Sylvester Stover (bef. 1628 - bef. 1689)

Born before 1628 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England

Husband of Elizabeth (Unknown) Stover — married 25 May 1650 in York, York, Maine

Descendants

Died before 14 Feb 1689 at about age 61 in York, York, Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Rebecca Munn [send private message] and Judith Mitchell [send private message]

Biography

Sylvester Stover was born 1625 -1628 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. He married Elizabeth (possibly Norton but unproven) Norton in 1652 in York, Maine. They had nine children in 34 years. He died in 1689 at the age of 64.

Birth

BEF 1628. ^[1]

Marriage

Spouse: Elizabeth, m. 25 May 1650 York, York, Maine, (11) children ^[2]

Wife Elizabeth's Surname

Elizabeth is sometimes said to be the daughter of Henry Norton. This excerpt mentions Sylvester Stover's mother-in-law Mrs. Norton.^[3] This is not accepted by Anderson who believes her to be Henry Norton's step-daughter and a daughter of Mrs. Norton by a previous marriage.

Please see Elizabeth's profile for more on the discussions of who her parents are.

He was a fisherman, and a ferryman

"STOVER, Sylvester, fisherman, York, had grant of land at Cape Neddicke 3 July, 1649, with John Ball and others, for the fishing trade. Took oath of allegiance to Mass. govt. 22 Nov. 1652. Proprietor in 1655. [Bax. MSS.]

Will dated July 21, 1687, prob. 14 Feb. 1689-90; was "bound by the grace of god into old England"; bequeathed to wife [Elizabeth], sons John, Dependance, Josiah and George, and "the rest of my children." Josiah, of Tiverton, R. I. one of the sons, sold his share to his brother Dependance 19 April, 1709."^[4]

"John Baix, fisherman, York...Had grant of land with Way, Stover and Powell at Cape Neddicke, for fishing trade, 3 July, 1649..."^[5]

In 1649 he and three partners were granted a tract of land at the mouth of the Cape Neddick river, and they started the second large-sized fishery in Gorgeana. They added 70 acres near the higher falls of the Cape Neddick River and some small grants of marsh land towards the Wells line. He lived on the southwest bank of the Cape Neddick River, a few rods above the present Passaconaway Bridge. He carried on his fishing business, was ferryman for the river, and kept a tavern.

In 1650 William Hooke gave half of the promontory from Long Sands to Short Sands at Cape Neddick to John Alcock and John Heard on condition that it be used as a pasture. Sylvester Stover bought that half from John Heard of Dover in 1680. His heirs sold the tract piecemeal, until the last parcel was disposed of around 1920 by heirs in the 7th generation. In 1650 Sylvester Stover was listed among doubtful debtors of Robert Button, of Boston.

Beyond his appointment as ferryman at Cape Neddick River in 1652, he held no public office. He signed the Submisson in 1652, the petition to Cromwell in 1656, and the address to Massachusetts in 1662, but otherwise took no active part in the political controversies of the period.

On 25 June 1655, he and his wife were presented by the grand jury for complaining of one another on the Lord's Day in the morning in saying that his wife did abuse him and bid him to go to Thomas Crocketts and carry some bread and cheese to his bastard. In 1666 they were presented for not coming unto the meeting upon the Lord's Day about six weeks. In 1667 he was charged with neglect of the ferry, and offering Mr. Hooke some abuse and for threatening to fight him. Sylvester was a ferryman from 1652 until 1687, when he left for England and never returned.^{[citation needed]}

Will

"July 21 ano Dom 1687 - Last will and testament of Sylvester Stover: "This being the last Will and testament of the sd Silvester Stover liueing in Cap nadick belonging to york in the province of Maine in New England, who being bound by the grace of god into old England Doe here Giue and Will vnto my son John Stover my right and title that I haue in the Cape neck in Whole after the decease of my wife.

'And I doe here confirme vnto my sone dependence Stover, Three score and ten acres of land where his house is vp the river lieing in Cape Nadick.

