Eliakim Stoddard was born 30 April, 1705 in Woodbury Township, Connecticut. He is the fourth child born to Anthony Stoddard (II) and Prudence Wells. His siblings are; Mary, 1702-1727; Solomon, 1703 – 1727; Elisha, 1706 – 1766; Israel, 1708 – 1727; John, 1710 – 1727; Prudence, 1711 – 1782; and Gideon, 1714 – 1782. Anthony and Prudence's first child (a boy) was a still-born and was never named. Also, Eliakim had three half-siblings from another mother.
There was an epidemic or plague in 1727 in Woodbury, many people died, four of Eliakim's siblings were among them; Mary, Solomon, Israel, and John.
"As the local records of Woodbury make clear, the major crisis in the early history of the town was the epidemic of 1727, during which seven times the usual number of people died. To incorporate this crisis, we defined the dummy variable PLAGUE, which was set to one for 1727." Taken from A Preliminary Time Series, Analysis of Chruch Activity in Colonial Woodbury, CT.
Eliakim's Mother, Prudence died 16 April 1715, when Eliakim was only ten years old. His father remarried the following year, 31 January, 1716 to Mary Sherman. However on 12 January, 1721 Mary died leaving not only Prudence's children motherless, but also three of her own; Esther, 1716 – 1800; Abijah, 1718 – 1776; and Elizabeth, 1719 – 1788. (Another child was born to Anthony and Mary, no date or sex given and the child didn't live).
Anthony married once again, sometime after 1721; he married Mary's sister, Hannah Sherman. It is assumed that she raised the remaining children.
Joanna Curtiss was born 5 September, 1708 in Woodbury Township, Connecticut. She is the eighth child born to "Ensign" John Curtiss and Joanna Burr. Her siblings are; Elizabeth, 1697 – 1738; Hannah & Harriett, (twins) 1699 – 1700 & 1699 - ?; Elikim & Elnathan, (twins) 1701 - ?, & 1701 – 1761; Abigail, 1703 – 1723; Ester, 1706 – 1743; John, 1711 – 1743; Olive, 1713 – 1749; Peter, 1716 -1747; David, 1718 – 1782; and Eunice, 1720 - ?. It appears that the Curtiss family didn't have any deaths during the 1727 epidemic.
Eliakim & Joanna would have grown up together. They married 4 December, 1729 in Woodbury Township, Connecticut. Ten children were born to them; John 1730 – 1795; Israel, 1732 – 1794; Anthony (III), 1734 – 1785; Abiram, 1736 – 1755; Joanna, 1738 – 1829; Prudence, 1740 – 1828/9; Eliakim JR, 1742 – 1749; Seth, 1744 – 1828; Abigail, 1747 – 1803; and Eliakim JR, 1749 – 1802.
Eliakim died 30 September, 1749 in Woodbury. It is assumed that he was buried in the Woodbury Cemetery. (However, no records have been found to confirm this).
Joanna was pregnant with their youngest child, Eliakim II at the time. He was born 11 December, 1749. He died five months after his Mother died in 1802.
Joanna died 16 January, 1802 in Charleston, New York. There is no record of where Joanna is buried, maybe New York, or Woodbury, Connecticut.