John Abbe (abt. 1613 - abt. 1689)

Born about 1613 in England

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Abbe — married 1634 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Abbe — married after 25 Nov 1674 in Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died about 1689 at about age 76 in Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

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John Abbe migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 1) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Orthography: Abbee, Abbei, Abbey, Abbie, Abby, Abbye.

Birth

The Abbe-Abbey Genealogy says that John Abbe was born in England about 1613. His ancestry is unknown but this book speculates that he was born in one of the interior and central counties of England. It is probable that he was related to the Abbye family of Staverton, Northampton, England. The parish records at Stoke Bruerne, Northampton reveal many marriages of Abbyes recorded there during the 16th and 17th centuries. ^[1]

Migration and Land

He migrated sometime before November 11th, 1636 as at that time he was granted land as an inhabitant of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[2]

He seemingly came to New England in 1635 aboard the "Bonaventure" for his name is recorded on this list as Jo: Abby, aged 22, quoted:

"Passinger w^chPassed from y^e Port of London. Theis vnder written are to be transported to Virginea imbarqued in y^e Merch^t bonaventure James Ricrofte M^r bound thither have taken y^eoath of Allegeance."^[3]"Abbe Genealogy" postulates that "it is a well-known act that many of the early ships destined for Virginia landed many or all of their passengers at other ports, even in New England, and records of the name of John Abbe begin in New England about that time."^[1]

An additional 5 acres of land was granted by the town of Salem on November 21, 1638.^[4]

At Enon (renamed Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts in 1643) he was granted land in 1642/3^[5] when previously he had sold his land near Basse River in Salem to Michael Sallows.^[1]In 1644 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 belongs to iye town, leaving a poles bredth most convenient for a way."^[1]In 1661 Wenham granted land to him and Edward Waldron.^[1]He continued to farmed and resided in Wenham, Massachusetts the rest of his life.^[5]After reviewing the land grants, the authors of "Abbe-Abbey Genealogy conclude that "he was of the same standing in the community as the great majority of the early inhabitants" since smaller grants were given to those who were poorer and less able to develop the land.^[1]

Church and Community

^[1]

• The Reverend Mr. Fiske organized a church at Enon in 1642; John Abbe and his wife Mary were charter members in 1644.^[5]
• A mill was under construction in 1653 when "John Aby" donated "a day and a half of his labor toward its erection."^[1]
• A new pastor came to Wenham in 1657 and John Abey was asssessed L1 5s along with twenty-three other persons who paid various amounts.
• "Goodman Abey" was assessed eight shillings in 1660. Either a new meeting house was to be built or the old one repaired.
• He and John Clarke were picked to, along with the selectmen, set the minister's rate for the year 1663.
• In both 1669 and 1671 he was constable.
• Thomas, John and Mary Abbe were witnesses to their father granting 10 acres of land to their brother, Samuel on April 3, 1675.
• His name is found in the "waste book" records of Ralph Fogg; the permanent record has been lost. Fogg also kept the records of the Quarter Court for Salem and there also used a "waste book" and later copied the information into the permanent record.^[6]

His Family

John's 1st wife was Mary (_____), her surname is unknown.^[5][7][8] She was born in England ^[1]and died in Wenham on September 9, 1672.^[5] According to the Abbe-Abbey Genealogy, Frederick Orr Woodruff identified her name as Mary Loring and says that the "name was found on Enfield [presumably England] records by one who made researches for him there."^[1] However, the author's must not have placed much credence in the name Loring since they identified her as Mary _____.

Children of John and Mary

1. John Abbe was born before 1661 in Wenham, Massachusetts.(his father was named John Abbe Sr. in a land purchase agreement of 1661).^[1]In 1696 he moved to Windham, Connecticut. He had 2 wives, name of 1st wife is unknown but possible it was the daughter of Isaac Goodale since Isaac Goodale called John Abbe his uncle.^[1] His 2nd wife was Hannah, possibly Goldsmith. Abbe Abbey Genealogy says that she may have been the wife of Richard Goldsmith, widow of Richard Goldsmith of Wenham.^[1] Children: John, John, Thomas, Richard, Lydia. He died soon after December 10, 1700 at Windham.
2. Samuel Abbe was born (date?) and made freeman on October 3, 1680.^[9]On October 12, 1672 he married Mary Knowlton in Wenham. Moved to Salem in 1682, back to Wenham in 1697; died in 1698. Mary married (2nd) to Abraham Mitchell. Children: Mary, Samuel, Thomas, Eleazer, Ebenezer, Mercy, Sarah, Hepzibah, Abigail, John, Benjamin, Jonathan.
3. Sarah Abbe
4. Marah Abbe
5. Rebecca Abbe who married Richard Kimball on March 13, 1667.
6. Obadiah Abbe was born (date?). He moved to Enfield, Massachusetts (now Connecticut) around 1682. The name of his 1st wife is unknown. He married (2nd) Sarah (_____) Warriner, widow of Joseph Warriner. According to Savage, he died in 1752, no children.
7. Thomas Abbe was born (date?) He married [Fairfield-4|Sarah Fairfield]], daughter of Walter Fairfield of Wenham on December 17, 1683. He moved to Enfield where he died in 1728. Children: Sarah, Thomas, Mary, John, Abigail, Tabitha.

