Richard Babson was born 1 June 1663, in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, the son of James Babson and Eleanor Hill. Mary Dolliver was born 26 March 1662, also in Gloucester, the daughter of Samuel Dolliver and his second wife, Mary Elwell.

Richard and Mary married about 1686, likely in Gloucester, although no record has been located.

They were the parents of ten children, all found in Gloucester vital records. However, this list doesn’t match several children attributed to them in online trees and those “extra” children won’t be mentioned here, as there is no documentation for them.

Children: (All events in Gloucester)

1. John, born 9 July 1687; died 7 December 1742; married Hannah Hodgkins, 20 August 1711
2. Sarah, born 12 January 1688/89; died after 1750; married (1) Nathan Millett, 3 February 1708/09 (2) James Davis, 31 December 1733
3. Joseph, born 25 June 1690; died 1 February 1690 (sic – 1691?)
4. Joseph, born 19 November 1691; died 19 July 1692
5. Hannah, born 22 December 1695; died 9 September 1747; married James Sawyer, 23 December 1714
6. Experience, born 23 April 1698; no further record
7. Rebecca, born 6 August 1700; died 8 April 1720, aged 19 years, 8 months “reportedly in Billerica” after giving birth to son James Dyke, born 12 March 1719/20. No marriage record has been found for her, nor is the first name of Mr. Dyke known.
8. Eunice, born 14 March 1702/03; died 10 April 1788; married John Millett, 24 December 1723
9. Thomas, born 3 May 1706; died 26 May 1706
10. Abigail, born 13 May 1708; died 10 February 1774; married Job Denning, 28 March 1727

In addition to birth records for the three eldest surviving children, there are baptismal records found for the children of Richard ‘Bapson’ – Anna [Hannah], 5 May 2006, and John and Sarah, both on 29 August 1708.

Mary (Dolliver) Babson died 14 February 1717/18, aged about 54 years, in Gloucester.

Richard married (2) Jane Reading, widow of John Reading, 14 October 1718.

Richard removed to Falmouth, York, Maine by 13 March 1720/21, when he was granted 30 acres of land on Casco Bay. Nathan Millett, his son-in-law, sold that land on 6 December 1732. However, Richard hadn’t passed away because of 1 November 1737, Richard Babson of Falmouth filed a deed stating for the past four years he had lived under the landlord Daniel Allen and he was now revoking any claims to the house where he had lived.

Richard Babson would have been 74 years old in 1737; no further mention of him has been found.