Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 243
ness and death prevented his ordination. His father
caused a glowing eulogium to be inscribed on the monument
to his memorj in Orleans.
The bev. Joseph Crocker was a Calvinist, a hard student,
and a well read theologian. Wanting the graces of tlie
orator, he never was a popular preacher.
(38) Capt. Josiah Crocker,|Son of Josiah, born 8th Feb,
1684, married Desire,
mouth, April 10, 1718.
daughter of
He was a
Col. John Thacher of Yar-
sea captain, and while on a
voyage to Nova Scotia, was betrayed out of his course by an
Irishman who pretended to be a pilot. He and all his crew were
sick at the time. He died on board his own vessel in St. Mary's
harbor, Annapolis Rial, Oct. 10, 1721, and was buried at Port
Royal, Oct. 14, 1721, aged 37. His widow, Mrs. Desire Crocker,
died in Yarmouth, on the morning of the Sabbath, May 6, 1722,
and is buried in the ancient burying ground in Yarmouth.
He had two children born in Yarmouth.
119. I. Josiah, born 30th Oct. 1719, graduate of Harvard
College, 1738, and ordained May 19, 1742, pastor of the
church in Taunton, He entered College at the early age of
15, and was ordained at 23. He was of an ardent temperament,
zealous, earnest, yet tender and persuasive in his
manner. Like other zealous men, he was not always cautious
in his expressions. He had many warm friends, and
some enemies. His call to the Taunton church was not
unanimous, and there were always some who opposed him.
He was dismissed from his pastoral charge Dec. 1, 1765,
but continued to reside in Taunton till his death. He was
the friend of Whitefield, and possessed some of the charac-
earnest, persuasive
teristics of that eminent divine. ' His
manner, drew together a large audience
that he was to preach. It is said that
when it was known
a women travelled
from Plymouth on foot, carrying a child in her arms the
whole distance. When the load seemed heavy, or the way
long, she would comfort herself by crying out at the top of
her voice, "Crocker's ahead, Crocker's ahead," [See Ministers
of Taunton.] He married twice. His first wife was
Rebecca, daughter of James AUyn of Barnstable, whom he
married July 28, 1742, She died Sept. 28, 1759. He married
Nov. 5, 1761, Hanriah, daughter of Col. Thos. Cobb of
Attieboi'ough. His children were : Josiah, Benjamin, AUyn,
Joseph, William, Ebenezer, Rebecca, Leonard, born Oct. 2,
1762, and Hahnab, Oct. 18, 176,5. He died Aug. 28, 1774,
in the 55th, arid not the 53d year of his age, as inscribed on
his tombstone. A similar mistake or two years occurs on
the monument to the memory oi his first wife. Tbe Rev.
Josiah fcrocicer iias iriany descendants in Taunton and other