Ephraim Severance (1656 - 1734)

Born 8 Apr 1656 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia Morrill — married 9 Nov 1682 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 24 Oct 1734 at age 78 in Kingston, Rockingham, Colony of New Hampshire, British Colonial America

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Biography

Ephraim Severance was born 8 April 1656 in Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, the youngest son and the 10th child of John Severance and Abigail Kimball. He married Lydia Morrill, the daughter of Abraham Morrill and Sarah Clements in Salisbury, on 9 November 1682. Lydia was born March 8, 1661.

When the frontier opened in the New Hampshire Provinces, settlers of other New England States, where land had become scarce and expensive sought a new place to live and raise their large families. They still maintained close ties with the families they left behind them and often went back to find a suitable person to marry among the families in their former home.

Lumber, game and fish were plentiful on the frontier, one drawback was the occasional Indian raids.

Kingston New Hampshire was just such a frontier town. It was incorporated as a town August 6th, 1694. The First Church was organized September 29, 1725 with the Reverend Ward Clark as pastor although there had been services there at times by several ministers before that date.

An account of families belonging to Kingston when Reverend Ward Clark took charge of the church included Old Goodman Severans (Assumed to be Ephraim Severance) and Ephraim Severans. (Assumed to be his son)

On September 25, 1726 “Old Mrs. Severance” (Assumed to be Lydia Morrill Severance) was admitted to the Church. Her death was recorded as “Mrs Severance, an aged woman died February 6, 1727. “ The same church record reads “died the aged Mr. Severance October 24, 1734”^[1]

To this newly settled community of Kingston, New Hampshire, Ephraim Severance had bought his wife and children. Land was laid out to “Ephraim Severance Senior,” in Kingston “by a comety chosen to make up the first division on 17 August, 1714. Ephraim Senior of Kingston deeded a piece of land to “his son Ephraim” 27 March, 1716 and to his son Jonathon, 27 September 1721 and 7 July 1727.

The earmarks for Ephraim Seniors livestock was entered into the Kingston Town record on 23 May 1721.

From the book NEW ENGLAND CAPTIVES CARRIED TO CANADA

Kingston, 1724, May 25 May 25th, On Saturday Morning the 16th Instant, a young man and three boys at work in the fields of Kingston were surprised and carried away by five or six Indians. They were followed by a scout of twenty men from Kingston and twenty more from Londonderry who discovered their tracks but could not up with them.

And again on September 28th,

On Friday last, a man belonging to Kingston arrived in town from Canada with two of his sons and one of another man’s, all about 4 or 5 years old, taken lately by the Indians. He was obliged to pay 100 Pounds for their ransom. These were the Severans and Stevens Children.

(Note by CW Severance. Child is identified as Ephraim Severance, Perhaps a grandson to the Ephraim here discussed.)

The New Hampshire Historical Society and Museum in Concord New Hampshire has a journal of Ephraim’s under the title “A Weaver in New, Hampshire.” I went there in October of 2003 to view this journal.

Production of wool, woolen fabrics, and blankets was one of the major industries in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The spinning of wool into yarn was a cottage industry. Ephraim was engaged in weaving that yarn into fabric. The journal indicates that the weaving of linen, or flax, was also a major occupation for Ephraim.

The journal was left to the Historical Society by Pembroke in the year 1874. Pembroke was the author of several historical books about New Hampshire.

There are many entries in it. Some legible, some not readily so, mostly faded. Many bear dates from 1700 thru 1724. Looks like Ephraim kept track of money matters in it. Entries covering lots of cloth woven, both woolen and linen or flax, checkered and stryped. Amounts and who employed him for the work. Includes width of the cloth woven.

There are also entries concerning sale of boards, shingles, and also of what I would think represent as day work for others. Not surprisingly, it appears he employed himself in many ways to make a living.

I have included two entries from the journal which I thought might be of interest in the photo section.

C W Severance

Lydia and Ephraim Severance's children, b. in Salisbury, Massachusetts:

1. Abigail, born 29 Aug 1683 ^[2]
2. Mary Severans, b. 02 Jul 1685^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ From New Hampshire Genealogical Records, Dover New Hampshire, Charles Tibbetts, Editor and Publisher.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC3V-YB5 : 10 February 2018), Abigail Severance, 29 Aug 1683; citing Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, Book 1, page 29; FHL microfilm 890,246.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC3K-SPJ : 4 December 2014), Mary Severans, 02 Jul 1685; citing Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, Book 1, page 30; FHL microfilm 890,246.

Massachusetts Marriage Register - Ephraim Severans and Lydia Morrill Name Ephraim Severans Spouse's Name Lydia Morrill Event Date 09 Nov 1682 Event Place Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Citing this Record - "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHYG-V79 : 4 December 2014), Ephraim Severans and Lydia Morrill, 09 Nov 1682; citing reference Book 1, p.154; FHL microfilm 890,245.

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 01 January 2017, 22:00), entry for Ephraim Severance(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LCY9-SD7); contributed by various users.