From Jeromey Ward's Web Site:
Taken from "Abbe-Abbey Genealogy" by
Cleveland Abbe and Josephine Nichols.
John Abbe, born in England about 1613; died
in Salem, Mass., about1689-90. The place of birth of John Abbe, the founder of
the Abbe and Abbey families, is unknown, but every indication points to one of
the interior and central counties of England as the home of the ancestors of the
emigrant. It is not improbable that he was connected with the Abbye family of
Staverton, Northampton. The parish registers of Stoke Bruerne, Northampton, show
that there were many marriages of Abbyes recorded there during the 16th and 17th
centuries.
A History of Staverton:
Staverton is a village situated in the South Hams. It is 3 miles from Totnes and
7 miles from Torbay. It lies on the banks of the beautiful river Dart nestled in
a valley.
The name Staverton , or Stouretona, means "the village by the stony ford." The
ford, an ancient crossing many centuries older than the bridge, was situated by
Town Mills, and provided a route from the village to Dartington.
However old the real history of Staverton
parish may be , written records go back to the time of king Athelstan (925-940),
who gave extensive lands to the monastery of St. Mary and St. Peter in Exeter,
so that the income from the lands could support the work of the church. Falling
on hard times however the monastery sold the manors. In 1050 Leofric became the
Bishop of Exeter and regained all of the lands. Which had been given by
Athelstan, and Staverton and Sparkwell returned to the church’s keeping. Later,
in 1088, the Doomsday Book records the manor of Staverton as being worth £7 and
Sparkwell as 15/- (shillings) a year.
Over the centuries, boundaries have moved
and manors split. By the 15th century, Sparkwell Manor consisted of Sparkwell,
Beara and Blacker. Barkingdon and Kingston were separate manors. From Saxon
times, the Wolston family was associated with the area, originally with
Sparkwell and later with Blackler and Beara. Their name survives today in
Wolston Green, a hamlet within the parish boundary.
Sparkwell and Kingston were later owned by
the Barnhouse family, and passed via Agnes Barnhouse to her husband John Rowe.
Barkington was owned by the Worths until the 17th century. The boundaries of the
manors were not always as now, but where filed names were recorded, it is easy
to trace the historical boundaries of ownership. Some are still referred to as
they were a thousand years ago.
The manor of Staverton continued to provide
income for the Chapter of Exeter. Changes to legal title were made in 1148
concerning the church at Staverton. The Chapter of Exeter was instructed to
appoint an "upright man as Vicar and allow him sufficient maintenance."
Some hamlets became independent of the
church and changed hands frequently. Tradition has it that Pridhamsleigh was
lost as a gambling debt by the Gould family, forebears of Sabine Barring-Gould.
However , the Church retained much of the land and this is reflected today with
the Church Commissioners still owning substantial areas of the parish.
The River Dart forms one of the boundaries
and appears to have caused some problems. For many years the riparian rights
were leased by the Chapter in Exeter to Buckfast Abbey. The monks resented any
use made of the river down-stream, lest it reduced their supply of salmon, and
they would often resort to violence and intimidation of a most irreligious
nature, which sometimes landed them in the Courts. The last such incident
appears in the Court of the Star Chamber records, just before the Dissolution
under Henry VIII. A mill, probably sited near the present bridge, was leased by
the Abbot of Buckfast to one John Macy, and it appears that some of the monks
had broken in and violently taken stock from the mill for no apparent reason.
Fact and legend are intertwined in the
history of Staverton Church. It is said that in Saxon times, after St Paul de
Leon landed at Penzance and built his church at St Pol, he sailed along the
coast of Devon and Cornwall and then up the River Dart, until he reached the
ford at Staverton. He felt that God had guided him to this place, and desired
him to build a church. The site he chose was possibly near Wolston Green, and he
gathered all the materials together ready to begin building. However, when he
awoke the next morning the materials had disappeared. Patiently, he repeated his
preparations but by the next morning the materials had again disappeared. When
this happened for the third time, St Paul concluded that God was displeased with
the site. He therefore chose the present location, which appears to have met
with Divine approval, for a place of worship has remained there throughout the
intervening ten centuries.
