Josiah Whitcomb

  General Notes:

Sources:
The Whitcomb Family in America by Charlotte Whitcomb 1904, pp. 396 - 397.
Early Records of Lancaster by Henry Nourse 1884.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ⁶³
Josiah Whitcomb, was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1638 according to Dorchester town records, and is believed to have been the youngest son of John. He accompanied his father's family from Scituate to Lancaster, Massacusetts in 1654, and his name appears variously in the early records of life in the new town. In 1688 he was granted a bounty for killing a wolf, and again he was named with his brother Job in an action for damaged for accidentally injuring or killing a swan.

Josiah Whitcomb was married 4 Jan 1664 in Lancaster to Rebecca, daughter of Lawrence Waters and Ann Linton, of Waterbury. Rebecca was born in 1640.

During Queen Ann's war (1702-1717) he was allowed a garrison for protection against the Indians. This garrison was situated in what is now called Bolton, orginally a part of Lancaster, but set off in 1738 and he lived in the southereastern part of this Bolton. he was commander of the garrison and with him were associated his sons, Josiah, David and Hezekiah, his son-in-law, Jacob Houghton, also Henry Houghton and John Wilder, Jr.

In 1705 he was a selectman. In 1708, he and twenty-nine others signed the church covenant and as he was in good financial circumstances, he contributed liberally towards the support of the church. In 1710, he was elected to represent Lancaster in the General Court.

His Children were:
• Josiah, b. 12 Nov 1665, and d. the same day
• Josiah, b. 7 Jan 1666/67
• David, b. 20 Feb 1668/69
• Rebecca, b. 12 Nov 1671; m. 26 Dec 1708, Jacob Houghton, b. 1704
• Johannnah, b. 8 Mar 1674; m 26 Dec 1708, Peter Joslin; d 14 Dec 1717
• Hezekiah, b. 14 Sep 1681
• Deborah, b. 26 Dec 1683; d. early
• Damiris and Mary, twins
• Abigail, b. 13 Mar 1687/88; m. Josiah White, 26 Jun 1706
• Eunice

~The Whitcomb Family in America, pp. 396-398

A rough granite slab erected to Josiah's memory bears the following inscription:

Old Common Burial Ground, Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

• Dates & Events. ³⁶⁰
"Josiah, sonne of Joasiah Whetcombe [Whitcomb] and Rebeccah his wife was borne 12 Sep 1665

Josiah, sonne of Josiah Whetcombe & Rebeccah his wife died 12 Sep 1665

Josiah, sonne of Josiah Whetcombe and Rebeccah his wife was born 13 Dec 1666

David, sonne of Josiah and Rebeccah Whetcombe borne 20 Feb 1668

Rebecca of Josiah & Rebecca Whitcombe, born 10 Sep 1671

Johannah of Josiah & Rebeccah Whetcomb, born 17 Feb 1674"

~NEHGR, Vol. 16, pp. 354-359

Josiah married Rebecca Waters, daughter of Lawrence Waters and Ann Linton, on 4 Nov 1664 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts ^63,360.^,689 (Rebecca Waters was born in Feb 1640 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts ⁶³ and died in 1726 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts ⁶³.)