Mary (Polly) Bethia Higgins

Mary Bethia Higgins Jacob and Mary Bethia Anniversary

Mary, known as Polly, was born in October 1793 in Lyme, Connecticut and her christening took place on December 29th, 1795.  Polly's father was David Higgins and her mother was Eunice Gilbert.  She was an only child.  She died at the age of 77 on May 10th, 1871 in Racine, Wisconsin.  She was buried in Forrest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

• General Notes

  by her son Franklin Butler, in 1910:
  Mary Bethia Higgins was a native of Lyme, Conn., and was a direct descendant of Matthew Gilbert, one of the original company of the New Haven Colony. He is buried in the New Haven cemetery, and his grave is one of the three which were left in the old church-yard, while all others were removed when the statehouse was built there. The stone marking his resting place is still in good preservation. The three remaining stones are marked with initials only, and are shown as marking the graves of the three regicides; * but the one marked "M. G. " and supposed to mark the resting place of Michael Goff, has been shown to be over the grave of Matthew Gilbert, sometime deputy governor of the province.
  
  Note: The headstone marked "M. G. " attributed to Mathew Gilbert is also attributed to Michael Goffe. The Sexton of Center Church, New Haven, will show the visitor a spot in the Coal Bin under the church said to be the site of Mathew Gilbert's Grave. This cript under Center Church is worth a visit even though our ancestor seems to be relegated to the coal bin.

Details of Polly's family with Jacob Van Valkenburgh