Was our grandma Margery a half-sibling to her husband? Here's the background.
Anthony Dike came from England to America in 1623. He was a ship captain and involved in several other businesses. He married Tabitha and they had two children, Anthony, Jr. and Charity, and then he died in a shipwreck in 1638. One of his business partners was Nathaniel Pickman (sometimes called Pittman) and Nathaniel and Tabitha were married about 1639. They lived in Salem.
Some records show that Nathaniel and Tabitha had a daughter, Margery, born about 1644, making Margery and Anthony, Jr., who married, half-siblings with Tabitha the mother of both.
Some records show that before coming to Salem, Nathaniel married a woman named Tabitha in Bristol, England who, after having a few children, died, and Nathanial came to Salem with the children and soon thereafter married the widow Tabitha Dike, making Anthony Jr. and Margery step siblings if Margery was one of the children by Nathaniel's first wife.
I haven't found another Pickman in early Salem who could have been the father of Margery. Of course it's possible that Margery wasn't a Pickman at all.
Anthony and Margery had 6 children (including our ancestor, Nathaniel) before Anthony died in 1679. Margery then married John Polin about 1680.
sue<hilda casey lynch<ulric casey<lemira mcclure casey<dexter mcclure<orilla warner mcclure<jerusha dike warner<nathanial dike<nathaniel dike<margery pickman dike
This is complicated! I am wondering how taboo marriage between half siblings was in those days and if there are many other such cases. But I wonder what you mean by "its possible that Margery wasn't a Pickman at all."
ReplyDeleteRemember that the early settlers were in a very hostile territory living meager and harsh conditions. Death was everywhere and having enough men and women to procreate was a real concern.
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