Joseph Seaver (1672 - bef. 1754)

Born 1 Jun 1672 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Read) Seaver — married 10 Dec 1701 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America

Descendants

Died before 26 Aug 1754 before age 82 in Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

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

Biography

Joseph Seaver moved from his family home in Roxbury to Framingham in early 1697. Surely he met his future wife in Framingham, Mary Read, after agreeing to rent land in Framingham from Thomas Read Senior, Mary's father.

On 20 March 1696/7, Joseph Sever, yeoman of Framingham, indentured himself to pay ten shillings per year on 20 October to Thomas Read Senior, yeoman of Sudbury. In return, Joseph Sever rented 75 acres of land in Framingham on the northern side of the farm which was one half of the land which Thomas Read had bought from Samuel Winch of Framingham. The land was marked by trees and stones, and was bounded by Sudbury line, land of Thomas Read, Thomas Frost Senior, and George Walker's land in possession of Jonas Eaton. He further agreed to pay six shillings if the rent was not paid within 20 days. Thomas Read was granted access to the stream and orchard through the land. The covenant was signed, sealed and delivered on 18 April 1727 by Thomas Read Senior, in the presence of Isaac Heath, John Gibbs and Joseph Gibbs.^[1]

Joseph Seaver was rated in Framingham in 1710 (tax of 01:09), and served as constable in 1716.^[2]

Joseph Sever was one of many inhabitants of Framingham who quitclaimed land totaling 600 acres on Nobscot and Doeskin Hills to the heirs of Thomas Danforth so that the land could be common land in Framingham. Joseph Sever acknowledged the deed on 3 May 1716.^[3]

Joseph, husbandman of Framingham, and Mary Seaver bought land 31 July 1717 from the Commissioners of the Province of Massachusetts Bay for 70 pounds. The parcels included two thirds of the orchard lately in the possession of Lt. Samuel How in "Lanham" (a part of Sudbury), six acres of plowland and meadow in Sudbury, three and a half acres of another meadow in Sudbury, six acres of upland in Lanham, and two parcels totaling six acres in Sudbury.^[4]

Joseph Sever, husbandman of Framingham, bought land in Sudbury from Nehemiah How, weaver of Framingham and late of Sudbury, for 160 pounds of currant money of New England on 13 May 1717. The land comprised several parcels. One parcel was the two-thirds of the homestead in Lanham left by Lt. Samuel How to his son, Nehemiah, and two thirds of the orchard bounded southerly by a little Brook opposite Thomas Read's land, northerly by his mother's land, westerly by a line between two apple trees, and easterly by by the highway. A second parcel of six acres of meadow land and plow land was located in the same homestead bounded northerly by Elisha How, easterly by Peter Bent, and otherwise by stakes and stones. Another parcel of meadow land was located in Sudbury along Hop Brook, known as Pendleton's meadow, comprised three and a half acres, and was bounded southerly by the brook, westerly by meadow in possession of John or Daniel How, northerly by John Goodenow and Thomas Brintnall, and easterly by his mother's meadow land. Another parcel of land in Sudbury in West Meadow comprised four acres, and was bounded easterly by meadow of Jonathan Grout, southerly by the brook and the meadow of Benjamin More, northerly by land of Samuel Wright. Another parcel of six acres of upland in Lanham was bounded southerly and westerly by Joseph Gibbs, and northerly and easterly by Isaac Hunt. Another parcel of six acres in Sudbury granted to Nehemiah How by the proprietors, being in two pieces lying along Mill Path leading from Captain Hogue's to the mill; one piece on the north side of Mill Path was bounded easterly and northerly by land laid out to Briant Pendleton and westerly and southerly by common land; the other piece on the south side of Mill Path was bounded northerly by the path, westerly by the highway, southerly by land laid out to widow Hunt, and easterly by land of Benjamin Moor.^[5]

Joseph Seaver was sued by John White in 1715 and 1718 for debts. In 1722, Joseph Seaver was brought before the court for not attending public worship. Joseph Seaver of Cambridge sued Jonathan Belcher and Samuel Belcher for debt in 1735. Joseph Seaver of Framingham sued Hezekiah Fletcher for debts in 1737.^[6]

Joseph Seaver, mason of Framingham, sold land in Sudbury for 35 pounds to John Maynard of Sudbury on 10 May 1722. The land contained five acres of meadow on the west side of the Sudbury River in West meadow, bounded northeasterly by land of Jonathan Grout, southeasterly by Lannum Brook, southwesterly by the meadow of Benjamin Moore, and northwesterly by the upland.^[7]