After his first wife died, John married as his 2nd wife Mrs. Mary/Marah (_____) Goldsmith, on November 25, 1674 at Wenham.^[10]The Wenham records say, "John Abbie and Marah Goldsmith maryed 25 of Novemb, 1674." She was the widow of Richard Goldsmith who was struck by lightning and killed on May 18, 1674.^[1] She was living in 1683 when he disposed of his property.^{[citation needed]}

Thomas lived with and had been supported by his father, in exchange Thomas cared for him as he aged. However in 1683 Thomas, who had been exhibiting bad behavior, was dismissed by his father and John Abbe Jr. took charge of his father's affairs. John Jr. build a new house "as the old one was unfit to live in."^[1]

To seal this transaction, on 3 August 1683, John Sr. filed the following writ (the spelling has benn modernized):^[1]

"Know all men by these presents that I, John Abbey (Senr.) of Wenham in the County of Essex, being sensible of my own and my wife's inability to carry on my affairs so as to provide for our Comfortable Livelihood by reason of our age and weakness of body ... do make Choice of and request my son John Abbey as my feoffee in trust to take into his hands my house & all my lands in Wenham together with what right I have in that land which was sometime Richard Gooldsmith's, to occupy and improve for my and his mutual benefit so long as my wife and I or either of us shall live, and for his encouragement to manage my affairs as abovesaid and he provide comfortably for my own and my wife's maintenance I do hereby give and bequeath to him my aforesaid feoffee all my houses & lands forever except what I do hereby give out of it to the rest of my children, viz. Samuel, Sarah, Marah, Rebeca, Obadia, and Thomas, and to each of them as follows: viz. to Samuel, I having already given him ... land, I give him one shilling more, and to all the rest of my children above mentioned, viz. Sarah, Marah, Rebeca, Obadia, and Thomas two Shillings apiece or to so many of them as shall survive at the decease of my self and wife: and in case God shall take away my son John abovesaid before the decease of my self and wife, if his heirs shall continue to manage and carry on my affairs as my abovesaid feoffee ought to do, then they shall have the houses and lands abovesaid as therein ordered, and in confirmation of what is above written I have hereunto set to my hand & seal. Signed sealed and delivered August the 3, 1683, in the presence of

Thos. Fiske, Sr. [and]

Martha Fiske.

"John Abbey Sr. did acknowledge this writing above written to be his act and deed August the 3d, 1683, before me

Samuel Appleton, Assistant."

Death and Burial

He gave his estate to his children in 1683 and died without a will about 1689 at Wenham;^[5]or Salem, Massachusetts Bay.^[1]

Estate/Affidavits

In 1696, after the death of his father and step-mother, John Jr. sold the lands in Wenham to Nathaniel Waldron and removed to Windham, Connecticut, where he died on 11 December 1700. At that point, John Senior's son Thomas, then of Enfield, Connecticut, laid claim to his father's estate, naming his father-in-law, Walter Fairfield of Wenham, his attorney. For some reason (possibly because John Jr. failed to probate the will his father signed in 1683), the court determined that John Sr. had died intestate and granted administration of his estate to Thomas (December 1702). The estate, valued including the property, was valued at £92. Thomas finally settled the estate.

"This Inventory of the Estate of John Abe Senor formerly of Wenham deceased about thirteen yere since Intestate we who names are her unto subscribed on this twenty fourth of febuary… 1702/3 did at the Request of Thomas Abee one of the sons of the decesed and Administrator of his fathers estat… apprise the said deceased his house and land in Wenham on which… he lived for many yers… as we ever understood we being his nere neighbors for many yers… his homsted being about twenty and three acers of upland and medow together with the housing and fences… with his Right in the Comon all which we vallewed at ninety and two pounds… We also being Informed that the sayd deceased in his lifetime did to accommodate his son Obadiah according to his desire with a trade for his futer benifett when the sayd Obadiah was eighteen yers old give to Richard Goldsmith three yers sarvit of his said son Obadiah and until he was one and twenty yers ould to learne him to be a shoemaker and all the sayd time his sayd father did find his sayd son meat and drink and Clothes washing and Lodging which we doe Judg to be worth thirty pounds….

