14 Mar 1705; died 24 Feb 1762 at Westminister, MA;
married 24 Nov 1724 Mary FISKE. Resided Watertown and Westminister. 7 children.
Sources:
Howe, Bigelow Family in America;
Bond, Genealogies and History of Watertown;
vital records of various Massechusetts towns.
Reprinted from The Bigelow Society document by Rod Bigelow on 7/24/96.
This might be a good time to bring up the numbering system used by The Bigelow Society in its' publications. Basically, John BIGLO (immigrant ancestor) is #1 and his children are numbered as in what order they were born, etc. Such as:
1 John BIGLO
16 Joshua(2) BIGELOW being the sixth child,
second generation.
161 Joshua(3) first child, third generation.
162 Jonathan(3) second child
163 Lieut. John
164 Benjamin
165 Jabez
166 Elizabeth
Mercy
not assigned
167 David
168 Joseph
169 Daniel
16A Ebenezer, "A" is used for the tenth child
16B Gershom
16C Eleizer or Eleazor
< rodbigelow@netzero.net > 
