Miriam Deane
2nd wife of John Wing

While we know nothing about John Wing's first wife, we do know some things about Miriam Deane. Miriam was born about 1630 in Plymouth Colony. She was the daughter of Stephen Deane and Elizabeth Ring.

There are some reports that state that Miriam was the widow of John Smith...and there may be some credence to that since she left her estate to Dean Smith, her great nephew by her niece Bethia Snow who was married to a man by the name of John Smith, possibly a nephew of Miriam's first husband.

It appears that even though Miriam Deane might have been married before she married John Wing, she died without children of her own to leave her legacy to. Miriam would have been about 17 to 20 years younger than John Wing. If we do believe that the reference in 1692 to "Old Goody Wing buried" refers to John Wing's first wife then we have to presume that John Wing was easily in his late seventies when he married Miriam Deane...Miriam would have been in her early sixties when she married John Wing. If all of these facts are true (and at this point there is no way to prove them) it would probably signify that the marriage was a marriage based on companionship and convience.

All indications are that Miriam had a fairly significant estate of her own. Her father , Stephen Deane, was known as a man of wealth and her mother's 2nd husband, Josiah Cooke was a man of some means in his own right. There are also indications that Miriam was not married to John Wing long enough to bond to his children in any significant way...in fact it appears that there may have been some animosity between her and John's children;

"Further more my will is that whereas on a contract of marriage with my now wife I did Ingage her a Room to built att the end of the house where I now dwell but to prevent further strife my will now is she being so content that if she shall live longer than while my afore Named Grand Child John Wing arrives at the age of twenty years that then my now wife Miriam Wing shall have twelve pounds paid her out of my estate....to build her a comfortable Room to dwell in at the end of this house wherein I now Dwell."

Miriam Deane Wing died in 1702 and it appears that she left all  or most of her own estate to her great nephew, Dean Smith of Chatham, the son of her niece Bethia Smith. The inventory of her personal property was taken in January, 1702-03, and its value was assessed at seventy-eight pounds, twelve shillings and two pence." Kenelm Winslow was her administrator.