Martha AMBLER

Family/Spouse: David WILDMAN. David died before 6 Jan 1800. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
John Ambler was a large land owner and active man in Stamford until 1750, when he removed to Danbury. Between 15 Sep., 1719, and 8 mar., 1726/7, John Ambler and his brother Stephen gave six joint deeds of Stamford lands. Between 5 Mar., 1726, and 20 Sept. 1750, John Ambler conveyed Stamford lands in 18 instruments as well as purchasing many tracts. he entered his ear mark for cattle at Stamford, 10 Jan., 1725/6, and was on the freeman's list of 30 Mar., 1734....

Under date of 20 Sep., 1750, "John Ambler, late of Stamford but now of Danbury, both in Fairfield County" for L115 deeds Nathan Middlebrook "rights in the southern Commons r request land so called inStamford, which right descended to come to me from my honored father Mr. John Ambler, late of Stamford, deceased, and was part of my honored grandfather Mr. Abraham Ambler, late of Stamford, deceased his rights in common lands."

John Ambler was an active man in Danbury. He was a supporter of the Rev. Mr. White in the church controversy of 1764 and appears on a petition to the Legislature of 30 April, 1764, recommending against the charges brought against Mr. White and praying for a Distinct Ecclesiastical Society. On 28 Sept., 1764, he was among the signers to a second petition asking liberty "to worship the Supreme Being according to their Consciences." On 8 Feb., 1765, eh was an objector to the settlement of Mr. Noadiah Warner as minister of the First Society...

John married Elizabeth MOREHOUSE on 12 May 1721 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Elizabeth (daughter of Jonathan MOREHOUSE and Rebecca KNOWLES) was born in 1702 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 09 May 1702

Notes:

Name:
John Ambler evidently accompanied his father to Bedford upon the settlement of that plantation and spent his early manhood there, perhaps maintaining his father's property in that town.

John Ambler appears on the inhabitants' list of Bedford for 1692. On 16 Oct., 1694, the town of Bedford agreed to buy a house and lot of John Ambler for a parsonage " provided his price do not exceed L25." On 22 Dec., 1694, he joined with his father in a deed of several plots to the Proprietors of Bedford and was called "of Stamford" in the conveyance. it seems probable that this deed covered a large part of the Ambler holdings in Bedford. On 26 Dec., 1699, the Town of Bedford agreed to carry out certain accommodations for Mr. Joseph Morgan upon his coming to carry on the ministry. Among other things the town agreed to give Mr. Morgan all the land "which the town bought of Mr. Ambler and of his son John."

John Ambler entered his ear mark for animals at Stamford on 1 April 1699. He was, listed as a freeholder of Stamford in 1701 with property amounting to L92.10s, which placed him among the town's twenty richest men. He was collector of rates of Stamford in 1700 and a selectman of stamford in 1709 and 1710. he served as Deputy from Stamford to the Connecticut Legislature in May and Oct., 1711. His name appears frequently in Stamford Land records.

The will of John Ambler dated 3 Nov. 1711, was probated 5 Feb., 1711/12. In it he mentions wife Martha and children John, Stephen and Martha, a minor. Executrix, his wife Martha. Inventory was taken 1 Jan. 1711/12, Ib 24 Aug., 1713, John, a son of the decedent, chose Samuel Blatchley, of Stamford, as guardian and the son Stephen chose John Stone, of Stamford. Martha, widow of John Ambler, married second at Stamford, in Nov., 1712 Edward Beach. On 14 April, 1720, "the widow Martha Beach" entered hr ear mark for animals at Stamford. On 15 Dec., 1724, the town granted widow Martha Ambler a discharge from paying any taxes for one year.......

John married Martha WILDMAN in 1695 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Martha was born about 1668; died after 12 Nov 1728. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Thomas Wildman

Notes:

Name:
When Martha (Wildman) Ambler embarked upon widowhood in November 1711, her husband had ensured that she and their three children were well taken care of. With acreage and a dwelling house, JohnAmbler's estate was worth nearly a thousand pounds. That property and Martha's dower rights meant she would be able to live comfortably.

But a year later she was remarried and all that she possessed went under the control of her new husband Edward Bach, newly arrived from England. This marriage turned out to be an unfortunate decision. The law giving married women property rights inConnecticut would not be in place for nearly 150 years, and Edward would make "a prey of the Good Estate left her." Successfully obtaining an absolute divorce in Connecticut during this time meant that one had to prove "adultery, desertion, fraudulent contract, and seven yeas' absence without word." Martha may have been able yo provide proof of all of those claims to be granted her 1721 divorce but inexplicably she did not pursue legal means to rid herself of this grasping husband.....

The widow Martha Ambler, with two minor children at home, married Edward Bach (Beach/Batch) in November 1712. The couple does not appear to have had children. By 6 March 1716, three years into the marriage, Edward wrote a letter to Martha asking that she "discharge" him from their marriage. Edward wrote of the "unhappy match" and "the Trouble that has befallen both you and I" and that he "cannot be contented: with her. He wrote the letter from Huntington, nearly thirty miles away, and requested that she oblige him and grant the discharge or "if you are Cross and will not send me a discharge you must take what follows." Despite the yhreat of "what follows," it appears Martha did not filed paperwork with the courts until several years later.

There are claims that Edward Bach had a child with Mercy June of Stamford before Edward's request to end his marriage to Martha. that child Mindwell Batch (or Bach), was born about 1713 or 1714 based on a 1733 deed from her mother and Mindwell's own marriage hat year. It is possible she was born a year or two later, closer to the time of the 1716 letter from Edward.

Mindwell June's mother, Mercy June, later married Richard Chester (Cheester/Chessier) at Stamford on 1 March 1718/9. the couple had one child, Mary, likely born about 1720.

By September 1721, five years after Edward's request for "discharge" from the marriage, Martha petitioned the Superior Court in Fairfield, making three damning claims against Edward: 1) Edward was still married to a woman in England, (2) he had already married a second time in Connecticut, and 3) he had spent all that was left to her by John Ambler. She claimed a "totall neglect of Duty" and his "extravagancy and ill husbandry" were reasons for praying for a divorce. Three men of Stamford verified her claims, Samuel Wood, Samel Hait/Hot, andRichard Chessier (who by then had been married to Mercy June for over two years), testified that they were "sorrowfully acquainted" with Martha who had been "almost nine years past unhappily married to Edward Batch a Stranger newly (or was said) come then out of England" who had a living wife and children in England and now a wife and child in the new country. According to the testimony Edward had absent seven years, meaning he had left Martha's household in the winter of 1714. Even though they had not lived together, Edwrd legally had access to whatever Martha possessed during his absence.Since Mercy June was married to Richard Chester by this time, the "wife and child in the new country" presumable are yet another woman and her child, though no marriage record for Edward other than the Bach-Ambler one was found.

Edward is not found in later records in Stamford or Fairfield County.

Jonathan married Rebecca KNOWLES on 16 Apr 1690. Rebecca (daughter of John KNOWLES and Rebecca CABLE) was born in 1671; died on 21 Aug 1727. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]