Joseph Heath, Sr. was born November 5, 1686, the second of three children born to the tailor, Richard Heath and his wife Mercy of Swansea, Bristol County, Massachusetts. A younger sister, Hannah, was born May 20, 1689. An older brother, John Heath, was named in the administration of Richard Heath's estate, however information about John Heath's date and location of birth is unknown.
Although information about the exact date of Richard Heath's death is unclear, it appears that he probably died about 1690, when Joseph was three or four years of age. Joseph Heath's mother, Mercy Heath, had three young children to raise. She married Cornelius Salisbury of Swansea ca. 1691 (this is my hazarded guess, because the first child of Cornelius and Mercy Salisbury was born in 1692). The inventory of Richard Heath's estate was not taken until September 16, 1699, after Mercy Heath had married a second time. On November 6, 1707, one day after Joseph Heath's twenty-first birthday, administration of Richard Heath's estate was carried out. Joseph and his younger sister, Hannah, each received twelve shillings from their father's, to be paid within the year. Joseph's older brother, John Heath, had already received his share of his father's estate, four pounds. In a deed dated December 14, 1705, John Heath sold his portion of the estate to his stepfather, Cornelius Salisbury. John Heath was away at sea at the time of the settlement of Richard Heath's estate in 1707.
Joseph Heath married Dorothy _______ about 1710 in Bristol County, Massachusetts. The birth of their first child, also named Dorothy, took place on June 25, 1711 and was recorded in Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts vital records. Some time after Dorothy's birth, Joseph and family moved to Groton, Connecticut, where a second child, Joseph Heath, Jr., was born on July 28, 1713. Two more children were born after Joseph and Dorothy's arrival in Groton. Altogether, Joseph and Dorothy Heath had the following children:
- Dorothy Heath, born June 25, 1711 in Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts.
- Joseph Heath, born July 28, 1713 in Groton, New London County, Connecticut; married Mary Bell on September 14, 1740, Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island.
- John Heath, born March 10, 1716/17 in Groton, New London County, Connecticut; married Temperance Avery on September 29, 1743 in Groton.
- Abigail Heath, born February 13, 1720 in Groton, New London County, Connecticut; married Samuel Morgan on September 30, 1741 in Groton.
Joshua Hempstead mentioned Joseph Heath in two entries in his diary [The Diary of Joshua Hempstead]:
Monday, December 19, 1720: "fair. I went to Stonington. I put up a note at Groton Meeting house to Enquire after 5 Stray Cattell. I hear of one at Jos Heath's."
Wednesday, January 11, 1721: "Some rain. In the foren I was at home. Aftern I went to Groton wth Nathll & Stephn. They carried over ye oxen took along a two year old & yearling tht was at James Averys & a Two year old yt was at Heaths for wch I pd him 3s 6d & & a yearling at Ingrems for wch I m to pay 5s 0d & also pay ye Constable for Crying. They are gone to ye farm."
On June 2, 1739, Joseph Heath witnessed a deed wherein his son, Joseph Heath, Jr. of Groton, age twenty-five, bought for £ 105 from John Seabury, Jr. a tract of land bounded by the property of John Seabury, Jr. and a road. The deed was signed by John Seabury, Jr. and witnessed by Joseph Heath (Sr.) and Samuel Seabury.
Dorothy Heath, wife of Joseph Heath, Sr. died on October 24, 1754. On January 3, 1757, Joseph Heath, Sr., age seventy, married Marcy Tracy. Groton records show that on May 31, 1768, Marcy (or Mercy) Tracy Heath died.
The land records of Joseph Heath, Sr. and Joseph Heath, Jr. are somewhat confusing. On January 2, 1758, Joseph Heath of Groton sold 1½ acres of land situated in Groton to Christopher Avery, Esq. On August 3, 1763, John Heath of Groton sold to Joseph Heath "of Swanzey in the Provence of the Massachusets Bay" ten acres of land in Groton. Then, on September 16, 1769, Devotion Eddy of Groton served judgement against Joseph Heath of "of Swansey in the Provence of the Massachusits Bay" for £ 36:9:0 Debt and £ 1:0:11 costs of suit. It's not clear which Joseph Heath, father or son, was the subject in each of these exchanges, although it seems more likely to have been Joseph Heath, Sr., who came to Groton from Swansea, whereas Joseph Heath, Jr. settled in Newport, Rhode Island. Still, considering the proximity of Swansea to Newport, it could have been either man.
