James Bucknam and Mary Goddard were the parents of one of my Revolutionary War ancestors, Joses Bucknam. He is the patriot under which I joined the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is also with Joses that the Bucknam surname is lost in my tree, as I descend from one of his daughters.
James Bucknam was born 3 January 1724/25 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, the son of Joses Bucknam and Phebe Tuttle.
Mary Goddard was the daughter of Giles Goddard and Hannah Pratt, born 15 November 1728 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.
James Bucknam and Mary Goddard married on 17 September 1747 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts. They were likely already engaged when on 29 April 1747 James Bucknam purchased from one Giles Goddard 24 acres of land and a double house in Malden for £1250, quite a bit of money for the time.
The handwriting isn’t the easiest to read, but there also isn’t much of interest in the sale either that makes it worth transcribing. What is most important to me is not the land sale itself, but the fact that Mary’s mother, Hannah, consented to the sale.
No death record has been located for Hannah and the latest record I had for her before this time was the birth record for Mary (Goddard) Bucknam’s birth in 1728. This record proves she lived at least 19 more years. However, I digress, so it is back to the story of James and Mary.
Mary Goddard Bucknam predeceased James by almost nine years, passing away on 8 December 1790 in Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
James died on 10 October 1799, also in Malden. He not only left no will, I have not found any probate administration and the last date I find him in the land records is 1762.
I imagine by the end of his life, he was living with the family of one of his children.
James and Mary were the parents of eleven children, but at least two did not survive to adulthood.
Children:
1. Mary, born 16 July 1748, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts: married William Turner, 10 November 1767, Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts. No further information.
2. James, born 27 March 1751; died 5 February 1753, both at Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
3. Phebe, born 17 April 1753, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died ?February 1817, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts; ?married John Bucknam, 19 May 1776, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts. I don’t know if this Phebe married this John Bucknam or if the record belongs to her aunt. The death entry just gives her name with no parents of husband, so, again, I am unsure to whom the record belongs.
4. James, born 8 February 1755, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died about 17 March 1787, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; married Margaret Sables, 12 February 1778, Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts. James was a mariner.
5. Sarah, born 11 June 1757, Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts; no further record.
6. William, born 30 April 1759, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died 4 April 1823, Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts; said to have married the widow of his brother, James, Margaret Sables.
7. Joses, born 6 March 1761, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died 18 April 1835, Mason, Hillsborough, New Hempshire; married Abigail Hay, 19 September 1786, Wakefield, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
8. Ebenezer, born 9 November 1762, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts; reportedly died after 1821 in New Ipswich, Hillsborough, New Hampshire; married Hannah Varder, 29 May 1785, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
9. Elizabeth, born 3 October 1765, Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts; buried 7 March 1838, Cambridge, Suffolk, Massachusetts; married Leonard Parks, 15 March 1785, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
10. Caleb, (twin) born 27 September 1767, Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died 7 October 1767, Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
11. Joshua, (twin) born 27 September 1767, Medford, Middlesex, Massahcustts; died 2 July 1849, Charlestown, Sullivan, New Hampshire; married Anna Parks, 11 June 1789, Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
The Bucknam history will conclude on 18 April 2020 with Revolutionary War soldier Joses Bucknam and his wife, Abigail Hay. It will be the 185th anniversary of his death.