On 4 July 1732, the Massachusetts Commissioners quitclaimed a deed to Joseph Sever, husbandman of Sudbury, upon payment of the principal, interest and charges of 126 pounds, 3 shillings and 9 pence for many parcels of land bought in Sudbury on 13 February 1716. The first parcel was meadow and upland in Lanham, bounded southerly by Thomas Read's orchard, westerly by a little brook, northerly by widow How's land, and easterly by the highway. The second parcel was six acres in the same homestead, bounded southerly by the widow How's land, westerly by the brook, northerly by Elisha How's land, and easterly by Peter Bent's land. Another parcel was three and a half acres in Pendleton meadow on Hop Brook, bounded southerly by the brook, westerly by land of Daniel How, northerly by land of John Goodenough and Capt. Thomas Brintnall, and easterly by widow How's meadow,. A fourth parcel in West meadow of four acres was bounded easterly by Jonathan Grout's meadow, southerly by the brook, westerly by Benjamin Moore's meadow, and northerly by land of Samuel Wright. Another parcel of six acres of upland in Lanham was bounded southerly and westerly by Joseph Gibb's land, northerly and easterly by Isaac Hunt's land. Another parcel of six acres in two pieces was bounded easterly by a path called Mill Path leading to Capt. Haynes new mill, northerly by land of Bryant Pendleton, westerly and southerly by Common land. Another piece of land on the south side of the Mill path was bounded northerly by the path, westerly by the highway, southerly by land of widow Hunt, and easterly by Benjamin Moore's land. The land was granted, sold and mortgaged by Joseph Sever on 13 February 1716 for 70 pounds.^[8]

Samuel Streeter of Framingham sold 4 acres of meadow in Sudbury to Joseph Sever of Framingham on 9 April 1733. The land was in the Lanham area, and was bounded southerly by Lanham brook, easterly by a highway, northerly by land of Captain Thomas Brintnall, and westerly by meadowlands in the possession of Thomas Bogle.^[9]

On 13 November 1733, Isaac Read, husbandman of Sudbury, bought land in Sudbury from Joseph Sever, yeoman of Framingham, for 173 pounds 13 shillings and 9 pence in currant money. The property included a dwelling house on one acre of land in Sudbury in a place called Lanham, bounded easterly on a highway, southerly and westerly on land of Thomas Read, and northerly on land of the said Isaac Read. A second tract of 7 acres of upland and meadow in Sudbury was bounded northerly and easterly by land of Elisha How, southerly and westerly by land of the said Isaac Read. A third parcel of six acres of upland in Sudbury was bounded by Isaac Hunt and Joseph Gibbs. A fourth parcel of 3 acres of land was bounded by Nathaniel Rice, Joseph Goodenow and David Haynes.^[10]

Joseph Sever, yeoman of Framingham, gave 5 acres of land in Sudbury to his beloved son, Robert Sever of Framingham, husbandman, for many good causes and considerations, and especially in fatherly love and affection, on 20 October 1740. The land was meadowland near West Brook, bounded by the brook, land of Joseph Parmenter, Paul Brintnal, and Elisha How, and was valued at 150 pounds in bills of credit.^[11]

Joseph Sever, husbandman of Framingham, sold land in Sudbury to Josiah Richardson, gentleman of Sudbury, for 120 pounds in money on 1 April 1742. The land comprised 4 acres of meadow on the west side of the Sudbury River. It was bounded easterly by the highway leading to Lanham Bridge over the River, northerly by Paul Brintnall, westerly by Thomas Bogle, and southerly by West Lanham brook.^[12]

On 21 March 1749, Joseph Sever and Mary his wife assigned land in Sudbury to Benjamin Eaton of Sudbury for the sum of 320 pounds. The land apparently was that rented by Thomas Read in 1697 to Joseph Sever. Joseph Sever requested the liberty of taking his dwelling house off the land.^[13]

Joseph Sever, husbandman of Framingham, bought 100 acres of land in Framingham from Robert Montgomery, of Townsend in the County of York in Massachusetts Bay Colony, for 160 pounds in lawful money of New England on 19 April 1750. The land included a dwelling house and was bounded northerly by Thomas Frost, Jonathan Belcher and David Stratton, westerly by a pond, and marked on all sides by trees, stakes and stones.^[14]

Will

The will of Joseph Seaver was written 2 January 1753, and was proved 26 August 1754.^[15] It reads:

"In the name of God, Amen. I, Joseph Sever, of Framingham, yeoman, being of perfect mind & memory, do make this my last will and testament as followeth: I commit my soul into the hand of allmighty God & my body to the earth, decently to be buried by my Executor thereto ... God's pleasuer. And as Touching the Temprel Estate ... which God hath been pleased to bless me withall, I dispose of as followeth:

"Item: First, I give and bequeath unto my well-beloved wife, Mary Sever, one full third part of my Real Estate with house room where it shall be most conveniant for her in my building during her natural life, and also one third of my moveables estate to be at dispose for ever.

"Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved son, Jonathan Belcher & to my beloved daughter Hannah Belcher and unto my grandson John Nickson equily and joyntly that is to say the one half to the sd. Jonathan & Hannah & the other half to sd John, to them, their heirs and Assigns for ever my homested farm which I bought of Capt. Robert Montgomery (including others I gave to wife after she ... of w/ ... estate) which is bounded as followeth: bounded Northeasterly by lands of the heirs of Thomas Frost, Southeasterly by lands of Hezekiah Stone, southerly by lands of Christopher Nickson, Westerly by lands of John Winch, Northwesterly by lands of Major Cutting, Northerly by land of Sd. Jonathan Belcher. Sd. premises containing about 100 acres etc. to Jonathan Belcher. Paying unto my daughter Abigail Walker twenty pounds lawfull money at or before the expiration of three years after my decease and twenty pounds lawfull money unto my daughter Elizabeth How at or before the expiration of six years after my decease. & the Sd. John Nickson paying unto my daughter Elizabeth How twenty pounds lawfull money at or before the expiration of three years after my decease. And to my daughter Abigail Walker twenty pounds lawfull money at or before the expiration of six years after my decease to be at their dispose of ever and that the Sd. John Nickson pay unto his sister Hepzibah Fairbanks eight pounds six shillings and eight pence lawfull money at or before the expiration of six years after my decease to be at her dispose forever if she be living otherwise to be paid to her niece sisters (viz) Mary Gieron, Elizabeth and Abigail Nickson equily

"Item: I give & bequeath unto the heirs of my son Robert Sever deceased five shillings, my sd. son Robert having had his full portion in his lifetime

"Item: I give & bequeath unto my beloved son Nathaniel Sever five shillings, he haveing had his full portion before.

"Item: I give and bequeath unto my grandson Daniel Belcher a certain tract of land containing about twenty acres which I had of my father Reed bounded northerly by Sudbury line, westerly by lands of Benjamin Eaton and partly Southerly and partly easterly by lands of Nathaniel Gibbs to him & his heirs & assigns for ever.

"Item: it is furthermore my will that before any of the above mentioned leagacies are paid that all my Just Debts and funeral charges be paid by the said Jonathan Belcher (out of the whole estate before any ... be made), whom I constitute and apoint my Executor in and unto this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this Second day of January one Thousand Seven Hundred fifty & three & in the 26 year of His Majesties Reign."

Signed & Sealed Joseph Sever

"in Presents of Danl Stone Ambrose Tower Josiah Browne"

"In witness of our Satisfaction in this will we have here subscribed our Names:
Mary Sever
Jonathan Belcher
Azariah Walker
John Nixon
Hannah Belcher
Elizabeth How
Abigail Walker"

"Satisfyed Nathl Seaver" (on next page of packet)

There is no evident probate record for Mary Seaver, nor a death record for her.

Sources

1. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds 54:213, recorded 12 December 1755, LDS Microfilm 0,554,031.
2. ↑ Josiah H. Temple, "History of Framingham, Massachusetts Early Known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880", 1887; 696, hereafter Temple/
3. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds, 36:402, recorded 30 January 1735, LDS Microfilm 0,554,020.
4. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds, 19:225-7, recorded 30 July 1717, LDS Microfilm 0,554,008.
5. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds 18:468, recorded 17 July 1717, LDS Microfilm 0,554,008.
6. ↑ Middlesex County Superior Court Records, 1650-1800; Gill-Smith, LDS microfilm 1,420,473.
7. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds, 38.145, recorded 18 March 1736, LDS 0,554,021.
8. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds, 38.353, recorded 26 August 1737, LDS 0,554,021.
9. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds 34:279, recorded 5 April 1727, LDS Microfilm 0,554,019.
10. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds, 35.465, recorded 6 February 1733/4, LDS Microfilm 0,532,455.
11. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds 42.27, recorded 20 October 1740, LDS Microfilm 0,554,023.
12. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds, 42.651, recorded 2 April 1742, LDS Microfilm 0,554,023.
13. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds 54:214, recorded 12 December 1755, LDS Microfilm 0,554,031.
14. ↑ Middlesex County Deeds 52.498, recorded 26 August 1754, LDS Microfilm 0,554,030.
15. ↑ Middlesex County Probate Records, Probate Packet 20,066, LDS Microfilm 0,421,515.

• Robert H Rodgers, Middlesex County in the colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: records of probate and administration, October 1649-December 1660 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999)
• Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849: (Two Volumes). Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute, 1925.
• New England Historic Genealogical Society (99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, Mass. 02116)
• Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts to the year 1850 (Boston, Mass. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1903)