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The Premature Death of Elizabeth Underwood
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-- Elizabeth Underwood married Theophilus Clark 1716, his second wife.
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The New England Historical and Genealogical Register Vol. 126 July 1972 No. 3 pp. 157-160, "The Premature 'Death' of Elizabeth (Underwood) Cutler by Leland G. Darrow of Belmont, Mass.:
The Rev. Abner Morse in his 1867 compilation, A Genealogical Record of Several Families Bearing the Name of Cutler (p. 27) stated that Nathaniel3 Cutler, son of Nathaniel2 (John1) and Mary (----) Cutler was born 12 March 1659 at Reading, Mass., and died 7 June 1714, ae. 55 years and two months, being called "Mr." on his gravestone. Morse said that Nathaniel's first wife, whom he marred (sic) 24 May 1700, was Elizabeth Underwood of Watertown, and that his second wife, whom he married 21 Feb. 1709, was Elizabeth Haines of Reading. Morse futher reported that the second wife married, secondly, 24 Feb. 1718, Theophilus Clark of Medway, "took all her children with her, and saw them trained up in the way they should go, Mr. Clark having lost his first wife Rebecca, Dec. 1, 1717, and three children, 1716." Morse lists as children of Nathaniel3 and Elizabeth (Underwood) Cutler: Nathaniel, Elizabeth and John; and as the only child of Nathaniel by the alleged second wife: Jonathan.
Morse's account was followed substantially by Nahum S. Cutler in A Cutler Memorial (1889), pp. 325-6, except that a fourth child of Nathaniel and first wife is listed: Mary. The account again found its way into print in Henry Cutler's History of the Holliston Branch of the Cutler Family (1897), p. 13, which continues with the descendants of Jonathan4 Cutler.
Turning to Lucien M. Underwood's compendious The Underwood Families of America (1913), 1:6, one finds that Elizabeth3 Underwood, daughter of Joseph2 (Joseph1) and Elizabeth Underwood, was born 8 May 1679; married 24 May 1700, Nathaniel Cutler of Reading, Mass., and had children at Reading: Nathaniel Cutler, b. 8 Dec. 1702; Elizabeth, b. 20 April 1704 or 1705, and John, b. 30 Oct. 1707. Underwood continues: "She must have died soon after 1707 because Nathaniel Cutler is recorded as married to a second wife in 1709, and another child is recorded to him at Reading: Jonathan Cutler, b. 17 Feb. 1711."
A start on the right track with respect to this family group was made by Charles L. Newhall in The Record of my Ancentry (sic) (1889), p. 191, when he noted that Elizabeth Haines was the second wife of Nathaniel2 Cutler, not of his son Nathaniel3. However, Newhall perpetuated the story of Elizabeth (Underwood) Cutler's predeceasing her husband, showing a second wife, name unknown, for Nathaniel3.
Vital and probate records clearly show that Elizabeth Underwood survived her first husband, Nathaniel3 Cutler; was, in fact, the mother of all of his five children; that she then married Theophilus Clark of Medway as his second wife, born him four children; and survived Clark by 20 years.
Nathaniel2 Cutler (John1) married Mary ____ at Reading 29 Sept. 1655 (V.R.) and had among others, son Nathaniel, born 12 March 1658/9 (ibid.). Mary, wife of Nathaniel, died 4 Feb. 1707/8, at Reading (ibid.). He married secondly, 21 Feb. 1708/9 at Reading Elizabeth Haines (ibid., he being called "Nathaniel, Sr." in the record). Elizabeth, wife of Nathaniel Sr., died 4 March 1714 at Reading (ibid.). He died before 1 Dec. 1724, intestate, when letters of administration in the estate of Nathaniel Cutler Sr., of Reading were granted to a daughter, widow Lydia Walker (Middlesex County Probate, No. 5548).
Nathaniel3 Cutler (Nathaniel2, John1) was born 12 March 1658/9 at Reading (V.R.) and married there 24 May 1700, Elizabeth Underwood of Watertown (ibid.) born to Joseph and Elizabeth Underwood at Watertown 8 May 1679 (Henry Bond, Genealogies of the Families... of WATERTOWN, MASS., 1860), p. 610. Nathaniel Cutler Jr. died 7 June 1714 in his 56th year at Reading(V.R.) The inventory of his estate, filed 18 Oct. 1714, showed an estimated value of L750. 13s., and other papers in the file showed that the administratrix was Elizabeth Clark, "formerly widow of Nathaniel Cutler of Reading, now the wife of Theophilus Clark of Medway." The appraisers were Nathaniel, the eldest son of deceased; Samuel Harding, husband to Mary, daughter of deceased; Raham Bancroft and John Eaton, guardians of under-age children of deceased. The widow allegedly released her dower (but see her will, supra), and distribution was to the five chidren: Nathaniel, Mary, Elizabeth, John and Jonathan (Middlesex Count Probate, No. 5544).
