Elizabeth (Seaver) Crafts (1643 - 1731)

Born 19 Nov 1643 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Wife of Samuel Craft — married 16 Oct 1661 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Mass. Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 9 Dec 1731 at age 88 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Leslie Thompson [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth was born in 1643. Elizabth Eaver ... She passed away in 1731. ^[1]

The following is transcribed from: <http://archive.org/stream/craftsfamilygene01craf#page/n3/mode/2up>

Samuel Craft, son of Lt. Griffin Craft, was born in Roxbury, Mass., 12 Dec. 1637. He married in Roxbury 16 Oct., 1661, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Ballard) Seaver of Roxbury. She was born 19 Nov., 1643. He was made Freeman May 31, 1671. He took a prominent part in town affairs, was frequently chosen selectman, at times tithing-man and constable. He was appointed on various committees and commissions, was chosen in 1689 a commissioner with the selectmen, to take a list of all the real and personal estate of each of the inhabitants of Roxbury, with a list of all male persons from sixteen years old and upward. He did considerable carpentering for the town, building a bridge, etc., etc. His name appears frequently as witness to documents of this time, and he received a bequest of land from his father-in-law, Robert Seaver, by his will of Jan. 16, 1681, of which he was appointed one of the Excors. He received from his father, Lt. Griffin Craft his housings and lands and the bulk of his estate, of which he was appointed sole executor, and dying himself about a year later, administration was granted to Samuel's widow Elizabeth and son Samuel. Like his father he was a Lieut. in the military company.

In Oct. 1687, a grant known as the "Mashamoquet purchase" was made by the General Assembly, to twelve of the inhabitants of Roxbury, among whom were Samuel Craft, John Ruggles and Nathaniel Wilson. In May 1713 the town was incorporated, and the name changed from Mashamoquet to Pomfret, Ct. The township was bought for £30 at different times, of the Mohegan Chiefs Owonech, or Owaneco and his son Josiah, by Capt. James Fitch of Norwich, Ct., for a company of men in Roxbury, Mass. The first and largest purchase containing 15,100 acres, was the one know by the above name of the "Mashamoquet Purchase," and was made May 5, 1686.

... The first permanent settlement [of this family] was made in 1722 by Lieut. Joseph Craft, grandson of the subject of this sketch.

Lieut. Samuel Craft was also one of the thirty-nine persons who signed to settle in New Roxbury, or Woodstock, Conn., 1686-90. The planters finding some difficulty in their proposals of settlement "did mutually agree and chose seven men," (among them Joseph Griggs and Samuel Craft,) "to start all needful highways, and set out a lot for the minister, and consider of land convenient for the planters." They divided by lot. Lieut. Samuel Craft had the 28th lot, and "was pleased to take up a 20-acre home lot for his son Samuel, eastward of Plain Hill, in the first division of home lots, with 20-acre rights." In the division of good meadow in 1690, Samuel drew lot No. 11, and in the division of bad meadow lot No. 30. Lieut. Samuel Craft died intestate in 1691, and the land, or right to the land, in Woodstock passed to his widow Elizabeth. From the Roxbury land records we learn that in the division of the Woodstock lands belonging to the Town of Roxbury, made by lot Apr. 26, 1695/6, widow Elizabeth Craft drew lot No.66 in the third range, containing fifty-five acres. In the drawing in the second division 19 July, 1713 the "widow Craifts" drew lot No. 128, containing eighty-two acres. The record says further "now Nath. Craifts." By deed of sale dated 10 Nov., 1714, she sold to her son Nahtaniel Craft, the consideration being £15, the lot containing fifty-five acres, and being numbered 66. Nathaniel willed it in 1746 to his son David, who had settled there about 1740-42.

The division of the Housing and Lands of Lieut. Samuel Craft was made per order of the Probate Court, by Joseph Griggs, Samuel Ruggles, Samuel Scarboro and Benja. Gamblin. It is of more than ordinary interes as he inherited the bulk of the esate of his father Lieut. Griffin Craft. The division was [see article for full details, this is a condensed version]: Elizabeth Craft Relict widow; Samwell Craft oldest son two shares; Nathaniell Craft second son; Ebyneser Craft third son; Benjamin Craft youngest son; Elizabeth Craft eldest daughter; Mary, wife of John Staples, second daughter; Abigall Craft third daughter; Alies Craft the younges daughter.

This partition of the estate was accepted and allowed by Wm. Stoughton, Judge of Probate, Jan. 23, 1696. The Inventory of the estate was taken Mch. 16, 1693, by Joseph Grigs, Caleb Sever, Roger Adams and two others. [Contents of the inventory in the article. Total of the estate was £468]. Elizabeth, widow of Lieut. Samuel Craft, died in Roxbury 9 Dec., 1731, ae. 88, and was buried in the old Roxbury burial-ground. The following is a copy of the inscription on her tombstone still standing there:

Here lyed ye body
of Mrs. Elizabeth Craft
Widow of Lieutenant
Samuel Craft she
died Decemr ye 9th
1731 in ye 88th
year of her age.

Lieut. Samuel and Elizabeth Craft had eleven children, born in Roxbury, as follows:

Hannah Craft, b. 14 Dec 1662. Probably d. previous to Jan 1696 not being mentioned in the division of her father's estate.
Samuel Craft, b. 24 May 1664. Died 5 June, 1664.
Elizabeth Craft, b. 2 Oct 1665
Samuel Craft, b. 16 June 1667.
Joseph Craft, b. 13 July 1669. Probably d. previous to Jan 1696 not being mentioned in the division of his father's estate.
Mary Craft, b. 15 Oct 1671.
Abigail Craft, b. 01 Dec 1673.
Nathaniel Craft, b. 11 Jan 1676.
Ebenezer Craft, b. 08 Nov 1679.
Alice Craft, b. 19 Dec 1681.
Benjamin Craft, b. 23 Oct 1683.
^[2][3]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Jim Steffens, Apr 28, 2013
2. ↑ The Crafts Family, a Genealogical and Biographical History of the Descendants of Griffin and Alice Craft of Roxbury, Mass. James M. Crafts & William F. Crafts, Gazette Printing Co., Northampton, Mass., 1893, pp. 35-39
3. ↑ entered by Bobbie Hall 03 Oct 2013, all typographical errors are mine

• Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.
• http://sorensonmurdock.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I2482&tree=SorensonMurdock

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Ang Saxberg for starting this profile.

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