RESEARCH FINDINGS

 

A couple of interesting items found this month regarding our Wiser family.  The first is a footnote discussion of our James Wiser also known as James Rumneymarsh or Quanapohit.  The James Rumlymarsh, on the roll of those who joined the expedition against the Spanish West Indies in August 1740, is probably James Wiser (married to Ruth Bowman), father of Benjamin Wiser Senior, our ancestor.

1. The History of Malden, Massachusetts, 1633-1785. Corey, Deloraine Pendre, 1899.

 

Taken from Chapter II, Discoverers and Indians; p. 49; footnote 98; James Quanapowitt was employed by the English in 1675 as a spy among the Nipmucks; and his testimony was used against the old chief Matoonas who was shot to death by three Indians on Boston Common.  He was a useful scout and forewarned the English of the assault on Lancaster.  He had a brother, Thomas Rumney Marsh, who was a Christian Indian and did good service against Philip.

 

Indians bearing the surname of Rumney Marsh were frequently in the service during the early part of the last century; and the name of “James Rumlymarsh” is on a roll of those who joined the expedition against the Spanish West Indies in August, 1740.  Mass. Archives, xci. 326.  Thomas, son or grandson of Awansamug and Yawata, owned a house lot in Natick in 1742.  Barry, History of Framingham, 19.  Widow “Rumnemarsh” was living in the same place in June, 1749.  Mass. Hist. Coll. X. 135.

 

2. Essex County, MA Probate Records

 

Second is a will of Alice Brooks, she was first married to Artimas (James) Wiser and second married to Samuel Brooks. 

 

Artimas (James) Wiser  was born about 1783 probably in Grafton, Worcester, MA. He died on 27 Mar 1803 in Braintree, Norfolk, MA.  Artimas was the son of Benjamin and Dolly (Bright) Wiser.

 

DEATH RECORD: Braintree Town Records; Artimas Wiser, died 27 Mar 1803, a man from Worcester County, town of

Grafton.

 

MARRIAGE RECORD: Braintree Town Records;, Artimas Wiser and Elles Livingston were married by Hon. Ebenezer

Thayer, Esq., 12 Jul 1802.

 

TOWN HISTORY: A Historical Sketch of Auburn, MA; p.60; This Benjamin (2) had a son James, whose daughter Mary  

Ann married Reuben Tatman of Worcester in 1825.

James married Alice Leveston, daughter of Timothy and Mary (Danforth) Levestone  on 12 Jul 1802 in Braintree, Norfolk, MA.  Alice was christened 19 Jan 1783 in Billerica, Middlesex, MA. She died on 12 Jan 1809 in Newburyport,Essex,MA.

 

OTHER MARRIAGES: There is a marriage of a Samuel Brooks and Mrs. Alice Wiser in Boston, 14 Dec

1805, from the Columbian Centennial.

 

PROBATE RECORDS: There is a reference to a guardianship of Alice Livingston, in Billerica,

Middlesex, MA, guardian, 1790, Number 14059.

 

DEATH RECORD: Newburyport; Alice, wid. Samuel, of Worcester, 12 Jan 1809.

 

 

James and Alice had the following children:

               2 F         i.  Martha B. Wiser  was born in 1801 in Auburn, Worcester, MA. She died on 17 Oct 1827. She was buried in Auburn, Worcester, MA.

 

CEMETERY RECORDS: Auburn Inscriptions, In Memory of Miss Martha B. Wiser,

who died 17 Oct 1827, age 26.

 

               3 F         ii.  Mary Ann Wiser  was born on 6 Mar 1803 in Braintree, Norfolk, MA. She died on 19 Oct 1887 in Worcester, Worcester, MA.

 

DEATH RECORD: Worcester City records; Mary Ann Tatman, F, W, age 84 years, 7

months, 13 days, pneumonia, born Braintree, parents, Artimas and Alice (Livingston)

Weiser, buried Worcester.

 

CENSUS RECORDS: 1870 Census of Worcester, Ward 5, Worcester, MA, living with

daughter Martha A. Johnson.  1880, also living with daughter.

 

 

Mary married Reuben Tatman  son of John Tatman and Lucy Dudley on 7 Apr 1825 in Auburn, Worcester, MA. Reuben was born on 12 Oct 1795 in Worcester, Worcester, MA. He died on 18 Jun 1865 in Worcester, Worcester, MA.

 

PARENTAGE: Reuben, son of John and Lucy (Dudley) Tatman.  John was a private in

Ward's Mass. Regt. during the Revolutionary War.

 

CENSUS RECORDS: 1850 Census of Fifth Ward, Worcester, NY; 1860 Census of

Worcester, 5th Ward, Worcester, MA.

 

DEATH RECORD: from Probate Records.  1865-Reuben, Worcester, Administration,

#58220.