The church built by St Paul was the first
of three churches on the site, and would have been a wattle, clay and wooden
structure with a thatched roof. The second building was of stone, built in
Norman style, and it was much smaller than the present one, the knave being only
16ft 12ft.
A fascinating anecdote is that the timbers
from the roof of this Norman church have since been discovered as supporting
timbers in the roof of a local farmhouse. It appears that the benefits of
recycling are not after all, a discovery of the 20th Century!
It would seem however, that the
parishioners did not look after their church too well, as in 1314 Bishop
Stapeldon, on a visit to the parish noted several defects and ordered a new
church to be built by the people of Staverton. The present building dates from
that time, and tradition has it that the villages built such a large church to
spite the censorious Bishop. The yew tree survived the rebuilding , and is now
over a thousand years old.
A report dated around 1750 quotes the story
that a family vault belonging to the Worths was opened in the order to drain it.
An oak coffin was found, which must have been that of Simon Worth who died in
1669. When the workmen opened the coffin they found the body not only intact,
but quite supple, as if buried only the day before. The body had not been
embalmed and although the coffin was left open for several weeks the body did
not decay. A surgeon opened the body and found all the organs intact. The vault
used to fill with water in the winter, but dried out in the summer, and this
coffin was held down with a stone.
In 1877, Staverton Church was "restore in
true Victorian style. Sabine Barring Gould, who had a living near London at the
time, was contacted as his ancestors were about to be entombed in concrete . He
rushed down and removed their memorials to Lewtrenchard Church. The Gould family
had lived at Pridhamsleigh (presumably until they lost it in the gambling debt),
and Coombe, and were the founders of several Parish Charities. Their name
survives today in Goulds, a house near Staverton Station.
The history of the bridges in the parish is
not easy to trace and the dates when they were first built are not known. Their
existence only comes to light when they were officially recorded for some
reason. Before the 14th Century, people and packhorses had to cross the Dart at
the ford. The first bridge in the parish was Austin’s bridge, originally 7’ 6’
it was widened in 1809. Dart bridge was built in 1356, and Staverton bridge
appears to have been rebuilt after the previous wooden structure, was in danger
of collapse in 1413.
The Church decided to finance the rebuilding by issuing Indulgences, an
apparently common means of raising finance for such projects in medieval times.
Indulgences were sold to people so that they could spend less time in Purgatory,
the equivalent of paying a fine instead of going to prison. The morality of this
method might be suspect, but at least we now benefit from the superstition of
those who had done some wrong and were paying their way out.
The present fine stone bridge features on
the Parish Council Chairman’s badge is believed to date from this time. Repairs
and alterations have however, been carried out during the bridges long history.
Some colourful events appear to have taken place on the bridge over the years.
In 1436, an enquiry resulted from a drunken brawl between a parish chaplain, Sir
John Laa and John Gayne. They were returning home from dining out and they
started to argue on the bridge. The former drew a knife in self defence and the
latter fell on it and was killed. Normally, a priest who had killed a man would
have lost his living, but the Bishops enquiry absolved Sir John of any guilt and
he continued in office.
Twenty years later, other incidents took
place involving John Murry, the Bailiff of Haytor Hundred, who should have been
maintaining the peace, but instead appears to have behaved suspiciously like a
highwayman, relieving travellers of horses, harnesses and baggage. It would have
been an ideal place for waylaying and trapping victims.
The parish seems to have a long tradition
of education, as early in the 19th Century, there were four small schools within
its boundaries. The location of these is not known and it is likely that they
were Dame Schools, the most common form of education prior to the 1870 Education
Act. Reference is also made to teachers in the parish since the 17th Century.
Landscove School was built in 1855, and was
originally designed for 50 children. It was enlarged in 1897. The school and
school house was financed by Miss Champernowne, as was Landscove Church and
vicarage.