His
Richard RH Hutton
Marke
Joseph fflowler
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 his death… the acount whereof was settled and allowed…which debt is thirty and two pounds… this 24th febuerary 1702/3

Richard Kimball for himself & Rebeca his wife His X Mark
Thomas T Abbe his T marke
Mary Killam Her I Mark"^[11]

On the outside of the above document is the inscription:

John Abbey's Disposale of his Estate 1653 Record In Ips in ye Regroffice 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. JohnAppleton 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 MajestesCounsell 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 ofWenham-Deceased

Intestate-Greeting-Trusting in yr Care and ffidelity I doe by Thesepresents Comitt unto you full power to administer all & singular theGoods, Chattells, Rights & Creditts of the said Deceased & well &ffaithfully dispose of ye same according to law which to him while heLived & att ye time of his Death did appeartain & belong, to aske sue fordemand Levy Receive & Recover andto pay all Debts in whichthe Deceasdstood bound so farr as his Goods Chattells Rights & Creditts Can extendaccording to the value thereof, and to make a true &

prfect Inventory of all & singular the Goods Chattells Rights andCreditts of the Deceasd and to Exhibit the

same into the Registry office of ye sd County att or before the LastDay 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 theGoods 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 & ThomasEdwards both of Wenham as sureties within His Majesties Province of theMassachusetts Bay in New England are holden and stand firmly bound andobliged unto John Appleton Esqr Judge of the Probate of Wills andgranting Administration within the said County of Essex in the full sumof 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 wholefirmly 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 theabove-bounden Thomas Abbey administrator to all & singular the Goods,Chattells, Rights & Credits of his ffather John Abbey Senjr Late ofWenham Deceased to make or cause to be made a true and perfect Inventoryof all and singular the Goods, Chattells, Rights and Credits of the saidDeceased, which have or shall cometo the hands and possession orknowledge of him the said administrator or into the hands and possessionof any other person or persons for him. And the same so made, do exhibitor cause to beexhibited into the Registry of the Court of Probate forthe aforesaid County of Essex at or before the Last day of ffebruary nextensuing. And the same Goods, Chattells, Rights and Creditsofthe saidDeceased, at the time of Death, which at any time after shall come intothe hands and possession of any other person or persons for him do welland truly administer according to Law.And further do make, or cause tobe made a just and true Accompt of his said Administration upon Oath, ator before the Twentieth day of Decembr which will be in the year of ourLord, One thousand 703. And all the rest & residue of the said Goods,Chattells, Rights& Credits which shall be found remaining upon the saidAdministrators Accompt (the same being first examined andallowed of bythe Judge or Judges for the time being of Probate of Wills and grantingAdministrations within the County of Essex aforesaid) shall deliver andpay unto such person or persons respectively as the said Judge or Judgesby his or their Decree or Sentence pursuant to Law shall limit andappoint. And if it shall hereafter appear, That any last Will andTestament was made bythe said Deceased: And the Executor or Executorstherein named do exhibit the same into the Court of Probate for the saidCounty of Essex making request to have it allowed and approvedaccordingly. If the said administrator within bounden being thereuntorequired do render and deliver the said Letters of Administration(Approbation of such Testament being first had and made) unto the saidCourt. 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 Wenhamdecesed about thirten yere since Intestate we whos names are her vntosubscribed 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 andAdministrator of his fathers estat or by his order vallew and aprise thesaid 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 ofInheritance as we ever understod we being his nere neighbors for manyyersthe sayd decesed his homsted being about twenty and three acers ofvpland and medow together with the housing and fences ther on theapertenances ther onto belonging together with his Rightin the Comon allwhich we vallewed at ninety and two pounds £92-s00-d00. We also beingInformed that the sayd decesed in his lifetime did to acomodate his sonObadiah acording to his desire with a trad for his futer benifett whenthe sayd Obadiah was eighten yers old give to Richard Goldsmith threeyers sarvit of his said son Obadiah and vntill he was one and twenteyyers 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 andLodging which we doe Judg to be worth thirtey pounds. the acount wassettled betwen thomas Abee and his fathers Estat by the Children of thesayd 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 whichour said father John Abee Senor was Indebted to his son thomas Abeebefore the death of our sayd father John abee Senor the acountwhereofwas 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

