Rebecca Harlow
4. REBECCA2 HARLOW (
Sgt. William1
, born at Plymouth,
Massachusetts, 12 June 1655 ; died at Plympton, Massachusetts, 3 September 1727, in 73d year.
She married possibly at Plymouth, abt. 1675, Rev. ISAAC CUSHMAN, son of Elder
Thomas and Mary (Allerton) Cushman, born at Plymouth, 8 February 1648/9; died at Plympton,
21 October 1732, in his 84th year. Isaac's mother was a daughter of
Isaac Allerton of the Mayflower..
Isaac and Rebecca are both buried in the "Ye Olde Burial Grounds" Cemetery in Plympton. Their
gravestones are pictured on Paul Bumpus's website of the Cushman family members at "Ye Olde Burial Grounds."
There is some controversy as to who actually was the wife of Isaac Cushman. In several publications,
including The Descendants of Robert Waterman of Marshfield,
and in the 1855 Cushman genealogy by Henry Wyles Cushman she is listed as Mary Rickard.
However, in 1950, Miss Anna N. Gurney and Mrs. John E. Barclay presented the theory that
Isaac's wife was Rebecca Harlow based upon a preponderance of evidence. After an extensive search
of the Rickard family records, they found that there was no evidence to support the identification
of Isaac's wife as being Rebecca or Mary Rickard.
As is documented by the headstone picture's on Paul Bumpus's site, the age of death for Rebecca
Cushman is 72 years when she died 3 Sept. 1727. This corresponds to the birth date of Rebecca
Harlow on 12 June 1655. Also, no records have been found on her marriage to anybody other
than Isaac. There have also been no death records found on Rebecca as being unmarried.
A great deal of circumstational family relationships existed between the Cushman and the Harlow
families. The inventory of Sgt. Harlow's death included debts owed to Isaac Cushman, who was
also the surety on the bond of Sgt. Harlow's widow, Mary. Willam Harlow, Rebecca's brother
married Lydia Cushman, Isaac's sister. Another brother, Benjamin, gave Isaac Cushman the power of
attorney to sell his property in Mass.
Upon his death, the administration of William Harlow's will had the remainder of his personal
estate be divided among his seven daughters. Since Hannah died in 1689, then Rebecca would
have been on of the seven who survived Sgt.William.
In his will, dated 22 October 1690, Thomas Cushman left his son Isaac (who
was a co-executor) "one twenty acre lot with ye addition at ye head lying on the
northerly side of Samuel Fullers land in ye Township of Plymouth and also the
one half of my land lying at Namasket Pond in ye Township of Middleborough as
Also ye one half of my Right in the Sixteen shilling Purchase so Called in the
Township abovesaid and also one third part of my meadow at Winnatuxet in Plymouth. "
A codicil was written 1 April 1691, in which Thomas gave his sons Thomas and Isaac one
hundred acres on Colchester Brooke, provided they make cash payments
to his widow and daughters.
Children of Isaac and Rebecca (Harlow) CUSHMAN, all born at Plymouth:
i. ISAAC(3) b. 15 Nov. 1676.
ii. REBECCA (Rebekah), b. 30 Nov. 1678.
iii. MARY, b. 12 Oct. 1682.
iv. SARAH, b. 17 Apr. 1684.
v. ICHABOD, b. 30 Oct. 1686.
vi. FEAR, b. 10 Mar. 1689.
References:
Plympton VR, 471; MD, 1:112, 178.
MD, 15:27.
MD, 10:111.; Plympton VR, 470.
MD, 17:139-140; Plymouth Co. PR, 6:248, 267, 365.
TAG, 26:144-147.
MD, 37-42.
Descendants of Sgt. William Harlow, p 12,13