Staverton School was built in 1875 at a
cost of £900. It was designed to provide education for 70 children. During the
five years from 1870, when education became compulsory, children were taught in
the Court Room. The headmistress however, had to wait until 1878 for a house to
be provided.
The earliest records of the slate quarries
is 1338, when Penn slate was used by John Holland, a half brother of Richard II,
for roofing Dartington Hall. However, they later fell into disuse. Their revival
in the 19th Century had a major influence in the development of the parish.
During this period , Penn slate was used for the roof of the Houses of
Parliament. Sadly however, the only thing worth preserving from the quarries
long history is the chimney on the road from Penn to Parkfield.
By 1845, when Penn Recca mine was opened and expanded over four hundred people
lived over two miles from Staverton Church. It was therefore decided to build a
second Church in the parish. The land chosen was near Thornecroft where the
majority of the slate miners cottages were situated. At the time it was used for
allotments and the field was called Landscore. This changed to Landscove when
the church was dedicated in that name. There are therefore two ecclesiastical
parishes within the civil parish of Staverton.
The land was given by the Dean and Chapter
of Exeter, and the building was generously funded by Miss Champernowne a former
owner of Dartington Hall. The cost of the building work is reputed to have been
£3000. The architect, John Loughbrough Pearson also later designed Truro
Cathedral. The vicarage, now Hill House, was also funded by Miss Champernowne,
and date from around this time.
The slate quarries, which finally closed in
1908, also had an influence on the development on the roads of the parish. In
the 19th Century, the road system was very different from now, and the main road
from Ashburton to Totnes ran through Five Lanes , on through High Beara to
Bumpston Cross, passing about six hundred yards from the adit at Lower Coombe
making it easier for the transport of the slate to either town.
The South Devon Railway Company opened
Totnes Station in 1847 and proper services appear to have begun in 1848. The
line to Ashburton was opened on 1st May 1872.
The original Act of Parliament of 1845 for
the Plymouth, Devonport and Exeter Railway, to join the Bristol and Exeter
railway at Exeter, granted permission for a line passing through Buckfastleigh
and Ashburton. (All new railway lines have to be passed by an Act of
Parliament.) In the same year, a proposal was made for the Ashburton, Newton and
South Devon Junction railway to run from Newton to Ashburton. (Newton Abbot was
just "Newton" at this time.)
Also in 1845, a public meeting held in the
Totnes Guildhall agreed that Totnes should be connected to Buckfastleigh and
Ashburton. This did not become an Act until July 1848. The line was to be
designed by Brunel and would have been broad gauge. On completion, it was to be
operated by the South Devon Railway.
By the end of all these negotiations
however, the country was in recession and all plans were shelved. But by 1862,
it was decided that the area needed the railway to boost trade and the
Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway Company Act was passed in 1864. In
1865 another Act extended the line to Ashburton. It was of course, broad gauge,
converted to standard gauge in 1892.
The principal traffic was always freight,
with passengers a poor second, mainly workman and children attending school in
Totnes. Apart from the usual pick-up goods, the main traffic into Staverton was
agricultural feeds, timber for the joinery, and over 20 wagons of coal a week.
Outgoing traffic was cider from Whiteways at Stretchford and from Hill’s at
Barkingdon and furniture from Staverton joinery.
Interestingly, until the end of the
Century, the woollen mills of Buckfastleigh provided the railway with more
traffic than Newton Abbot.
The branch was closed to all traffic on
10th September 1962, the last passenger train having run in 1958. The line had
fallen victim, like so many others, to Dr. Beeching’s cuts. The Great Western
Society restored the line and it was re-opened in 1968.
Like many rural settlements, the population
of the parish has been in steady decline since the mid-19th Century. Population
statistics are scanty prior to 1801, when the first Census was carried out.
However, a report of around 1750 said that as many hogsheads of cider were made
each year as there were men and women in the parish, and this was about 2,000
hogsheads.