The 1769 law suit was the last Groton record dealing with either Joseph Heath or Joseph, Heath, Jr. I have found no information on where either man died or was buried. Three years later, my ancestor William Heath married Mary Collver at the First Baptist Church of Groton with the Elder Timothy Wightman officiating. Ironically, Mary Collver was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Eddy) Culver. Mary Eddy was very likely an aunt or cousin of Devotion Eddy, the man who served judgment against Joseph Heath. The Eddy family also came to Groton from Swansea, Massachusetts.
Groton Land Records of Joseph, Joseph, Jr., and John Heath
June 2, 1739: Joseph Heath, Jr. of Groton bought for £ 105 from John Seabury, Jr. a tract of land bounded by the property of John Seabury, Jr. and a road. Signed by John Seabury, Jr. Witnessed by Joseph Heath and Samuel Seabury. [FHL Microfilm # 0004294; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 4, page 66.]
November 24, 1739: Joseph Heath and 12 other men (Capt. Jonathan Stone, Mr. Jonathan Sholes, Capt. Robert Allyn, Esqr. Ralph Stoddard, Thomas Baley, Sergt. Peter Lester, Sergt. John Hurlbut, Mr. Jonathan Williams, James Baley, James Baley, Jr., Joseph Millison, and John Allyn), all of Groton, were granted a small parcel of land in Groton for the use of a school and to be improved for no other use. The land was bounded by Preston Road, the highway that goes from the Old Meeting House in Groton to the Pine Swamp Road, property of James Baley, Jr. and the above mentioned persons. Signed by Christopher Avery, Jr. Witnessed by Luke Perkins and Eunice Perkins. [FHL Microfilm # 0004294; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 4, page 87.]
July 16, 1745: John Heath of Groton bought for £ 345 from Paul Pelton of Groton, 10 acres of land situated in Groton and bounded by Shole's land. Signed by Paul Pelton. Witnessed by Christopher Avery and Samuel Avery. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 5, page 19.]
August 18, 1747: Joseph Heath and Mary, his wife of "Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island" sold for £ 200 to John Brown of Newport, a tract of land in Groton, bounded by the property of John Seabury, Jr. Signed by Joseph Heath and Mary Heath, Newport, August 19, 1747. Witnessed by Ebenezer Richardson and Hannah Hayward. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 5, page 91.]
August 29, 1750: John Heath of Groton bought for £ 13 from Ralph Stoddard, Jr. of Groton a small 73-rod parcel of land bounded by the property of Joseph Heath (probably Sr.). Signed by Ralph Stoddard, Jr. Witnessed by Christopher Avery, Jr. and William Avery. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 5, page 102.]
September 29, 1750: Joseph Heath of Groton bought for £ 20 from Samuel and Hannah Hutchinson of Groton 1 ½ acres of land in Groton located near the property of Christopher Avery and the Preston Road. Signed by Samuel Hutchinson and Hannah Hutchinson. Witnessed by Christopher Avery, Jr. and Parke Avery. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 5, page 103.]
October 9, 1754: John Heath of Groton sold for £ 7, 10 shillings to Hutchinson Sholes of Groton, a small parcel of land in Groton containing about 30 rods, bounded by the property of John Heath and Hutchinson Sholes. Signed by John Heath. Witnessed by Christopher Avery and Sarah Avery. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 5, page 163.]
January 2, 1758: Joseph Heath of Groton sold for £ 4 to Christopher Avery, Esq., 1½ acres of land situated in Groton, bounded by Christopher Avery's land near the school house on the southeasterly side of the highway; land of John Heath, and of Ralph Stoddard. Signed by Joseph Heath. Witnessed by Jasper Latham and Henry Williams. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 6, page 40.]
August 2, 1760: John Heath of Groton sold for 30 shillings to Christopher Avery of Groton one quarter acre of land in Groton abutting west upon Preston Road and bounded by land of Ralph Stoddard and by Christopher Avery. Signed by John Heath. Witnessed by Jabez Smith and Joseph Williams, Jr. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 6, page 82.]
