Category Archives: Millet

Nathaniel Millet & Anne Lester, Gloucester, MA, 1600s

Last week, I shared the family of Nathan Millet and Sarah Babson. I’m on a roll with the Millet family as I found two articles in The American Genealogist from 2000 that proves the English origin of the Millet family and takes them back to the time of Henry VIII.

Therefore, in the next couple of weeks, this post will be followed up by two more, extending the family ancestry back to c1540s!

Today we have:

Nathaniel Millet was born 1 December 1647, Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, the son of Thomas Millet and Mary Greenway, two of my immigrant ancestors.

Anne Lester/Lister was born 21 March 1650, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, the daughter of Andrew Lester/Lister and Barbara (MNU), who eventually removed to New London, Connecticut.

Nathaniel Millet and Anne Lester married 3 March 1670 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts.

They were the parents of nine children:

1. Daniel, born 31 July 1673, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

2. Thomas, born 9 March 1674, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; drowned 1 March 1721, Casco Bay, Maine, when water washed his cottage into the sea; married Elizabeth Batcheller, 18 June 1696, Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts

3. Nathaniel, born 2 March 1676, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts: died 25 January 1682, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

4. Abigail, born 12 October 1679, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts. There are two marriages in the 1720s which could pertain to Abigail. However, I find no proof that either of those Abigails is this one.

5. Andrew, born 6 July 1681, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died 25 March 1718, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; married Bethiah Day, 8 May 1707, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

6. Nathan, born 11 January 1683, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; drowned 6 January 1723/24, Manchester Neck, Essex, Massachusetts; married Sarah Babson, 3 February 1708/09, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

7. Nathaniel, born 11 July 1685, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died between 25 May 1764, when he wrote his will, and 18 June 1764, when it was proved in court; married (1) Dorcas Davis, 23 April 1708, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts (2) Hepzibah James, 24 March 1756, Manchester, Essex, Massachusetts

8. Mary, born 26 March 1687, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died 12 January 1692, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

9. Elizabeth, born 23 September 1690, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; no further record.

There are other children attributed to this couple. However, I find no mention of them in the Gloucester vital records, so they have not been included.

Next, we’ll take a look at Thomas Millet & Mary Greenway, immigrants from Berkshire, England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635.

Nathan Millet & Sarah Babson, Gloucester, MA, 1700s

Nathan Millet and Sarah Babson were both members of families who had lived in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts for a half century or more before either was born.

Nathan Millet was born 11 January 1683, the son of Nathaniel Millet and Ann Lester. Sarah Babson was born 12 January 1688/89, the daughter of Richard Babson and Mary Dolliver.

This couple married on 3 February 1708/09 and raised their family in Gloucester.

Nathan, however, drowned at Manchester Neck (today the town of Manchester-by-the-Sea), Essex County, Massachusetts just a few days short of his 40th birthday, leaving a widow and six children behind.

Sarah married (2) James Davis, 31 December 1733, also in Gloucester. No death date has been found for Sarah. She apparently had no children with James Davis.

Children:

1. Sarah, born 11 August 1709, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died after 3 February 1750; married (1) David Glover, 5 November 1731, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts (2) Richard Prince, 3 February 1750, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts.

2. Mary, born 28 February 1711, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died 9 December 1771, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; married Abel Davis, 22 November 1733, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

3. Jonathan, born 9 February 1713, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; married Mary Henfield, 15 May 1734, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts

4. Daniel, born 30 May 1715, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; no further record

5. Anna, born 25 March 1718, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died 17 October 181, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; married Hubbard Haskell, 12 November 1740, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

6. Hannah, born 6 April 1722, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; died 1764 [no month/day recorded], Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; married (1) Daniel Emmons, 30 November 1743, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts (2) Josiah Cooke, 8 January 1753, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

7. Nathan, born 12 May 1724, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; apparently died before 4 November 7145, when his probate administration (#18472) mentioned money paid to a teacher for Nathan’s education before he left for “Cape Britain” [Cape Breton?}. It is assumed he died, unmarried, either in Canada or at sea.

My line of descent:

Nathan Millet & Sarah Babson
Hubbard Haskell & Anna Millet
Nathan Haskell & Judith Witham
William Tarbox & Judith Haskell
George Rogers Tarbox & Mary Elizabeth Scripture
Calvin Segee Adams & Nellie F. Tarbox
Charles Edwin Adams & Annie Maude Stuart
Vernon Tarbox Adams & Hazel Ethel Coleman
George Michael Sabo & Doris Priscilla Adams
Me!

Just a side note, but with my 2X great grandparents, Calvin Adams and Nellie Tarbox, my Patriot ancestral lines join one of my Loyalist lines. Calvin and Nellie married in 1875. I guess enough time had passed where opposite loyalties were no longer an issue.