Thankful Babcock (1745 - bef. 1812)

Born 1745 in South Kingstown, Kings, Rhode Island

Wife of George Rutter Gardner — married 12 Sep 1763 in Hopkinton, Kings, Rhode Island

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Biography

This profile is part of the Babcock Name Study.

Thankful Babcock was a Narragansett woman who had been enslaved by Hezekiah Babcock of South Kingston Rhode Island. On September 12, 1763 she married George Rutter/Utter Gardner a black slave of the Nicholas Gardner family. Thankful had a son Robbin Babcock and also had children with Gardner named Sharper Gardner, Patience Gardner, and London Gardner. Thankful and George resided within the household of Hezekiah Babcock at least as long as George's final years. Hezekiah had inherited the homestead from his father and it was located in whatis now, South Kingstown, near Pettisquamscutt. ^[1]

Both George and Sharper Gardner served in the Revolutionary War and later the family filed a pension/land bounty claim for their service.

Hopkinton Town Records say:

George Rutter Gardiner, of North Kingstown, and Thankful Babcock, of Hopkinton; m. by Elder John Gardiner, Sept. 13, 1767.

Note: sources for son Robin: https://hopkintonhistorical.org/probate-records-1757-1850-a-b/

BABCOCK, Robin – TC 3:125, 2 July 1798, Oliver Davis is appointed Guardian to Robin Babcock (Negro man). TC 4:112, 4 January 1808, Cpt. Peleg Babcock is appointed Guardian to Robin Babcock (a black man.) TC 4:159, 1 April 1811, It is represented to this Court that a negro man called Robbin Babcock, late belonging to Hezekiah Babcock, and having been manumitted and he has a right in some lands lying in New York or Ohio. Whereas he will probably divest himself of said right and the Town of Hopkinton would become liable for him. A Guardian, Joseph Maxson is appointed to him. same source: BABCOCK, Isaac – TC 5:46, 2 September 1822, (a black boy, son of Robbin) Voted that Luke Babcock be the Guardian.

Sources

1. ↑ page 302

• https://www.smithscastle.org/the-cocumscussoc-review/2022/2/9/indigenous-soldiers-of-the-revolution-and-their-efforts-to-obtain-pensions-for-their-service-by-robert-a-geake

• "United States Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, 1800-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9L4-JXM : 19 September 2019), Thankful Babcock, .

• Vital record of Rhode Island : 1636-1850 : first series : births, marriages and deaths : a family register for the people. Hopkinton Marriages, first page. Babcock section

• Vital record of Rhode Island : 1636-1850 : first series : births, marriages and deaths : a family register for the people. Hopkinton Marriages, page 15. Gardiner section