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- From Margery Freas. On 2 Mar 1651/1652 Mercy Tubbs waswarned to appear "to answer for mixed dancing for which shewas cleared by admonition". On 3 Oct 1663, she wasfined 50 shillings as was Joseph Rogers for "obsean &lacivous behavior each with the other." Rogers losthis status as Lt. at the time but the court reestablishedit on 6 Jun 1664. On 8 Jun 1664, William was allowedto "disown all debts that she (Mercy) shall make". On3 Jun 1668, the court wrote to Mercy in Rhode Island toinform her that if she didn't return to her husband beforethe first Tuesday in July, then William would be divorcedfrom her. One Joseph Rogers in June, 1663,was ordered to removed his dwelling from Manassakeesett,because he had been keeping company with Mercy SpragueTubbs "in a manner as have given cause at least to suspectthat there hath been lasiviouse acts commited by them".Rogers was threatened with severe whipping if he were foundnear Mercy or the Tubbs' house again. William wasordered not to allow Rogers to come to his house. AJoseph Rogers (1607-1678) was a Mayflower passenger, diedEastham, Jan 1678. He was a freeman, 1633, and ranthe ferry over the Jones River. Joseph has a son,Joseph, Jr., who was killed 1660. No knowledge ifthis is the Joseph with whom Mercy Sprague Tubbs is accusedof consorting. Joseph, Sr., was a son of Thomas whodied soon after landing.
From Paul Earl, correspondent. I found some original courttranscripts about Mercy Sprague. Very racy stuff for the1600s! I wonder why Joseph Rogers was threatened to bewhipped instead of Mercy. I thought in those days, thepunishments primarily fell upon the woman...the scarletletter etc. I wonder if it had anything to dowith her family being one of the wealthier ones in NewEngland. If so, it may have played a part in William Tubbs'difficulty in getting a divorce. Mar. 1651/2 Mercy was before theCourt "to answare for mixed dauncing". She was cleared ofthis charge with an admonishment (PCR III-5). At Court held3 March 1662/3 Joseph Rogers "complaineth against Rebeckahand Allice Pierce" asking for damages of £20 for sayingthat he and Mercy Tubbs were seen lying under a blanket.However Joseph did not appear when the case was called andwas non-suited. Therefore it seems the gossip was factual.At the next session of Court, 1 June 1663 "the Court beinginformed that Josepth Rogers of Namasakeesett hathfrequently and from time kept companie with Merceye, thewife of William Tubbs, in a way and after such a manor ashath given cause att least to suspect that there hath beenlaciuiouse (lascivious) actes committed by them, the Court. . . hath required (him) to remove his dwelling . . . andthat if att any time he shall bee taken . . . in companieof the said Merceye Tubbs . . . he shall (be) seuerlywhipt." (PCR IV-42) Not daunted, the couple persisted.So at October Court "Wee present Josepth Rogers and MerceyeTubbs, for that they were both lyeing together one night ona bed, under a rugg, before the fier; and also the sameMerceye Tubbs for that att another time she carriedvnseemly in the presence of Josepth Rogers." The jury gavea verdict of true presentment (guilty). Joseph and Mercywere each heavily fined. Mercy apparently left home at thistime. Shortly thereafter William Paybody (Peabody) grantedWilliam a divorce, but the Court overruled him 8 June 1664,fining Paybody £5 for making a writing regarding WilliamTubbs marriage vows". (PCR IV- 66) At the same Courtsession William published, with regard to Mercy, that hewas "disowning all debts that shee shall make vnto any fromthis time forward." (PCR IV-66) John Arthur was in Court 1August 1665 "for entertaining the wife of one Talmon andthe wife of William Tubbs". (PCR IV-104) William periodically petitionedfor a divorce until 3 June 1668 when his pleas wererecognized and notice sent to Mercy through the governmentat RI, where she was living, to return to William or loseall rights and claims against him. (PCR IV-187) Hernegative reply was received by 7 July 1668 and the Courtthat day gave William his divorce. "Mercy have for fouryears and upward" absented herself. (PCR IV-192)
William Tubbs & Mercy Sprague
Note from Glen Atwell, correspondent, note of September20th, 2005 I am Glen Atwell, a descendent ofMercy Sprague (Francis Sprague): I have my results from Genographicshowing MY DNA (Male wont show the Sprague female lines) IT Maybe of interest to people inthe DATABASE to share their information. (Especiallywith Mercy's history of non-Puritian activity with othermen) and I am willing to share my information on sites setup for public study. I understand our distant cousinswith the Waite\\Wait\\Wyatt are already doing so with linksto other DNA testing facilities. It can be as complex as you wishor simply it could be stated that perhaps RICHARD ATWELL isa R1b(Most Common European origins) or a more complex subgrouping as below....... MY DNA is done byGenographic. MY ATWELL male line is close toyour own families in that the descendents of BenjaminAtwell of New London Ct in 1664 (My Direct line) are R1bWest SAXON race.** The Atwells in Virginia are K andso are not related.
**Anglo-Saxon Sub-Clade of R1b: This sub-clade will have values of23/11 at DYS markers 390 and 391. If one's known ancestryis in the British Isles and one has R1b of this sub-clade,the odds are tilted against that being an "indigenous" R1band toward being a NW European continental R1b brought tothe British Isles by one of the historic invader/immigrantgroups from Brussels, Holland, NW Germany, and Denmark.This tilt should be incorporated into all the other surnameand related information you have about origins of your R1b.This represents Anglo/Saxon England populations after theRoman occupation ended in 410 AD but before theNorman/Viking populations in the early 1000's BC.
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