Correspondence regarding the Joseph Mayhew Family
(from Polly (Cottle) Mayhew's Bible)

[Polly Cottle was married to Joseph Mayhew, son of Joseph Mayhew and Love Hillman.]

 

From: Bob Gifford <bgifford@3-cities.com>
To: cbaer@vineyard.net
Subject: mayhew

Boy do I!
Joseph son of timothy was born Sept 12 1773; d. Oct. 2 1855; married Polly Cottle Oct 23rd.1796. She was born on July 28, 1777; d. June 2 1861
they had 11 children:
Hannah b. June 2 1798. d. Aug 6 1829 ( Dunbar)
Aseneth b. July 27 1800 d. Nov 23 1838 ( Stephens )
Mary Cottle b. Feb 3 1803 d. Dec18 1845 (Davison)
Angelina b. July 15 1805 d. Dec18 1845 (Clark)
Rebecca b. Aug. 4 1807 d. Aug 26 1883 (Davison)
Joseph b.Oct 31 1809 d. Oct 9 1855
Edwin b. March 6 1812 d. Oct.12 1887
Mark b. March 23 1814 d. May 17 1853
April b. April 27 1816 d. Oct 17 1880 (Parker)
Elizabeth b. Feb 20 1818 d. April 25 1847 (Parker)
Martha b. Oct 17 1820 d. July 10 1847 ( never married)

All this is written in Polly's Bible ..Which I still have..

Robert Daniel Gifford

---

I forwarded this information to Kay Mayhew <islebyte@shell2.mdc.net>, genealogist for the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society, who reponded:

"Dear Chris,

Thank you for thinking of us. I do appreciate your forwarding the Bible data. As I said earlier, I have a lot to say about it so I have made this a separate message.

You wrote:
>Just got a note today from a man who has Polly (Cottle) Mayhew's family
>Bible. Thought you might like the data.

Yes, we are delighted to add such material to our files. However, I have some problems with this particular material (see my notes below.)

>He writes:

>Joseph son of timothy ...

[According to our records, this is just not true. I doubt that the Bible record itself says that Joseph is son of Timothy. Joseph is the grandson of Timothy. This is only one reason I would like to see a photocopy of the
original. Banks' Vol. III says that Joseph #630 Mayhew is the one who married Polly/Mary Cottle in 1796.

Incidentally, according to the records of Chilmark and of Falmouth, Joseph was "of Falmouth" in May 1796 at the time of the marriage intention and at the time of the marriage in October. You will also see below that most of
the children were born in Falmouth.]

>Joseph "son of timothy" was born sept 12 1773 d.oct.21855

[Other sources give Joseph Mayhew the date of birth of 23 October 1772. He is not found in any Island records that I have seen. I would really like to see this Bible! Date of death is 1855 (will is recorded in Ohio).]

>married Polly Cottle oct 23rd.1796

[This is the date found in Chilmark Vital Records, Addenda p.133. Intention dated 7 May 1796 is found in Falmouth Vital Records p.190.]

> Polly Cottle... born on july 28,1777 d.june 22 1861

[Of course, if all this is written at the same time and in the same hand, then we know that at least someone who survived both of them actually wrote the data.]

>they had 11 children

[This is an editorial comment if I ever heard one! Who wrote it?]

>Hannah b.june2 1798.d. aug 6 1829 ( Dunbar)

[Hannah's birth is in the Falmouth VRs; she is supposed to have married Seth Dunbar.]

>Aseneth b.july 27 1800 d.nov 23 1838 ( Stephens )

[Asenath is also in Falmouth VRs; supposed to have married Ephraim Miller Stevens -not the spelling here - leaving two children who were living with Joseph and Mary/Polly in the 1850 census in Ohio]

>Mary Cottle b.feb 3 1803 d.dec18 1845 (Davison)

[Mary's birth is also in the Falmouth VRs.]

>Angelina b.july15 1805 d.dec18 1845 (Clark)

[Anjalina is born 17 July 1805 according to the Falmouth VRs]

>Rebecca b.aug.4 1807 d.aug26 1883 (Davison)

[Rebecca Davidson appears in her father's will; her birth is 3 Aug 1807 in Falmouth VRs.]

>Joseph b.oct31 1809 d.oct9 1855

[previously only had 1809 as his birth date. He does not appear in the Falmouth records, though his siblings before and after him do appear there. He is named executor of his father's estate with brother Edwin. This death date appears elsewhere in our records for his father Joseph. Have not seen probate court papers so I do not know whether he died right after his father or not as this Bible record would indicate. However, we do have another source which gives this son Joseph the death date of 26 April 1877 in Ohio. Maybe we have a typo here. Another reason to see the original.]

[Joseph Jr. married Jane ___ (1817-1888)]

>Edwin b.march 6 1812 d.oct.12 1887

[Edwin's birth appears in the Falmouth records. Also we have a note that he married Mary ___]

>Mark b.march 23 1814 d.may 17 1853

[Mark is not in the Falmouth VRs; one record says he was born in Cincinnati. He was Mark M. Mayhew and married Jane Allen.]

>April b,april27 1816 d..oct17 1880 (Parker)

[I think this may be a typographical error. Probably born in Ohio, one transcript says she is called Love Parker in her father's will. Another transcriber says "Louise" is her name. Whoever Love/Louise is, she married Noah Parker.]

>Elizabeth b,feb 20 1818 d.april 25 1847 (Parker)

[No record of her; probably born in Ohio; died before father made his will.]

>Martha b. oct17 1820 d.july 10 1847 ( never married)

[Martha was also probably born in Ohio; is unmarried at the time of her being named in father's will. However, that means there is possibly an error in her date of death of 1847.]

---

Bob was then kind enough to send a photocopy of this Bible. This book, published in 1847, is affixed on the inside cover with a card for the "Young Men's Bible Society of Cincinnati. Instituted 1834."

Handwritten in the "FAMILY RECORD" section:

BIRTHS

Hannah Mayhew born June the 2 1798(?)
June the 2 AD 1798
Asenath Mayhew Born
July the 27 AD 1800
Mary Cottle Mayhew born
February the 3 AD 1803
Angelina Mayhew born
July the 15 AD 1805
Rebecca Mayhew born
August the 4 AD 1807
Joseph Mayhew born
October the 31 AD 1809
Edwin Mayhew born
March the 6 AD 1812
Mark Mayhew born March th 23 AD 1814
Love Mayhew born April the 27 AD 1816
Elizabeth Mayhew born Febry the 20 AD 1818
Martha Mayhew born October 17(?) AD 1820

MARRIAGES

Joseph Mayhew born September the 12 AD 1773
Polly Cottle July the 28 AD 1777
Married October the 23 AD 1796

DEATHS

Hannah Dunbar Died August
the 6 AD 1829
Asenath Stephens Died
November the 23 AD 1838
Mary E. Davison Died December
the 18 AD 1845
Elizebeth Parker Died April
the 25 AD 1847
Martha Mayhew Died July the 10
AD 1847
Angelina Clark Died November the 24 AD 1849
Joseph Mayhew Sen. died Oct. 2d 1855
Mark Mayhew Died May the 17 AD 1859(?)
Mary Mayhew Died June 2d 1861
Rebecca Davison died Aug 26 1865(?)
Joseph Mayhew Jun. Died Aug. 26 1877
Love Parker died Oct. 17th 1880
Edwin Mayhew died Oct. 12th 1887
Felicity Davison Wiseman, daughter of
Rebecca Davison died Dec. 21 AD 1903"

[There are additional early 20th century deaths recorded.]