John Stevens (1605 - 1662)

Born 7 Jul 1605 in Caversham, Oxfordshire, England

Husband of Elizabeth (Parker) Stevens — married before Apr 1638 in Caversham, Oxfordshire, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 11 Apr 1662 at age 56 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message]

John Stevens migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 319) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

MERGE WARNING: This John Stevens is not the same as John Stevens of Salisbury (who was m. to Catherine).

Biography

This John Stevens was baptized 7 JUL 1605 in Caversham, Oxfordshire, England, son of John Stevens and Alice Atkins.^[1]

First Settler to Newbury in 1638, John Stephens came on the ship "CONFIDENCE" from Southampton April 24,1638, aged 31 years. He was recorded as a husbandman from Covensham, co. Oxford, England. With him were his wife Eliza[beth], his mother, Alice and his brother William, then 21 years of age, and two servants, John Lowgie, age 16, and Grace Lowgie.^[2]

He married Elizabeth prob. Parker before immigrating in April 1638, probably in Caversham^[1] (but record not found)

Was from 1638-1642 a Proprietor at Newbury, MA. Freeman 18 May 1642. Removed to Andover aft. 18 May 1642. John removed to Andover in 1645.

He died 11 April 1662 in Andover (not Salisbury), Essex, Massachusetts, in his 57th year.^[3][4][5]

On 24 June 1662, Administration of his estate was granted to widow, Elizabeth.

His gravestone has been enclosed in granite and placed near the old lot in the First Cemetery. Of all the tombstones erected in memory of the first householders, one alone remains, that in memory of JOHN STEVENS. Its broken stone has been re-set in a granite tablet:^[5]

Here lyes buried

The Body of Mr.

JOHN STEVENS

Who deceased y'

11 Day of April

1662 in Y' 57

year of his age.

Children

The following children were named in the October 21, 1687 will of their mother, Elizabeth, widow of John Stevens; so stated on p. 399 in the New England Historical Genealogical Record Volume 85.^[1][6][7]

1. Lt. John Stevens, b Newbury 20 Jun 1639, d at Casco 4 Mar 1688/9; m1 at Andover 13 Jun 1662 Hannah Barnard who d 13 Mar 1674/5; m2 at Andover 10 Aug 1676 Esther Barker who d 25 Jun 1713. 13 children, recorded in Andover.
2. Capt. Timothy Stevens of Roxbury, MA; b at Newbury 22 Sept 1641; d. Roxbury 31 Jan 1707/8; m at Roxbury, 12 Mar 1664/5 Sarah Davis...Ten children
3. Cornet Nathan Stevens, said to be first white child born at Andover, abt 1644; d 16 Feb 1717/8.
4. Ensign Ephraim Stevens, b abt 1649; d 15 Jun 1718; m at Andover 11 Oct 1680 Sarah Abbott... Seven children
5. Elizabeth m. at Andover 22 Jan 1665/6 Joshua Woodman; 7 children in Andover
6. Mary b abt 1651; d Andover 1703; m. 7 Jul 1670 at Andover John Barker. 7 children recorded at Andover
7. Dea. Joseph Stevens, b Andover 15 May 1654; d there 25 Feb 1742/3; m1 at Andover 28 May 1679 Mary Ingalls; m2 at Salem 13 Nov 1700 Elizabeth Brown; 7 children
8. Capt. Benjamin Stevens, b at Andover 24 Jun 1656; d there probably 8 Jan 1729/30; m abt 3 Sept 1715 (intentions) Mrs. Susanna Chickering [awfully late for a first marriage]

Relevant Probate Records

The available form of the probate of John Stevens’s estate is an abstract of the probate that was further transcribed. Widow Elizabeth was named administratrix on 24 June 1662. Estate inventory taken 28 April 1662 by Nicholas Noyes, George Abbott, Sr., Richard Barker, and Nathan Parker gave an estate value of £463.4.0. Son John Stevens was to have £74 paid at demand and each of the other children £37 when they come of age or at marriage, The children named in the abstract are Timothy, Nathan, Ephraim, Joseph, Benjamin, and Mary.^[8] Eldest son John Stevens received from the estate house, orchard, and land, one cow, two steers of two-years-old and a yearling, two swine, two sheep, and rights and privileges granted by the town of 25 acres, and three acres of meadow.^[9]

In her will written 1 October 1687 (probate 25 September 1694), Elizabeth Stevens bequeathed to her eldest son John one-half of the meadow “that was my last division of meadow.” Second son Timothy receives the other half of the meadow plus ten acres from “my swamp division.” Third son Nathan receives four acres of upland and ten acres of the swamp division. Fourth son Ephraim receives one-half of “my great division” lying on the Merrimack and part of the shoe meadow. Fifth son Joseph receives forty acres of upland from the great division, the part of the meadow now in his possession, and one-half of the lands in Cochichawick and Shawsheen. Six son Benjamin receives the house lot with dwelling house and barns and the ploughing land belonging to the homestead. Each of the sons also received specific household items. Eldest daughter Elizabeth Woodman receives household items including the biggest brass kettle, fire tongs, and dripping pan. Second daughter Mary Barker receives household items including feather bed and blankets and half of the small pewter. There are bequests to grandchildren including granddaughter Elizabeth Woodman, grandson Joshua Stevens, granddaughter Elizabeth Stevens daughter of Timothy, granddaughter Sarah Stevens daughter of Ephraim, granddaughter Mary Stevens daughter of Joseph, and granddaughter Elizabeth Stevens daughter of Ephraim. Son Benjamin was named executor. Elizabeth signed her name to the will. The will was witnessed by Dudley Bradstreet and Anna Bradstreet. Elizabeth wrote a codicil on 7 September 1691 following the death of eldest son John. She made bequests to John’s sons John and Joshua. There was also an adjustment to the bequest to son Nathan “being well provided for and no family as yet”, dividing some of the bequest to Nathan among sons Ephraim, Joseph, and Benjamin and daughters Elizabeth Woodman and Mary Barker.^[10]

