Rebekah (Conant) Cleaves (1696 - 1770)

Born 29 Mar 1696 in Beverly, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Wife of Benjamin Cleaves — married 2 Jun 1719 in Beverly, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 13 Sep 1770 at age 74 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

From A history and genealogy of the Conant family in England and America, thirteen generations, 1520-1887 : containing also some genealogical notes on the Connet, Connett and Connit families by Conant, Frederick Odell, b. 1857

35. Rebecca Conant⁴ (John³, Lot², Roger¹), b. 29 Mch.1696, in Beverly; m. 2 June, 1719, Benjamin, son of William and Martha (Corey) Cleaves; she d. 13 Sep. 1770. He was b. 23 July, 1686, d. 14 Sep. 1775, leaving an estate appraised at £896 16s. 3d. His will mentions sons, Benjamin, Joshua and Andrew, daughters, Bithiah Ober, Deborah Dodge and Lydia Ober (Essex Co. Probate Records).

Martha (Corey) Cleaves was daughter of Giles Corey, who was an early settler of Salem; he m. (1) Margaret ??; (2) Mary Britz, who d. 1684. He m. (3) Martha ??, who was admitted to Danvers church 27 Apr. 1690. On 1 Mch., 1692, she was committed to Boston jail on a charge of witchcraft, and executed 22 Sept. of the same year. On the 13th May Giles Corey was committed to Boston jail ; on Sep. 9, he was brought before the jury. He refused to answer the questions of the court, and for this conduct was sentenced to be pressed to death; this inhuman punishment was executed on the 19th Sept. He was excommunicated by the church the day before his death. Nearly twenty years afterward the church voted to erase the record of his excommunication, "humbly requesting the merciful God would pardon whatsoever sin, error or mistake was in the application of that censure, and of the whole affair." On 25 July, he confirmed his will made 24 Apr., giving his estate to his son-in-law, Wm. Cleaves, and John Moulton, of Beverly. (For other particulars of the witchcraft delusion, see Calef's More Wonders of the Invisible World, Hutchinson's Hist. of Mass. and Felt's Annals of Salem.)

Children of BENJAMIN and REBECCA (CONANT) CLEAVES:

• i. Bethiah, b. 25 July, 1720; m. William Ober (see p. 181).
• ii. Benjamin, b. 4 Jan., 1722; his will, 1808, mentions drs. Rebecca Bowles, Hannah and Anna Cleaves.
• iii. Joshua b. 2 Feb. 1724. m. ? Elisabeth Putnam Feb. 26, 1746-7
• iv. Deborah Jan. 10, 1726: m. ? Dodge or perhaps Ebenezer Lovett Jr. Nov. 28, 1754
• v. Rebecca b. 29 Feb., 1728
• vi. Ebenezer bapt. July 5, 1730
• vii. Martha bapt. July 5, 1730 m. ? Zachary Dodge, Apr. 26, 1753
• viii. Lydia, b. 29 Aug.1731; m. 1753, Capt. James Ober. He d. 3 Mar, 1790. She d. 1814.
  

Their children were:

Mary, b. 1754, m. Jacob Hooper, of Manchester;

Hannah, b. 1757, m. John Stone; Woodbridge, 1759;

Elizabeth, b. 1761, m. Benj. Briant;

Lydia, b. 1765, m. John Graves.

• ix. Andrew, b. 1 Oct., 1735. m. ? Susannah Pride, Oct. 25, 1759

Notes:

1. The original version of A history and genealogy of the Conant family in England and America, thirteen generations, 1520-1887 : containing also some enealogical notes on the Connet, Connett and Connit families by Conant, Frederick Odell, b. 1857 is available on line (copyright expired)
2. The book has been reprinted by Forgotten Books

Sources

• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-8Z8J : 10 February 2018), Rebeckah Cleaves, 29 Mar 1696; citing Birth, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 864,851.
• CONANT, FREDERICK O. D. E. L. L. History and Genealogy of the Conant Family in England and America, Thirteen Generations, 1520... 1887: Containing Also Some Genealogical Notes on T. S.l.: FORGOTTEN BOOKS, 2016. Print.

• Death: Beverly - Deaths Image of page 401

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Rick Parrott for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Rick and others.