Jonathan Crosby (1746 - bef. 1807)

Born 26 Dec 1746 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Died before 6 May 1807 before age 60 in Fitchburg, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Patricia Abbott [send private message]

Biography

JONATHAN CROSBY,^[1][2] b. at Lancaster, 26 Dec 1746^[3] son of Jonathan and Mindwell (-) Crosby; Jonathan d. at Fitchburg (resident of Wendell), 1807; m. about 1768, ESTHER OSGOOD, b. at Lancaster, 13 Aug 1751^[4] daughter of Aaron and Eunice (White) Osgood; d. at Wendell, 29 Mar 1838.

Jonathan and Esther settled in Wendell about the time of their marriage. Jonathan came to Wendell about 1767 and in 1768 purchased 100 acres lying near the north road of Shutesbury and in by 1788 acquired a further 117 acres. He built a gristmill on Wicket Pond Brook. Jonathan added a sawmill to his gristmill operation about 1797. Jonathan supplied the rum for the builders of the first meeting house in Wendell in 1783. Jonathan made trips to Boston to sell his produce and purchase needed items. He died at Fitchburg on a return from one of these trips in an accident in his cart resulted in his falling under the wheel of the cart and breaking his back.^[5]

On 8 January 1806, Jonathan Crosbee of Wendell, yeoman, sold to Jonathan Crosbee, Jr., gentleman of Wendell, one-half of the farm on which he lived for payment of one thousand dollars.^[6]

Jonathan did not leave a will and his estate entered probate 5 May 1807 with widow Esther and Timothy Armstrong as administrators. Real estate was one-half of the farm held in common with his son containing about 200 acres and valued at $1,025 and a pew valued at $60. Personal estate was $581.73 most of which was sold to settle the debts. On 19 October 1808, all the real estate was set off to son Jonathan Crosbee, except for the widow’s dower, and Jonathan was to pay $100 to each of the other heirs: Levi Crosbee, Lois Dresser, Dolly Armstrong, Eunice Jennison, and Lucinda Crosbee. The dower was set off to Esther on 1 November 1808.^[7]

On 28 September 1830, the heirs of the estate quitclaimed their interest in the farm of Jonathan Corsbee deceased situated in Wendell and about 200 acres to Jonathan Crosbee but reserving their right to a distribution at the reversion of the dower of their mother Esther. The amount paid for the quitclaim was five hundred dollars (one hundred dollars each) as designated in the probate distribution. The heirs signing the quitclaim were the following: Moses Dresser of Orwell, Vermont and Lois his wife; Timothy Armstrong of Wendell and Dolly his wife; Levi Crosbee of Somerset, Vermont and Sally his wife; and Lucinda Crosbee of Wendell, singlewoman.^[8]

There are records of six children of Esther Osgood and Jonathan Crosby at Wendell.^[9]

i LOIS CROSBY, b. 24 Feb 1769; d. after 1860 when living at Schroon, NY; m. at Montague, MA, 27 Feb 1788, her second cousin, MOSES DRESSER, b. 20 Mar 1765 son of Oliver and Olive (Osgood) Dresser; Moses d. at Schroon, 1824.

ii DOLLY CRSOBY, b. 9 Feb 1771; d. at Wendell, 22 Feb 1864; m. at Montague, 26 May 1792, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG, b. at Natick, MA, 15 Jun 1760 son of Timothy and Jerusha (Morton) Armstrong;^[10] Timothy d. at Wendell, 14 Jan 1856.

iii LEVI CROSBY, b. 20 Jan 1774; m. at Shutesbury, 29 Jan 1799, SALLY WILBUR. Levi and Sally were living in Somerset, Vermont in 1810^[11] and were still resident there in 1830 (quitclaim related to father’s estate). On 25 May 1805, Levi Crosby of Somerset, Vermont with wife Sally sold property in Shutesbury to Phineas Hemmenway of Worcester for payment of three hundred and fifty dollars.^[12]

iv JONATHAN CROSBY, b. 22 Jun 1778; d. at Wendell, 12 May 1839; m. 1st 1804, LOIS BARNES, b. at Warwick, MA, 26 Aug 1777 daughter of Abraham and Mary (Stevens) Barnes; Lois d. at Wendell, 20 Jul 1818. Jonathan m. 2nd at Wendell, 4 Jun 1827, his first cousin, HANNAH CROSBY OSGOOD, b. at Wendell, 20 Jun 1779 daughter of Lucas and Hannah (Crosby) Osgood; Hannah d. at Sterling, 5 Jan 1864. Hannah was first married to John Washington Osgood.

v EUNICE CROSBY, b. 23 Jul 1781; d. at Templeton, MA, 28 Mar 1873; m. at Templeton, 18 Jun 1805, WILLIAM JENNISON, b. 1780; William d. at Templeton, 19 Jan 1849.

vi LUCINDA CROSBY, b. 18 Jan 1784; d. at Wendell, 3 Jul 1851. Lucinda did not marry.

Sources and Footnotes

1. ↑ Name is spelled Crosbee in many of the records
2. ↑ Family summary taken from Abbott, Patricia A., The Descendants of John and Elizabeth Stevens of Andover Through Six Generations, 2021, In Press
3. ↑ Jonathan Son of Jonathan & Mindwell Crosbee Born Decem 26, 1746 Lancaster Vital Records, volume 1, p 73
4. ↑ [1751] Augt. 25. Esther Daught. of Aaron Osgood. Lancaster Vital Records, volume 1, p 296
5. ↑ Richardson, Pamela A., and Thomas E. Sawin. 2015. Wendell, Massachusetts: Its Settlers and Citizenry, 1752-1900. Amherst, MA: An Off the Common Book. pp 63-64
6. ↑ Massachusetts Land Records, Franklin County, 24:188
7. ↑ Hampshire County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1660-1889. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2016, 2017. Box 40, No. 41
8. ↑ Massachusetts Land Records, Franklin County, 112:246
9. ↑ Wendell, A Book of Records for the Town of Wendell Bought for the Purpose of Recording Marriages, Births and Deaths, Anno Domini, 1788, p 22; Jay Mack Holbrook, Massachusetts Vital Records, Wendell 1763-1893
10. ↑ Timothy’s place of birth as Natick and parents Timothy and Jerusha are given on his death record; Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1841-1910. From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, volume 102, p 207
11. ↑ Year: 1810; Census Place: Somerset, Windham, Vermont; Roll: 65; Page: 360; Image: 00257; Family History Library Film: 0218669
12. ↑ Massachusetts Land Records, Franklin County, 34:533