Category Archives: Stevens

Sargent, Stevens

William Stevens & Abigail Sargent of Gloucester, MA, 1600s

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William Stevens was born on 10 March 1638 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, the son of James Stevens and Susanna Eveleth,  and lived his entire life there.

Abigail Sargent was also a Gloucester native. She was born 8 May 1665, the daughter of William Sargent and Abigail Clark. She married (2) Captain Nathaniel Coit, 16 June 1702 in Gloucester.

William Stevens married Abigail Sargent on 15 June 1682, in Gloucester.

Children:

1. William, born 30 March 1684; died before his father
2. James, born 12 November 1686; died 26 December 1687
3. Abigail, born 10 March 1689/90; died 25 March 1690
4. Samuel, born 21 September 1691; married Anna Allen, 23 January 1713
5. Abigail, born c1694; married (1) Jeremiah Butman, 8 January 1712/13. Jeremiah, master of a fishing sloop was lost at sea in October 1716, aged 26 years. They had two sons, Jeremiah, born 9 November 1714 and William, born 15 October 1716. (2) John Sanford, 8 November 1722.
6. Isaac, born 24 August 1696
7. Susanna, born 18 November 1698; died 8 November 1753; married Joseph Tarbox, 28 January 1724/25
8. Mary, born 2 November 1700

There are also two death records in Gloucester in this time period for William, the son of William, who died 3 June 1697 and William, the son of William, who died 1 November 1699. However, it isn’t evident where these two Williams fit in the family.

William Stevens was a prosperous merchant and well respected man in town, having served as a selectman in 1693, 1696 and 1698. He also carried the title of lieutenant. When his last illness began, he must not have expected it to lead to his death, as he didn’t make a will.


Source: American Ancestors

William was just 43 years old when he passed away. His probate administration (Essex County Probate File #26446) is 42 pages long. Although William was economically well-to-do, he and Abigail suffered much sadness, too, as only three of their children survived their father, Samuel, Abigail and Susannah:


Source: American Ancestors

This ends my posts about the Stevens family, as I am descended from Susannah Stevens who married Joseph Tarbox. I wrote about this couple and their family just last week.

 

Eveleth, Stevens

James Stevens & Susanna Eveleth of Gloucester, MA 1600s

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James Stevens, the son of William and Phillippa Stevens, was born c1631 in England. He married Susanna Eveleth, born c1635, probably in Gloucester, the daughter of Sylvester Eveleth and Susan Newberry.

James and Susanna were the parents of eleven children, although several died in childhood. All were born in Gloucester.

Children (All dates refer to Gloucester events unless noted):

1. William, born 10 March 1658; died 24 September 1701; married Abigail Sargent, 15 June 1682.
2. John, born 23 January 1660/61; died 30 January 1660/61
3. James, born 4 January 1662; died 27 September 1668
4. Isaac, born 15 August 1664; died 20 December 1664
5. Samuel, born 5 December 1665; died 16 November 1757; married Mary Ellery, 12 January 1692/93
6. Isaac, born 11 November 1668; died 27 November 1668
7. Ebenezer, born 20 September 1670; died c1697 at sea
8. Mary, born 13 June 1672; died 19 November 1724, aged 52 years; married Francis Norwood Jr., 24 January 1692/93. They had the birth of one child recorded in Gloucester, that of Francis, born 1 April 1695. Francis, son of Francis, died in Gloucester, 23 June 1714 in his 20th year.
9. Hannah, born 9 April 1675; she is probably the Hannah who married (1) Joseph Harraden, 1 February 1700/01 (2) Joseph Sargent, 16 September 1717. No death date has been found for Hannah. She was unmarried when her father wrote his will.
10. David, born 5 November 1677; died before 15 May 1710; married Hannah (?);
11. Jonathan, born 7 March 1679/80; died before 15 May 1710; married Mary Sargent, 13 March 1706/07

David and Jonathan apparently died together as they had a joint probate administration with Jonathan’s wife, called Mary Sargent, and David’s wife, called Hannah Stevens, requesting that their brother Samuel Stevens be appointed administrator. (Essex County Probate File #26314)


Source: American Ancestors

Susanna (Eveleth) Stevens survived her husband as he names her in his will, but no death date has been found for her. James Stevens died on 25 March 1697 and left the following will:

Will of James Stevens, 1697
Essex County, MA Probate File #26344
Source: American Ancestors

I tried to transcribe this will, but the 17th century handwriting and spelling with my old eyes makes this task too much work. However, I have abstracted the names of those who were his heirs:

In the name of god Amen

I James Stevens of the Town of Glocester and County of Essex in new england by the providence of god being sick and weake and yett through his great goodnes being in perfict memory and not knowing (?) my departure out of this world my bee Att hand and yett knowing that it is Appointed for all men once to dy do therefore declare and make known this my Last will and Testiment In maner And form following all former will to be voide and of none Effort first I commit and commend my Soul into the hand of god the (father?) of Sperits and my body to the grond to be decently buried by my survivin frind and as for my goods and Estate I order and bequeath in maner and form following

first I give And bequeath unto my Loving wiff Susanna Stevens during her widowhood the Lowar rooms of the wester? End of my dwelling house to Live in and Liberty also of Some of the (???) for her use dureing her widowhood and Liberty to make use of the oven to bake in and my Executor to provid wood for her firing and (???????) yearly to find her bread and Appls for her own use out of my orchards (?) I give unto my wiff four (?) my fether bed with all that does (belong?) to it that I did (?) Lay upon with one smale bras ketl one Iron Skelett and one pewter platter and one small (??????????)

I give and bequeath to my Eldest Son william Stevens. . . .

I give and bequeath to my son Sammuell Stevens. . . . .

I give and bequeath to my three sons Ebenezer david and Jonathan Stevens. . . .

and my will is that my two daughters mary norwood and Hannah Stevens . . . .

Written 16 March 1696 and signed by James Stevens, but proved on 10 May 1697 in Essex County Court.

 

Stevens, Tarbox

Joseph Tarbox and Susannah Stevens of Gloucester, MA

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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.