Mary Stevens

Mary married John Coit on 21 Sep 1652 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts. John (son of John Coit and Mary Jenners) died before 25 Mar 1662 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mary Coit was born on 4 Jun 1655; died between 1741 and 1744.

Notes:

A ship-builder. He emigrated with his wife Philippa and perhaps their son James at some point prior to 1632.

He appears to have been a fantastically wilful and stubborn man. In the midst of dire financial problems, he publicly declared his disdain for the recently-restored Charles II, and no record of the rest of his life can be found. The best guess is that he, as Dawes-Gates puts it, "accepted the imprisonment and then disappeared."

William married Philippa. Philippa died on 3 Aug 1681 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 31 Aug 1681, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

Notes:

Mary Walton Ferris, in Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines (citation details below), documents a tale of considerable pathos regarding Philippa after her husband was imprisoned for verbally traducing the recently-restored Charles II. She wrote to the Bay Colony General Court and, with great humility but also great eloquence, pointed out that she had been powerless to forestall her husband's tantrum and that nonetheless the penalties imposed against his property (specifically, his small herd of cattle) were causing her great hardship in her old age. Twice the General Court agreed that she should be shown mercy -- and twice the magistrates of Gloucester rejected their advice. She died in August 1681 before she could go another round.