The 1801 Census shows a population of 1053,
473 males and 580 females. The highest recorded population in the 19th Century
was in 1851 with the total of 1152, 562 males and 590 females. This was when
production in the slate quarries was at its peak, but a sharp fall occurred by
1861, with only 949 people in the parish. The Census report notes that this was
due to the decline in employment in the slate quarries. The1881 report also
comments that agriculture remained the main source of employment in the parish
despite the relatively large numbers employed in the quarries.
From 1861 onwards, the population of
Staverton has continued to fall slowly, the lowest figure being in 1971, with
551 people living in the parish. By 1981, this had increased to 627.
The fact that Staverton village alone at
one time could support three public houses, bears testimony to a once larger
population. In 1850, the Landlord of the Ring O’ Bells Inn, whose name survives
in Ring O’ Bells hill was the aptly named Robert Beer! The other two pubs at the
time were the Church House Inn (now the Sea Trout Inn) and the Union Inn. The
exact location of the latter is not known but was possibly in the Sherwell Close
area. In addition, there was also the Live and Let Live at Wolston Green which
still exists today.
This has been only a brief glimpse at some
of the more notable events and developments which have taken place over the
centuries. It is hoped however, that it helps to put the parish into it's
historical context and links us with the men and women who played their part in
shaping the parish which we know today.
John Abbe, from the age given approximately
at his death, was born about 1613. The first mention which seems to be of this
John Abbe is on a register of the names all of all ye passengers which passed
from ye Porte of London for a whole yeare endinge at Xmas 1635 - Those
underwritten are to be transported to Virginia imbarqued in ye Mercht bonaventure
James Ricrofte Mr bound thither have taken ye oath of allegeance - Jo: Abby
yeares 22 Although this statement says bound for Virginia, it is awell-known
fact that many of the early ships destined for Virginia landed many or all of
their passengers at other ports, even in New England, andrecords of the name
John Abbe begin in New England about that time. Theabove Jo: Abby does not
appear in the records of Virginia, nor in theHead Rights for lower Norfolk from
1637 to 1666. The abbreviation Jo: sometimes stood for Joseph, but there are
proven instances where it was used for John.
The first reference to the name in the Salem records is on page 11,volume 1, in
1637, or, according to the old method of marking time, 2d of the 11th month,
1636. John Abbie is Recd. ffer Inhabitant & is to haue one acre lott for a house
next beyond the Gunsmiths, and 3 acres of planting ground where the Towne hath
appointed beyond Castle Hill.
There has existed some confusion regarding the various freemen of the name Abbey
and Alby. Benjamin Albye was admitted freeman, May 18, 1642, and John Albye in
Salem, May 10, 1643. These were, without doubt, the two Albys, John and
Benjamin, mentioned in the early records of Braintree about this time. Benjamin
Alby removed to Mendon and had numerous descendants, whose names occasionally
appear in printed records as Abbey. John Abbey, sen., of Redding, freeman in
1634, may have been an Alby
On the 21st, 11th month, 1638, John Abby had a further grant of five acres,
location not specified, but, as on the 15th, 2nd month, 1639, this record
occurs, Granted unto John Abby 5 acres neere to Mr Throgmortons hoggehouse, it
may be that the first was the grant and the second the location. Under date of
the 25th, 10th month, 1637, it was agreed the marsh and meadow lands that have
formerly been laid in common to this town shall be appropriated to the
inhabitants of Salem, proportioned out to them according to the heads of
families. To these that have the greatest number an acre thereof, and to these
that have least not above half an acre, and to these that are between both three
quarters of an acre, always provided and it is agreed, that none shall sell away
their proportions of meadow, more or less, nor lease them out to any above three
years, unless they sell or lease out their houses with their meadow.
Under the above division a list of the inhabitants was taken, and the land
divided. Jo. Abby is named in 1638 as having three in his family,and he receives
half an acre.
On the 23d, 11th, 1642, ten acres are granted to John Abby together with several
other ten-acre grants, all to be laid out near to Kings lot.This was on the
Beverly side near Bass River, and on the 15th of the 12th month, 1642, it is
voted á Oordered that John Abby shall have 10 acres of land at Enon in exchange
of 10 acres of land bounded out near Basse River. The lot near Bass River was
afterward granted to Michael Sallows.
