52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2017 WEEK 42:JOHN STEVENS OF ANDOVER

The subject for Week 42 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is John Stevens of Andover, Ma.,
my 9x great grandfather. From Charlotte Helen Abbott's Early Records of the Stevens
Family of Andover,

 
JOHN (1) STEVENS, born 1605, came to Newbury in 1638, on the ship CONFIDENCE,
from Southampton. He is recorded as a husbandman from Cavesham, Oxford Co.,
England. With him were his wife Elizabeth, born 1613, his mother, Alice and his
brother , William, then 21 years of age. John came to Andover in 1645...


...John (1) Stevens and wife, Elizabeth, had:-
John (2) b. June 20, 1639, in Newbury; was a Lieut .; m. Hannah Barnard
June 13, 1662; she was dau. of Robert Barnard and w. Joan Harvey; she d.
March 13, 1675; he m. 2nd., Esther Barker, August 10 1676; she was daughter
of Richard and Joan Barker; she died "suddenly" June 25, 1713; John was a
Selectman and Surveyor; died March 4 (or 5) 1689 at Casco Bay on service in
the Indian War.


Timothy (2), b.  Sept. 23, 1641 in Newbury; settled in Roxbury; m. Sarah Davis
of Roxbury, March 12, 1665; she was dau. of Tobias Davis, b.1647; she d.April
6, 1695; Timothy was a Deacon; also Ensign. He helped capture Castle and Fort
Hill when Andros was driven away, in 1689; he d. Jan.31, 1708.


Nathan (2), b. 1643; some claim that he was born in Andover and was  the first
white child born on the plantation; he was a Cornet; also  Surveyor; also Tythingman;
 he never married; died Feb. 19, 1718 at 75; said to be buried near his father, under
a freestone slab  or table,-a sort of monument. (This is incorrect; he has a stone standing
----1935)


Elizabeth (2), b. about 1645; m. Joshua Woodman 1665; he was a carpenter; he was
buried in Byfield; has a monument.


Ephraim(2) b. about 1648; he was a Scout; was in the Narragansett War; in 1679
received a grant of land to repay his loss in the Indian Raid; was Sgt.; Selectman;
Assessor; Clerk of Market 169(?) to 1696; Surveyor 1693; m. Oct 11, 1680; Sarah(2)
Abbott, dau. of George Abbott and w. Hannah Chandler; Sarah was b. Nov.14, 1659;
d. June 28, 1711; he d. June 26,1718; no sons lived.


Mary(2), b. about 1649; m. Capt. John Barker, July 6, 1670; John was son of Richard
and Joan Barker, b. 1643; Mary d. 1703; two of the sons were named in Stevens' wills.


Joseph(2),  b. May 15, 1654;  m. May 28, 1679 Mary Ingalls, daughter of Henry Ingalls and
wife, Mary Osgood, b. Jan.28, 1659; she d. Sept.21, 1699;he m. 2nd, Elizabeth Brown of
Salem, 1700; she was probably a widow; she d. 1745; Joesph was a Surveyor 1694-6;
ws on the Grand Jury at Ipswich, 1696; was a Deacon; d. Feb (?) 1743.


Benjamin(2), b.June 24, 1656; was Justice of the Peace, 1686; Field Driver 1694; Capt.;
Representative, 1712-3; 1721; 28;30; was in Indian War, 1725;while away with his company,
the Indians looted his home; he m. Oct.18, 1715, Susanne, widow of John Chickering of Charlestown; she was the daughter of Zachary Symmes of Bradford and was 38 at marriage
to Benj.; died July 20 1753; Benj. died Jan.8, 1730; buried in old cemetery in No. Andover.    
pp.2-3  

I visited the Old North Burial Ground in North Andover, Ma in May of 2014. This is a photo

of what probably is a replacement for the original headstone of John Stevens:

ANDOVER MASSACHUSETTS:THE FAULKNER LIST

((I first posted this back on 20Oct 2009.Since I'm now blogging about my Abbott lines
I thought it beared reposting.))


In her book Our Company Increases Apace: History, Language and Social Identity in
early Colonial Andover Massachusetts, distant cousin Elinor Abbot includes an image and
a transcription of a document known as the Faulkner List, which is a list of men who
were "free houlders" in Andover. These were colonists who were not servants and could
own land and build an estate for their heirs to inherit. I'm guessing that the term might be a
shortening of "free landholder".

