Joseph Halstead - Disambiguation

Disambiguation

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L5FK-BD5

In 1935 the first notice was published of the old error about who the husband of Susannah Harcourt was as per "A Memorial of John, Henry and Richard Townsend." The codicil to the 1696 will of Susannah's father Richard Harcourt, mentioned his granddaughter Hannah Townsend, dau of his dau Susannah. The Memorial author mistakenly assigned Susannah as 1st wife to John Townsend II, and also gave him a 2nd wife that belonged to his cousin of the same name. Discovery of the error was made from town records that show that Susannah actually married Joseph Halstead and that both grandfathers of these children, Richard Harcourt and Jonas Halstead, were recorded as protective of the interests of their Halstead grandchildren because by 1682, Susannah had died and in 1679 Joseph had died. The grandfathers were engaged in legal actions with their stepfather Peter Stringham to secure the interests of the children. This find corrects the error that Susannah md. Joseph Halstead, and that Hannah Townsend, granddaughter, was actually Hannah Halstead, md. to James Townsend, Jr. as probably his 2nd wife. John Townsend II was married to a Townsend whose given name was Hannah as it appears on various records for that couple, but her maiden name is NOT known. The incorrectly assigned 2nd wife Phebe belongs to John Townsend, son of Richard Townsend I, who later removed to Cape May, NJ. Ironically, the Townsend Memorial had that marriage correct and did not catch their own error about wives of John Townsend II. Please read this important correction posted in Memories so we can keep all these families accurate.