The record of the grants to Abbey show that he was of the same standing in the
community as the great majority of the early inhabitants. The grants were in a
great measure made with an eye as to the ability of the grantee to develop the
land so granted, small grants to the poorer and the larger grants to the richer
sort. In 1642, Mr. Fiske organized a church at Enon and the following year the
name Enon was changed toWenham, while a permanent church organization was
effected in 1644.
In 1644, under the date of the 13th, 6th month, it was agreed that John Abby
shall have all that wastground which lyeth between ye end of ye lott which he
lives upon and ye meadow which blelongs to ye town, leaving apoles bredth most
convenient for a way. (Wenham town records, Worcester.)
Under the date of 1653 is a list of engagements with Goodman Haws aboutthe mill,
and John Aby gives a day and a half of his labor toward itserection, and others
contributed in a like manner, some also giving theuse of oxen.
Mr. Fiske left the town in 1655 followed by a number of the church, andin 1657
Mr Newman was procured as pastor. Under date of November, 1657,in a total rate
of £42, 19, divided among twenty- four persons, of whomfive paid a total of £14,
John Abey is assessed £1, 5, which was aboutthe sum paid by eleven others, but
two being less. In 1659, twenty-seven pay a rate of £46, 2, of whom sixteen pay
£1 or a trifle over. Of these John Abey pays £1, 5, as before, in corne or
cattle.
In 1660 he was assessed as Goodman Abey at eight shillings toward a new meeting
house or repairing the old one. The new house was built in 1663.
Under date of 6th, 11 month, 1661, John Abbey, Sr., and Edward Waldron had a
town grant of land to be equally divided between them. The use of the title
Senior at this time helps to place the birth of the son John.
In 1663 Goodman Abey, Sr., and John Clarke are chosen to join with the selectmen
to make the ministers rate for the present year.
In 1669 and in 1671 John Abbey appears as constable, an office of great local
power and responsibility.
April 3, 1675, John Abbe deeded 10 acres of land to his son Samuel,Thomas, John
and Mary Abbe, being witnesses. John Abbe, sen., was awitness to the will of
Edwd Walden of Salem, 4th month, 1679.
In 1683, John Abbey, who had been supporting his son Thomas, who lived with him
and cared for him, dismissed Thomas on account of his bad behavior and called
his son John, junior, to take charge of him and his affairs. The son, John,
proceeded early to build a new house, as the old one was unfit to live in.
Know all men By these prsents that I John Abbey (Scnjr.) of Wenhamin the County
of Essex being sensible of my owne & my wives inability to Carry on my affaires
So as to provide for our Comfortable Livelyhood by reason of our age & weakness
of Body Attending vs by reason thereof Doe make Choice of & Request my son John
Abbey as my ffeiofe in trust to take into his hands my house & all my Lands in
Wenham together wth wt right I have in that Land which was sometime Richard
Gooldsmiths. to ocquipie & improue for myn & his muttuall Benifit So long as my
wife & I or eyther of us shall live: & for his incouriagment to maniage my
affaires as abovesaid & he provide Comfortably for my owne & my wives
maintenance I doe hereby Give and Bequeath to him my afforesaid ffeiofe all my
houses & Lands fforeuer Except wt I doe hereby Give out of it to the rest of my
Childrin viz Samuell Sarah Marah Rebeca Obadia & Thomas & to each of them as
followeth viz to Samuell I haveing alridy Given him a Lell of Land I give him
one Shilling more & to all the rest of my Childrin above mentioned viz Sarah
Marah Rebeca Obadia & Thomas two Shillings a peice or to so many of them as
shall sirviv at the deacease of my selfe & wife: & in Case God shall take awaye
my Son John abovesaid before the Decease of my selfe & wife if his Heires Shall
Continue to maniage & Carry on my affaires as my abovesaid ffeioffe ought to doe
then they Shall have the houses & Lands abovesaid as therin ordvard & in
Confirmation of what is above written I have here vnto set to my hand & Seale
Signed Seald &Deliverd August the 3 1683 in the presence of
Thos ffiske Senjr: John Abbey Senjr
martha ffiske his marke
John Abbey Senjr ded acknowledg this
writing above written to be his act & deed August ye 3d: 1683 before
me
Samuel Appeton
Assistant.
