Mary Roe, not Mary Stow

Here is some information taken from an article by George McK. Roberts in "The American Genealogist" Magazine.It has information leading to the true identity of William Dudley's wife, Mary.She was born in Weymouth, Mass.Her parents, Hugh and Abigail Roe, settled in Suffield, CT, near Hartford.The following information is all from the article by George Roberts:

"The will of Hugh Roe, dated 5 Aug. 1689, in Suffield, Conn., was recorded 3 Mar. 1690 in the Probate Court of Hampshire County, Mass., located at Northampton, Mass., as Suffield was then in Hampshire County.It mentioned among other children a daughter Mary Densloe, to whom he left ×5.However, the original will is not on file, apparently having been lost, and there is the recorded copy, only.As his daughter Mary married William Dudley in 1661, and they were both living in 1700, it appears that the name 'Densloe' must be an error in copying the will into the registry book, volume 1, page 287.
       The writer has spent over fifteen years in research on the Denslow family and has failed to find any authority for the oft-repeated statement that Mary Roe married a Denslow, aside from the recorded copy of Hugh Roe's will above mentioned, in which the name 'Densloe' is believed to be an error of the recorder.Several accounts of the Dudley family refer to the wife of William Dudley as Mary Stoe or Stow, and Mr. Dean Dudley, in his The History of the Dudley Family,pp. 303, 243, 344, and pedigree between pp. 96-97, refers to her thus.But in his "Supplement," p. 96, he corrects this and says that she was the daughter of Hugh Roe, 'according to Roe's will.'Whether at that time the original will was available for inspection is not determined.It may be conceded, however, that Mary Roe was never Mary Denslow."

That's what George Roberts says in the introduction to his article.Now, the Editor-in-Chief says that:

"The marriage of William Dudley to Mary Roe on 4 Nov. 1661 was entered in the Saybrook
Land Records, vol. 1, the bride's name is plainly written 'Roe' . . . Editor-in-Chief"


George Roberts goes on to furnish information on the family of William and Mary Dudley, some of which provides good, logical reasons to back up the claim that she was Mary Roe:


       William Dudley, born at sea 8 June 1639, was eldest son of William and Jane (Lutman) Dudley, the parents having been married at Ockley Co., Surrey, Eng., 24 Aug. 1636, and having come with the company that settled Guilford, Conn.The younger William was a deacon, and settled in Saybrook, Conn., where his marriage and the births of his children are recorded.He married, 4 Nov. 1661, Mary Roe, born probably about 1643, died between 1726 and 1728, daughter of Hugh and Abigail (_____) Roe.She married second, Richard Dart, whodied at New London, 24 Sept. 1724.
       William Dudley's will, dated 2 Sept. 1700, proved 29 May 1701, mentions his wife Mary, sons William, Daniel, Samuel and Joseph, and daughters Elizabeth and Mehitable.The will of Mary Dart, dated 15 June 1726, proved 7 May 1728, mentions sons William and Daniel Dudley, daughter Elizabeth Remington, and son-in-law [stepson] Roger Dart.
       Children:
              i.       Mary, b. 5 Sept. 1662; m. 11 Mar. 1686, Nicholas Mason.
              ii.       William, b. 8 Aug. 1665;d. at Saybrook, 9 Feb. 1716/7;m. 18 Apr. 1695, Mary Hill; had nine children.
              iii.       Abigail,b. 24 May 1667;d. at Suffield, 26 Oct. 170-;m. 9 May 1686, John Kent,b. at Gloucester, Mass., 27 Apr. 1664, d. at Suffield, 11 Apr. 1721, son of Samuel and Frances (Woodall) Kent;he m. (2) 19 May 1709, Abigail Winchell, b. at Suffield, 18 June 1679, d. there 21 Mar. 1767.Abigail (Dudley) Kent was named in the will of her grandfather Hugh Roe.
              iv.       Joseph,b. 3 Mar. 1668/9;d. 26 July 1670.
              v.       Deborah,b. 11 Nov. 1670;d. 22 July 1709;m. 1 Apr. 1696, James Brainard,b. at Haddam, Conn., 2June 1669,d. 10 Feb. 1742/3, son of Daniel and Hannah (Spencer) Brainard.Hem. (2) 23 May 1711, Sarah Daniels, b. 10 Feb. 1679,d. 4 June 1770, dau. of Jonathan and Mary (Chappell) Daniels.
              vi.       Samuel, b. 4 Nov. 1672;d. at Saybrook, in 1713;m. Elizabeth Hill, dau of Thomas Hill.
              vii.       Joseph,b. 14 Sept. 1674;d. in 1743/4;m. 10 Dec. 1697, Sarah Pratt, b. at Saybrook, 5 June 1680, dau. of John and Sarah (Jones) Pratt.
              viii.       Sarah,b. 3 Jan. 1676/7.
              iv.       Elizabeth,b. 4 Mar. 1678/9;d. after1718;m. at Suffield,2 Dec. 1703,Joseph Remington,b. at Windsor, Conn., 1 Sept. 1675,d. at Suffield, 24 July 1768, son of Thomas and Mehitabel (Walker) Remington.Hem. (2) 16 May 1759, Thankful (Hitchcock) (Phelps) Bush,b. at Springfield, Mass. 18 Oct. 1686,d. at Suffield, 5 Dec. 1773, dau. of Luke and Sarah (Burt) (Dorchester) Hitchcock and widow of John Phelps and of Ebenezer Bush
              x.       Mehitable,b. abt. 1682;d. at East Haddam, Conn., 23 Jan. 1773;m. 12 July 1710, Joshua Brainard, b. at Haddam, 20 July 1671,d. 13 May 1755, son of Daniel and Hannah (Spencer) Brainard.
              xi.       Daniel,b. perhaps abt. 1685;m. at Saybrook, 2 Sept. 1714, Deborah Buell,b. atKillingworth, Conn., 24 Jan. 1674,d. there Aug. 1767, dau. of Samuel and Judith (Stevens) Buell."



First, daughter Abigail has the same name as one of Mary's sisters and second, she is named in Hugh Roe's will as an heir.Both Abigail Dudley and her husband John Kent died in Suffield, Hugh Roe's residence and place of death.

Other children of Willaim and Mary Dudley:Sarah, Samuel and Elizabeth, are the same as Mary Roe's siblings.

Elizabeth married Joseph Remington.Joseph was the brother of Sarah Remington who married Peter Roe, Mary Roe Dudley's younger brother, and they also lived in Suffield.

This all seems to back up the contention that Mary Stow was really Mary Roe.Especially the information contained in the note by the Editor-in-Chief that records show the marriage in Saybrook was between William Dudley and Mary ROE.