My Tarbox line of descent continues with Joseph Tarbox, the youngest of Samuel Tarbox’s many children, baptized 8 Mary 1699, Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts. Joseph married (1) Susannah Stevens, 28 January 1724/25, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts and (2) Abigail Hiller, 25 April 1758, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts. It is apparent that Joseph, and not his son Joseph, married Abigail because Abigail, widow of Joseph Tarbox, died 1 August 1771 in Gloucester, aged 68 years, so born c1703, which makes her a much better fit to be the wife of this Joseph. Abigail’s family is unknown to me.

Susannah Stevens was baptized 18 November 1698, also in Gloucester, the daughter of William Stevens and Abigail Sargent. No death record has been found for her, in the Gloucester vital records, but The Essex Genealogist, volume 17, page 11 includes abstracts from the journal of Rev. Samuel Chandler from 1751-1765. He noted the death of the wife of Joseph Tarbox on 8 November 1753.

There is one land deed found in Essex County that mentions Susannah:

Essex County, MA Deed Book 108, pages 155-156
Source: FamilySearch

Know all men by those Presents that I Joseph Tarbox of Glocester in the County of Essex in the Massachusetts Bay Housewright in Consideration that Joseph Clough of said Glocester mason and Susanna his Wife and Samuel Tarbox of said Glocester Housewright by one Instrument bearing Date with these Presents have quitted all their Claim to in and upon about twenty Rods of Land given by Samuel Stevens junr of siad Glocester to Susannah Tarbox alias Stevens his Sister their mother and her Heirs as appears by one Instrument bearing Date. . . .. . . .—Reference thereto being had as the said twenty Rods of Land are described in the said Instrument do give grant sell and convey unto them the said Joseph Clough & Susanna his Wife and to the said Samuel Tarbox their Heirs and assigns two fifth parts (viz) to the Joseph & Susanna one fifth and to the said Samuel one-fifth of a certain Parcel of Land lying on the Southerly side of the back Street in the Harbour so called in Glocester aforsd whreeon Joseph Tarbox junr late of said Glocester deceased built a dwelling House which House & and Land are now in my Possession and are bounded and butted. . . . . .etc.

Joseph Tarbox and Abigail, his wife, signed off on the conveyance.

There is also a land deed filed on 11 July 1750 describing the gift for love and affection of his natural sister from Samuel Stevens to Susannah Tarbox alias Stevens. The actual deed (Essex County Deed Book 95:125), though, is dated 9 July 1740 with Samuel Stevens acknowledging the deed on 5 May 1749. From this, it is evident that Susannah Stevens Tarbox was living as late as 9 July 1740. Why it wasn’t acknowledged until ten years later and recorded 11 years later is a mystery.

Children of Joseph and Susannah, all born in Gloucester:

1. Joseph, baptized 5 March 1726; died before 17 July 1758, when administration of his estate began.
2. Susanna, baptized 1 March 1729; died after her husband died in 1766 in Gloucester; married Joseph Clough, 4 February 1747/48.
3. Samuel, baptized 23 May 1731; died 26 July 1809, New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine; married Deborah Sayward, 19 June 1755, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts
4. Abigail, baptized 24 July 1734; died young
5. Experience, baptized 20 March 1737; no further record
6. Abigail, baptized 29 June 1740; no further record unless she was the Abigail Tarbox who married Ezekiel Robinson on 14 April 1765 in Gloucester. If so, Ezekiel might have been a Loyalist, as he apparently died in Nova Scotia in 1777.
7. William, baptized 13 March 1742/43; no further record

Next, we will follow the next generation in my line, that of Samuel Tarbox and Deborah Sayward.