On the outside of the above document is the
inscription:
John Abbey's Disposale of his Estate 1653 Record In Ips in ye Regr office for ye
probate of Will for sd County
of Essex Decr 1702 p mee Danl Rogers Regr
Administration on the Estate of John Abbey
senjr of Wenham. John Appleton Esqr. Comissionated by his Excellency Joseph
Dudley Capt.Generll and Governr in Cheif in & over her Majess Province of
yeMassachtt Bay in New England, with the advice and Consent of her Majestes
Counsell of said province for the Probate of Wills and Granting Lettersof
adminstro. Within the said County of Essex &c. To Thomas Abbey ofEnfield in ye
County of Hampshire son to John Abbey senjr of Wenham-Deceased
Intestate-Greeting-Trusting in yr Care and ffidelity I doe by Thesepresents
Comitt unto you full power to administer all & singular the Goods, Chattells,
Rights & Creditts of the said Deceased & well & ffaithfully dispose of ye same
according to law which to him while he Lived & att ye time of his Death did
appeartain & belong, to aske sue fordemand Levy Receive & Recover and to pay all
Debts in which the Deceasd stood bound so farr as his Goods Chattells Rights &
Creditts Can extend according to the value thereof, and to make a true &
prfect Inventory of all & singular the Goods Chattells Rights and Creditts of
the Deceasd and to Exhibit the
same into the Registry office of ye sd County att or before the Last Day of
ffebruary next Ensueing, and to
render a plain & true accott of ye said adminjo upon Oath att orbefore ye
Twentieth Day of Decembr which
Will bee in ye year of or Lord God One Thousand Seven hundd &Three-and I doe by
These prsents Ordaine
Constitute and appoint you administratoer of all & singular the Goods Chattells
Rights & Creditts of ye
Deceasd aforesd.-In Testimony Whereof I have herunto Sett my hand &caused the
Seale of said office to be
affixed-Dated in Ipswich the 12th Day of Decembr anno. 1702. Annoq. R: Reginae
Annae Angliae &c primo.
Examd-11 John Appleton.
Daniel Rogers Regr.
Recorded Book 307, Page 456. Essex Probate Office.
Know All men by these presents, That We
Thomas Abbey of Enfield inye County of hampshire as principle and Waltar
ffairfeild Senj & Thomas Edwards both of Wenham as sureties within His Majesties
Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England are holden and stand firmly
bound and obliged unto John Appleton Esqr Judge of the Probate of Wills and
granting Administration within the said County of Essex in the full sum of Two
hundred Pounds Currant Money in New England. To be paid unto thesaid John
Appleton Esquire his
Successors in the said Office or Assignes. To the true payment whereof.We bind
our selves, and each of us, our, and each of our heirs, Executorsand
Administrators, joyntly and severally for the whole and in the whole firmly by
these presents Sealed with our Seals. Dated the Eleventh day ofDecembr Anno
Domini. One thousand 702 Annoque Regni Reginae Annae primo.
