Up In Arms

One would believe that a unique name would make searching for information easier in the genealogical realm. I am quickly discovering that is not so.  In my search for proof of the parentage of one Mehitable Arms, I am coming up empty.  I have the research of two other genealogists that list her as the daughter of Thomas Arms and Polly Coolidge.  Searching on familysearch.org  I found two possibilities for Thomas Arms.

1.

Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, index, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FZ98-DFH : accessed 27 Sep 2014), Thomas Arms, 03 Aug 1759; citing DEERFIELD,FRANKLIN,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 186146.
Name:	Thomas Arms
Gender:	Male
Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Birth Date:	03 Aug 1759
Birthplace:	DEERFIELD,FRANKLIN,MASSACHUSETTS
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name:	Thomas Arms
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name:	Lydia
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	C50172-2
System Origin:	Massachusetts-ODM
GS Film number:	186146
Reference ID:

AND

2.

"Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQXL-XFM : accessed 28 Sep 2014), Thomas Arms, 22 Jun 1729; citing DEERFIELD,FRANKLIN,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0873741 IT 3.
Name:	Thomas Arms
Gender:	Male
Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Birth Date:	22 Jun 1729
Birthplace:	DEERFIELD,FRANKLIN,MASSACHUSETTS
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name:	William Arms
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name:	Rebeckah
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	C50172-1
System Origin:	Massachusetts-ODM
GS Film number:	0873741 IT 3
Reference ID:

Since I don't have any vital statistics on the Thomas Arms I am looking for, I am exploring all possibilities and then ruling out as I go.  I pasted this into an Excel spreadsheet, side by side.  That is the easiest way for me to do comparisons.  I then found the marriage records for the parents mentioned in the two results above.

1.

"Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHT2-5HS : accessed 28 Sep 2014), Thomas Arms and Lydia Alvord, 12 Jul 1753; citing reference Vol. 1 Pg. 304; FHL microfilm 186146.
Name:	Thomas Arms
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Age:
Spouse's Name:	Lydia Alvord
Spouse's Birth Date:
Spouse's Birthplace:
Spouse's Age:
Event Date:	12 Jul 1753
Event Place:	Sunderland, Franklin, Massachusetts
Father's Name:
Mother's Name:
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Race:
Marital Status:	Unknown
Previous Wife's Name:
Spouse's Race:
Spouse's Marital Status:	Unknown
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	M50052-8
System Origin:	Massachusetts-EASy
GS Film number:	186146
Reference ID:	Vol. 1 Pg. 304

AND

2.

"Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC4H-H97 : accessed 28 Sep 2014), William Arms and Rebekah Nash, 28 Oct 1720; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 0873741 IT 3.
Name:	William Arms
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Age:
Spouse's Name:	Rebekah Nash
Spouse's Birth Date:
Spouse's Birthplace:
Spouse's Age:
Event Date:	28 Oct 1720
Event Place:	Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts
Father's Name:
Mother's Name:
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Race:
Marital Status:	Unknown
Previous Wife's Name:
Spouse's Race:
Spouse's Marital Status:	Unknown
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	M50052-8
System Origin:	Massachusetts-EASy
GS Film number:	186146
Reference ID:	Vol. 1 Pg. 244

These I also pasted into my spreadsheet next to one another.  Another check for a marriage record for Thomas Arms revealed a record of his marriage to Polly Coolidge.

Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910, index, (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FCMJ-6WG : accessed 27 Sep 2014),  MM9.1.1/FCMJ-6WL:, Thomas Arms and Lydia Alvord,12 Feb 1785; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 873740.
Name:	Thomas Arms
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Age:
Spouse's Name:
Spouse's Birth Date:
Spouse's Birthplace:
Spouse's Age:
Event Date:	12 Feb 1785
Event Place:	Montague, Franklin, Massachusetts
Father's Name:	Thomas
Mother's Name:	Polly Coolidge
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Race:
Marital Status:
Previous Wife's Name:
Spouse's Race:
Spouse's Marital Status:
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number:	M50178-1
System Origin:	Massachusetts-EASy
GS Film number:	873740
Reference ID:

I went to Google.com and searched for "Thomas Arms Polly Coolidge Franklin Massachusetts" and found another source for a marriage record for them.  Polly was from Coleraine, Massachusetts.

Thomas (Arms), jr., of Deerfield [s. Thomas. P. R. 14.], and Polly Coolidge of C., int. Feb. 12, 1785.

http://dunhamwilcox.net/ma/colrain_ma_marrs.htm

PART I 

COLRAIN MARRIAGES TO THE END OF THE YEAR 1849 

Extracted From 

Vital Records of Colrain, Massachusetts 

To the End of the Year 1849 

Salem, Mass., 1934 (no copyright statement) 

[transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]

I tried to find a digital copy of this book without success.  I would like to know the meaning behind the abbreviations in the entry.

Many years ago I corresponded with someone regarding the Rice connections to the Hazeltons.  Paul Hazelton married Mary Rice. Mehitable Arms married Royal Harvey Hazelton. Online I found the following:

Thomas Arms married Polly Coolidge.1 Thomas Arms was baptized on 6 August 1758 at Deerfield, MA.2 He was born on 3 August 1759 at Deerfield, MA, (sic).

Child of Thomas Arms and Polly Coolidge

Mehitabel Arms+

Citations

1 [S1351] Hupfer.

2 [S1114] Thomas W. Baldwin, Deerfield, MA, Vital Records.

