John Abbe Sr. ²

  General Notes:

They had the following children:

+ 12 M i John Jr. Abbe
13 F ii Sarah Abbe was born about 1640 in Massachusetts.
+ 14 F iii Mary Abbe
+ 15 M iv Samuel Abbe
+ 16 F v Rebecca Abbe
17 M vi Obadiah Abbe was born about 1650 in Wenham, Massachusetts. He died on Oct 28 1732 in Enfield, Connecticut.
+ 18 M vii Thomas Abbe


From the book published in 1916 "Abbe -Abbey Genealogy In Memory of John Abbe and his Descendants" by Cleveland Abbe and Joseph Genung Nichols.

"John Abbe married
1 Mary _____ She was born in England about 1615-20, and died in Wenham, Mass., September 6, 1672. "Mary, the wife of John Abbey, senr. dyed the 9 Sept 1672"; Wenham records. She was doubtless the mother of all of his children. Her name is givens Mary Loring, by Frederick Orr Woodruff, who says that the name was found on Enfield records by one who made researches for him there.

John Abbe married
2 November 25, 1674, Mrs Mary Goldsmith, widow of Richard Goldsmith, who was killed by lightening, May 18, 1674. She was living in 1683. "John Abbie and Marah Goldsmith maryed 25 of Novemb, 1674"; Wenham records.

John Abbe, b. probably in Salem, 1636 or 7 ; m. twice.
Samuel Abbe; m. Mary Knowlton.
Sarah Abbe.
Marah Abbe; m. Killam.
Rebecca Abbe; m. Richard Kimball.
Obadiah Abbe; m. Sarah Tibbals.
Thomas Abbe; m. Sarah Fairfield



http://www.familyhistorypages.com/Abbe.htm#JA

John Abbe, born England, about 1613 (reputedly son of John, born about 1587, wife unknown), died in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, about 1690; married (1), about 1636, Mary Loring, daughter of William and Bridget (Sanders) Loring , born about 1615; died in Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts, 9 September 1672, and (2) Mary, widow of Richard Goldsmith, who was killed by lightning, 18 May 1674.

The birth place and parentage of John Abbe are not known, but current speculation suggests a connection with the Abbye family of Staverton, Northampton. He apparently came to New England in 1635 aboard the Bonaventure (Register of the names of all the passengers which passed from the Port of London for a whole year ending at Christmas 1635). In the records of Salem, his name appears first in January 1637 (Vol. I, p. 11): "John Abbie is received for inhabitant and is to have one acre lot for a house next beyond the Gunsmith's and three acres of planting ground where the Town hath appointed beyond Castle Hill." In 1638, in the division of the common marsh and meadow lands, the town of Salem granted John Abbe half an acre: at that time there were just three heads in his family (the size of the allocation related to the size of the family). In 1639, John received an additional grant of five acres "near to Mr. Trogmorton's hoghouse." In January 1643, John and several others each received ten-acre grants "to be laid out near to King's lot" near the Bass River, but the following month the town exchanged this ten-acre lot for ten acres at Enon, and subsequently granted the Bass River lot to Michael Sallows.

In 1642, Mr. Fiske organized a church at Enon; the following year the name of the settlement was changed to Wenham. On 24 August 1644, the new town granted John Abby "all that wasteground which lyeth between the end of the lott which he lives upon and the meadow which belongs to the town, leaving a poles bredth most convenient for a way. In January 1662, the town granted land to John Abbey, Sr. and Edward Waldron, to be divided equally between them. The following year, Abbey was chosen to assist the selectmen in making "the minister's rate" for the year. He served as constable of the town in 1669 and 1671. On 3 April 1675, John deeded ten acres of land to his son Samuel -- Thomas, John, and Mary Abbe witnessed the transaction.

