As I recently wrote, my 8X great grandparents, James Coffin and Mary Severance had quite a large family, fourteen children to be exact.

James Coffin was born c1639 in England, likely in Brixton, Devonshire; died 1720, England. He married Mary Severance on 3 December 1666 in Salisbury. Mary was the daughter of John and Abigail Severance of Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts. Mary was born 5 June 1645, Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts. She died sometime after August 1692, when her last child was born.

Children, all born in Nantucket, unless noted:

1. Mary, born 18 April 1665; died 1 February 1741, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married (1) Richard Pinkham of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who came from the Isle of Wight, by 1674. He died in 1718. (2) James Gardner, after the death of Richard Pinkham in 1718.
2. James, born c1668, probably Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire; died 2 October 1741, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married (1) Love Gardner, daughter of Richard and Sarah. Love Gardner Coffin died in 1691. (2) Ruth Gardner, daughter of John and Priscilla, 19 March 1692. The record states that Ruth was 15 years, 3 months and 19 days old. She died on 4 October 1748, Nantucket, Massachusetts.
3. Nathaniel, born c1671, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire; died 29 August 1721; married Damaris Gayer, daughter of William, 17 August 1692, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.
4. John, born c1673; died 1 July 1747, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Hope Gardner, daughter of Richard, 1692, Nantucket, Massachusetts.
5. Dinah/Dionis, born c1674; died 1 August 1750, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Nathaniel Starbuck Jr., 20 November 1690, Nantucket, Massachusetts
6. Deborah, born c1675; died 8 October 1767, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married George Bunker, 10 October 1695, Nantucket, Massachusetts
7. Ebenezer, born 30 March 1678; died 17 October 1730, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Eleanor Barnard, 12 December 1700, Nantucket, Massachusetts.
8. Joseph, born 4 February 1680; died 14 July 1719, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Bethiah Macy, by 1707.
   
9. Elizabeth, born c1682; died 30 March 1769, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married (1) Jonathan Bunker, by 1701 (2) Thomas Clark, by 1703.
10. Benjamin, born 28 August 1683; died reportedly lost overboard between Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
11. Ruth, born c1684; died 28 May 1748, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Joseph Gardner.
12. Abigail, born c1688; died 15 March 1709, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Nathaniel Gardner.
13. Experience, born c1690; died young.
14. Jonathan, born 28 August 1692; died 5 February 1773, Nantucket, Massachusetts; married Hephzibah Harker, 24d, 11m, 1711, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

My lines of descent, highlighted above in green are through sons James and Ebenezer.

Here is the family of James Coffin, born c1668, probably in New Hampshire, and his two wives (1) Love Gardner, by 1691 and (2) Ruth Gardner, c1692.

Love Gardner, born 2 May 1672, Nantucket,  was the daughter of Richard and Sarah (Shattuck) Gardner. She probably married c1690. She died in childbirth, as there is a Nantucket birth record, undated, for Benoni, child of James and Love Gardner. Benoni is often a given name when the mother died giving birth.

James married (2) Ruth Gardner, daughter of John and Priscilla (Grafton) Gardner, on the 19 March 1692. This marriage was very unusual for New England, as the bride’s exact age is given – 15 years, 3 months and 19 days, and she is very young for the time and place.  I am sure I’ve never seen a New England marriage record with a bride aged 16 and even that is very rare. Ruth’s birth is also recorded in Nantucket, given as 26 January 1676.

James Coffin and Ruth Gardner had ten children, all born in Nantucket. All married and died in Nantucket, too, unless noted:

1. George, born 22 February 1693; died August 1727; married Ruth Swain, 4 November 1717. She married (2) Jonathan Upham, 21 October 1728. Ruth died 8 February 1775.
2. Sarah, born September 1695; died 1 December 1739; married Jeremiah Gardner, 8 August 1711
3. Nathan, born 13 September 1698; died 4 December 1768; married Lydia Bunker, 5 March 1717. She died 5 December 1785.
4. Elisha, born 10 June 1699; died 1722; married Dinah Bunker, 3 April 1721. She married (2) James Williams, 31 December 1724 (3) John Ellis, 14 September 1731. Dinah died 14 January 1778/79.
5. Joshua, born 16 July 1701; died 1722; married Priscilla Bunker, 3 February 1721.
6. Elizabeth, born 27 August 1703; died 20 February 1774; married Josiah Coffin, 5 October 1720. He died 1 January 1780.
7. Priscilla, born 3 April 1705; died 7 May 1792; married Abel Gardner, 8 September 1723. Abel died 11 September 1771.
8. Mary, born 29 May 1710; died 19 July 1785; married John Bunker, 13 February 1725. He died in 1760.
9. Ruth, born 17 June 1716; died 3 October 1801; married Cromwell Coffin, 25 November 1731. He died 5 April 1783, Newport, Rhode Island.
10. Benjamin, born 16 November 1718; died 28 December 1793; married Rebecca Coffin, 22 March 1738/39. She died 12 October 1764.

Here is the family of Ebenezer Coffin, born 30 March 1678; died 17 October 1730, Nantucket, Massachusetts and Eleanor Barnard, who married 12 December 1700, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Eleanor was born 19 June 1679, Nantucket, Massachusetts and died 25 November 1769, also in Nantucket.

Children, all events in Nantucket, unless stated otherwise:

1. Oliver, born 30 August 1701; no further record
2. Prince, born 19 June 1703; died 10 October 1729, Chilmark, Dukes, Massachusetts; married Mercy Skiffe, 10 September 1727.
3. Love, born 17 January 1705; died 25 May 1782; married Elias Coffin, 15 January 1728/29.
4. Hannah, born 20 July 1707; died 2 October 1708
5. Cromwell, born 1 September 1709; died 5 April 1783, Newport, Rhode Island; married Ruth Coffin, 25 November 1731.
   
6. Alexander, born 20 December 1713; died 4 November 1741, West Indies; married Judith Bunker, 12 January 1737. Judith married Josiah Coffin, 13 December 1750.
7. Valentine, born 21 December 1716; died 1782, at sea; unmarried
8. Joseph, born 19 November 1719; died 1805; married Judith Coffin, daughter of Elisha and Dinah Coffin, 1740.
9. Kimbal, birth year unknown; died 1782 in Virginia; unmarried
10. Benjamin, born 27 January 1725/26; no further record that definitely pertains to him, but there are several Benjamins in this time period.