Joshua Seaver (1779 - 1833)

Born 15 Jan 1779 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Nancy Sumner — married 6 Apr 1803 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Died 11 Sep 1833 at age 54 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Randy Seaver [send private message]

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Birth

Birth:

Date: 15 JAN 1779

Place: Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States^[1]

Death

Death:

Date: 11 SEP 1833

Place: Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States^[2]

User ID

User ID: 7C9C66E1219147D49085AECF9B95BF8D3A5E

Data Changed

Data Changed:

Date: 24 JUL 2012

Prior to import, this record was last changed 24 JUL 2012.

Note

Note: A short summary of the Joshua Seaver store in Jamaica Plain is available at http://www.jphs.org/victorian/the-first-apartment-house-in-jamaica-plain.html, titled The First Apartment House in Jamaica Plain by Richard Heath. It says (in part):

"Strong evidence suggests that the first apartment house built in Jamaica Plain was 743 Centre Street, a three story panel brick building with limestone trim built by Frederick and Robert Seaver in 1875. This was the new building for the oldest business in Jamaica Plain, Seaver’s Store, established by Joshua Seaver in 1796 who built a new store on the site of an older one.

"Joshua Seaver was born in his family’s Centre Street home in 1779 and built his new store next to the family house.2 The Seavers built their home on the Road to Dedham laid out in 1663, the most important transportation route in Roxbury. It was the only land route from the capitol through Roxbury center to Dedham and then on to Providence; it would remain so for 125 years3. The Seavers had good neighbors: in 1752 Commodore Joshua Loring bought a large tract at Centre and South Streets on which he built a fine mansion in 1760 after service in the British navy during the Seven Years War against France.  

"In 1769 the Third Meeting House was built adjoining the Seaver estate. The southerly end of Roxbury had grown large enough to support its own meeting house and church goers now did not have to endure the long ride to Roxbury First Church. This same community needed and could support a general store and conceivably the store Joshua Seaver bought was opened about 1770. There was no other general store between Roxbury center and Dedham.

"At the time of the Revolutionary War the town center of Jamaica Plain comprised the Third Parish Church, the general store and the school. The store was the first stop after Roxbury center on the Boston- Roxbury- Providence stage line. In 1826 hourly omnibuses began traveling from Seaver’s store through Roxbury center to Boston. One omnibus was called the Osceola; portraits of the Seminole warrior were painted the doors.4

"The first post office in Jamaica Plain was at Seaver’s store when Joshua Seaver (the son) was made postmaster in 1829.  He set aside a portion of his store for mail pick up and stamp sales. His brother Robert followed and held the post until 1863.5

"The school house was the municipal center of town where residents met and talked over issues. When a new schoolhouse was built on Eliot Street in 1832 the Village Hall was constructed on Thomas Street behind the Seaver store.6 Now the southerly end of town had two meeting places: the post office at Seaver’s Store and the Village Hall. The Seaver store was the social center of the town. It was the typical example of the urban general store where customers could purchase everything from eggs to whiskey7, buy stamps, mail a letter, pick up cordwood and buy produce teamed in from outlying farms. The horse cars now moved passengers between the town center and two railroad stations at Green Street and Forest Hills square; Seaver teams picked up produce and goods at the Green Street depot. The Seaver store was exactly midway between both stations."

In the 1810 United States Census, Joshua Seaver was a head of household residing in Roxbury, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The household included three free white males under age 10, one free white male aged 16 to 26, one free white male aged 26 to 45, one free white female under age 10, one free white female aged 16 to 26 and one free white female aged 26 to 45 (1810 United States Census Population Schedule, Roxbury, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Page 553, FHL Microfilm 0,205,626).

In the 1820 United States Census, Joshua Seaver was a head of household in Roxbury, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The household included three free white males under age 10, two free white males aged 10 to 16, one freee white male aged 16 to 18, one free white male aged 16 to 26, one free white male aged 26 to 45, one free white female aged 10 to 16, and one free white female aged 26 to 45 (1820 United States Census, Norfolk County, Massachusetts Population Schedule, Roxbury town, Page 094, FHL Microfilm 0,193,740).

In the 1830 United States census, Joshua Seaver was a head of household in the 3rd Ward of Roxbury, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The household included one free white male aged 5 to 10, one free white male aged 10 to 15, one free white male aged 20 to 30, one free white male aged 50 to 60, and one free white female aged 50 to 60 (1830 United States Census,Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Population Schedule, 3rd Ward of Roxbury, Page 228, FHL Microfilm 0,337,918).

A letter from Nathanael Seaver to his daughter Florence in 1913 refers to his grandfather Joshua Seaver as "the postmaster and store keeper."

A death notice for Joshua Seaver was printed in the "Columbian Centinel" newspaper in Boston on 14 September 1833. It reads: "Seaver, Joshua, postmaster d. in Roxbury, Jamaica Plains [Sept 11] 1833 aged 64." He died of "affection of the liver" according to Trask, and was buried in Eliot Cemetery in Roxbury.

Joshua Seaver died intestate, and the probate records for his estate are in Norfolk County (MA) Probate Docket #16,339 (viewed on FHL Microfilm 1,509,414).

On 1 October 1833, a petition for appointment of an administratrix for the estate was approved, with Nancy Seaver appointed. The administratrix was ordered to sell the personal estate (Vol. 60, Page 233).

An inventory of the estate was filed on 24 May 1834, with real estate appraised at $5,197.57 and personal estate of 3,808.00 (Vol. 61, Page 414).

On 19 March 1836, an allowance of $500 plus apparel, household goods and furniture was provided to the widow (Vol. 65, Page 176). The account of the administratrix was allowed - with $4,711.77 on hand, debts of $1906.59, leaving a balance of $2805.18. A petition was filed, and dower for the widow was decreed. The Court ordered a distribution of one third to the widow, and two thirds equally divided to Joshua Seaver, Ann Seaverns wife of Joel Seaverns, Nathaniel Seaver, John Seaver, Robert Seaver, William Seaver and Joseph Seaver, his children (Vol. 65, Page 176). The Court ordered that the 1/3 dower land for the widow be defined (Vol. 65, Page 182). A petition was filed for partition of the real estate, to be evenly divided among the seven children (Vol. 65, Page 183).

On 27 October 1838, after the death of Nancy Seaver, the administratrix of the estate of Joshua Seaver, their son Joshua Seaver was appointed administrator (Vol. 70, Page 299).

Burial

Burial:

Place: Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Reference

Reference: 27317

Marriage

Husband: Joshua Seaver

Wife: Nancy Sumner

Child: Joshua Seaver

Child: Rufus Kelton Seaver

Child: Ann Tabitha Seaver

Child: Nathanael Seaver

Child: John Prince Seaver

Child: Robert Seaver

Child: Seth Sumner Seaver

Child: William Seaver

Child: Joseph Seaver

Child: Joseph Seaver

Marriage:

Date: 6 APR 1803

Place: Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States^[3]

Sources

• Source: S325 Abbreviation: Roxbury MA Vital Records to 1849 Title: Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849 (Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute, 1925, 2 Volumes) Repository: #R39
• Repository: R39 Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society (99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, Mass. 02116) Address: Web Address: http://www.AmericanAncestors.org

1. ↑ Source: #S325 Page: Volume 1, Births, page 311 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3
2. ↑ Source: #S325 Page: Volume 2, Deaths, page 633 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3
3. ↑ Source: #S325 Page: Volume 2, Marriages, page 357 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Randy Seaver for creating WikiTree profile Seaver-420 through the import of Robert Seaver Descendants - 6 generations.ged on Dec 13, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Randy and others.