Josseph Russell (1721 - 1777)

Born 15 Oct 1721 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham, New Hampshire, British Colonial America

Husband of Abigail (Towle) Russell — married 15 May 1746 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham, NH

Descendants

Died 19 Apr 1777 at age 55 in Massebecsic, Alfred, York, Maine, United States

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Biography

Living in Providence, RI by 19 May 1753, in Brentwood, NH by 7 June 1759, in Epping, NH by 2 February 1763, Exeter, NH by 29 April 1766. Also may have been in Salisbury, MA on 26 May 1754 when two of their daughters, Mary and Sarah were baptized at the East, or First, Parish Church. The move to Massabesick occurred sometime before 19 April 1777 when they sold 40 acres in Exeter to Stephen Thing of Exeter. It is most likely that Joseph was already in Massabesick as early as April 1774 when his daughter Hannah married in Sanford, next town to Massabesick (Waterboro/N. Alfred, ME). Much later Joseph signed the petition to the General Court of Massachusetts for an act of incorporation of the town of Waterborough on 12 February 1785. They lived on Lot #31 in Waterboro, which adjoined Lot #32 owned by his son, Joseph, Jr. Joseph, Sr. appears on the Waterboro census in 1790, but not the 1800 census, placing his death between these two events.

Joseph and Abigail were of Epping, NH on 2 February 1763 when they conveyed to Jonathan Moulton of Hampton their rights to the estate of Richard Long (Jr) of Salisbury, "which falls by Heirship to my honored Mother, Sarah Russell Wife of William Russell (Both now Deceased) Who being Sister to the said Richard Long Who being by Law an Heir to one Fourth of said Estate." Then on 13 March 1764, John Clough of Brentwood, yeoman, Samuel Welch of Suncook, yeoman, and Eleanor wife of said Samuel Welch, sold to Sarah Long of Salisbury, widow, all their right, title, interest, estate, property and demand in Exeter that had belonged to "our Uncle Richard Long late of Salisbury...as we are heirs at Law To some part of the said Richard Long's Estate. (NH Province Deeds 84:247).

On 7 June 1759, Joseph Russell was "of the Parish of Brentwood in the Township of Exeter" when he purchased 25 acres in Exeter from Edward Ladd of Exeter, (aforesaid saddler). Even earlier on 9 August 1749, "William Russell of Hampton, Province of New Hampshire, and Joseph Russell, son of the said William Russell." conveyed to Jonathon Greely and Ebenezer Stevens of Kingstown, New Hampshire, salt marsh in Salisbury, Massachusetts, "formerly belonging to Richard Long, late of Salisbury, deceased." (Essex Co. Deeds, 95:77). Together these deeds establish that Joseph Russell was the son of William and Sarah (Long) Russell of Hampton, and was also heir to his uncle, Richard Long of Salisbury, MA. Eaton, P. and Boyle F.R., TAG Vol 79, p. 141

W.W. Clayton's History of York County, Maine reports that Joseph Russell was one of the first settlers of Massabesick, as the plantation was known before its incorporation as the town of Waterboro, a portion of which with the North Parish of Sanford later becoming the district of Alfred in 1794. Alfred was first settled in 1764 by the Simeon Coffin family who we are told had a wigwam along the Massabesic [now Shaker] Pond for their first home. Alfred Gore is the part of Alfred located close to Shapleigh and Waterboro,

19 April 1777 deed of nearby Rockingham county, New Hampshire, mentions Joseph Russell of Massabesick (Rockingham Co. deeds 109:64).