I wrote a short post back in January of this year about the terms "Covenant" and "Freeman".
In her transcription of the Faulkner List Ms Abbot italicized the names of those men who
were the "Covenanters", the original founders of Andover. Among the names is that of
Edward Faulkner who was the first Andover town clerk and whose handwriting is believed
to be that on the list. I've added asterisks after the names of those men who are my
ancestors:

" house
The order of all the freed ^ holders
in order as they came to town:

Mr. Bradstreet
John Osgood
Joseph Parker*
Richard Barker*
John Stevens*
Nicholas Holt*
Benjamin Woodbridge
John Fry
Edmond Faulkner
Robert Barnard*
Daniel Poor*
Nathan Parker
Henry Jaques
John Aslett (or Aslebe)
Richard Blacke(Black)
William Ballard*
John Lovejoy*
Thomas Poore
George Abbott*
John Russe
Andrew Allen
Andrew Foster
Thomas Chandler*"

At some point the "house" was inserted to reflect possibly a change in how the right to vote
was established.

You might recognize some of my ancestor's names from previous posts. You'll be seeing
more about them as I explore the relations between the families that continued in some
cases from Andover, Massachusetts up into Oxford County, Maine.

Source:
Abbot, Elinor, Our Company Increases Apace: History, Language, and
Social Identity in Early Colonial Andover, Massachusetts.
(Dallas, Texas: SIL International, 2007) pp20-21

GPS GENEALOGY ROADTRIP

Now that mud season is over and the weather is turning warmer, I'm trying to get out
more. One of my problems is that I am not really comfortable driving long distances
on the highways. I've had no reason to for the last twenty five years or so since I could drive the secondary roads back and forth to work. I'm trying to reacclimate myself so
I can visit some places further away like the cemeteries where my Middlesex, Worcester, and Essex counties ancestors are buried. I've loaded the street addresses into my GPS, and on a whim today I set out for North Andover and Methuen, Ma.

After about an hour or so of whiteknuckle driving I reached the Old North Burial Ground in North Andover. My Dad's maternal line, the Barkers, came from the area and I was hoping to find some of them buried there, but the first headstone I saw belonged to an ancestor from a different family line, 9x great grandfather John Stevens. He was born in England in 1605 and died on 11Apr 1662. I didn't see a stone for his wife Elizabeth (Parker)Stevens but she outlived him by thirty years so she probably remarried. Also, the stone is in excellent condition so I'm wondering if it is a replacement for an earlier one.

I did find plenty of Barkers, mostly collateral line cousins, but I also found two direct Barker ancestors: my 7x great grandparents Benjamin Barker and Hannah (Marston) Barker.

Nearby I found the headstones of two of their children, my6x great grandaunt Alice Barker
and 6x great granduncle Benjamin Barker Jr.

The cemetery was in good shape for the most part, although there was sad evidence of
worse times in the past.

After taking 62 photos I got back into my car and followed the GPS directions to the Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Methuen where 6x great grandfather Jonathan Barker is buried, I should have checked before I left my house because if I had, I would have known the cemetery was closed to the public. I drove around it outside the stone walls and chainlink fence, then got directions home from the GPS and left. Roughly an hour and a half later I was home after dealing with the start of rush hour traffic on the highway.
I'd left my apartment around 11:30am  and was home a little after 3:30pm. 

I'll have to find some more cemetery locations to enter into the GPS!

MY ANCESTOR THE KNAVE4 ?