'And to my sone Josiah Stover I giue to him the new pasture lieing vppon the right hand of the lane goeing from my house to yorke and so vppon the Slouthard side of the way to run west south west so farr as my bownes go. and the salt Marsh belonging to it lieing vp the river, after the decease of my wife.

'And the houses and the rest of my land that is not Disposed of I will and Giue unto my sone George Stover and If my sone John Stover please he shall haue that Lobertie for to change with my sone George Stover for what land and houses which he haue at the Cape neck for that which my sone George Stover haue here after the decease of my wife.

'And as for the Moueables I leaue to my wife for to Dispose amongst the rest of my children as shee see Good at her deease Wher vnto I here haue sett my hand and fixed my seale in the presence of

Signed Sealed

delivered in the presence of Sillvester Stover

of Nathhaniell Clayce

Henry Goddard

Sworn to by both attesting witnesses 14 Feb 1689-90; Inventory returned at ce731:07:00 by Elizabeth Stover, widow, 17 Feb 1689-90." ^[6][7]

Death

BET 21 JUL 1687 AND 14 FEB 1690.

Death: 14 February 1689 in York, York, Maine

Sylvester is listed in the death record for his son Dependence:

Name Dependence Stover

Gender Male

Death Date 25 Sep 1723

Death Place York, York, Maine

Father's Name Sylvester Stover^[8]

DNA

Haplogroup of descendant is R-L1066, FTDNA, Stafford DNA Project. Results page shows MDA (most distant ancestor) information as: Sylvester Stover, b. 1628 and d. 1689 England. Stafford DNA Project Results Page

Research Notes

This book has 12 references to Sylvester Stover's interactions regarding business and residences: GENEALOGY COLLECTION, YORK DEEDS, BOOK I, PORTLAND, JOHN T. HULL, 1887, PRINTED BY B. THURSTON & CO. text

Sources

1. ↑ Emerson-Wilcox House, York, YORK, Me, TID 0 Footnote Emerson-Wilcox House, York, YORK, Me, Bibliography Emerson-Wilcox House, York, YORK, Me.
2. ↑ Family Search Family Tree, Submitted 7/28/2013 by kmoreland3964506
3. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3; The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011. Ancestry $
4. ↑ The pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, 1623 to 1660; a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns, churches, courts and other contemporary sources, p. 199, Charles Henry Pope, Boston, Mass., Published by Charles H. Pope, 221 Columbus Avenue, 1908. Full Text
5. ↑ The pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, 1623 to 1660; a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns, churches, courts and other contemporary sources, p. 11, Charles Henry Pope, Boston, Mass., Published by Charles H. Pope, 221 Columbus Avenue, 1908. Full Text
6. ↑ Maine, Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999, Index of Testatores, p.900, Sargent, William M. (William Mitchell), 1848-1891; Probate Place: Maine. Ancestry Image of Index of Testatores $, Image $ - image from Ancestry user wballengee originally shared this on 26 Apr 2017
7. ↑ “Maine Wills, 1640-1760”, Sargent, William M., database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89J3-NYM : 5 April 2021), FHL microfilm 007600602, image 50, Portland, Brown Thurstone & Company, 1887, Page 12-13.
8. ↑ "Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4DQ-VJ2 : 11 February 2018), Sylvester Stover in entry for Dependence Stover, 25 Sep 1723; citing reference p 8; FHL microfilm 12,836.

• Family Search Family Tree Submitted 7/28/2013 by kmoreland3964506

• Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M–P. (Boston: NEHGS, 2007): pages 267-272. AmericanAncestors.org LINK

• American Ancestor Search Results Page $ original link broken

• Source: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) Link $

• York County, Maine Records of the Courts, Vol 1 Book A (transcribed copy), 1636-1671, pg 144 [1]

• The Maine historical and genealogical recorder Vol 4 (1887) pg 60, 142 [2]

• Moody, Edward C. (1914) Handbook history of the town of York pg 203 [

• Mitchell, H.E. (1906) The town register York and Kittery, pg 104 [3]