Josiah Converse (1660 - 1717)

Biography

Birth

Josiah Converse (aka "Convers"), the son and only child of Josiah Converse and Esther Champney, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, on March 15, 1660.^[1][2][3]

Marriage

He married Ruth Marshall in Woburn on October 8, 1685.^[1][4]

Life Facts

In 1690, his father, Josiah, Sr., died intestate, and Josiah, Jr., as his only son, was assigned as administrator of his father's estate.^[5]

He was much employed in town business, serving on a committee to care for town lands, and on the school committee. He was "a captain in the King's service" and was familiarly known by the title of "Captain Josiah."^[1]

• 1697: 98: 1702-07: 09: 12: 13: 15: 17: Selectman. (p. 608) ^[6]
• 1707: Captain in a company raised for an expedition to Canada.^[1][6]
• 1715: Stow boundary committee.^[6]

Death & Burial

Capt. Josiah Converse died at Woburn on July 15, 1717, "in the 58th year of his age" (gravestone). He is buried in the First Burial Ground in Woburn.^[1][7][8]

Gravestone of Capt. Josiah Converse

Children

Children of Captain Josiah and Ruth (Marshall) Converse, all born in Woburn:

1. Ruth Converse, born May 28, 1676; married, December 7, 1704, William Symmes; died March 16, 1758.^[1][9][10]
2. Esther or Hester Converse, born October 3, 1688; died November 7, 1703, aged 16.^[1][11][12]
3. Josiah Converse, born February 8, 1691; died December 30, 1693.^[1][13][14]
4. Timothy Converse, born July 6, 1693; died Sept. 14, 1693, aged 2 months.^[1][15][16]
5. Rebecca Converse, born November 2, 1694; married Samuel Pierce.^[1][17]
6. Josiah Converse, 2nd, born April 14, 1697; died, April 30, 1697, aged 16 days.^[1][18][19]
7. Keziah Converse, born March 27, 1699; married Henry Spring.^[1][20]
8. Mary Converse, born January 12, 1702; married, December 25, 1718, John Fowle Jr.^[1][21][22]
9. Josiah Converse, 3rd, born April 25, 1704; died, unmarried, 1774, at Watertown, Massachusetts.^[1][23]

Will & Estate

Josiah Converse wrote his will July 12, 1717. In it he makes wife Ruth, executrix, and son Josiah, executor. He then names his five children, Ruth Symes, Rebeckah Pairce, Keziah Converse, Mary Converse and Josiah Converse. His estate, inventoried on July 28, amounted to £1444 1s 9d.^[1][24]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14} Converse, Charles Allen. Some of the Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Converse, Jr.. (Eben Putnam, Boston, Mass., 1905). Vol. 1, Page 17. Citing: "6. Captain Josiah Convers."
2. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 57. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, s. Josiah, Mar. 15, 1660."
3. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume III. Marriages. Page 60. Citing: "Converse, Josiah and Esther Champney, Mar. 26, 1651."
4. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: PART III. MARRIAGES. Page 59. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah and Ruth Marshall, Oct. 8, 1685."
5. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org($). New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org) Case 4939, Josiah Convers, 1690.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Legislators of Massachusetts General Court, 1691-1780 (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002), (Orig. Pub. by Northeastern University Press , Boston, MA. John A. Schutz, Legislators of the Massachusetts General Court 1691–1780 A Biographical Dictionary, 1997.)
7. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume II. Deaths. Page 40. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, Capt., July 15, 1717, 58 y."
8. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume II. Epitaphs, First Burial-Ground. Page 19*. Citing: "(65.) Cap't Josiah Convers."
9. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 57. Citing: "CONVERSE, Ruth, d. Josiah, May 28, 1686."
10. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume III. Marriages. Page 60. Citing: "CONVERSE, Ruth and William Symmes, Dec. 7, (?) 1704."
11. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 57. Citing: "CONVERSE, Hester, d. Josiah and Ruth, Oct. 3, 1688."
12. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume II. Deaths. Page 40. Citing: "CONVERSE, Hester, d. Josiah and Ruth, Nov. 7, 1703, 16 y.
13. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 57. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, s. Josiah and Ruth, Feb. 8, 1691."
14. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume II. Deaths. Page 40. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, s. Josiah and Ruth, ––– ––, 1693."
15. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 57. Citing: "CONVERSE, Timothy, s. Josiah and Ruth, July ––, 1693."
16. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume II. Deaths. Page 40. Citing: "CONVERSE, Timothy, s. Josiah and Ruth, Sept. 14, 1693, 2 m."
17. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 58. Citing: "CONVERSE, Rebecca, d. Josiah and Ruth, Nov. 2, 1694."
18. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 58. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, s. Josiah and Ruth, Apr. 14, 1697."
19. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume II. Deaths. Page 40. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, s. Josiah and Ruth, Apr. 30, 1697."
20. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 58. Citing: "CONVERSE , Kezia, d. Josiah and Ruth, Mar. 27, 1699."
21. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 58. Citing: "CONVERSE, Mary, d. Josiah and Ruth, Jan. 12, 1702."
22. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume III. Marriages. Page 60. Citing: "CONVERSE, Mary and John Fowle, Dec. 25, 1718."
23. ↑ Johnson, Woburn Records: Volume I. Births. Page 58. Citing: "CONVERSE, Josiah, s. Josiah and Ruth, Apr. 25, 1704."
24. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org($). New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Case 4940, Josiah Convers, 1717.

See also:

• Johnson, Edward. Woburn Record of Births, Deaths and Marriages - From 1640 to 1873. Woburn, Mass: Drews, Cutler & Co., Steam Book and Job Printers, 1899.

• Sewall, Samuel. The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. (Wiggin & Lunt, Boston, 1868). Pages 605-606. Citing: "Convers, Josiah, Deacon ... had a son Josiah..."

• Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 16 August 2018), memorial page for Capt Josiah Converse (15 Mar 1660–15 Jul 1717), Find A Grave: Memorial #18264036, citing First Burial Ground, Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Robin Parker (contributor 46847861).