John Stevens’ involvement in the struggle between Thomas Chandler and Job Tyler began in the fall of 1667 and he had difficulties right from the start: “Complaint of John Stevens: that when he attached cattle taken by execution from Thomas Chandler and in the possession of Col. Crowne, the latter abused him, saying that he would make him an example for all the constables in New England for attaching cattle in the highway, etc. One Post of Oborne drove them away, etc. John Stevens, constable, aged about twenty-eight years, deposed that after he attached the cattle of Job Tyler and recovered them, they came to a stand. Post, son-in-law of Tyler, who was with Col. Crowne, asked him why he did not attach the cattle when they were in the yard, etc.” (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol 3 Nov 1667 p470) Now this Col. Crowne had been chosen by Job Tyler as one of the three arbitrators of the dispute with Chandler, so his action here was as a supporter of Tyler. But there’s nothing further in the entry about the particulars of this latest incident. Those came the following spring in March, 1668: "Job Tyler v. Thomas Chandler. Review. Special verdict found: that there was a bond of arbitration wherein both agreed to choose two men, and if they did not agree then a third was to be chosen; that two of the men did agree but the third did not; if two agreed and the agreement ended the case, they found for defendant, if not, for plaintiff. Court gave judgment for defendant.* *Writ, dated Mar. 16, 1667-8, signed by Robert Lord, for the court, and served by John Fry, constable of Andover. George Abbut, sr., surety on bond. Copy of writ, dated 27 : 3 : 1667, and copy of Ipswich court record, dated Sept. 24, 1667, made Oct. 15, 1667, by Robert Lord, cleric. Copy of award of the arbitrators, Edward Denison and Isaac Johnson, copy of letter from Joseph Aldregh, copy of agreement between plaintiff and defendant, and copy of depositions of John Chandler and William Cleaves, made Mar. 30, 1668, by Robert Lord, cleric. Richard Post of Woburn, aged about forty years, deposed that the marshal general called at his house, 24 : 6 : 1667, to have him go to Andiver to levy the execution. Chandler said that his land was made over to Mr. Brown of Salem. The day following, the marshal being obliged to return home on account of the council sitting, gave deponent an order to take the oxen and cows and deliver them to Job Tiler, which he did. But the marshal declared to Chandler before Col. Crowne that the cattle must go to Roxbury upon Chandler's charge before being delivered to Tiler. Then they all went homeward as far as Shawshin river and deponent was left with the cattle. When Col. Crowne returned, he said that he was to take the cattle, and when they reached Samuel Blanchard's house, Chandler and one Stevens, constable, came running after them and took the cattle by force, notwithstanding the fact that he read his deputation publicly to them, etc. William Crowne, aged about fifty years, deposed. Sworn, 11:8: 1667, before Simon Willard. William Park testified that he went with Job Tiller to John Chandler's house upon Mar. 1, 1665, etc. Joseph Alderegh, aged about thirty-two years, testified that Chandler came to him with the summons on Sept. 21 or 22, 1667, as "certanly as I can recken wth out an Almanake," and told said Chandler that Job Tiler did not live there then, for deponent had asked him to remove from his house because he needed the room which he used for corn. "I tould Chandeler he had noe famyly heere nor certaine place of aboade but lay some tyme at one, some tymes an other," but thought he had gone to Roxbury to his wife, etc. Sworn, 27 : 1 : 1668, before Elea. Lusher, assistant. 

(Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol 4 Mar 1668 p1-2) 

 I have to admit I was a bit puzzled by this at first. It appears that the cattle were originally Job Tyler’s taken as surety for the court case by Thomas Chandler. I think they were then returned to Tyler, but he again lost his case in court and were once more supposed to be given to Chandler, which is when the confrontation took place between John Stevens and Col Crowne. I’m also puzzled as to why the marshal general wanted the livestock driven down to Roxbury. Does “Chandler’s charge” mean at his expense? And just what was this marshal general’s name and how had he become involved in this mess? Perhaps this was some circuitous form of revenge on Chandler by some enemies? Lastly, Joseph Alderegh(Aldridge?) stately made me grin when I first read it. A proto-Yankee farmer with a need for an almanac! This last incident seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back, as I’ll discuss in the final post of this series.

MY ANCESTOR THE KNAVE 3 ?

The dispute between Thomas Chandler and Job Tyler would run its course over
a period of ten years. In 1665 the judgment was made against Job Tyler that he
had to pay 6 pounds and tack the placard on the meetinghouse with his apologies
for slandering Thomas Chandler. I'd thought that was the end of the case until
this past weekend when I found more court records.

Apparently Tyler didn't pay the 6 pounds and that led to Thomas Chandler's
next action in September of 1668 in the Essex County courts:

"Tho. Chandlour v. Job Tyler. Debt. Plaintiff made oath that he left a summons
at the house of John Alldridge, where defendant had lived seven weeks. Verdict for
plaintiff.

Writ: Ens. Thomas Chandler v. Job Tylar; debt; dated 27 :3 : 1667; signed by
Simon Bradstreete, for the court; and served by John Stavens, constable of Andover,
by attachment of two oxen, two cows and five acres of land of defendant.

