Ruth (Fiske) Estey (abt. 1707 - 1787)

Born about 20 Aug 1707 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Wife of Richard Estey — married 7 May 1728 in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died Apr 1787 at about age 79 in Sheffield, Sunbury, New Brunswick

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Biography

Origins
Ruth (Fiske) Estey, believed to have been born the 20th August 1707, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts.

She is documented as being one of the daughters of yeoman Joseph Fiske, son of William, and of Ipswich, who bequeathed certain properties in his Last Will & Testament to his daughter Ruth Estey. Joseph FIske of Ipswich, yeoman, born 14th April 1672, Wenham, Essex, Massassachusetts made his will on the 1st May 1745, and it was proved 13th May 1745 by Capt. Samuel Waite, Daniel Chapman and Daniel Chapman, Jr. Receiving a portion of his estate are daughters Susanna Kilborne and RUTH ESTY, and grandson Mark Platts. Ruth's brother Mark Fiske was named executor. ^[1]

Ruth's mother was Susan/Susanna [Warner] Fiske, who was born 3rd March 1676, was the daughter of Hannah Batcheller/Betchelder and John Warner. After Ruth married Richard Estey, in 1698, John Warner Susan's father who was Ruth's grandfather, conveyed to Ruth and husband Joseph Fiske his Ipswich farm. Susan died in July 1742 and thereafter her husband Joseph Fiske married for the second time on 7th January 1743, Mrs. Elizabeth Fuller who died 30th October 1755. ^[1] Ruth's paternal grandfather William Fiske (1642-1728) was one of the jurors in the 1692 Salem Witch Trial tragedy.

'Marriage and Children
Ruth married Richard "Eastie aka Estey on 7th May 1728 at Topsfield. Massachusetts. ^[2]

Spouse Richard Estey, was baptized April 1706, Topsfield, Mass.; d. March 1791 (will probated proved 17 Mar 1791), at Sheffield, Province of New Brunswick, Canada; Resident of Topsfield, Mass., removed to Rowley, Mass., and remained there until 1764 when he removed to the Province of New Brunswick to a settlement on the St. john River called Maugerville where he was one of the signers of the original Covenant of the Congregational Church." ^[1] Richard was the paternal grandson of Mary Towne Estey who was in 1692 tried, convicted and executed as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials whereas Ruth's grandfather William Fiske was one of the Salem jurors. This lineage makes their children double 2nd cousins.

Children
Ruth and Richard Estey's children were:

1. Richard, Jr., b. 9 Feb 1728, Rowley, Essex, MA.; m. Hannah Hazen (1728-1815)  ; Residence, Maugerville, N.B., Jul 1774, assaulted by fellow townsman (who was fined by the JOP for the deed). [Collections, pg.98-99.]; Maugerville, 8 Jul 1776, Brother Richard Estey chosen among others as a "ruling elder" in the Congregational church. [Collections, pg.123.]
2. Susanna, b. 1732, Rowley, Essex, MA.; d. young?
3. Sarah, b. 12 Oct 1736, Rowley, Essex, MA.
4. Zebulon, twin, b. 24 Dec 1742, Rowley, Essex, MA.; 1775 Zebulon Estey named as an annually elected Congregational church elder [Collections, pg.123]; 24 May 1776 Maugerville town committee letter from Rev. Noble to General Washington setting forth the great importance of the capture of western Nova Scotia and proposing to assist in the enterprise. Zebulon Estey is in a roll call list of those refusing to sign the letter.[Collections, pg.75]
5. John, twin, b. 14 Dec 1742, Rowley, Essex, MA.; 5 Jul 1775, Maugerville, N.B. he was named in a church record where it was "put to a vote to see if the Church was satisfied in the conduct of our Brother John Estey sum time past and it pass in the firmetive." [Collections, pg.122.]
6. Ruth, b. 1746, Rowley, Essex, MA.

Residence: The Maugerville Settlement, St. John's River, county Sunbury, New Brunswick
1763 In the signed 1763 (dated) Covenant with the Congregational Church of New Brunswick, St. James river, is the name RICHARD ESTEY, spouse of Ruth [Fiske] Estey. The church Covenant signers (in order) were: Jonathan Burpe (church deacon and head of all church movements in Maugerville up to his d. in 1781), Elisha Nevers, Richard Estey, Daniel Palmer, Gervas Say, Edward Cove, Jonathan Smith. [Collections, pg.68-69, 119.]

1765 Town Grant: The list of the grantees of the Townshp of Maugerville includes the names of John Estey, Richard Estey, Richard Estey, Jr., Zebulon Estey among others in this St. John river county. "^[3]

1765 Sunbury county formed 30 April 1765 "all the townships on the St. John river were formed into a county under the name Sunbury". On the 29 May 1765 a writ was issued to the inhabitants directing them to "choose a fit person to represent them in the General Assembly of Nova Scotia. "Their choice was Charles Morris." [Collections, pg.72.]

1766 In the probable absence of a permanent church minister Richard Estey, among others (see 1763 Covenant document signers) signed a church marriage Covenant document between newlyweds Gervas Say and Anna Russsell, at Maugerville, 23 Feb 1766. [Collections, pg.72.]

