Will the Real Joseph Maynard Please Stand Up?

Friend and former Topaz colleague, Todd Van Hoosear, was recently inspired to do a bit of digging into the past – to help us identify the “real” Joseph Maynard.

While the true identity of “our” Joseph Maynard is still a mystery, with Todd’s assistance, we’ve narrowed it down to two likely candidates. Take a look at Todd’s discoveries below, which detail the Joseph Maynards and their families. Thanks Todd!

"There is a lot known about the Maynard family, but little known about which Joseph built this house. Most certainly, the owner was a descendant of John Maynard, born in England between about 1598 and 1610 – the accounts vary. According to the "Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts," he was a farmer and a "malster" or "maltster," a manufacturer of malt, used in the brewing of beer. He married first in England, and his first two sons John Jr. and Joseph, were also born in England, circa 1625 and 1635. His first wife's name was Elizabeth Aston. She is said to have died in Cambridgeshire, England, around 1638, and thus likely did not accompany John to America. His son John Jr. did accompany him to the Colonies, but it is not known if second son Joseph did.

By 1634, John Sr. was practicing his trade in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was one of the forty-seven petitioners who divided the Sudbury Meadows in 1638. He is listed as one of the town's founders, and became a selectman there in 1646. He married his second wife, Mary Axtell of Sudbury, in 1646. John and Mary had four children: Zechary (or Zachary) (b. June 7, 1647), Elizabeth (b. May 26, 1649), Lydia, Hannah (b. Sept. 20, 1653) and Mary (b. August 3, 1656). John Sr. died on December 10, 1672.

John Jr. married Mary Gates, daughter of Stephen and Anna Gates, early settlers of Hingham, Lancaster and Cambridge. They lived in Sudbury until 1657, at which time they most likely moved to Marlborough – where he is listed as one of the town's original petitioners and grantees. They had 11 children, the last eight of which were born in Marlborough.

John Sr.'s most famous descendant may be the Revolutionary War hero Captain John Maynard. John was born in Framingham on May 14, 1753 to Joseph and Abigail (Jennings) Maynard. According to the "Memorials of the Society of the Cincinnati of Massachusetts," he served as an "Acting ensign in Nixon's regiment at the battle of Bunker's Hill, where he was wounded, and being unable to walk was borne to Cambridge by his brother, Hon. Needham Maynard." He was commissioned a lieutenant in Greaton's 3rd regiment on November 11, 1777, and served as quartermaster. According to the Memorials, "He was made prisoner by the British Col. Norton at White Plains, 3 Feb. 1780. Removed to Lancaster." In Lancaster records, John is listed as a "Hero of the Revolution." He most likely served in Col. Job Cushing's regiment. He died on January 21, 1823. His wife Martha survived him; she died on February 19, 1831.

Capt. Maynard's father, Joseph, was born on November 20, 1725 to Jonathan Maynard and Mehetable (or Mehetabel) Needom (or Needham) of Sudbury. His grandfather Jonathan was born on April 8, 1685 to Zachary and Hannah (Coolidge) Maynard of Sudbury. His great-grandfather Zachary was born in Sudbury on June 7, 1647 to John Sr. and his second wife Mary.

So who owned the house? Well, there were at least two Joseph Maynards living in the area in 1775 (when the house was built), both descendants of John Sr. I suspect more digging will find even more Josephs. It was a popular name in a rather prodigious family.

I. JOSEPH MAYNARD, son of Joseph, b. 17 May 1750. This Joseph was the brother of the more famous Capt. Maynard (and great-great grandson of John Maynard Sr.). He was born on May 17, 1750 to Joseph and Abigail (Jennings) Maynard of Framingham. His father Joseph died on August 3, 1769, and is buried at Church Hill Cemetery in Framingham.

Joseph married Deborah Twitchell, daughter of Joseph and Deborah (Fairbanks) Twitchell of Sherborn, on May 5, 1775. Deborah was the second daughter of that name; their first had died at a very young age. In 1776, he enlisted in Framingham as a private under Col. Abner Perry. In 1777, their daughter Debby was born.

II. JOSEPH MAYNARD, son of Joseph, b. 3 April 1725. This Joseph was the son of Joseph and Miriam (Willard) Maynard of Sudbury. His father was the son of Zachariah and Hannah (Goodrich) Maynard. Zachariah in turn was a son of Zachary and Hannah (Coolidge) Maynard of Sudbury. This Joseph married Abigail Jennings on 29 May 1746."