John supported his son, Thomas, who lived with him and cared for him. In 1683, he dismissed Thomas on account of bad behavior and called upon his son John Jr. to take charge of his affairs. To seal this transaction, on 3 August 1683, John Sr. filed the following writ: Know all men by these presents that I, John Abbey (Senior) of Wenham in the County of Essex, being sensible of my own and my wife's inability to carry on my affaires so as to provide for our Comfortable Livelihood by reason of our age and weakness of body ... do make Choice of and request my son John Abbey as my feoffee in trust to take into his hands my house and all my lands in Wenham together with what right I have in that land which was sometime Richard Gooldsmith's, to occupy and improve for my and his mutual benefit so long as my wife and I or either of us shall live, and for his encouragement to manage my affaires as abovesaid and he provide comfortably for my own and my wife's maintenance I do hereby give and bequeath to him my aforesaid feofee all my houses & lands forever except what I do hereby give out of it to the rest of my children, viz. Samuel, Sarah, Marah, Rebeca, Obadia, and Thomas, and to each of them as follows: viz. to Samuel, I having already given him ... land, I give him one shilling more, and to all the rest of my children above mentioned, viz. Sarah, Marah, Rebeca, Obadia, and Thomas two Shillings apiece or to so many of them as shall survive at the decease of my self and wife: and in case God shall take away my son John abovesaid before the decease of my self and wife, if his heirs shall continue to manage and carry on my affaires as my abovesaid feoffee ought to do, then they shall have the houses and lands abovesaid as therein ordered, and in confirmation of what is above written I have hereunto set to my hand & seal. Signed sealed and delivered August the 3, 1683, in the presence of Thos. Fiske, Sr. [and] Martha Fiske. John Abbey Sr. did acknowledge this writing above written to be his act and deed August the 3d, 1683, before me, Samuel Appleton, Assistant.

Apparently taking his new responsibilities seriously, John Jr. built a new house for his father early on, as the old one was unfit to live in. In 1696, after the death of his father (1690) and step-mother, John Jr. sold the lands in Wenham to Nathaniel Waldron and removed to Windham, Connecticut, where he died on 11 December 1700. Shortly thereafter, Thomas, then of Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, laid claim to his father's estate, naming his father-in-law, Walter Fairfield of Wenham, his attorney. His actions included a suit for trespass against one Peter Legro of Wenham. The court allowed Legro to substitute his landlord, Nathaniel Waldron, as defendant in this case.

For some reason (possibly because John Jr. failed to probate the will his father signed in 1683), the court determined that John Sr. had died intestate and granted administration of his estate to Thomas (December 1702). Richard Hutton and Joseph Fowler, whom Thomas commissioned to appraise the estate, valued the property -- twenty three acres of upland and meadow, the housing, fences and other appurtenances in Wenham, together with John Sr.'s right in the Common -- at £92: "We also being informed that the said deceased in his lifetime did, to accommodate his son Obadiah according to his desire with a trade for his future benefit when the said Obadiah was eighteen years old, give to Richard Goldsmith three years service of his said son Obadiah and until he was one and twenty years old to learn him to be a shoemaker, and all the said time his said father did find his said son meat and drink and clothes washing and lodging which we do judge to be worth thirty pounds. The account was settled between Thomas Abbe and his father's Estate by the Children of the said deceased in our presence..."

The heirs -- Thomas, Richard Kimball for himself and his wife Rebecca, and Mary Kilham -- allowed £32 "for several things for which our said father ... was indebted to his son Thomas Abbe" before his death. The heirs of John Jr., Samuel, and Sarah were apparently not represented in these proceedings; nor was Obadiah, unless he had given his commission to Thomas. We have yet to discover how Nathaniel Waldron fared.

As to the surname of John Sr.'s first wife (Loring), it was supplied by Frederick Orr Woodruff, who said the name had been found in Enfield records by one who made searches for him there. See Ancestors of the Bingham Family of Utah.