Chidren, all recorded to Nathaniel and Elizabeth at Reading, (V.R.):
i. Mary 3, b. 18 Feb. 1711/01; mentioned as wife of Samuel Harding in record of father's estate.
ii. Nathaniel, b. 8 Dec. 1702; mentioned as deceased in mother's will in 1756 (supra).
iii. Elizabeth, b. 20 April 1705; mentioned as daughter Elizabeth Chandler in mother's will.
iv. John, b. 30 Oct. 1707; mentioned in mother's will.
v. Jonathan, b. 17 Feb. 1710/11, mentioned in mother's will.
Elizabeth (Underwood) Cutler married, as her second husband, at Reading 24 Feb. 1718, Theophilus Clark of Medway (V.R.). He was the son born to Benjamin and Dorcas Clarke at Medfield 24 Sept. 1670 (V.R.). He and his first wife Rachel had 12 children recorded at Medfield between 1696 and 1710, and she died 1 Dec. 1717 at Medway (V.R.). "Mr. Theophilus Clark" was buried in the Old Cemetery at Ashford, Conn., the tombstone recording his death on 3 Oct. 1737 in his 76th year. Elizabeth Clark, "wife to Lieut. Theophilus Clark" is also buried there, she having died 25 Dec. 1757 in her 82nd year.
The will of Elizabeth Clark of Ashford, Windham County, Conn., dated 4 June 1756 and proved 2 Feb. 1758, gives:
(T)o the heirs of my son Nathanael Cutler deceased: all that is due to me from his estate as dowry out of my first husbands estate and that is all I will to them from my estate. . . to my son John Cutler (the same) . .. to my son Jonathan Cutler (the same). . . to my daughter Mary Harding (the same). . . to my daughter Elizabeth Chandler all that is due to me from her which is all the portion I will give her. . . to my son Benjamin Clark seventy six pounds old tennor which is duue to me from him by a certanin note of hand dated June 5th 1751 this I give to him to be to his proper use and benefit during his natural life and at his deceas it is my will that it shall be given to the heirs of my sone Theophilus Clark deceased and this is all the portion I give him considering what I have given him before. . . I give and bequeath to my daughter Esther Eastman all that she or her husband are indebted to me and also all my houshold goods and cloathing which are mine at my deceas and also the three hundred and thirty pounds which is now in Doct. David Holmes hand, which is in lawfull money aquivolent to three hundred and thirty pounds, old tennor, and it is my will that one hundred pound of the three above mentioned shall be given to Philip and Timothy Eastman sones to the above named Esther Eastman when they arrive to the age of twenty one years. . . to the heirs of my son Theophilus Clark deceased namedly William Theophilus Benjamin and Samuel Clark the five hundred pounds old tennor which is now due to my from my son Benjmain Clark to be made good to them when they arrive to the age of twenty one years in old tennor or lawful money aquivolent to five hundred pounds, old tennor, with the interest and to have it equally destributed to each of them as they come of age Likewise it is my will that the fifty five pound old tennor which my son Benja Clark owes me for the cow he had of me shall be given to the above heirs of my son Theophilus deceasd and that it shall be made good to them when they come to the age of twenty one years and and distributed equally to each of them. . . to my daughter Bethiah Clark all that she owes me to be given to her younger son Ebenezer Martin Clark when he come to the age of twenty one years and this is all I give to her for the child. . . inasmuch as the surcumstance of the case is such in my thought that it is not proper that either of my sons should be my executour of this my last will and testament I appoint and ordain granson Moses Chandler of Woodstock to be my sole Executor.
Witnesses were Obadiah Brown, Ruth White (by mark) and Benjamin Russell. Among debtors of the estate were Timothy Eastman, Doct. David Holmes, Jno Southworth, Edw. Marcy, Joseph Mason and Benja Clark. The appraisers were Tho. Chandler, Benja Sumner and Benja Russell (Pomfret Probate District, No. 1097; deposited at State Library, Hartford).
Children, first recorded to Theophilus and Elizabeth Clark at Medway, Mass. (V.R.):
i. Esther Clark, b. 1 Jan. 1719; mentioned as Esther Eastman in mother' will of 1756; she and husband Timothy Eastman executed release and receipt, 27 Nov. 1758.
ii. Theophilus Clark, b. 19 Apr. 1722; mentioned as deceased with four sons surviving, in mother's will.
iii. Benjamin Clark, b. 19 March 1724; mentioned in mother's will.
iv. Bethiah Clark; mentioned in mother's will as mother of at least two sons.
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1719 - 1800 (81 years)
[3, 4, 5, 6] 
