Joseph Sayward Tarbox was the second child and first son born to William Tarbox and Judith Haskell on 18 March 1807 in New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine. Although he married Jane Wilborn/Wilbour (born 1811, England) in Durham, Androscoggin, Maine on 28 July 1832, he lived most of his life in the small town where he was born.

Joseph and Jane were the first of William’s and Sarah’s family to lose several children in childhood with only three of their nine children marrying and having families of their own.

Children (All born in New Gloucester):

1. Sarah Ann, born c1835; died 5 September 1841, New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine. Only Sarah’s death record stating her age as 6 years has been found. She might not have been born in New Gloucester. Sarah has NO descendants.
2. Nathaniel William, born about 12 March 1835; died 6 December 1898, Augusta, Kennebec, Maine; married (1) Elizabeth B. Meader, 3 July 1856, Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts (2) Deborah (Dora) Butler Merry, 13 November 1876, Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine. Nathaniel had three children with Elizabeth – Wallace, who died in 1910, unmarried, Jabez H., who died between 1850-1860 and Vernessa G., who married Daniel L. Mitchell in 1907, but had no children. Nathaniel and Dora had one son, Fred W., who died in August 1879 as a young child. Therefore, Nathaniel has NO descendants today.
3. Hannah Ellen, born 3 April 1839; died 1923, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; married Elihu Anderson Wilbur, 1 November 1859, New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine. Hannah had ten children who all lived to adulthood, but only three had children and grandchildren – Wendell, Melvin and Kittie and there are a few descendants today.
4. Abigail Thoits, born 2 December 1840; died between 1850-1860. No known descendants.
5. Jabez H., born 22 May 1842; died 29 December 1858, New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine. No descendants.
6. John S., born 13 December 1843; died 22 January 1844. No descendants.
7. Susan Jane, born 1 April 1846; died 18 July 1848, new Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine. No descendants.
8. Elizabeth Jane, born 20 December 1847; died before 1850. No descendants.
9. Josephine, born 13 February 1849; died 3 November 1898, New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine; married Everett N. Gilbert, 1 January 1879, Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine. They had one son, Alvin James Gilbert, born 1 April 1879, who married and had two children. His son married and has descendants, but his daughter has none. Josephine has quite a few descendants today – way more than any of her siblings.

Their daughter Hannah Ellen, born 3 April 1839, married Elihu Anderson Wilbur on 1 November 1859 in New Gloucester, Elihu and Hannah were the parents of ten children, but like her parents, many of them have no descendants today.

Children: (Wilbur)

1. Abbie Tarbox, born 14 June 1861; died 2 July 1925, Brunswick, Cumberland, Maine; married Frederick C. Moulton, 13 April 1899, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine. They had no children.
2. Jenny P., born c1862, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 1945, Hopkinton, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married Daniel P. Day, 23 April 1890, Hopkinton, Middlesex, Massachusetts. They were the parents of two children – Ethel Porter Day, born 20 May 1894; died 22 February 1920, both in Hopkinton, who never married, and Helen Abby Day, born 11 February 1901, in Hopkinton; died 1 April 1995, Charlton, Worcester, Massachusetts, married Arthur Clayton Waite, c1930. They had no children. Jenny has no descendants today.
3. Wendell W., born 28 June 1864, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died after 1930, possibly in Freeport; married Isadora Dennison, c1888. They were the parents of five children: Isadora, born 14 May 1894; died 21 February 1895, Hannah Ellen, born 28 November 1902; died 16 March 1904 and an unnamed daughter, born 10 June 1912; died before 1920. They had two surviving sons: Willis Carl, born April 1899; died 6 August 1965 in New Jersey; married Lila May Whitney, 6 January 1921, Rumford, Oxford, Maine. They had one daughter, Marjorie Arline, born 20 September 1923; died 25 April 2003. Marjorie had one known daughter. The second son, George Raymond, born 31 October 1904, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died September 1977, North Brunswick, Middlesex, New Jersey, married Ethel May Muchall, 1930 in New Jersey. They were the parents of one son, Raymond Wendel, born 13 July 1931; died 16 October 2006; married Margaret Meyers Lynch, May 1957, all in New Jersey. Raymond and Margaret were also the parents of one son. Therefore, it appears that Wendell has two descendants today.
4. Franklin, born 7 March 1865, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 1952; married Hattie R. Stone, 3 February 1892, Biddeford, York, Maine. They were the parents of one daughter, Gladys Eva, born January 1895; died 1927, both in Biddeford; married Parker Bertram Chace, 9 December 1917, Biddeford, York, Maine. They had no children. Franklin has no descendants today.
5. Melvin L., born 13 January 1868, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 1938, Biddeford, York, Maine; married Gretchen Von Scheven, 14 August 1899, Biddeford, York, Maine. They were the parents two children, daughter Thackla E., born 18 November 1903; died 18 March 1907, both in Biddeford, of spinal meningitis and son Melvin Earle, born 5 May 1901; died 1949, both in Biddeford; married Isabelle Marion Alexander, 20 December 1919, Saco, York, Maine. They were the parents of four children. Marion G. was born 21 October 1920; died 25 April 1922, both in Saco, York, Maine. Robert E. was born 7 September 1937 in Biddeford; died 29 March 2015, Scarborough, Cumberland, Maine, unmarried. Their other two children married and have descendants today. Dorothea L., born 7 September 1921, Saco; died 3 July 1974, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts; married Robert L. Bishop, 15 November 1947, Caribou, Aroostook, Maine. They had two daughters. Their second son, Melvin L., was born 8 February 1928, Biddeford; died 14 January 2006, Buxton, York, Maine; married Selma F. Milikin, 4 March 1950, Maine. They had three daughters. Therefore, Melvin L. Sr. has at least four descendants today.
6. Elizabeth Carrie, born January 1870, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died September 1947, Portland, Cumberland, Maine; unmarried. Elizabeth has no descendants.
7. Kittie Anzetta, born 13 August 1872, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 23 May 1941, Porter Landing, Cumberland, Maine; married Asa Kincaid Rogers, 20 June 1894, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine. They were the parents of three children, all of whom married, but none of whom had children. Kittie has no descendants today.
8. Charles M., born 13 May 1874, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 1923; married Hattie E. Baugh, 27 April 1898, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine. They had one son, Montgomery Bangs, born 17 April 1907, Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts; died 13 January 1978, both in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, who never married. Charles has no descendants today.
9. Everett Stanwood, born 16 December 1875, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 1953, Maine; married Annie Charity Kimball, 2 July 1899, Portland, Cumberland, Maine. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Princess, born 8 April 1900, Falmouth, Cumberland, Maine; died after 1971. She apparently married at least twice, but had no children. Everett has no descendants today.
10. George Anderson, born 14 September 1877, Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; died 1946, both in Freeport, Cumberland, Maine; unmarried. George has no descendants today.

This is definitely one of the more unusual family descendancy patterns I have come across. Of Joseph’s and Jane’s nine children, only daughters Hannah and Josephine have descendants today. Additionally, of the ten children of Elihu and Hannah Wilbur, only two of their children have descendants today – Wendell, with only two descendants, and Melvin, with four descendants.

I’ve never come across a family with so many children, but so few descendants today. Only Josephine’s line seems to have thrived.

In summary, although Joseph and Jane had many children, only Hannah and Josephine have descendants. I also can’t imagine Joseph’s and Jane’s heartbreak of burying six young children.