A PLACE FOR EVERYONE & EVERYONE IN THEIR PLACE.

Another interesting find from Google ebooks!

I have several ancestral lines from Amesbury so I googled for a
history of the town and found Joseph Merrill's History of Amesbury.
It includes records year by year of early colonial town meetings, and I
found this on pages 89-90:


July 9th. A general meeting was held for the purpose of seating the
people  in the new church, and "Liften Phillip Challes, Richard Currier,
William  Osgood, Rober Jones William Barnes, John Weed, Thomas
Barnard sen Nathan Gold, Georg Martyn thes men above retten" to
apoint every man and woman in the towen there pertecular seatc
to set in in the metten house acording to there best judgment, exept
thes men wich the town themselves have plased."

Accordingly they proceeded to exercise their "best judgment," as
follows:—

"Richard Currier is to set at the tabell.

Thomas Barnard sen is to set in the seat behind the tabell.

Roberd Jons and John Weed are to set in the nor West corner of the
metten house.

The 2 seate in the nor West side Georg Martyn and Nathan Gould are
 to set in.


Good wiffe barens is to set in the front seate at the tabell.

Good wide Osgood and Good wiffe Challes and Good wiffe Weed
are to set in the first seate in the sowethest sid of the metten house. 12

Good wiffe Currier and Good wiffe Barnard is to set in the second
seate in the sowett west side of the metten house.

Good wiffe Jons is to set in the second seate in the sowethwest side of
the metten house.

Good wiffe Gould is to set in the 3 seate in the soweth side of the
metten house.

Good wiffe Martyn is to set in the 3 seate in the soweth est side of
the metten house.

Georg Martyn do enter his contry desent to the plasen of his wiffe
in that seat.

William Sargent sen is to set at the tabell.

Edward Goodwin is to set at the tabell.

Jarret Hadden and Sargent Hoyt is to set in the seate at the
back of the tabell.

Edward Cottell and Edmund Elleatt and Hen Blasdell is to set
in the 2 seat on the nor west side of the metten house.

Samuel Foot, John Hoyt jr Thomas Barnard jr Thomas Sargent,
William Hoyt lsa Colby Thomas Kowell is to set in the ftrst seat
in the nor est side in the metten house.

William Huntinton Thomas Fowler, Thomas Nichols Rob Quinby is
to set in the 3 seat in the nor west side in the metten house.

John Pressy, Jemes Ercs, Ezckicll Worthen, John Huntinton is to set in
the 2 seate in the nor west side in the metten house.

Jemes Gorg Joh Barber is to set in the 3 seate in the nor est side of
 the metten house."

The record is very much worn and it is probable that a few more may
 have been seated. William Barnes was moderator of the meeting and,
of course, had a prominent seat assigned him. Forty or more were seated
 and these constituted the principal inhabitants at this time, excepting
children. The seating seems to have been satisfactory, with a single
 exception. Those seated at the table may have been deacons, but we
do not find the term used. They were, no doubt, seated somewhat
 according to their standing in town. The seats were rudely constructed
 settees or benches, and the whole outftt of the house was very simple
and plain.  (p89-90)
There's a bunch of my ancestors on this list: John Hoyt, William Barnes,
William Sargent, Philip Challis. I don't know if that meeting house still exists
in Amesbury but if it does I could walk in and from this have a pretty good
idea of where they were seated at worship.

It's like that saying goes: all in their places with bright shiny faces!

STEPHEN GREENLEAF Jr., 9APR 1689 AND A NEW FAMILY MYSTERY

Stephen Greenleaf, Sr. had come to the Bay Colony with his father Edmund Greenleaf
and settled in Newbury, Essex Co. Ma. On 13Nov 1651 he married Elizabeth Coffin,
daughter of Tristram Coffin and Dionis Stevens and his first son, Stephen Greenleaf,
Jr. was born 15Aug 1652.

Stephen Jr. is most often referred to as Captain Greenleaf in the family genealogy and
is termed a "great Indian fighter." I've found several references to his having had a
prominent role in a battle in 1690 in Wells, Maine but as yet I haven't found any
account of the event anywhere else online. However, I have found several documents
dealing with his military career.

The first of these seems to be a report of a conversation he had or overheard with a man
named William Sargeant(Sargent) of Amesbury. This took place during the campaign in
Maine of 1689:

"Testimony of S. Greenleafe Junr
The testimony of Stephen Greenleaf Jun. That on the 8th of Aprill he heard Wm Sargeant
of Ames bury who came lately from the Indians (among whom he had bin a season) to
affirme these things to be told by the Indians.

That the Gouernour had agreed with three nations of Indians besides the Mowhakes to
come downe vpon the English & on the agree mt had given them some money & some coats,

That the Penicook Indians had no designe for warre, but they being in combination with the mowhakes he thought they would be ruled by them, & do as they did.

That he thought that euery day that it was neglected it was too long, & he was affraid that
there would be bloud shed.

That he had done no hurt agt the English, & he was glad he went no farther then Mr Hinks
his house with the post letters, & mr Hinks stopt him,

Divers other words were spoken, but this as farre as he remembers was the substance of
what was spoken
Taken on oath Aprill 9th 1689. before me Jon Woodbridge J. P".

James Phinney Baxter, History of the State of Maine Maine Historical Society
Portland, Me. 1890 pp472-473

I think the "Gouernor" refers to the French Governor of Quebec.

Now what struck me about this testimony was the name of the person that it concerns:
William Sargeant of Amesbury. One of my ancestors is William Sargent of Amesbury and
now I'm wondering if this is him. And if it is, what was he doing spending a season among
the Indians? Noting the April 8th date, then Sargeant had spent the winter, perhaps
trapping or trading for fur with the tribes .

I've found no answers to this as yet. So now I have a new family mystery to solve!