Joseph Lucas (1689-1742) of Plymouth and Plympton (now Carver), Mass.

Joseph Lucas was born 26 October 1689 in Plymouth, Mass., the son of Samuel and Patience (Warren) Lucas. His mother was the granddaughter of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren.

Joseph married, first, 10 March 1714/15 at Plympton, Mass., Persis Shaw. Persis was born in Plymouth on 10 March 1691/92, the daughter of Lt. Jonathan and Mehitable (Pratt) Shaw.

Plymouth and Plympton Vital Records show the births of five children for Joseph and Persis:

John, born 14 December 1715, married Lydia Doty and had 8 children

Hannah, born 10 November 1717, died age 27, unmarried

Samuel, born about 1720, m. Abigail Shaw and had 13 children, church Deacon

Barnabas, b. 17 December 1721, d. 20 May 1726, Carver

Patience, b. 17 January 1723/24, she married Joshua Perry

Joseph and Persis raised their family in an area of Plympton that is now in Carver.

Persis died 6 June 1726 in Plympton (now Carver) at age 34. She is buried at Lakenham Cemetery. Her son Benjamin died a few weeks before her, so perhaps an illness struck the family.

Persis Shaw Lucas' gravestone

Joseph married, second, on 9 November 1727 in Bridgewater, Melatiah Carey. Melatiah is spelled in a variety of ways including Malathiah, Meletiah and Melethiah. She was born ca 1685, the daughter of Francis and Lydia (Brett) Carey/Cary. Her birth is not recorded, but the will of Francis Cary, dated 2 Jan 1723/4, names daughter Malethiah.

Plymouth and Plympton Vital records show the birth of one child for Joseph and Melatiah:

Barnabas, born 30 October 1729 in Plympton. He married Joanna Pierce. I descend from this couple and wrote about them here.

Joseph was a blacksmith by trade and was Deacon at the First Church, Plympton. He also served as a Selectman and was a land surveyor. He owned part of a furnace and land at Pope's Point on John’s Pond and was half owner of a grist mill.

Joseph was named in his father Samuel’s 4 July 1715 will. He received land adjacent to his home and also land at the Cedar Swamp and meadow at Swan Hole.

In the December 1719 court session, a stranger to Plympton, Willis Fitshughs was sentenced to be whipped if he didn’t pay a fine for striking and kicking Joseph Vaughan. Joseph Lucas wrote two bonds for Fitshughs.

In the June 1721 court session, Abigail Tomson who accused Jonathan Inglee of being the father of her bastard child. Inglee appealed the court decision that he support the child; Joseph Lucas of Plympton was one of two men who gave him sureties.

In the May 1723 court session, Joseph Lucas was one of a group that accused John Bumpus of Rochester of obstructing the Wewan Tick River so that the alewives could not go up river.

I’m not certain of the date, but I think it is the 1730s, at another court session, Joseph Lucas, Plympton retailer, was given permission to sell liquor for one year.

On 5 August 1731, Selectmen Joseph Lucas and Joseph Thomas warned widow Hannah Wood of Middleborough, being poor and indigent, to leave town.

1736 court records state that Joseph Lucas (Plympton) was appointed to survey land in question in a case and return a “true and exact Platt.” After Joseph's report, jury verdict for appellant, reversing the judgement, for 10 pounds and costs.

Joseph died 4 September 1742 in Carver, at age 52. He is buried at the Lakenham Cemetery, North Carver. His slate stone is engraved with an unusual skull. He is buried next to his first wife Persis.

Joseph Lucas' gravestone

Lucas family plot

The will of Joseph Lucas of Plympton, yeoman, dated 23 February 1741, proved 22 September 1742, states that he had infirmities of the body that were "symptoms of approaching mortality." He names his wife Meletiah; sons John, Samuel and Barnabas (who was under 21); daughters Hannah and Patience. Inventory was taken 18 February 1743.

Joseph's will mentions his homestead with a large amount of land, meadow at Little Cove, land adjoining John's Pond that belonged to his father, six acres of meadow at Donham's Cove in Plympton, seven acres of land bought of Joseph Cole in Plympton, cedar swamp at Beaver Dam Swamp, land adjoining Crane Brook, South Meadow cedar swamp, Plympton farmland purchased from Edward Cole.  It also mentions his smith's shop, part ownership of a furnace, half a grist mill, yoke of oxen, farming utensils, cart tackling, wearing apparel, guns and swords. His daughters Hannah and Patience each  received $110 pounds, a substantial amount for that time.

Melatiah died after 25 February 1745/46, when she was named guardian of her son Barnabas. I have not found when she died or if she remarried.

Sources Not Listed Above:

Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Vol. 18, Richard Warren,  published by the GSMD, 1999

The Mayflower Descendant, "The Will of Samuel Lucas, Senior, and a Deed of His Widow," Vol 27, 1925