Freegrace Adams (abt. 1675 - abt. 1750)

Born about 1675 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Galpin) Adams — married 8 Jan 1700 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died about Sep 1750 at about age 75 in Newtown, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

Freegrace Adams was born about 1675 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony. His birth year is estimated based on his presumed birth order and on his marriage year. His parents are inferred to have been Samuel and Mehitable (Norton) Adams. He is placed as their son by Jacobus in his Old Families of Fairfield.^[1] See the profile for his father for details.

Freegrace moved to Connecticut Colony about 1697, with his siblings William, Sarah, and Elizabeth.^[1][2] His siblings William and Elizabeth each married in Milford in 1699, and Sarah married in Derby, New Haven, Connecticut Colony in 1703.

Freegrace married Mary Galpin of Rye, Westchester, New York Colony, daughter of John and Mary (Morgan) Galpin, on 8 January 1700/1, in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony.^[3] They may have married in Stratford because Mary had Galpin relatives there.

Freegrace and Mary moved to Rye, where Mary's family lived. John Galpin and Freegrace were both weavers. Mary's father died in 1706, and her mother by early 1711. On 7 May 1711 Freegrace and Mary sold land in Rye to Mary's cousin Moses Galpin.^[4] Freegrace appears in Newtown town records in 1711,^[5] so he moved there from Rye that year.^[6] Their move to Newtown was probably occasioned by the death of Mary's mother.

Freegrace and Mary had children, most likely born in Rye and Newtown:^[7]

1. John (ca 1701), married, first, Sarah Curtis, daughter of Jonathan; Sarah died about 1727 and Freegrace raised his granddaughter Sarah Curtis Adams. John married, second, (Unknown)
2. Abigail (ca 1703), married Abraham Kimberly on 31 Oct 1725 in Newtown^[8]
3. Experience (bp. 23 July 1704 at Stratford), married Joseph Heard; first child October 1733^[9]
4. Elizabeth (ca 1706), married John Hull; first child born October 1729^[10]
5. Samuel
6. Ephraim
7. Sarah, married _____ Stevens
8. Abraham
9. Mehitable, unmarried in 1750
10. Abiah, unmarried in 1750

Freegrace appears in several land transactions in Newtown. In his will of 3 August 1750 he gave his land to his sons John, Samuel, Ephraim, and Abraham. His probate was proved on 27 September 1750, His sons sold their jointly inherited land on 3 December 1750.^[11]

Freegrace evidently died in Newtown in September 1750. He was survived by his wife Mary and all of his known children.

Will of Freegrace Adams

Written 3 Aug 1750; Recorded 27 Sep 1750^[12]

In the Name of God Amen. I Freegrace Adams of Newtown in the County of Fairfield, Being Weak of Body but through the goodness of God of sound mind and memory think it best at this time to make this my Last will & Testament and first of all I freely resine my soul into the hands of God who gave it. Hoping it through the Goodness merits mediation and intersession of Jesus Christ my only Savour & Redeemer to find pardon & exceptance and my Body to Return to the Dust from whence it was taken to be decentally buryed at discression of my Executors and as for what wordly goods and Estate it hath pleased the Lord to Bless me with: I freely give & bequeath as followeth my moveable Esate:

Item: I freely give and bequeath unto my Loving wife Mary Adams, one good bed and furniture sutable for the same and so much of the puter brafs iron and other goods sufficient to keep house with to be her own for ever: and all of rest of my household goods theuseof them during the time she shall remain my widow and also one room in my house and the [use] of my orchard on the north side of the house During the time aforesaid and also thirty pounds a year annually to be equally paid by my fore sons to be paid as also to their heirs Equilly to be Divided Between them three acres of Land and medow at the plain Called Ephone medow Bound Eafterly on plats Land north and South to a fence running weft to make the three acres: and also one acre of medow to be devided as afore which I purchased of Jos. Hard.

Item: I freely give unto my fore sons and their heirs forever namely, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Ephraim Adams and Abraham Adams euqally to be devided among them in Quantity and Quality all the reft of my Lands & Right of Lands whatsoever they paying of thirty pounds yearly as above to my said wife and also what I shall order to pay hereafter:

Item: I freely give to my loving daughter Abigail Cimberly the sum of twenty five pounds old tenor - Befids what she hath already had:

Item: I freely give unto my Loving Daughter Experiance Hard thirty pounds old Tenor Befids what shee hath had:

Item: I freely Give to my Loving Daughter Elizabeth Hull Thirty five pounds old Tenor befids what she had had:

Item: I freely give to my granddaughter Ann Prindle five pounds old Tenor

Item: I freely give to Loving Daughter Sarah Stevens ten pounds old Tenor befids what I have given her before:

Item: I freely give to my Loving Daughter Mehetible Adams two hundred pounds old Tenor s the money now is:

Item: I freely give unto my Loveing Daughter Abiah Adams two hundred pounds old Tenor as afore Said