A trio of genealogically informative Rockingham county, New Hampshire deed records not only establish Joseph's parentage and that of his wife, but also place the couple in Providence, Rhode Island 19 May 1753, Epping, New Hampshire 2 February 1763, and Exeter, New Hampshire 29 April 1766 (Rockingham Co., NH deeds 43:442, 34:728, and 84:243 for place locations)

"Waterboro, formerly Massabesick Plantation, was included tracts of land converyed to Major Phillips by the Indian chief Hombinowitt, alias John Rogomock, by his deed dated the 29th of April 1660; by the Indian chief Fluellin by his deed dated the 30th day of March 1661; by Mogg Heigon or Mogg Hegone, by his deed dated May 31st 1664. The title passed under wills of William Phillips and his wife Bridget Phillips and their children into a proprietary which included Thomas Cushing, Samuel Adams, Rev. Lathrop, Gowen Brown, Col. Josiah Waters, John Wheelwright, John Bromfield, John Avery, Jr., Martin Bimmer and Andrew Spooner. The land was then conveyed to various persons with Col. Josiah Waters acquiring a large part of it. The territory was surveyed and platted into lots by land surveyor, 6th great uncle James Warren, brother of 6th ggm, Grizel Warren Otis. The lots were then sold to settlers. Prior to 1768 the entire tract was a vast wilderness into which no highways penetrated and which was traversed only along Indian trails and over logging roads, which had been built through various parts of the town by settlers from the Atlantic coast who souht this territory for the magnificent pines and oaks which covered it, for use in shipbuilding at home and for export, a large business enterprise from Portsmouth to Portland. Massabesick Plantation included a portion of northern Alfred, called the Gore. The name came from Massabesick Pond (now Shaker Pond) coming from the name of an Indian chief residing on its western shore. The name Massabesick was confirmed by resolve of the General Court of Massachusetts...Maine was still part of the Commonwealth...on February 12th 1785. The first permanant white settler was John Smith, who settled in 1768 a short distance from Waterbrough Old Corner. During the next two years he was joined by several other families: John Scribner, Robert Harvey, Alexander Jelleson, his son George, William Deering, Scammon Hodgdon, Whilliam Philpot and William Nason who came from the southwestern part of the county (York) and from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to engage in lumbering."

Joseph Russell was one of 30 signers of the petition of 1785 by the Inhabitants of the Plantation of Massabesick in the county of York who "humbly sheweth that thay Labour under sum Very Great Inconveniances for want of being Incorporated and wish to be Put in a better situation for Doing their Duty wherfore Your Petitioners Earnestly Pray that their Plantation may be incorporated into a Town acording to the Plan herewith Presented to Gether with a gore of Land containing about Eighteen hundred acres Lying between Sanford and Shapleighton and adjoining the aforesaid Plantation and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound will Ever pray &c." Among the 30 cosigners were also 5th great grandfather, Samuel Moody, and 4th ggf, Richard Bean, as well as cousins Capt. Clement Moody, William Bean, and Scribner cousins: Samuel, Edward, Daniel, Edward, Jr. Daniel, Jr.. And so Waterborough came into being by act of the sitting Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, March 6 1787. It was named in honor of Col. Josiah Waters, one of the early proprietors of Massabesick, who was born in Boston September 28, 1749 and died suddenly at Boston December 18, 1805. He presented the Town its first record book inscribed: "To the Inhabitants of the Town of Waterborough this book is most respectfully presented by their Friend and very Humble Servant Josiah Waters Boston March 10th 1787." From the Hamiltons of Waterborough, Chpt 1, pp 1-12

CENSUS 1790 Waterboro, ME Census. Joseph Russull 1 male over 16, 1 female State: ME Year: 1790 County: York Roll: M637_2 Township: Waterboro Page: 68 Image: 0192

Sources

• Rockingham Co., NH Deeds

• Eaton, P. and Boyle F.R., TAG Vol 79, p. 141

• "New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL5G-NYD : 23 February 2021), Joseph Rust, 15 Oct 1721; citing Hampton Falls, Rockingham, New Hampshire, United States, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1,001,036.

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 21 November 2021, 03:21), entry for Joseph Russell (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:GSZX-B8P ); contributed by various users.

• "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLFW-W29 : 1 August 2022), Joseph Russell and Abigail Tolle, 1746.