The condition of this present Obligation is such, That if the above-bounden
Thomas Abbey administrator to all & singular the Goods,Chattells, Rights &
Credits of his ffather John Abbey Senjr Late of Wenham Deceased to make or cause
to be made a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the Goods, Chattells,
Rights and Credits of the said Deceased, which have or shall come to the hands
and possession or knowledge of him the said administrator or into the hands and
possession of any other person or persons for him. And the same so made, do
exhibitor cause to be exhibited into the Registry of the Court of Probate for
the aforesaid County of Essex at or before the Last day of ffebruary next
ensuing. And the same Goods, Chattells, Rights and Credits of the said Deceased,
at the time of Death, which at any time after shall come into the hands and
possession of any other person or persons for him do well and truly administer
according to Law. And further do make, or cause to be made a just and true
Accompt of his said Administration upon Oath, at or before the Twentieth day of
Decembr which will be in the year of our Lord, One thousand 703. And all the
rest & residue of the said Goods, Chattells, Rights & Credits which shall be
found remaining upon the said Administrators Accompt (the same being first
examined and allowed of by the Judge or Judges for the time being of Probate of
Wills and granting Administrations within the County of Essex aforesaid) shall
deliver andpay unto such person or persons respectively as the said Judge or
Judges by his or their Decree or Sentence pursuant to Law shall limit and
appoint. And if it shall hereafter appear, That any last Will andTestament was
made by the said Deceased: And the Executor or Executors therein named do
exhibit the same into the Court of Probate for the said County of Essex making
request to have it allowed and approvedaccordingly. If the said administrator
within bounden being thereunto required do render and deliver the said Letters
of Administration (Approbation of such Testament being first had and made) unto
the said Court. Then the before written obligation to be void and of none
effect, or else to abide and remain in full force and virtue.
Thomas TA Abbey (mark &
seal)
Walter fayerfield (seal)
Thomas O Edward (seal)
Sealed and Delivered
in presence of
francis Crumpton
Daniel Rogers.
This Inventory of the Estate of John Abee
Senor formerly of Wenham decesed about thirten yere since Intestate we whos
names are her vnto subscribed on this twentey-fovrth of febuary in the yere of
our lord 17did at the Request of thomas Abee one of the sons of the decesed and
Administrator of his fathers estat or by his order vallew and aprise the said
decesed his house and land in Wenham on which to our certain knowleghe lived for
many yers and dyed seased of the same as his owne Estat of Inheritance as we
ever understod we being his nere neighbors for manyyers the sayd decesed his
homsted being about twenty and three acers of vpland and medow together with the
housing and fences ther on theapertenances ther onto belonging together with his
Right in the Comon allwhich we vallewed at ninety and two pounds £92-s00-d00. We
also being Informed that the sayd decesed in his lifetime did to acomodate his
son Obadiah acording to his desire with a trad for his futer benifett when the
sayd Obadiah was eighten yers old give to Richard Goldsmith threeyers sarvit of
his said son Obadiah and vntill he was one and twentey yers ould to learne him
to be a shoemaker and all the sayd time his saydfather did find his sayd son
meat and drink and Clothes washing and Lodging which we doe Judg to be worth
thirtey pounds. the acount was settled betwen thomas Abee and his fathers Estat
by the Children of the sayd decesed in our presents as witness our hands this 24
of the 12thmonth 1703/2
Richard RH Hutton ( his
mark)
Joseph ffowler Aprisers.
the estate debtor to his sonn thomas Abee for severall things for which our said
father John Abee Senor was Indebted to his son thomas Abee before the death of
our sayd father John abee Senor the acount whereof was settled and alowed by vse
vnderwritten which debt is thirtey and twopounds £32--s00-d00.
as wittnes our hands this 24th febuerary 1702/3
Richard kimball for himself & Rebecc his wife (his mark)
mary killam (her mark)
Thomas Abbe (his mark)
May 18th 1703
Then ye above sd Thomas Abbe made oath to this Inventory
Before John Appleton
John Abbe married (1) MARY -. She was born
in England about 1615/1620, and died in Wenham, Mass., September 6, 1672. "Mary,
the wife of John Abbey, senr. dyed the 9 Sept. 1672"; Wenham records. She was
doubtless the mother of all of his children. Her name is given as Mary Loring,
by Frederick Orr Woodruff, who says that the name was found on Enfield records
by one who made researches for him there. John Abbe married (2) November 25,
1674, MRS. MARY GOLDSMITH, widow of Richard Goldsmith, who was killed by
lightning, May 18,
1674. She was living in 1683. "John Abbie and Marah Goldsmith maryed 25 of
Novemb, 1674"; Wenham records.
John married Mary about 1634 in Probably
England. Mary was born about 1615 in England. She died on Sep 9 1672 in Wenham,
Massachusetts.