Monday, April 23, 2012

Too Many Tuckers

Last year, when I needed a "T" for the A to Z challenge, I put together a post about my Tucker line, which I hadn't thoroughly researched.  Now that I've had a little more time to pick through the available data, I have found possible inconsistencies, as is sometimes the case with data over 200 years old.

The line that follows my 5x great-grandfather James Tucker appears to be undisputed, and many other descendants have laid his line down with reliable documentation.  However, his alleged marriage to Sarah Angell Tucker on November 5, 1795 is probably incorrect.  Having now identified the siblings of Simeon Tucker, it is obvious that James and Sarah were married before this date.  No doubt, there was another James & Sarah Tucker who got married in 1795 in Charlemont, Massachusetts, and this may lead to the other disputed data, concerning Sarah Angel Tucker.

The Grave of Sarah Angell Tucker

The data I had received from a cousin about Sarah Angell Tucker's line asserted that she and James were cousins.  However, I was recently contacted by another cousin who had data showing that James Tucker's wife was actually Sarah "Angell," and that she was the daughter of William Angell & Christian Church.  Digging deeper, there appears to be some evidence to suggest this is the case, as explained by researcher Diana Todd.  A note she wrote concerning James Tucker and Sarah Angell's family has been circulating, which disputes several erroneous claims that I hadn't encountered before (such as James having two different wives named Sarah), and also lays out a pretty convincing case about the Angell line, that Diana has apparently researched thoroughly.

While I feel inclined to believe in the Angell connection, the sands of time have eroded the history enough to leave uncertainty.  I feel fortunate I have only run into such ambiguity a couple of times in my research, and that many of my other lines are more concrete and proven.

I still have a lot of work to do on the Tucker line, and I hope to find more time to research it when time permits.

Before I go, here are the children of James and Sarah Tucker, all born in Halifax, Vermont:

Lydia Tucker (b. 15 January, 1792)
Stephen Tucker (b. 19 February 1794 /Died 17 February 1882 in Jackson, PA)
Sarah Tucker (b. 4 November 1795 –Married James Niles on 23 April 1818 in Charlesmont, MA)
Amos Tucker (b. 13 June 1797 /Died 22 February 1855 in Halifax, VT)
Mary Tucker (b. 9 July 1799)
Cinthey Tucker (b. 22 April 1802)
Simeon Tucker (my 4x great grandfather, b. 22 February 1804 /Died 17 June 1867 in Harford, PA)
Joseph Tucker (b. 26 April 1806 /Died 9 September 1883 in Halifax, VT)
Esther Tucker (b. 22 May 1809)

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