Mary (Bliss) Harmon (1617 - 1711)

Born 16 Mar 1617 in Daventry, Northamptonshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of Nathaniel Harmon — married 1638 in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 7 Feb 1711 at age 93 in Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

Baptism

Mary (Bliss) Harmon immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Mary Bliss, daughter of Thomas Bliss who was married to Dorothy Wheatlie, was baptized in Daventry, Northamptonshire, England, 16 Mar 1616/7, at the parish church of Holy Cross.^[1][2][3][4] Note that references to Belstone, England refer to a different family.

Immigration

Along with her family, she came to America when she was 21 years old.^[1][2]

Marriage

She married Nathaniel Harmon, of Braintree, about 1640. There is no actual record of their marriage. Nathaniel's first son Nathaniel was born 8 Dec 1640. The will of Thomas Bliss of Rehoboth (7 Oct 1647) leaves "Daughter Mary and her husband Nathaneell Harmon my three two yeare ould steers and ten bushells of wheat"^[2]

Death

There is no record for the death of Mary Harmon in Massachusetts. No gravestone has been found. Artemas Harmon says, "It is not known what became of Nathaniel and his family. The last mention of his name was in 1663 at Dedham. Ephraim Harmon, the son, was buried Aug 27 1683, at Rehoboth, Mass. Nathaniel probably returned to England or died about 1665.)

Various death dates have been given.

Date: BET 1617 AND 1710, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts,

09 SEP 1690 Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States^[5]

Date: 29 JAN 1712 Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States

The 1712 Springfield date is a different family. Between 1617 and 1710 is accurate enough although not very specific. Rehoboth? Maybe? Evidence or a source for 9 Sept 1690 has not been located, other than Ancestry trees.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Harmon, A. C. (Artemas Canfield). The Harmon genealogy, comprising all branches in New England. Washington, D.C.: Printed by Gibson bros., inc., 1920.(p.251)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Hoppin, Charles Arthur. The Bliss book : a romantic history of the Bliss family from the time of its beginning in England, to its advent into America ...' (p. 157) Hartford, Conn. : Priv. print., 1913
3. ↑ Hoppin cites the Parish register for Holy Cross.
4. ↑ Northamptonshire : Daventry : Holy Cross : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a039334f493fd52859d4b35 : viewed 8 Oct 2023) baptism Mary Blisse 16 Mar 1616/17
5. ↑ Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

See Also:

• Bliss, John Homer. Genealogy of the Bliss family in America, from about the year 1550-1880. Boston, Mass., Printed by the author, 1880. This book says nothing except that she was daughter of Thomas and married Nathaniel Harmon, she was mentioned as such in Thomas' will.
• Ancestral File Number: 8KK9-GT
• Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700 p. 344 "HARMON, Nathaniel & Mary [Bliss] (1616-); b 1641; Braintree
• England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975/ Name Mary Bliss

Gender Female Baptism Date 20 Aug 1620 Baptism Place Trinity, Ely, Cambridge, England Father Thomas Bliss FHL Film Number 2112077

• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900/ Name: Nathaniel Harmon Gender: Male

Birth Place: EN Spouse Name: Mary Bliss Spouse Birth Place: EN Spouse Birth Year: 1616 Marriage State: of MA Number Pages: 6.

• U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700/Name Mary Harmon

Maiden Name Bliss Gender Female Birth Year 1616 Marriage Date 1641 Marriage Place New England, USA Spouse Nathaniel Harmon (Page 359) Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988/ Springfield Births, Marriages and Death Page 4261.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Eric Rivers, Terry Kraft, Richard Draper, Bruce Anderson, Rochelle Tennantfor creating WikiTree profiles. See the changes page for the details of edits