In the annals of the Babb family history, a curious entry caught my eye—a cryptic note penned by Elizabeth Babb in her treatise Babb Families Come to America. Initially, I skimmed the note with little regard. Yet, it would not be dismissed! I started thinking that it might be a clue to join two trees into one, I undertook a more meticulous review and its significance dawned on me.

The entry detailed the matrimonial union of William Babb (William, John, Devon Pedigree, Newton Abbot 1544, Lions of the Sea), a yeoman from Wapping, and Susan Littleton, a widow. They exchanged vows on the seventeenth of August 1647, at St. Mary’s in Whitechapel. Intriguingly, on that very day, in the same parish, another widow named Susan Babb, formerly wed to John Babb of Whitechapel, entered into matrimony with Thomas Lewis, a shipwright residing on King Street. William’s will later revealed his frequent endearments to his “loving wife Susanna.” Records also show a Susan Littleton christened on the fifth of September 1613, at St. Mary’s Whitechapel, daughter to Peter Littleton.

Armed with the knowledge of William Babb’s marriage to Susan Littlejohn, I embarked on a quest to unravel the connection between John Babb and his spouse Susan, whose maiden name was Atkins. My research led me through various hypotheses and conjectures until, at last, the Family Tree Maker’s Relationship Calculator illuminated the truth—William and John were bound by blood, father and son.

This revelation shed light on the customs of their time. Grieving the loss of his son, William extended an act of profound compassion towards John’s widow by orchestrating a double wedding of both of their 2nd Marriages—a gesture of familial solidarity and kindness.

The puzzle, though seemingly complex, did not necessitate the acumen of a rocket scientist. In Elizabeth’s era, the web of familial ties, obscured by a tapestry of common names, was a labyrinth to navigate. Yet, in our modern age, computing technology grants us the power to untangle these threads with ease, bringing clarity to the once inscrutable connections that bind us through time.