Son Nathan did not marry. In his will written 23 July 1714 (probate 13 March 1718), Nathan Stevens bequeathed to Samuel Stevens son of brother John Stevens, deceased, one-half of the meadow commonly called Woodchuck meadow. Abiel Stevens, son of brother John, receives Nathan’s homestead including dwelling house, barn, and arable land, on condition that Abiel quitclaim his interest in his father’s homestead to his younger brothers Benjamin and David to divide equally. Ebenezer Stevens son of John receives the land on which he now lives and improves which contains about 20 acres. David Stevens son of John receives the horse, the furniture belonging to him, the pistols, holster, rapier, and carbiner. Kinswoman Elizabeth Stevens wife of nephew Nathan Stevens receives one cow. Cousin Nathan Stevens son of nephew Nathan receives ten pounds to be paid in the form of stock of cattle. John Barker son of William Barker receives three pounds. Nephew Samuel Stevens, eldest son of sister-in-law Esther Stevens, was named sole executor. Samuel also receives any residue of the personal estate. Nephew Samuel Stevens died in early 1717/8, and in a codicil written 17 February 1717/8, Nathan left the property he had bequeathed to Samuel to Samuel’s eldest son Samuel with some other adjustments to the bequests. Abiel Stevens was named executor.^[11]

Son Benjamin married late in life and did not have children. He left a will which was later set aside as he had acquired additional property after he wrote his will which was not accounted for in the will. As a result, the estate was handled as if he died intestate. His estate entered probate 23 February 1729/30. In his will written 8 March 1722/3, cousin John Stevens son of brother John was bequeathed ten pounds. Other bequests were to Samuel Stevens youngest son of brother Timothy Stevens of Roxbury, Benjamin Stevens son of brother Joseph, cousin Hannah wife of Robert Swan, and a bible to each of all the rest of his cousins, the children of his brothers and sisters. All the real estate was left to his cousins Benjamin Stevens, cordwainer, and James Stevens, blacksmith, who were also named executors. The will was initially proved and approved on 12 March 1729/30. The will was then set aside, and widow Susannah Stevens and Benjamin Stevens were named administrators. The total inventory was £2,980.15.8 and included “the negro man” valued at £100. The dower thirds were set to the widow Susannah Stevens. The division of the real estate was made to Benjamin’s siblings or their heirs/representatives: John Stevens, Timothy Stevens, Ephraim Stevens, Joseph Stevens, Elizabeth Stevens alias Woodman, and Mary Stevens alias Barker. On 23 June 1735, the estate accounting showed a balance of £1,455.8.1 which was distributed one-half to the widow Susannah and the remaining half in one-sixth parts to the siblings of Benjamin or their legal representatives: Joseph, Timothy, John, Ephraim, Elizabeth alias Woodman, and Mary alias Barker.^[12]

Research Notes

• What differs in this profile from Daniel Webster Hoyt's book "The Old Families of Salisbury & Amesbury..." says on p. 322, 223.^[13]

1. b. abt 1606
2. wife: Elizabeth _____ (surname unknown) with footnote - "..."Confidence," 1638, with wife Eliza..." "She, aged 60, called Joseph Parker 'bro.' in 1673. She may have been Elizabeth Parker, his own sister; Parker and Stevens may have m. sisters; or Parker may have m. Mary Stevens, sister of John."
3. children: John, Timothy, Nathan, ELIZABETH, Ephraim, Mary, Joseph, Benjamin.

• The servants surname is also spelled "Lovejoy." See here: ^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) G. Andrews Moriarty. "Stevens of Newbury and Andover, Mass. pp 396-401.subscription
2. ↑ Samuel G. Drake. "Result of Some Researches Among the British Archives for Information Relative to the Founders of New England: Made in the Years 1858, 1859 and 1860." New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Boston, MA (1860). p. 59.see at archive.org
3. ↑ Topsfield Historical Society, editor, Vital Records of Andover, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Topsfield, MA: Topsfield Historical Society, 1912), Vol. 2:549
4. ↑ G. Andrews Moriarty, "Stevens of Newbury and Andover, Mass.," NEHGR 85(1931):396
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7868321/john-stevens: accessed 08 July 2023), memorial page for John Stevens Jr. (7 Jul 1605–11 Apr 1662), Find A Grave: Memorial #7868321, citing Old North Parish Burying Ground, North Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by anonymous (contributor 46588835).
6. ↑ Essex Institute, compiler, Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1911), Vol. 1:489-491.
7. ↑ Topsfield Historical Society, editor, Vital Records of Andover, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Topsfield, MA: Topsfield Historical Society, 1912),Vol. 1, pages 342, 347.
8. ↑ Daughter Elizabeth is inexplicably missing from the abstract transcription, perhaps a simple oversight in the transcription.
9. ↑ Dow (Ed.), The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, volume I, pp 377-378
10. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. Case 26327
11. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. Case 26407
12. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. Case 26293
13. ↑ Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury Massachusetts (Providence, Rhode Island, 1897), pages 322-23, 1009-10.
14. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) James R. Henderson. "English Origins of John Lovejoy of Andover, Massachusetts" Vol. 163, pp 27, 28. subscription

• Boltwood, Lucius Manlius. Deaths in The Town of Andover, MS., from 1650 to 1700, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1848) Vol. 2, Page 377

See also:

• Nathaniel Stevens, 1786-1865: An Account Of His Life And The Business He Founded