Samuel Adams (abt. 1617 - 1689)

Born about Jan 1617 in Barton St. David, Somerset, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Eglesfield) Adams — married before 1646 in British American Colonies [uncertain]

Husband of Rebecca (Graves) Adams — married 8 Oct 1652 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 24 Jan 1689 at about age 72 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

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Biography

This profile is part of the Adams Name Study.

Samuel Adams was born about 1617 probably in Barton St. David, Somerset, England, or nearby. His gravestone says he was age 72 when he died in 1689.^[1] His brother was baptized in Barton St. David.^[2] He was the son of Henry Adams and his wife Edith Squire.

He emigrated to New England with his parents in 1638 and lived with them in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was admitted as a free man of the Massachussets Bay Colony on 10 May 1643^[3] and was one of 32 Braintree petitioners for a land grant in Oct. 1645. During the next few years he lived in Charlestown and Concord where he acquired land as did his brothers Thomas and John. The land was sold on 8 March 1654 to Richard Temple. He joined his brother Thomas in Chelmsford where he erected and conducted mills (now Lowell). He was appointed captain of the Chelmsford military company and was town clerk in 1679 .

Samuel had four hundred and fifty acres of land granted him, near where the city of Lowell now is, and exclusive right to erect and run a sawmill, provided he would sell boards at three shillings per one hundred; and another grant of one hundred acres and right to build and run a grist mill or corn mill, provided he would keep a sufficient mill and miller; he was commissioner to the court, 1667, from Chelmsford.^[4]

He died January 24, 1688-89..^[1] And was buried about 25 January 1688/89 Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Marriage

Captain Samuel Adams married

(1) Mary [Eglesfield], in England, by 1646;^[5]

(2) Rebecca, daughter of Thomas Graves; ^[5]

(3) Esther, daughter of Nathaniel Sparhawk, on 7 May 1668.^[6]

Death & Probate

In Charlestown, Capt. Samuel Adams of Chelmsford, falling sick here, d. Jan. 24, 1688. [1688/9]^[7]

Inventory taken 26 Feb 1688/9 valued at about £320. Named in the distribution records were Widow Hester, sons in law Daniel Waldo, John Waldo and Samuel Webb, Joseph Adams and Benjamin Adams (to his guardian Joseph Thompson)^[8]

Children

Children of Samuel Adams and his 1st wife Mary Eglesfield;

1. Samuel Adams. b. 3 (5) 1647 (3 July 1647) in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts.^[7]

Children of Samuel Adams and his 2nd wife Rebecca Graves; a total of 11 children including 2 sets of twins who died young

1. Thomas b. 1652. b. in Concord c. 1651/2 m. Charlestown Thomas Adams & Marie [Blacknuden?] [Blackmore, Co. Rec. 4:5], m. by Capt. Samuell Adams, Commr. in Chelmsford, Apr. 28, 1680.^[6] Died childless before his father.
2. Rebecca Adams. (1654 - 1727). Rebeckah Adams, d. Samuell, and John Walldo, s. of Cornelias, m. Mar __ 16 [torn 1673-4?]^[6] John Waldo was called son-in-law in her father's probate record.^[8]
3. John Adams. (1657 - 1657). b. 1656 d. young. Claimed by the Bartlett "Henry Adams Genealogy^[9]
4. Katharine Addams, b. 29 Oct 1657, Charlestown.^[7] The Andrew Adams Genealogy claims that Katherine had a twin brother John. He is not named in the vital records.
5. Katherin Adames b. 1658, Charlestown^[7]
6. Susanna Adams. b. c 1662. m. Samuel Walldow 20 9m 1683 (20 Nov 1683)^[6] Samuel Waldo was called son-in-law in her father's probate record.^[8]
7. Nathaniel 28 Feb 1662, Chelmsford.^[6]
8. Marah Addams. (1664 - 1744) b. 8 Sep 1664.^[6] Mary married Samuell Web of Braintree 16 Dec 1686.^[6] Samuel Webb was called son-in-law in her father's probate record.^[8] The Andrew Adams Genealogy claims that Marah had a twin brother Nathaniel. He is not named in the vital records.

Children of Samuel Adams and his 3rd wife Esther Sparhawk;

1. Ester [Hester] Adames. b. 9 Apr 1669 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay.^[6]
2. Samuel Adames. b. 7 Mar 1671 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay.^[6]
3. Joseph Adams. b. 27 11 m 1672 (27 Jan 1672/3) in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay^[6]
4. Benjamin Adams. b. 29 May 1679 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay.^[6]

Sources

Caution: The Vital Records of Chelmsford^[10] lists 3 different Samuel Adams who married women named Esther/Ester/Hester between 1668 and 1746.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #25943969 Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts,
2. ↑ Bartlett, Josiah Gardner, Henry Adams of Somersetshire, England and Braintree, Mass.: His English Ancestry and Some of His Descendants, (New York, 1927, privately published), p. 51,
3. ↑ Andrews, H.F. (arranger). [ https://archive.org/stream/cu31924028814304#page/n5/mode/2up List of Freemen Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1630 to 1691]. Exira, Iowa: Exira Printing, 1906.
4. ↑ Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Adams
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Volume 1, page 10. Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.
6. ↑ ^{6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10} Vital records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Salem, Mass. : The Essex Institute, 1914) birth pp 9-15; marriages about pp. 171-173.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Vital Records of Charlestown to the Year 1850. (Boston: NEHGS 1984. Published as Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1621-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). Samuel; Katherine 1 Katherin 2; Thomas p. 63; death p. 140
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB536/i/14459/232-co1/263757340
9. ↑ Bartlett, Joseph Gardner, 1872-1927. Henry Adams of Somersetshire, England, And Braintree, Mass.,: His English Ancestry And Some of His Descendants. New York: Priv. print., 1927. p. 77
10. ↑ Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, 1914) [ pp. 171, 175].

• Adams, Andrew Napoleon. A Genealogical History of Henry Adams, of Braintree, Mass. (The Author, The Tuttle Co., Printers, Rutland, VT, 1898); p.5 From the Genealogical History of Henry Adams, of Braintree. Mass by Andrew Adams, 1898: Captain Samuel', b. in England, 1617; m. (1) Rebecca Graves, dau. of Thomas Graves; d. 8 Oct,,1662-1. m. (2) May 7, 1668, Esther Sparhawk, dau. of Nathaniel Sparhawk of Cambridge, Mass.; d. 4 Nov., 1745.

• Jones, Hank. The Palatine Families of New York. A Study of the German Immigrants Who Arrived in Colonial New York in 1710 (Universal Studios, Universal City, California, 1985) 2 Volumes.

• Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985)

• The Farber Gravestone Collection Vol. Region25, File 32: Photography of gravestone
• Ancestry Family Trees (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com) Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=18551314&pid=4591

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=21888859&pid=579

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=28064322&pid=570

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=18551314&pid=4527

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=21888859&pid=1169460209

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=18551314&pid=7403

• Adams, Herbert Baxter. History of the Thomas Adams and Thomas Hastings Families, of Amherst, Massachusetts ( Amherst, Mass., 1880); p. 26

• Bartlett, J. Gardner. Henry Adams of Somersetshire, England, and Braintree, Mass. (Priv. print., New York, 1927); p.76

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25943969/samuel-henry-adams : accessed 17 January 2022), memorial page for Capt Samuel Henry Adams (Jan 1617–24 Jan 1688), Find A Grave: Memorial #25943969, citing Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by jaybeenc (contributor 47085398) .