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

1. John Abbe and Isabel Unknown have been detached as parents. In the future, if accurate historical records are found, they may be reattached. Notes have been left on both profiles, Abbe-13 and Unknown-154004.
2. Current speculation suggests a connection with the Abbye family of Staverton, Northampton, England; thus far this speculation is not born out in the genealogical record.
3. According to a merged profile, he was born on 15 Oct 1613 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. No source has been found for this date.
4. The following Find A Grave site is speculation and also not born out in the scholarly genealogical record.The Find A Grave site has him born Oct. 15, 1613 at Attleborough, England.
5. Confusion regarding people of the name Abbe/Abbey and Alby. Benjamin Albye was admitted freeman, May 18, 1642, and John Albye in Salem, May 10, 1643; two Albys, John and Benjamin, mentioned in the early records of Braintree. Benjamin Alby removed to Mendon and had several descendants, whose names have appeared in printed records as Abbey. John Abbey, sen., of Redding, freeman in 1634, may have been an Alby.
6. Abbe-Abbey Genealogy says that the 2nd wife of John Abbe, (who was the immigrant) was Mrs. Mary Goldsmith, widow of Richard Goldsmith; married on November 25, 1674. Richard Goldsmith had been killed by lightning on May 18, 1674... this may be accurate, or she may have been the Marah Goldsmith who married the son of the immigrant. See John Abbe-19.
7. Abbe-Abbey Genealogy also says on p. 7 that the 2nd wife of John Abbe Jr, (Abbe-90) may have been Hannah Goldsmith, widow of Richard Goldsmith of Wenham.
8. Attleborough is a market town and civil parish between Norwich and Thetford in Norfolk, England.
9. A record exists for a John Abbe born at Norwich, Norfolk, England in 1611, christened 11 Aug 1611, which may be him however it is an ODM record so may not be accurate.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16} Abbe, Cleveland and Nichols, Josephine. "Abbe-Abbey Genealogy" The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, New Haven, Conn. 1916.
2. ↑ Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts" 1634-1659. Vol. 1, p. 28.
3. ↑ Hotten, John Camden. "The Original List of Persons of Quality."
4. ↑ Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts" 1634-1659. Vol. 1, p. 79.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5} "The Essex Antiquarian, A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Biography, Genealogy, History and Antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts. Salem, Mass. January 1897. Vol. 1, p. 14.
6. ↑ Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts" 1634-1659. Vol. 1 p. 18, 22.
7. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700.
8. ↑ Williams, Alicia Crane. Henry Kimball in : Early New England Families, 1641-1700: 2013 p. 2&4.
9. ↑ Andrews H. F., "List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1630 to 1691" Exira, Iowa 1906
10. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. giving the possible former name (?PERKINS)
11. ↑ Essex County Registry of Probate- Docket No. 3
12. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9WC-9LZ : 30 December 2014), Jhon Abbe, 11 Aug 1611; citing SAINT GEORGE COLEGATE,NORWICH,NORFOLK,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 993,666.

• Abbe, Cleveland and Nichols, Josephine. "Abbe-Abbey Genealogy" The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, New Haven, Conn. 1916.see at archive.org
• Andrews H. F., "List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1630 to 1691" Exira, Iowa 1906. (record does not refer to the immigrant.) see at archive.org
• "The Essex Antiquarian, A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Biography, Genealogy, History and Antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts. Salem, Mass. January 1897." Vol. 1, p. 14.subscription site
• Hotten, John Camden. "The Original List of Persons of Quality." 1600-1700. London, 1874.see at hathitrust
• Montague, George. "History and Genealogy of the Montague Family of America" Press of J.E. Williams, Amherst, Mass., 1886. p. 57. (wife of Obadiah.) Page 57
• New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (notes two marriages of immigrant.)subscription site
• Randall, R. Ferris. "Ancestors and Descendants of Joseph Abbey 1613 - 1997" pub. in 1998. R. Ferris Randall, 2816 Roswell Pkway., Eden, NY 14057.
• "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts" 1634-1659. Vol. 1, pp. 22, 28, 79.see at archive.org
• Waterman, Edgar Francis. "The Granberry Family and Allied Families" Hartford, Conn. 1945. pp 139 - 142.see at hathitrust
• Williams, Alicia Crane. Henry Kimball in : Early New England Families, 1641-1700: 2013 p. 2&4 requires subscription: subscription site.

See also:

• Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Pub. by Essex Institute, Salem, Mass. 1911. Vol. 1, pp. 12, 22 see at hathitrust
• Jacobus, Donald Lines. The Granberry Family and Allied Families (E.F. Waterman, Hartford, Conn., 1945) Page 139