Item: I freely Give to my aforesd four sons all my moveable Estate if any bee after Debts and Legaces paid Equilly to be Divided betwen them & if my sd moveables shall not be sufficient to pay debts & Legaces then my four sons shall pay the same equilly between them:

Item: I give to my Son Ephraim my bay horse two years old past; a star in his forrid:

Item: I give to my son Abraham my sorril horse three years old which is now Called his and my will is that my sd son John shall pay out of his part or portion to my Executor fifty pounds for my bringing up his Daughter Sarah Curtis Adams; which sum I give to my granddaughter Sarah Curtis and I do here by Constitute and appoint my trusty & loving Cosn Samuel Adams of Stratford to be Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament and Do hereby make null and void all other and former wills by me heretofore made, Ratifying & Confirming this to be my Laft will and Teftament in Witnefs whereof I have here unto Set to my hand and Seal this Third Day of Auguft AD 1750:

Freegrace Adams (seal)

Sign; Seal; publifhed & Declaired by the sd Freerace Adams of Day and Date above to be his Laft will and Teftament in prefence of us Witnefses John Sherman, Theophilus Nettelton, Mofes Sanford

Fairfield County SS Newtown September the 26th Day 1750: then perfonally appeared in Newtown on the Day of the above Date John Sherman and Mofses Sanford two of the witnefses to the foregoing will and made sollom oath that they see Freegrace Adams sd Teftator Sign & Seal the fore going will and heard him declare the same to be his Laft will and Teftament and that they both sign at the same time as witnefs with them and that they judged him sd Teftator to be of a Sound Difpofing mind Sworn Before me Samuel Adams Juftice of peace

At a Court of probate held in Danbury Sept the 27 AD 1750 Samuel Adams Efq. Executor to the foregoing will Exhibited the Same for probation the Same being proved was approved and ordered by sd Court to be Recorded: and the sd Samuel Adams Excepted the Truft Repofed in him by the Teftator.

Teft Thad Benedict Clerke

Research Notes

The parents of Freegrace's granddaughter Ann Pringle have not been identified. The executor of Freegrace's will, his "loving Cosn" Samuel Adams, was likely the son of Freegrace's brother William, of Milford.

Jacobus lists the family of Samuel Adams as of "Stratford and Milford". No Adams appear on Stratford deeds or early Milford deeds, so it is unclear where Freegrace and his siblings first settled after they left Ipswich. The only records associating Freegrace with Stratford are his 1701 marriage record and his daughter Experience's 1704 baptism record.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1932-. v.20, pt.2, p.3 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) NEHGS member site
2. ↑ Abbott, Susan Woodruff, Families of early Milford, Connecticut, 1979, p. 1, viewable with Google Books snippet [1]
3. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. Torrey, v.1 p.6 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. NEHGS member site
   • Text: ADAMS, Freegrace (?1675) & Mary GALPIN; 8 Jan 1700, 1700/01?; Stratford, CT/Rye, NY/Newtown, LI {Stratford VR 1; Stratford Hist. 2:1115; Fairfield Fam. 1:12; NYGBR 49:298, 52:74; TAG 20: Supp. 3; Kimberly 24}; Reg. 102:106 (wrong)
4. ↑ "United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975," database with images, Westchester > Deeds 1708-1730 vol D-F > image 166 of 584; multiple county courthouses, New York. FamilySearch
5. ↑ FamilySearch, General index to Newtown land records, v. 1-19 1712-1799, v.1-2, p.37 of town records), restricted access
6. ↑ Boyle, John Neville. Historical Notes and Maps, Newtown, 1708-1758 (Bee Pub. Co., Newtown, Conn., 1945) InternetArchive
7. ↑ Fairfield, CT: Families of Old Fairfield, v.1, p.12, (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield. Compiled and edited by Donald Lines Jacobus. 2 vols. New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1930-1932. NEHGS member site
8. ↑ Newtown, CT: Vital Records, 1704-1850, p.63 (Online database: AmericanAncestors.orgNew England Historic Genealogical Society, 2021.) NEHGS member site
9. ↑ Newtown, CT: Vital Records, 1704-1850, p.19 (Online database: AmericanAncestors.orgNew England Historic Genealogical Society, 2021.) NEHGS member site
10. ↑ Newtown, CT: Vital Records, 1704-1850, pp.13-14 (Online database: AmericanAncestors.orgNew England Historic Genealogical Society, 2021.) NEHGS member site
11. ↑ Newtown Land and property records, v.6 p.73, FamilySearch, restricted access
12. ↑ “Probate records v. 1-3 1744-1782”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-892K-TNZ7 : 14 February 2023), FHL microfilm 007627321, image 40, Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 1, 1739-1767, Pages 62-63.

• Johnson, Ezra Levan. Newtown's History and Historian, Ezra Levan Johnson (Newtown, Conn., 1917) "Descendants of Some of Newtown's Earliest Settlers", Page 1