Various spellings of Stanhope
Stanape, Stanup, Standhope, Stanhop, Stanop, and Stannup
Childbirth was was perilous. Around 1.5 percent of births ended in the mother's death. Since women gave birth to many children, chances of dying in childbirth were quite high.
The New England Meetinghouse was the only municipal building in a town. Both worship and civil meetings were held there. It was customary for men and women to sit separately and the town chose a committee once a year to assign seats according to what was paid, age, and dignity.
Rebecca was Joshua's second wife. His children with his first wife, Margaret, were:
Beulah Hemenway (1691, died young),
Hephzibah Hemenway (1691) and Benoni Hemenway (1694).
In 1691, Margaret and Joshua were admitted to the church in Roxbury. Margaret died on May 12, 1694 due to complications of childbirth.
Rebecca and Joshua’s children included:
Joshua Hemenway (April 2, 1697),
Ralph Hemenway (October 7, 1699),
Rebeckah Hemenway (1704, died age 3),
Huldah Hemenway (September 30, 1708, died at 10 months),
Phineas Hemenway (April 26, 1706),
Ebenezer Hemenway (May 31, 1710), and
Jonathan Hemenway (August 22, 1712).
In 1701 Joshua was one of the original members of the First Church in Framingham.
Benoni was one of the men from Framingham in service during Father Rasle's War.
Joshua was one of the founders of the Second Church of Framingham and was in sympathy with the "Great Awakening." The First Great Awakening began in the 1730s and was an ecumenical movement where pastoral styles changed to elicit an emotional response from the congregation.
He died on May 20, 1760 in Framingham, Massachusetts during the Great Sickness along with Joshua, Jr. The great sickness epidemic of 1754 in Framingham may have been an outbreak of diptheria.
Diphtheria is a serious contagious respiratory illness where a membrane attaches to the tonsils, pharynx, or nasal cavity. Diphtheria can lead to loss of motor control and sensation. Pertussis is also contagious and was known as whooping cough. It starts with a mild respiratory infection and the coughing develops into uncontrollable fits followed by a high-pitched "whoop" sound as the patient struggles to breathe. Tetanus was also called lockjaw and occurs when wounds are contaminated. As the infection progresses, muscle spasms develop in the jaw as well as other parts of the body.
Deacons played a respected and important role in early New England churches. They sat in a raised pew near the pulpit and had special duties during communion.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
Father Rasle’s War was between 1721 and 1725. It was also known as Dummer’s War, Grey Lock's War, and Lovewell’s War. Father Sebastian Rasle was a Jesuit missionary in New England and lived among the Abneki people. In 1705, during Queen Anne’s War, tensions escalated between the settlers and Father Rasle and the Abneki. The settlers attacked the mission at Norridgewock and burned the church. Hostilities continued after the end of Queen Anne’s War and in August, 1724 Father Rasle was attacked by the settlers, scalped and killed
Middlesex County, Massachusetts was created on May 10, 1643. The county originally included Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Sudbury, Concord, Woburn, Medford, Wayland, and Reading.
