Joseph Boardman (1663 - 1737)

Born 1663 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Prudence (Foster) Boardman — married about 17 Feb 1696 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 18 May 1737 at about age 74 in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Biography

Joseph Boardman was born in 1663 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay. His parents were Daniel Boardman (1639 - 1708) and Hannah (Hutchinson) Boardman (<1639 - >1723).

His siblings were:

1. Mary (Boardman) Foster (~1665 - <1720)
2. Thomas Boardman (1666 - )
3. Hannah (Boardman) Putnam (~1670 - <1711)
4. Nathaniel Boardman (~1673 - 1758)
5. Waite John Boardman (1676 - 1738)
6. Jonathan Boardman (1682 - 1723)
7. David Boardman (1682 - ~1724)
8. Jerusha Boardman (1683 - )

Joseph, a house carpenter, married Prudence Foster (1675 - 1755) on 17 February 1697 in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts.^[1] Their children were:

1. Abigail (Boardman) Cummings (1700 - 1771)
2. Hannah (Boardman) Batchelder (1703 - ~1783).

Joseph died on 18 May 1737 in Topsfield, Essex aged ~73.

Joseph Bordman, born in Ipswich between 1662 and

1666, married, Feb. 17, 1696-7, Prudence, born May 23,

1675, daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Downing) Foster. He

received of his father the tract of land lying between the part

sold to Tobijah Perkins and the part reserved for the home-

stead. The house in which Joseph lived was probably built

for him at the time of his marriage, and was the one which

was burned a few years ago. A roadway was made by travel

from his father's house to his, with gates to be opened where

it led from one piece of land to another, as was the custom

in the old English homes, but there were no pretty green

hedges to separate the fields, as were used in England instead

of walls and fences. This roadway, with some little altera-

tion, was made a county road in 1857, thus rendering a more

direct route to Ipswich.

Joseph served the town as "cunstable," treasurer, "serueyer

of highways," and was selectman in 1715. He, with wife

Prudence, united with the church in Topsfield, Apr. 25,

1708. He died May 18, 1737. His widow died Oct.

28, 1755.

Concerning the disposal of his property we find the follow-

ing record: — Nov. 13, 1734, "I, Joseph Bordman (for £200

if demanded) give to my two daughters, Abigail Cummings

and Hannah Perkins, all my estate real and personal which is

not otherwise disposed of at my and my present wife's de-

cease."

In 1742, his widow Prudence and two daughters sold the

place to Elisha Cummings, son of the daughter Abigail. In

1767, Elisha sold it to his brother Palatiah, who in turn, in

1786, sold the same to a nephew, Rev. Joseph Cummings.

In 1787, he sold it to Daniel Towne, who had married

Hannah, daughter of Capt. John Boardman living at the

homestead. In about a month, Daniel Towne sold "one half

the farm with one half the buildings thereon and one half the

outlying meadows," to Asa Perkins, the grand-son of Abigail

Cummings, who had married Hannah Johnson of Limerick,

Me., the grand-daughter of Capt. John Boardman. Mr.

Humphrey Balch, a grand-son of Hannah, has related of her

that without escort she rode to Limerick, Me., horseback, in

one day, carrying an infant in her arms. This story has since

been confirmed by a relative now living in Maine. What

longings must have filled her heart for the old familiar faces

and scenes of her childhood's home, to go in such a manner,

through lonely spots and long stretches of woods, with per-

haps only a bridle path before her in many places !

Asa Perkins, the last of the Borman descendants to live

there, died in 1825, and the place passed into the hands of

strangers. Joshua Wildes and Stephen Bartlett, who bought

it of the heirs of Asa Perkins, held it for many years, and

after their death it was purchased by James Manning. It

was during his ownership that the buildings were burned one

very cold night in midwinter. One of the younger daughters

was so frightened that she caught up a little sister in her arms

and ran barefooted over the snow for nearly half a mile to

one of the neighbors, and at twelve o'clock at night made

known the sad story. A temporary shelter was soon con-

structed, and in time the present house was erected over the

old cellar. The heirs of James Manning sold the estate to

Albert Davison, the present owner. He sold a small piece

of land to Mrs. M. J. Hobbs, who had a house built upon it.

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001"
   Citing Marriage, Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009688.
   FamilySearch (accessed 28 January 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00148
   Joseph Borman marriage to Prudence Foster on 17 Feb 1697 in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.