My great grandmother Hazadiah(Fairbanks)Moore was a member of one of the better known colonial Massachusetts families, the Fairbanks. Her grandfather Jonathan Fairbanks was one of the founders of
Dedham, Ma. and his name appears many times in the early records of the town. The Fairbanks House,
which he began building in 1637 still stands, the oldest wooden frame house in the United States. I
drove by it in Dedham a few weeks ago,
In 1897 one of Jonathan's descendants, Lorenzo Sayles Farbanks published a family genealogyand gave quite a bit of information about Jonathan, including this paragraph about the arrival of the family in the colony:
He had a family consisting of his wife and six children, four sons and two daughters, namely, John, George, Mary, Susan, Jonas and Jonathan, who were all born in England. Of the ages of his children when he arrived here we can judge only by circumstances. The dates of their births, except one, have not been ascertained. Mary was born, according to a descendant of the Metcalf family, Apr. 18, 1622. If she was the third child, we may judge approximately of the ages of the rest; but the places of the daughters, as given in the table, may not be correct. In 1638 John was appointed, with John Rogers, to survey the Charles River, and he was married in 1641. George was married in 1646; Jonas in 1658; and Jonathan, the youngest son, about 1653. -p10
Genealogy of the Fairbanks Family in America, 1633-1897 American Printing And Engraving Company, Boston, Ma. 1897
Another paragraph described some of the specifics of Jonathan's will.
By his will, executed June 4, 1668, the year of his death, he bequeathed his " whole mouable Estate whatsouer, as well within dores as without," to his wife, Grace. Small bequests were then made to his "second sonne," George, to his "daughter Mary, wife of Christopher Smith," to Jonas, to Jonathan, to Sarah, eldest daughter of his " sonne John," and to Ralph Daye, his "sonne in lawe," (husband of Susan), and to "each of the foure Children of the said Ralph." Finally he bequeathed to John, his eldest son, all his "houses & lands whatsoeur, not being foremerly aboue (mentioned ?) together with all my common Rightes & towne pruiliges whatsouer, to haue posses & injoy the same ( ) & his heyers (----) to enter vpon all my lands forthwith after my decease; and all my houses and yardes at the end of foure mo'nthes next following the same." And he made him sole Executor of the will.pp12-13
One of these days I need to visit that Fairbanks House!
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