1767 Predominantly descendants of English Protestant New Englanders: Along the river of the St. John was "rich fertile land renewed every spring by the overflowing of that great stream" land which was purchased "for a price so small as to be merely nominal". "The new town of Maugerville was divided into one hundred lots, each with a frontage on the river and a width of about fifty rods. Four of these lots were reserved for public purposes: one for a glebe for the Church of England, one for the Dissenting Protestants, one for the maintenance of a school and one for the first settled minister. Nearly all the Maugerville lots were taken up immediately after the first immigration, and the population of the township in 1767 was, 261 souls." [Collections, pg.68-69.]

1764-1774 For the first 10 years of its existence the Maugerville church had no settled minister, but was frequently visited by clergymen and in their absence worship was maintained by the deacons and the elders. [Collections, pg.70-71.] 1774 the Maugerville Congregational Church received its first settled minister Rev. Seth Noble. [Collections, pg.73.] The reverend was from New England "where the clergy had always been accustomed to exercise a large share of authority in secular affairs and...was what some people in New England called a 'patriot' (to the New England liberty cause)." Otherwise also known as the "rebel" faction. [Collections, pg.74.]

1773: 29 Aug 1773 the Congregational Church appointed a meeting to be held consisting of Mr. Richard Estey, Daniel Palmer and Humphrey Pickard for the purpose of "talking with Israel Kenny concerning his being charged with scandalous sins." [Collections, pg.73, 121.]

1774 Ruth Estey's son Richard Estey, Jr. is assaulted. Jacob Perley, JOP, county Sunbury; misdemeanours in said county:

On July 1774 Nathel Barker of Maugerville, yeoman, cometh before Mr. Israel Perley...to be informed that he has been found guilty of a breach of the Kings peace viz by striking with his fist the body of RICHARD ESTEY, JUN. of the town county and province aforesaid yeoman for which offence he is willing to submit to such a fine as the law requires." The said RICHARD ESTEY JUN. personally appeareth at the same time and declareth..that he forgives the sd. nathel. Barker...Nathll. Barker was fined one shilling. Signed Jacob Perley. [Collections, pg.99.]

The 1776 American Revolution
In events closely leading up to the declaration of war a special Maugerville town committee was formed, with the purpose of appealing to General Washington, led by the Rev. Seth Noble (Congregationalist Church minister), and included Jacob Barker (JOP & ruling church elder), Pheneas Nevers (JOP), Israel Perley (JOP), Daniel Palmer, Edward Coye, Israel Kinney, Asa Perley, Moses Pickard, Thomas Hartt, Hugh Quinton, Asa Kimbal, Oliver Perley. [Collections, pg.74]

A signed letter dated 24 May 1776 (town meeting date) to General Washington (and the General Assembly in Boston) included "the great importance of capturing of western Nova Scotia and proposing to assist in such an enterprise if it should be undertaken" [Collections, pg.74]

The meeting also voted "that we will have no dealings or connection with any person or persons for the future that shall refuse to enter into the foregoing or similar resolutions." Under this threat the resolutions were hawked around the county and about 125 signed, about 12/13 have not, 9 of which dwell at the 'river's mouth'. Roll Call of those refusing to sign" [Collections, pg.75.] :

WILLIAM HAZEN, Thomas Jenkins, James Simonds, Samuel Peabody, Jon Bradley, James White, William McKeene, Zebedee Ring, Peter Smith, Gervas Say, Lewis Mitchill, ___ Darling, John Crabtree, John Hendrick, ZEBULON ESTEY, John Tarlee, Joseph Howland, Thos Jones, *Benjamin Atherton,

Death Ruth [Fiske] Estey passed away April 1787 at Sheffield, Sunbury, New Brunswick. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Pierce, Frederick Clifton "Betchelder, Batcheller Genealogy; descendants of leading non-conformist Rev. Stephen Bachiler, of England, who settled New Hampton, New Hampshire..." pg. 83, 345-346. E-book available in the public domain at: https://archive.org/details/batchelderbatche00pier/page/345/mode/1up/search/Fiske?q=Batcheller+Genealogy
2. ↑ Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850. (Massachusetts Vital Public Records) "Ruth Fisk, female, spouse, Richard Eastie[Estey]". Marriage 7 May 1728, Topsfield. county Essex. Image reprinting by Family History Library, SLC, UT, Film #0761323 image of old handwritten ledger, Ipswich church records for several months including that of the 1728 May 7th marriage between Ruth Fisk of Ipswich and Richard Easti of Topfield. Legible quill and ink script. Online access 7 Apr 2020.
3. ↑ Raymond, W.O. "Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784 " Chap XVI. Progress of the Maugerville Settlement; pg. 159. St. John, N.B., Canada, 1905. Accessed 23 Jan 2023. https://archive.org/details/glimpsesofpasth00raymuoft/mode/1up?q=
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136229051

• Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society; Vol. 1, no.1-3; pub.1894, St. John, N.B. Available in the public domain at: https://archive.org/details/collectionsofnew113newb/page/63/mode/1up/search/Estey?q=18th+c+New+brunswick+history

• Provincial Archives of New Brunswick; #MC776. John C. Hatt’s "A genealogical study of the Estey family of New Brunswick"