Reuben Lothridge (abt. 1748 - 1797)

Born about 1748 in Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Husband of Margery (Knowlton) Field — married 8 Nov 1770 in Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 7 Mar 1797 at about age 49 in Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ray Jones [send private message]

Reuben Lothridge (1740-1797)

Sources

• "Find A Grave Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QV2G-XN12 : accessed 20 March 2015), M. Reuben Lothridge, 1797; Burial, Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States of America, West Burial Ground; citing record ID 73585952, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• Reuben Lottridge, Birth Date: 1740, Birthplace: Massachusetts, Volume: 106, Page Number: 420. Gen. Column of the " Boston Transcript". 1906-1941.( The greatest single source of material for gen. Data for the N.E. area and for the period 1600-1800. Completely indexed in the Index.): 19 September 1934, 8597. Godfrey Memorial Library, comp.. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. This 1934 entry in the Boston Transcript states that Reuben Lottridge of Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts was the son of Robert and Hannah Lottridge of Pelham. It also explains that Reuben was a minor when his father died in 1763, which means that his birth date is later than 1743, as "full age" in Colonial Massachusetts was 21 years old.

• "United States Census, 1790," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHKL-TZ8 : accessed 20 March 2015), Reubn Lutridge, Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts; citing p. 458, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 4; FHL microfilm 568,144. Reuben Lothridge is listed as the head-of-the-household with the following information: Number of free males over the age of 16 - 1, number of free males under the age of 16 - 2, number of free females under the age of 16 - 5. Reuben is the free male over the age of 16. Reuben's sons, Robert and John are the free males under the age of 16. Reuben's daughters, Anne, Abia, Elizabeth, Polly and Dotty, are the free females under the age of 16. The family is living in Pelham, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.

• "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V589-S2Z : accessed 20 March 2015), Reuben Lothridge and Margery Nolten, 08 Nov 1770; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 823,579, 892,563, 103,358.

• Will of Captain Robert Lothridge. Probate Date: 25 February 1763. Hampshire County, Massachusetts Probate Records, Vol 10, 1761-1767, Ancestry.com - Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991. This will establishes that Robert Lothridge died in 1763, sometime between when he signed this will on 25 February and when the will was probated on 14 June. Robert makes reference to his widow Hannah and his son Reuben Lothridge.

Will

Last Will and Testament of Reuben Lothridge - February 16, 1797

In the name of God Almighty, I, Reuben Lothridge, of Pelham in the County of Hampshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being weak in body but of a sound and perfect mind and memory, blessed be Almighty God for the chance to make and publish my last will and testament in manner and form following (that is to say).

First, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Margery Lothridge, all of my household furniture. I do also give and bequeath to my eldest son, Robert Lothridge, his heirs and assignees in any form with the buildings and all of the privileges and opportunities there unto belonging, lying and being in Pelham assured to hold to him the said Robert Lothridge, his heirs and assignees forever together with all my personal estate and farming tools except my gray colt of a year old lost.

Also, I give and bequeath to my youngest son, John Lothridge, my gray colt of a year old lost, also all his labor from the first of April onset and living until he arrives to the age of twenty one under the care of a guardian, said guardian is to pay a note given to Conf. Montague for the gray colt above mentioned.

I likewise give and bequeath to my daughter Anne Beauleou (editor’s note: Ballou) two dollars to be paid by my son, Robert Lothridge.

And, I do hereby appoint my son, Robert Lothridge, when he is a lawful age to provide for and support my wife Margery Lothridge (that is to say) to give her annually so long as she remains my widow, five bushels of rye, five bushels of corn, and two bushels of wheat, also one hundred weight of pork, and forty weight of beef with a sufficient assortment of tallow, likewise twenty weight of flax and eight pound of wool and shall provide a suitable horse for her to ride when she requires it and a good milk cow for her use and benefit and also to provide doctors and nurses for her when needful and every common convenience of life and she will have the knowledge of a son in the house such as she shall choose with the knowledge of chamber and cellar with firewood provided for the fire.