August 3, 1763: John Heath of Groton sold to Joseph Heath of "Swansey in the Provence of the Massachusets Bay in New England aforesaide" for £ 100, ten acres with buildings in Groton bounded by the property of Jesse Baley, Hutchinson Sholes, "or however otherwise Bounded by a Deed of the same from Thomas Pelton to the sd Joseph Heath Recorded in the Records of Groton Refference thereunto being had may Appear Togeather with the Buildings thereon standing or to the same belonging." Signed by John Heath. Witnessed by Peter Lester and Christopher Avery. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 6, page 126.]
March 4, 1764: Joseph Heath and Mercy Heath, both of Groton, sold for £ 30 to the Town of Groton, A.K.A. Joseph Morgan, Nathan Niles, Benadam Gallup (all Selectmen of Groton) about 4 acres of land situated in Groton with a dwelling house, bounded by Captain John Morgan; John Wood; Daniel Williams; and Nathaniel Brown. Signed by Joseph Heath and Mary Heath. Witnessed by Humphry Avery and Susannah Widger.[FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 7, page 60.]
September 16, 1769: Joseph Heath of "Swansey in the Provence of the Massechusits Bay" was served judgment by Devotion Eddy of Groton for £ 36:9:0 Debt and £ 1:0:11 costs of suit. The record was signed by Daniel Coit, Clerk. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 6, page 17.]
Vital records pertaining to the family of Joseph Heath of Groton
The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Town of Groton, has the following records, extracted from Groton vital records, of the family of Joseph and Dorothy Heath:
Abigail, d. Joseph & Dorithy, b. Feb. 13, 1720 1:114
John, s. Joseph & Dorithy, b. Mar. 10, 1716/17 1:114
Joseph, s. Joseph & Dorithy, b. July 28, 1713 1:114
Dorothy, w. Joseph, d. Oct. 24, 1754 1:153
Joseph, m. Marcy Tracy, Jan. 3, 1757 1:163
Mercy, 2d. w. of Joseph, d. May 31, 1768 1:153
Abigail m. Samuel Morgan, Sept. 30, 1741 1:165
John, m. Temperance Avery, Sept. 29, 1743 1:184
Note: John Heath, the son of Joseph and Dorothy Heath of Groton, is discussed in The Groton Avery Clan by Elroy McKendree Avery and Catharine Hitchcock (Tilden) Avery, volume 1, page 183. John Heath married Temperance Avery on September 29, 1743. According to the Avery genealogy, John Heath of Groton,
" was second lieutenant, March, 1756, in the first reg't, 8th company, Ebenezer Billings, capt., Nathan Avery, first lieutenant (Conn. Col. Rec., 10:472 and 11:97); first lieutenant in Capt. Stanton's company, 1758 (French and Indian War Rolls, 2:45). He was called captain by the Rev. David Avery (No. 511)."
The Avery genealogy lists the following children for John & Temperance (Avery) Heath of Groton, verified by records in Barbour:
Dorothy Heath, b. June 10, 1744; m. Christopher Avery.
Abigail Heath, b. May 2, 1746.
John Heath, b. Jan. 5, 1747. The Avery genealogy notes that, " there was a John Heath on the privateer "Oliver Cromwell," Capt. Coit, 1777 (Collections of Conn. Hist. Soc., 8:245, 250)."
Hannah Heath, b. Oct. 21, 1749.
Avery Heath, b. Nov. 23, 1750; m. Hannah Brooks, Feb. 14, 1773, at Colchester, CT.
Jonathan Heath, b. Nov. 3, 1753.
Samuel Heath, b. Aug. 31, 1755.
SOURCES
Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts Vital Records, filmed on LDS Family History
Microfilm # 0580654Bristol County, Massachusetts Vital Records, filmed on LDS Family History Microfilm # 0022366
Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Records, Volume 2, Pages 185 and 189.
The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Town of Groton, compiled under the supervision of Lucius B. Barber and Lucius B. Barber, 1911-1934.
The Diary of Joshua Hempstead, A Daily Record of Life in Colonial New London, Connecticut 1711-1758, New London County Historical Society, Inc. New London, Connecticut. 1999, pages 103 and 105.
Groton, Connecticut Land Records, Volumes 4-6.
Records of Trinity Church of Newport, Rhode Island, filmed on LDS Family History Library Microfilm # 0022422
Swansea, Massachusetts Vital Records, filmed on LDS Family History Library Microfilm # 0903395
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