Tabitha Stone Wheeler was born 29 May 1655 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to John Stone (1618-1683) and Anne Rogers (1615-1719) and died 17 September 1719 Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. She married Abraham Wheeler (1659-1695) 2 November 1674 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Biography
Tabitha's parents were born in England but were early settlers of Sudbury, Massachusetts. Sudbury was incorporated in 1639. At that time, the boundaries of Sudbury included (by 1653) all what is now of Wayland (which split off in 1780), and parts of Framingham, Marlborough, Stow and Maynard. John Stone is listed multiple times in the book by Alfred S. Hudson entitled "The history of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1638-1889." He is listed on page 29 as one of the very first settlers of Sudbury, living there as no later than about 1638 or 1639. Page 27 mentions that he was first a settler of Watertown, and a son-in-law of Elder Edward How. This book was published by Hudson in 1889, and ever since then there has been a discussion of who John Stone's wife was. That her first name was Anne is certain, but her maiden name has been the subject of controversy since Hudson published his book in 1889. It is almost certain that she was not Anne How. Her correct maiden name is still a subject of controversy.
Regardless, John and Anne had at least four children while living in Sudbury, many of whom are listed in Sudbury vital records, including Hannah in 1640, Daniel in 1644, David in 1646, Margaret in 1653, Tabitha in 1655, Sarah in 1657, and Nathaniel in 1660. Missing from this list are John, Mary, and Elizabeth. It is likely that all the children born after David were actually born in what became Framingham. On Wikipedia, it says that Framingham, sited on the ancient trail known as the Old Connecticut Path, was first settled when John Stone settled on the west bank of the Sudbury River in 1647, but Framingham wasn't incorporated until 1700.
Research Notes
False Marriage to Rice
Tabitha is listed in the book, "Gregory Stone genealogy : ancestry and descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass., 1320-1917" on page 72 (found on ancestry.com). It says she married John Rice in 1647 and had 11 children.
Find A Grave contributor Erlene Best (Bremmer) made a suggestion to the original owner of this memorial indicating that his widow, Tabitha, was the Tabitha Stone who was married to John Rice, Jr. That information was incorrect and has been removed.
Please see the Edmund Rice Association web site - http://www.edmund-rice.org/era5gens/p36.htm#i38 - for further details.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Samuel Wheeler (1680-1781) | |||
| Abigail Wheeler (1683-1711) | 2 March 1683 Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts | 28 October 1711 Framingham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | Daniel Stone (1644-1719) |
| Abraham Wheeler (1584-) | |||
| Jonathan Wheeler (1685-1747) | 28 July 1685 Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts | 24 April 1747 Bolton, Worcester County, Massachusetts | Hannah Russell (1690-1747) |
| Daughter Wheeler (c1686-) | |||
Siblings
References
- Abraham Wheeler at Find A Grave #45247599