Copy of Salem court record of 28 :9 :1665, concerning the same parties, made
by Hillyard Veren,§ cleric.

Thomas Chandler's bill of cost, for going to Quinopeg about 140 miles from
Andover out and in to serve warrant, Hi., etc., total, 4li. 6s. 4d.

Agreement, dated Oct. 29, 1665, between Thomas Chander of Andover and
Job Tiler of Roxbury, to leave the settlement of their differences to arbitration,
the former choosing Worshipful Mr. Bradstreet of Andover and the latter
Col. Crone; in case Mr. Bradstreet refused to serve, Mr. Edward Dennison
of Roxbury was to be chosen, with Capt. Johnson of Roxbury as third man, etc.
Wit: Phillip Curtis and Joshua Lamb, who made oath before Anthony Stoddard,
commissioner.

Letter dated Mendon, Sept. 23, 1667, signed by Joseph Aldregh, stating that he
did not know where to find Tyler and that he had not been at his house.

Job Tyler testified that he never saw the warrant which Thomas Chandler sent
him. Sworn, 21 : 7 :1667, before Richard Parker,f commissioner.

William Cleaves, aged about thirty-two years, deposed that he went with his
brother Thomas Chandler and heard the latter tell Tyler to pay the debt to
John Chandler, etc. Sworn in Boston, Sept. 21, 1667, before Edward Tyng,
commissioner.

John Chandler, aged about thirty-three years, deposed that he went with his
brother Thomas Chandler, etc. Also that he had never received the money.
Sworn in Boston, Sept. 21, 1667, before Edward Tyng, commissioner.

Award of the arbitrators, Edward Denisonf and Isaac Johnson,f dated Jan. 26,
1665, who ordered that Job Tiler should nail up or fasten upon the posts in
Andevour and Roxbury meeting houses in a plain legible hand, there to remain
fourteen days. Also that whereas no fine can be sufficient for the reparation
of a man's name, and considering Job's poverty and necessities, they judge that
he should pay the costs, 6li.; and for saying that Chandler was a base, lying,
cheating knave and had gotten his estate by cheating, and had cheated him out of 100li.,
he was to make public acknowledgment. Sworn by the arbitrators, 17 :7 :1667, before
Anthony Stoddard, commissioner (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of
Essex County, Massachusetts Vol II Vol 3 sept 1667 pp442-443)


So now one of my other ancestors, John Stevens, was about to become involved in
this feud and in a way one might not expect in Puritan New England.

There was about to be a jurisdictional dispute.

To be continued...
.

ANDOVER MASSACHUSETTS:THE FAULKNER LIST

In her book Our Company Increases Apace: History, Language and Social Identity in
early Colonial Andover Massachusetts, distant cousin Elinor Abbot includes an image and
a transcription of a document known as the Faulkner List, which is a list of men who
were "free houlders" in Andover. These were colonists who were not servants and could
own land and build an estate for their heirs to inherit. I'm guessing that the term might be a
shortening of "free landholder".

I wrote a short post back in January of this year about the terms "Covenant" and "Freeman".
In her transcription of the Faulkner List Ms Abbot italicized the names of those men who
were the "Covenanters", the original founders of Andover. Among the names is that of
Edward Faulkner who was the first Andover town clerk and whose handwriting is believed
to be that on the list. I've added asterisks after the names of those men who are my
ancestors:

" house
The order of all the freed ^ holders
in order as they came to town:

Mr. Bradstreet
John Osgood
Joseph Parker
Richard Barker*
John Stevens*
Nicholas Holt*
Benjamin Woodbridge
John Fry
Edmond Faulkner
Robert Barnard
Daniel Poor*
Nathan Parker
Henry Jaques
John Aslett (or Aslebe)
Richard Blacke(Black)
William Ballard*
John Lovejoy*
Thomas Poore
George Abbott*
John Russe
Andrew Allen
Andrew Foster
Thomas Chandler*"

At some point the "house" was inserted to reflect possibly a change in how the right to vote
was established.

You might recognize some of my ancestor's names from previous posts. You'll be seeing
more about them as I explore the relations between the families that continued in some
cases from Andover, Massachusetts up into Oxford County, Maine.

Source:
Abbot, Elinor, Our Company Increases Apace: History, Language, and
Social Identity in Early Colonial Andover, Massachusetts.
(Dallas, Texas: SIL International, 2007) pp20-21