As mentioned yesterday, factual information, at least in terms of vital records, is lacking for the Torrey family because the towns in which they lived have incomplete records.
Jonathan Torrey removed from Scituate to Weymouth, where births of four of his five children were recorded. If not for the will that he left, even less would be known about the family.
Jonathan Torrey was born 20 September 1654 in Scituate, the fifth child and fourth son of James and Anne (Hatch) Torrey. As he was only ten years old when his father died in the gunpowder explosion accident and his mother didn’t remarry until 1677, he and his siblings likely had male guardians appointed to care for them, possibly one of his paternal uncles. However, I have not been able to uncover probate records for his father, except for the notice of his estate inventory:
The Mayflower Descendant, Volume 16
Jonathan married Ruth Smith, widow of Joshua Smith. She was the daughter of George Fry. Jonathan and Ruth (Fry) Torrey were the parents of six children who survived their father. Given a couple of gaps in the birth years, they may have lost a child or two.
Children, all born in Weymouth:
1. Mary, born 25 September 1676; married John Norton
2. Ruth, born 17 August 1679; married Mr. Allen, c1699
3. Anne, born 3 March 1682; married Thomas Butler Jr., 18 September 1702, Edgartown, Dukes, Massachusetts.
4. Jonathan, born 25 May 1684; died 27 April 1781, Weymouth, Suffolk, Massachusetts; married (1) Margaret Poole, 17 January 1706, Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts (2) Lydia Green, intentions filed 9 August 1712, Weymouth, Suffolk, Massachusetts
5. Sarah, born c1686; married (1) Samuel King, c1705 (2) Ebenezer Hovey, 13 November 1735
6. Joshua, born 11 November 1690; married Jane Lovell, 18 March 1716/17, Weymouth, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Jonathan Torrey died on 7 June 1718 in Weymouth, leaving a will in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, File #4143, volume 3:257.
File #4143, 3:257
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Probate Files
Source: American Ancestors
In the Name of God Amen the twenty second Day of february in the year of Our Lord God 1717/1718 I Jonathan Torrey of Weymouth in the County of Suffolk in the Province of the massachusetts Bay in Newengland Husbandman, though weak of Body, yet of Perfect mind & memory, Thanks be Given to God therefore Calling to mind the mortality of my Body & Knowing that it is Appointed for all men once to Dy, Do make & ordain this my Last Will & Testament, that is to Say Prinicipally & first of all, I Give & recommend my Soul into the hands of God that Gave it Hoping & trsuting in my Dear Redeemer Jesus Christ for Pardon & Eternal Life , and for my Body I recommend it to the Earth to be Buried in a Christianlike and Decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors: Nothing Doubting but at The General Resurrection I Shall receive the Same again by the mighty power of God: And as touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased god to Bless me in this Life, I Give Devise & Dispose of the same in the following manner and form (my Just Debts & funerall Expenses being first Paid)
Imprimis I Give to my well beloved wife Ruth: all my money together with my household Goods and moveable Estate (Exempting five Pounds as is hereafter Disposed of) to be wholely at her Disposing & Improvement & to be by her Distributed amongst my Children also the Improvement of all my real Estate During her natural life If she continues my widow & if She be married again then to have only the Income of one third part of my Real Estate.
Item I give to my Son Jonathan Torrey hier heirs & assigns for ever Eight acres of land Lying on the Eastern neck in Weymouth namely that Land that I Bought of William (Pittey?)) also one half of all my Salt meadown on Sd neck he paying ten pounds out of the same as hereafter is expressed & Disposed of.
Item I Give to my Son Joshua torrey his heirs & assigns for ever my Dwelling house Barn orchard and all my Lands & meadown not before Disposed of he paying forty Pounds out of the same as hereafter it is Disposed of and if it Happen that my son Joshua Shall be Evicted or Ejected out of the Possession of that Part or Parcel of my Land, which I bought of Joseph Green Then my will is that all my Lands & real Estate Shall be Equaly Devided Betwixt my (?) aforementioned They Paying Equaly & alike of The Legacies hereafter given.
Item I Give to my Daughter Mary Norton ten Pounds to her & her heirs to be Paid by my Son Joshua within three eyars after mine & my wife’s Decease
Item I Give to my Daughter Ruth Allen ten Pounds to her & her heirs To be Paid by my Son Joshua within three years after mine & my wife’s Decease
Item I Give to my Daughter Anne Butler fifteen pounds To her & her heirs give pounds whereof to be Paid (by – sic) my Son Jonathan within Two years, and ten pounds to be Paid by my Son Joshua within three years after mine & my wife’s Decease
Item I Give to my Daughter Sarah King, her heirs & assigns fifteen Pounds five pounds to be Paid by my Son Jonathan within two years & ten pounds by my Son Joshua within three years after mine & my wife’s Decease.
And I give to be Grand Children (viz) Samuel King & Ruth torrey five pounds Equaly to be Divided Betwixt them to be paid out of my monies & moveable as abouve is exempted & (Reserved?) all the aforesd legacies to be paid in bills of Credit or in Such moneey as Passeth Currant amongst traders in this Province at the time of payment and I Do constitute make & ordain my Two Sons aforementioned my Executors of this my Last will & Testament and I Do hereby utterly Disallow revoke and make voice all & Every former Testaments wills & Legacies Bequests and Executors by me in any ways before this time named, willed & bequested Ratifying & Confirming this & no other to be my Last will & Testament, In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my jand & Seal the Day & year above written
Jonathan Torrey
Signed Seal’d Publish’d & Declar’d by the Testator,
as his Last will & Testament
In the Presence of us the Subscribers, viz
James Humphrey
John Whitmarsh
Silence Humphrey