Children of John ABBE and Mary LORING: John Abbe, born in Salem, about 1637; died in Windham, 11 Dec 1700. First described as yeoman of Wenham; in 1663, one of three appointed to oversee the town's common and resist encroachments on the timber; admitted as freeman by the court at Boston, 11 May 1670. John apparently resided on his father's estate until about 1696, when he sold it to Francis Wainright, and removed to Windham, where for £70 he bought home lot number 7 at Windham Center from Exercise Conant, with the right to 1,000 acres and a dwelling house (13 July 1696). Apparently, possession of the Wenham property later reverted to John, for he sold it again to Nathaniel Waldron, 19 October 1696, for £130. John was admitted as freeman of Windham on 9 December 1696. He and his wife Hannah were dismissed from the Wenham Church to Windham by letter dated 28 Oct 1700, and both were original members of the first church of Windham at its organization, 10 Dec 1700. John wrote his will that day, and died suddenly the following day (food for thought). John apparently married first a Goodale: Isaac Goodale, who was perhaps son of Isaac and Patience Goodale, called John Abbe his uncle. His second wife was Hannah, possibly widow of Richard Goldsmith of Wenham. Following John's death, she married Jonathan Jennings, Sr., of Windham (16 November 1703) and died 8 March 1724. The will of John Abbe mentioned thirty acres of land "adjoining to Goodman Binghams and Goodman Larrabees." By inventory taken 4 September 1701, John's estate was valued at £118 13s, with indebtedness of about £14. Children by his first wife: John (1665), John (1666), Thomas (1667), Joseph (1673), Obadiah (about 1675), Abigail (about 1677). Children by his second wife: Richard Abbe (1683), Mary (1684) John (1691), Hannah (1693), Lydia (1696), Sarah (1699).

Sarah Abbe, born in Salem, about 1639; died 1704; married a Kilham.

Mary Abbe, born in Salem, about 1641; died in Wenham, 2 May 1721; also married a Kilham and/or Alexander Maxie of Wenham.

Rebecca Abbe, born in Wenham, about 1647; died in Wenham, June 1704; married Richard Kimball, 13 May 1667.

Samuel Abbe married Mary Knowlton.

Obadiah Abbe, born in Wenham, about 1650; died in Enfield, 28 Oct 1732; married, as her third husband, Sarah Tibbals, daughter of Thomas Tibbals of Milford; apprenticed, at 18, to learn the shoemaker trade from Richard Goldsmith. One of the original proprietors of Enfield, 1682 (eighth lot from the south corner, east side), where he seems to have achieved some prominence, having served as constable, surveyor of highways, and assessor. Obadiah Abbe's holdings in Enfield are described in the Enfield records: Home lot of 12 acres; 23 acres in the South Field, eastern division; 7 acres upon Schantuck River, 5 acres of upland, 2 acres of meadow upon a small brook easterly from the "grate meadow"; 4 acres of meadow by grant of 5 March 1700; and on November 17, 171[ ], a farm lying west of Schantuck great meadow consisting of 168 acres. Obadiah apparently had no children.

Thomas Abbe, born in Wenham, about 1655; died in Enfield, 17 May 1728; married Sarah Fairfield, daughter of Walter and Sarah (Skipper) Fairfield, in Marblehead, Massachusetts, 16 December 1683. Wounded during King Phillip's war in the Great Swamp Fight. In May 1676, the court voted to repay the losses of divers persons who were "damnified" by the burning of Major Appleton's tent at Narragansett: to Thomas Abbey, £3.18.00, December 1675 and £5.02.00, 24 April 1676 [NEHGR, 28:441-442]. Thomas Abbey was among the eighteen "men wounded who are at Road Island, 6 January 1675" [NEHGR, 28:443]. He was an original proprietor of Enfield, 1683, with the eleventh lot, east side, north of the south corner as his home lot. He at once became one of the prominent men of the settlement and is mentioned frequently on the records of Enfield: selectman in 1686, 1689, 1706, 1707, 1709, 1710; fenceviewer repeatedly; and assessor in 1705. Thomas was sergeant in 1711 and lieutenant of the Enfield Trained Band in 1713. Children: Sarah (1684), Thomas (1686), Mary (1688), John (1692), Tabitha (1696, called Abigail in her father's will), Elizabeth. The will, made 12 December 1726, probated 30 August 1728, mentions wife Sarah; son Thomas, executor (to inherit the homestead and 57 acres); son John (to inherit land at Scantic Bridge); daughters Sarah Geer and Tabitha Warner (to have the cattle). ³

  Noted events in his life were:

• Immigration: From England, 1634, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. ⁴

• Occupation: Constable, 1669-1671, Wenham, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA.

John married Mary Loringe, daughter of William Loringe and Bridget Sanders, in 1635 in New England, USA.¹ (Mary Loringe was born on 15 Oct 1615 in Alderholt, North Dorset District, Dorset, England, christened on 15 Oct 1615 in Marshwood, Dorset, England ⁵ and died on 9 Sep 1672 in Wenham, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA.)

John next married Marah on 25 Nov 1674. (Marah died after 1683.)