Mercy Standish (1685-1748)

Marriage and Family
On Sept. 30, 1726 of record at Windham, Conn., Dea. Wheelock m. 2) Mercy Standish, dau. of Lieut. Josiah Standish & his 2nd wife Sarah Allen. Mercy was the gr.dau. of Capt. Myles Standish of the Plymouth Colony and 1620 Mayflower. She was b. prob. at Duxbury, Mass. and d. per her gravestone Nov. 4, 1746 at Windham, Conn., but this date of death is an obvious error. They had the following child of record at Windham, Conn.:


 * 1) Mary Wheelock, b. Nov. 26, 1728 (bapt. Jan. 12, 1728/9); m. Dec. 29, 1746 at Windham, Jabez Bingham, Jr., s. of Jabez Bingham and Bethiah Wood. Four known children of the family. They resided at Salisbury, Conn. at the tri-state border of Conn., Mass. and NY.

Research Notes
There is a problem with records concerning Dea. Ralph and his 2nd wife Mercy Standish. "I Ralph Wheelock of Windham in ye county of Windham" wrote his will on a blank month and day in "AD 1748" naming his son Eleazer as sole executor. The witnesses (Noah Gilbert and Lydia Gilbert of Mansfield, and Sarah Miller of Windham) attested to the will on Oct. 20, 1748 stating that Ralph signed the will "about the eleventh day of August last." The will was formally proved and recorded on Feb. 21, 1748/9. Whereas his standing gravestone says he died Oct. 24, 1748, this was four days after the three witnesses to the will attested to having been witnesses to the signing of the will presented for probate.

He bequeathed to his family in the following order: to son Eleazer, to daughter Elizabeth Hendy, to daughter Ruth Hibbard, to Daughter Abigail Pomeroy, to daughter Sarah Bingham, to daughter Mary Bingham, to "my beloved wife Mercy," and lastly additional items and residue to son Eleazer.

The bequest to daughter Mercy (Wheelock) Bingham, the only child by Ralph's 2nd wife Mercy Standish, includes "half of my homelot and buildings where I now dwell...after the decease of my well beloved wife Mercy." And, "all my sheep and one cow and all my household stuff...to be her portion after her mother's decease."

To "my well beloved wife Mercy" he gave full use, enjoyment and improvement of his dwelling house and all household stuff "so far is necessary for her comfortable subsistence." However, 2nd wife Mercy's gravestone says she died in Nov. 1746, an obvious error.