Furthermore, the said Robert should furnish a table for my daughters Abia, Elizabeth, Polly and Dotty until they arrive to a mature age and likewise five pounds of flax and two pounds of wool for each of my daughters above named annually until they arrive at the age of eighteen years, and furthermore to pay the above named Abia, Elizabeth, Polly and Dotty twenty-five dollars each, as soon as they reach twenty-one years of age as above.

And, I do hereby appoint my wife, Margery Lothridge, to be guardian to my within named daughters in their minorities. In witness whereof, I have herewith let my hand and seal this Sixteenth day of February in the year of our Lord, one-thousand seven hundred and ninety seven.

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named Reuben Lothridge to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto published our names as witnesses in the presence of the testator.

Reuben Lothridge (signature)

Jonathan Hood (signature)

John Rinkin (signature)

Jonathan Kellogg (signature)

This is to certify that I do accept of the within instrument. Pelham August 29th, 1797

Margery Lothridge (signature)

Jonathan Hood (signature)

Source: Hampshire County, Massachusetts Probate Records. This record was found and sent to me by Peter Freisen.

Rationale for Inclusion as an S.A.R. Patriot

Reuben Lothridge – Patriotic Service from April 1775 to November 1783

Reuben Lothridge (1748 – March 7, 1797) was a freeman in Pelham, Massachusetts during the Revolution. The oldest record I have found thus far placing Reuben Lothridge in Pelham, Massachusetts is a November 8, 1770 marriage record showing that Reuben Lothridge married Margery Knowlton in Pelham, Massachusetts.

The name, “Reuben Lothridge” appears fifteen different times between April 1775 and November 1783 in the Pelham Town Council Records, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Towns Records, 1579-2001:

1. On March 17, 1777, the Council appointed Reuben Lothridge as one of Pelham's "hog reeves" (pg. 164)

2. On March 15, 1779, the Council appointed Reuben Lothridge and another man as Pelham’s "constables" (pg. 176)

3. On March 15, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the March 29, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 177)

4. On March 29, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freeman to vote in and attend the April 15, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 178)

5. On May 12, 1779, Reuben Lothridge - Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freeman of the June 4, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 179)

6. On June 4, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the June 25, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 180)

7. On June 25, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the August 16, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 181)

8. On August 16, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the August 27, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pp. 182-183)

9. On August 27, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the September 27, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 183)

10. On September 27, 1779 Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the December 10, 1779 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 184)

11. On December 10, 1779, Reuben Lothridge – Constable reported that he had warned and given notice to Pelham’s freemen to attend the Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 185)

12. On January 22, 1780, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the January 29, 1780 Pelham Town Council Meeting (pg. 186)

13. On January 29, 1780, Reuben Lothridge – Constable was charged by the Council to warn and give notice to Pelham’s freemen of the February 18, 1780 Pelham Town Council Meeting. The Town Council also reported that it had placed in the hands of Reuben Lothridge – Constable thirteen lots in Pelham for which no person had appeared to pay the taxes, and Reuben Lothridge posted the lots for sale but had failed to sell them. (pg. 187)

14. On March 8, 1780, the Council reported that Reuben Lothridge – Constable will sell the land of indigent proprietors at public sale (pg. 189)

15. On March 18, 1782 the Council appointed Reuben Lothridge to two civil service positions, as one of the “surveyors of highways” and as one of the “tythingmen” (pp. 216-217)

Reuben Lothridge is also listed in reference to the period between April 1775 and November 1783 in the Pelham Land Records, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986 as the grantor (as Constable of Pelham) in a land transaction related to Reuben’s actions during March and April of 1780 in selling the property of Robert Abercrombie to satisfy Abercrombie’s tax debt. The deed was filed in Pelham on February 14, 1793 (vol. 5 - pp. 374-376)

These sixteen incidences of civil service to the town of Pelham between April 1775 and November 1783 constitute “patriotic service” under the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Guidelines for acceptable service, specifically, “Civil Service under the Colonies from April 9, 1775 to November 26, 1783, inclusive.”

written by Ray Jones in 2013.