© Copyright 2002, 2011 by the Edmund Rice (1638) Association                                [S1114] Baldwin, Thomas W.. Vital records of Deerfield, Massachusetts, to the year 1850. Boston, MA: Wright & Potter, 1920.  

http://www.george-king.com/Planter/p5.htm#i256767

Notice the two different birthdates and the corresponding sources.  I went back to familysearch.org and found this record:

Name: Thomas Arms Gender: Male Christening Date: 06 Aug 1758 Christening Place: DEERFIELD,FRANKLIN,MASSACHUSETTS Birth Date: 03 Aug 1759 Birthplace: Death Date: Name Note: Race: Father's Name: Thomas Arms Father's Birthplace: Father's Age: Mother's Name: Lydia Mother's Birthplace: Mother's Age: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C50172-1 System Origin: Massachusetts-ODM GS Film number: 0873741 IT 3 Reference ID: Citing this Record: "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQXL-XF3 : accessed 28 Sep 2014), Thomas Arms, 03 Aug 1759; citing , ; FHL microfilm 0873741 IT 3.

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe it is possible to christen a child who has yet to be conceived.  But you can clearly see where the two cited sources on http://www.george-king.com/Planter/p5.htm#i256767 found their information.  The question remains, which year is correct. 

An additional search on Find-A-Grave I found the following:

Birth:  unknown Death:  Sep. 12, 1756 Deerfield Franklin County Massachusetts, USA Thomas was the son of William Arms. INSCRIPTION: Thomas son of Mr & Mrs William Arms died September 12, 1756 aged ??  Burial: Old Deerfield Burying Ground Deerfield Franklin County Massachusetts, USA Created by: Geo Clinton Record added: Oct 04, 2007 Find A Grave Memorial# 21948755

Thomas Arms who married Lydia Alvord had a son, Thomas Arms, in 1759 and Thomas Arms, son of William Arms and Rebekah Nash, died in 1756. My conclusion is that they are not the same person.  Below is the Find-A-Grave memorial for Thomas Arms who died in 1808.

Birth:  1730 Death:  Aug. 17, 1808 On July 12, 1753, Thomas Arms married Lydia Alvord in Sunderland, Franklin County, MA.  Family links:  Spouse:   Lydia Alvord Arms (1736 - 1802)*  Children:   Eliphaz Arms (1754 - 1826)*   Thomas Arms (1759 - 1832)*   Lucy Arms (1774 - 1836)*  *Calculated relationship Inscription: Thomas Arms Died Aug. 17, 1808 AE 78 yrs.  Burial: Sugarloaf Street Cemetery South Deerfield Franklin County Massachusetts, USA Created by: acpflute Record added: Jul 13, 2012 Find A Grave Memorial# 93549255

I was still looking for Thomas Arms who married Polly Coolidge.  Find-A-Grave had a memorial, but I didn't believe it to be the same man.

Birth:  Aug. 3, 1759, Deerfield,Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA Death:  Jun. 2, 1832, Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA Thomas Arms was the son of Thomas and Lydia Alvord Arms. Head of family  Family links:  Parents:   Thomas Arms (1730 - 1808)   Lydia Alvord Arms (1736 - 1802)  Spouse:   Hannah Boyden Arms (1774 - 1861)* Spouse #2  Sibling:   Eliphaz Arms (1754 - 1826)*   Thomas Arms (1759 - 1832) *Calculated relationship Inscription: Thomas Arms Died June 2, 1832 AE 73 yrs. Burial: Sugarloaf Street Cemetery , South Deerfield, Franklin County,  Massachusetts, USA Created by: acpflute Record added: Jul 13, 2012 Find A Grave Memorial# 93549176

This is my Thomas Arms, but who is Hannah Boyden??  One of the search results took me to an Arms family genealogy website where I found this:

ID: I1363 Name: Thomas ARMS Jr. 1 Sex: M Birth: 3 AUG 1759 Death: 2 JUN 1832 Change Date: 18 JAN 2003 Father: Thomas ARMS b: 1729 Mother: Lydia ALVORD Marriage: 1. Polly COOLIDGE b: 7 FEB 1765 in Weston, Massachusetts Child: Mehitable ARMS b: 22 OCT 1786 in Deerfield,Franklin,Ma Marriage: 2. Hannah BOYDEN Married: OCT 1795 Sources: Text: "A Genealogical Record of THE ARMS FAMILY in this Country" byEdward W. Arms. 1877.

I was able to find a digital copy of this book.https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00byuarms and under the heading, "Third Generation" is found this entry "9 Thomas, born 1729, married Lydia Alvord, South Deerfield" on page seven.  Then on page nine is this entry "16 Thomas Jr., born Aug 3, 1759, died June 2, 1832, married Polly Coolidge, died June 1794, married Hannah Boyden, Oct, 1795."  Finally on page 16 I find the entry for Mehitable Arms!

9 Children of Thomas, Jr., son of Thomas. Deerfield.

Mehitabel, born Oct. 22, 1786.

Polly, born Feb. 9, 1789.

Senv, born Oct. 22, 1791.

Dexter, born Oct. 29, 1797.

Harriet, born Sept. 3, 1799, married Aaron Dickinson.

Fidelia, born Nov. 26, 1801, married Squire Palmer, April 23, 1830.

Wealthy, born June 23, 1804, married Solomon Adkins.

John Boyden, b. June 15, 1806, m. Hannah Childs April 17, 1836.

Josiah Coolridge, born Sept. 23, 1808, married _________Bryant.

Thomas Alvord, born March 11, 1812.

Julia Alma, born Oct. 11, 1814, married Albert Clapp.

This book also says that Thomas Arms b. 1729 who married Lydia Alvord is the son of William 2nd and Rebekah Nash.  It states that William is "buried between his father and son in the old Deerfield burying ground."  The author does not cite his sources and the two Thomas Arms are buried in two different cemeteries. The book also doesn't state which son he is buried next to. 

Heartbreaking when someone's research is flawed and the author doesn't include a citation of sources.  As usual, another mystery to unravel.  I guess that's why I love genealogy!