 

 

The following is the will from the Essex County, MA Probate Records, Vol. 377, p. 352; Brooks-In the name of God amen, I Alice Brooks, now resident in Newburyport in the county of Essex and commonwealth of Massachusetts, widow of Samuel Brooks, late of Worcester in the county of Worcester in said commonwealth, deceas’d, printer, being through the goodness of God, of a sound disposing mind and memory though weak in body, and considering the uncertainty of this present life, do make this my last will and testament, as follows.  I commend my soul to God, who gave it, and my body to a decent interment, in hopes to obtain a resurrection unto eternal life, through the merits of my Redeemer and Saviour.  And the small personal estate, consisting chiefly of some household furniture, which I may leave, I give and dispose of , as follows, viz. Imprimis, I give and devise to my daughter, Mary Ann Wiser, my pair of gold earrings, and to my daughter, Alice Brooks my small Bible, as a token of my love and affection for them.  I should give them more, but believing they will be well provided for by their relations they live with, to whose care and kindness I earnestly recommend them, trusting they will attend to their schooling, and do well by them.  Item.  I give and devise to my daughter and her heirs all the rest and remainder of my personal estate, for her support, maintenance and schooling, as far as it will go; this I do, believing it to be my duty to give my daughter Martha more than I have given to my other two daughters, wholly on account of the different circumstances they are likely to be left in after my decease, at the same time declaring, that I bear equal natural love and affection to each of them.  Lastly, I hereby appoint my brother in law, Mr. William Kitteridge to be sole executor of this my last will and testament, and order him first to pay all my just debt and funeral charges out of the estate I may leave and whatever may be left, to deliver over to my daughter Martha aforenamed, as aforesaid, or to her guardian….In Testimony whereof, I Have hereunto set my hand and seal, in Newburyport, the twenty eighth day of December in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eight.  Signed, sealed and declared by the said Alice Brooks to be her last will and testament in present of us, who in her presence and in presence of each other, have hereunto set our names as witnesses.  William Holliday, Offin Boardman jr., Enoch Titcomb.  Alice Brooks-Seal.  [I express my appreciation to my cousin Sandra Jarvis for sending me the copy of these probate records to include in this month’s newsletter].

 

There is also the inventory of her possessions, found in Vol. 377, p. 407; and an account of administration of the will, found in Vol. 379, p. 104.  The original records are [linked] to this newsletter.

 

 

 

OBITUARIES

 

Please accept our condolences to those who recently lost family members.

Mason City, IA Globe Gazette; Greene-Ruth L. Kiefer (her ancestry to Benjamin Wiser Sr., her father-Robert Henry Body, Adelia Dorleska Cottle Boyd, Amanda Wiser Cottle, Samuel Wiser, Benjamin Wiser Sr.), 94, of Greene, died Saturday (July 23, 2005) at the Liebe Care Center, Greene.  Her funeral will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Greene with Pastor Paul Uzel officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.  Reid’s Funeral Chapel, Greene, (641) 823-4457.  Published in the Globe Gazette from 7/24/2005-7/25/2005.

 

Seattle, WA Post-Intelligencer, 15 Jun 2005; Frank Rambaldini; Frank was born April 19, 1913 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the only child of Henry and Cecilia Rambaldini. Frank grew up in Tacoma, graduating in 1930 from Bellarmine Prep. He graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. He went on and spent nearly 40 years at The Boeing Company. He enjoyed the Northwest for the access to hiking, sailing, and skiing. He was a charter member of the Corinthian Yacht Club. He was also active in the Mountaineers and a founding member of Saint Monica's Catholic Parish. After a battle with cancer, Frank passed away on June 12th at the age of 92. Frank is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Catherine (her ancestry to Benjamin Wiser Sr., her father, Neal Clement Gregory, John Joseph Gregory, Matilda Ann Wiser Gregory, Samuel Wiser, Benjamin Wiser Sr.) ; sons Kevin (wife Kathi) and James (wife Lynn); grandchildren Allison, Lauren, Michael, and Tristin. A Memorial Mass will be held at Saint Monica's Catholic Church, Mercer Island, on Friday, June 17th, at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery, Tacoma, WA. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to a favorite charity. Sunset Hills Funeral Home entrusted with arrangements.

Lewiston, ME Sun-Journal, 27 Nov 2004; Varnes-Died in South Paris, at the Maine Veterans' Home, Friday, Nov. 12, 2004, Ralph W. Varnes Jr. (his ancestry to Benjamin Wiser Sr., his mother, Ella M. Case, Chloe A. Smith Case, Elizabeth M. Albro Smith, Sabra S. Morse Albro, Alithea Wiser Morse, Benjamin Wiser) , 78, of Norway.  Private graveside service with military honors were held at Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland.  He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Merlyn "Terry" Varnes, of Norway.  Remembrances may be made to the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, 3312 Hotel Road, Auburn, ME  04210.  Arrangements by Oxford Hills Funeral Services, 1037 Main St., Rte. 26, Oxford.

 

Port Townsend, WA Peninsula Daily News; 24 Sep 2004; Dorothy Webb, March 6, 1924-Sept. 21, 2004; Port Townsend resident Dorothy Webb died at age 80 of complications from digestive problems.  She was born to John and Minnie (Purdue) Robertson in Roanoke, Va.  She married Del Webb (his ancestry to Benjamin Wiser Sr., his mother Gertrude Maude Wiser Webb, William Henry Wiser, Samuel Henry Wiser, Theodore Wiser, Benjamin Wiser Sr.) in Durham, N.C., in 1944.  After World War II, the couple moved from Virginia to the Northwest, where they raised their family before coming to Port Townsend nine years ago.  Mrs. Webb particularly enjoyed family activities, and she was an avid reader, crafter and stamp collector.  She is survived by son and daughter-in-law Michael S. and Melanie Webb of Sequim; daughter and son-in-law Janis and Ronald Miller of Woodinville; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  Services: None. Kosec Funeral Home, Port Townsend, is in charge of burial.

 

 

POSTSCRIPT

 

Thanks for any suggestions in regards to our family newsletter. Please contact me at or at 6 Baton Rouge, Roswell, NM  88201, or at (505) 623-2534.