Sarah (Martin) Norton (1689 - 1785)

Born 16 Oct 1689 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts

Wife of Freegrace Norton I — married 18 Jun 1713 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 26 Mar 1785 at age 95 in Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Sarah Norton formerly Martin. Wife of Freegrace Norton. Inscription on Head stone:

‘She was a Mother to 11 children, Grandmother to 65, Great Grandmother to 8 in all. 98 years old.

Sarah Martin, daughter of Samuel and Abigail , (vital records of Andover, Massachusetts. Samuel Martin (1645-1696) son of Solomon Martin and Mary Pindar of Gloucester. A genealogical Dictionary of New England, 1860- 1862; reprinte1981 page 163.

A search for probate records of Samuel Martin and his wife Abigail turned up nothing. The marriage record in Suffield described Sarah Martin as being of Ipswich. The Andover Sarah Martin was born in Ipswich, perhaps at the home of her grandparents, When Sarah Martin was to be married, two of her married sisters were living in Ispwich, Abigail, the wife of John Safford and Mary the wife of John Bolles. Possibly living with one of them before marriage.

Birth: Oct. 16, 1699 Ipswich Essex County Massachusetts, USA Death: Mar 26, 1785 Suffield Hartford County Connecticut, USA

1994 research by Randall Dixon

From Sarah Martin Norton Find A Grave: Memorial #11777393:

A search of the probate records of Freegrace and his wife, Sarah, reveal no clue to her ancestry, but the tombstone of Sarah in Suffield gives her age as 96 years at her death on 26 March 1785 (Headstone Inscriptions Town of Suffiled, Hale Collection, Conn. State Library). The vital records of Ipswich, Massachusetts were searched for a match but none was found. A search of the records of neighboring communities did, however, reveal a possible candidate.

The records of Andover list the birth of Sarah Martin, daughter of “Samuel and Abigail” at Ipswich, October 16, 1689 (Vital Records of Andover, Massachusetts[Topsfield 1912] 1:267).

The parents can be identified as Samuel Martin (1645-1696) son of Solomon Martin and Mary Pindar of Gloucester and Andover (James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of ... New England, 1860-1862; reprint 1981 p. 163) and Abigail Norton (1651-1739) daughter of George 1 Norton (d. 1659) and his wife Mary of Salem (Herbert F. Seversmith “George Norton of Salem, Massachusetts...”, The American Genealogist 15 [1939]: 196). This Sarah Martin, therefore, would be a first cousin of Freegrace Norton, as his mother, Abigail, and his father, George, were brother and sister. Marriages between cousins were not infrequent and this would explain how the couple came together, though being from fairly distant places. Evidence that the branches of the family kept in contact, comes from a deed of land from George Norton of “Southfield” to Samuel Martin of Andover June 7, 1681, recorded August 8, 1716 (Essex County Deeds, 31:62-63). A search for probate records of Samuel Martin and his wife Abigail turned up nothing.

As noted above, the marriage record in Suffield described Sarah Martin as being “of Ipswich”. The Andover Sarah Martin was born in Ipswich, perhaps at the home of her grandmother, Mary Norton. In 1713, when Sarah Martin was to be married, two of her married sisters were living in Ipswich–Abigail, the wife of John Safford, and Mary, the wife of John Bolles (Ipswich Vrs). Possibly she lived with one of them before her marriage.

One other piece of evidence as a clue to the parentage of Sarah Martin can, perhaps be found in the names of her children (Suffield Vrs, Barbour Collection). Her first surviving son was named Freegrace after her husband, while the next son was named Samuel, possibly after her father. In addition, one of her daughters was named Abigail, possibly after her mother.

Sources