Ensign Joshua Holcombe - Curator: Issues, Soures, and Quotations for Review

ISSUE 1:
The name of Ensign Joshua's first wife present appears as Mary Carrington. However, a majority of sources I find indicates that her name was Hannah Carrington.

ISSUE 2:
Two of the three attached wives to Joshua show maiden names of Hoskins and Gillet. As to the latter, Ensign Joshua's son Joshua (III) instead married Mary Gillet.

WIKITREE – https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Holcombe-537 – shows Ensign Joshua married—secondly and last—Mary Hoskins, The curator cites, as its sole authority this marriage a book by Jesse Seaver titled "The Holcomb(e) Genealogy: A Genealogy, History and Directory with Illustrations" (pp. 11-12); Available at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89063108492;view=1up;seq=34

HolcombGenalogy.com is in agreement with Wikitree. The following information comes from its website:

RE ENSIGN JOSHUA – https://www.holcombegenealogy.com/g0/p42.htm#i2051
"Ensign Joshua Holcombe1 b. 18 September 1672, d. 10 February 1727/28

"Four Generations of Descendants of Thomas Holcombe": https://www.holcombegenealogy.com/ui05.htm#a390
"DNA Descendants of Thomas Holcombe": https://www.holcombegenealogy.com/ui112.htm#a11

“Ensign Joshua Holcombe was born on 18 September 1672 at Windsor, Hartford Co., CT. He was the son of Joshua Holcombe and Ruth Sherwood. Ensign Joshua Holcombe married HANNAH Carrington, daughter of John Carrington, in 1694. Ensign Joshua Holcombe married Mary HOSKINS, daughter of Robert Hoskins and Mary Gillett, in 1709.2 Ensign Joshua Holcombe died on 10 February 1727/28 at Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT, at age 55.3

“Seaver says wife (1) may be Mary Carrington.

“MCCRACKEN:
“His will was dated 30 March 1727, inventory taken by Joseph Case, James Case, James Hillyer (Manwaring 2:328f.) on 1 March 1727/8, and he mentions wife Mary, sons Caleb, Joshua, Matthew, David, Joel, Phineas; four daughters by first wife: Thankfull, Experience, Hannah, Eleaner; daughters (by second wife) Mary, Mercy, Miriam; six sons Caleb, Joshua, Matthew, David, Joell, Phineas; executors: wife Mary and brother Joseph Hoskins; witnesses: Andrew Robe, Josiah Alford, Edward Strickland. On 2 April 1728 Mary Holcombe petitioned for her share of the estate. On 1 Jan 1739/40 she was appointed guardian of her son Joel aet. 16. Stiles (2:395) says he married Mary Griffin which is wrong. He married, first, Hannah Carrington, born 1675, died, according to the Rev. Dudley Woodbridge, 13 May 1707, daughter of John Carrington of Waterbury, whose parents were probably executed as witches; second, Mary Hoskins....See my corrections of Mrs. McPherson's errors (TAG 28:32034), where the list can still be slightly improved..."

CHILDREN OF ENSIGN JOSHUA HOLCOMBE AND HANNAH CARRINGTON
Caleb Holcombe2 b. 1 May 1695
Joshua Holcombe III+2 b. 18 Sep 1697, d. Nov 1772
Thankful Holcombe2 b. 8 Jan 1700/1
Experience Holcombe+2 b. 1702, d. 15 Dec 1774
Eleanor Holcombe+ b. 6 Jul 1706
Matthew Holcombe+2 b. 7 May 1708, d. 21 Mar 1781
Hannah Holcombe2 b. 1710, d. D.Y.
Hannah Holcombe b. 1711

CHILDREN OF ENSIGN JOSHUA HOLCOMBE AND MARY HOSKINS
David Holcombe+2 b. 22 Jul 1713, d. 1803
Mercy Holcombe+2 b. 4 Sep 1714, d. 10 Jun 1780
Miriam Holcombe2 b. 11 Jul 1716, d. 16 Sep 1718
Robert Holcombe2 b. 2 Mar 1717 or 1718, d. 8 Mar 1717 or 1718
Sarah Holcombe2 b. 2 May 1719
Miriam Holcombe+ b. 18 Jan 1719/20, d. 28 Apr 1795
Joab Holcombe2 b. c 1720, d. 5 Dec 1723
Bathsheba Holcombe b. 3 Jan 1721/22
Joel Holcombe+2 b. 18 Aug 1723, d. 24 Feb 1814
Joab Holcombe2 b. c 1724, d. 9 Feb 1725/26
Phineas Holcombe+2 b. 4 Feb 1726, d. Sep 1781

CITATIONS
1. Hannah Elizabeth Weir McPherson, Holcombe Genealogy, Page 44.1/Item A-4-5.
2. Hannah Elizabeth Weir McPherson, Holcombe Genealogy, page 44.1.
3. Albert C. Bates, Simsbury, Page 138.

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RE MARY HOSKINS – https://www.holcombegenealogy.com/g0/p48.htm#i2380

"Mary Hoskins was born on 3 September 1689. She was the daughter of Robert Hoskins and Mary Gillett. Mary Hoskins married Ensign Joshua Holcombe, son of Joshua Holcombe and Ruth Sherwood, in 1709.1 Mary Hoskins died after 1740.

"CHILDREN OF MARY HOSKINS AND ENSIGN JOSHUA HOLCOMBE
David Holcombe+ b. 22 Jul 1713, d. 1803
Mercy Holcombe+ b. 4 Sep 1714, d. 10 Jun 1780
Miriam Holcombe b. 11 Jul 1716, d. 16 Sep 1718
Robert Holcombe b. 2 Mar 1717 or 1718, d. 8 Mar 1717 or 1718
Sarah Holcombe b. 2 May 1719
Miriam Holcombe+ b. 18 Jan 1719/20, d. 28 Apr 1795
Joab Holcombe b. c 1720, d. 5 Dec 1723
Bathsheba Holcombe b. 3 Jan 1721/22
Joel Holcombe+ b. 18 Aug 1723
Joab Holcombe b. c 1724, d. 9 Feb 1725/26
Phineas Holcombe+ b. 4 Feb 1726, d. Sep 1781."

CITATION
1. Hannah McPherson, Holcombe Genealogy, page 44.1

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STEPS TO RESOLVE
STEP 1. Decided if Ensign Joshua did indeed marry Mary Hoskins.
STEP 2. Decide if Joshua III married Mary Gillet. If so (which seems certain to me), then please detach Mary Gillet as Ensign Joshua wife.

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FINAL NOTES RE FAMILY SEARCH RECORDS

NOTE 1: As of 24 Sep 2023, FamilySearch does not have or has not yet digitally published a source for a marriage between Joshua Holcomb and Mary Hoskins.

NOTE 2: On FamilySearch, only two of Ensign Joshua's post-1708 born children show a mother's name: "Marey".
— Mariam/Miriam: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WJ-NLD and https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WJ-NLM
— Robard (d. 6 days aft. b.): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQ7-36DJ and https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74G-DJ2

NOTE 3: FamilySearch sources showing children born to Joshua only don't indicate a mother's name. Not all known children living at the date of his Will and Probate (10 Feb 1727) have FS birth records.