Sarah (Greene) Tefft (abt. 1646 - 1672)

Born about 1646 in Warwick, Rhode Island [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Joshua Tefft — married 1671 (to 16 Mar 1672) in South Kingston, Rhode Island, British Colonial America

Descendants

Died 16 Mar 1672 at about age 26 in Warwick, Rhode Island

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Biography

Sarah Greene was born about 1646, (an estimated date based on her husband Joshua's birth date) possibly at Warwick, Rhode Island. She is believed to be the daughter of John Greene (bef.1620-1708) and Unknown (Potowomut) Narragansett (abt.1625-).

The following three paragraphs are included in the biography of the Find A Grave entry for Sarah Tefft. The excerpt is credited to A Biography of Sarah Tefft by Laurence Overmire (7th great grandson), updated Aug. 2017; Overmire cites several Sources in the information. It is unclear what source was discovered by A. Craig Anthony to support the belief that Sarah was the widow of Thomas Flounders when she married Joshua Tefft.^[1]

In a letter dated Jan. 26, 1675-6, Capt. James Oliver of Plymouth stated that "Joshua Teffe... married an Indian woman, a Wampanoag" (Drake's Book of the Indians, iii. 35).

Rhode Island historian A. Craig Anthony, who has done a significant amount of research on Joshua and Sarah Tefft, believes that Sarah's maiden name was Greene, that she was probably an illegitimate daughter of John Greene Jr. of Warwick who eventually became deputy governor of the colony in 1690.^[2] Anthony first found a reference to her in court records — she was called to answer for the crime of fornication. Sarah Greene avoided four sessions before the Colonial magistrates; her father eventually paid the 40-shilling fine.^[2] John Greene was involved in dealings with his neighbors, the Narragansett and Wampanoag. His homestead was built on land purchased from the Narragansett Chief Miantonomi.

Anthony also discovered that Sara's first husband, Thomas Flounders, was executed in 1670 for murdering a man in a land dispute.^[2]

Sarah married in 1671, at South Kingston, Rhode Island, Joshua Tefft. The marriage date is estimated based on the birth date of their son Peter in 1672.^[3]

Children;

• Peter Tefft. b. 14 Mar 1672

Sarah Tefft died on the 16th of March, 1672 in Warwick, Rhode Island, two days after the birth of her son, Peter^[4]

She was buried in the Rhode Island Historical Cemetery, Sarah Tefft Lot, Coles Farm Road, Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. ^[5]

In 1868 the headstone on Sarah's grave was removed and preserved by the Rhode Island Historical Society. A replacement headstone was made for the gravesite and inscribed as follows; Here lieth the bodie of SARA TEFFT Interred March 16, 1642 (sic) in the 67th year of her age. (sic)

For many years the death date of 1642 was thought to be correct. It is also known that the words "in the 67th year of her age" were added on the replacement stone but did not exist on the original.^[6]. Sarah (Greene) Tefft is known to have died two days after the birth of her son, it is unlikely that she gave birth at age 67.

A study of the original headstone was conducted and it was determined that the year of death engraved on the Sarah Tefft replacement headstone was incorrectly transcribed. The correct year of death was determined to be 1672. The unsourced addition of Sarah's age on the replica stone has not been addressed and so her birth year is incorrectly stated as 1606 in the Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission source and the Find A Grave source for Sarah.^[7][8]

Tragically, and probably due to bad judgement on the part of the Puritan government, Joshua Tefft was executed for high treason at the height of King Philip's War on 18 Jan 1676 at Kingston, Rhode Island.^[2]

In 1681 Joshua's nine-year old orphan son, Peter Tefft, was appointed three guardians, namely Jireh Bull, Justice of the Peace of Pettaquamscutt; the prominent John Greene of Warwick who later became deputy governor of Rhode Island; and Peter's uncle, Samuel Tefft of Providence.^[2]

Research Notes

Stockings "The Tefft Ancestry" (cited in Sources below) names two brothers, William and John Teffe or Tefft, and a possible sister Sarah as emmigrants from England to Rhode Island about 1635. The information in The Tefft Ancestry about Sarah, seems to have been based on the replica headstone. (see Death section of Biography). Since The publication of The Tefft Ancestry (1904), the death date has been corrected by the Rhode Island Historical Society to 1672 and her identity as the wife of Joshua Tefft confirmed.

An online article "Grave-Tober-1-Sarah-Tefft, Warwick RI" also discusses the error made in the transcription of the original headstone. It contains an image of the original headstone. The article suggests her last name at birth is possibly Greene and that her death date was 1672. The article is found here;

• Kramer, Bret (aka WinstonP), "Grave-tober-1-Sarah-Tefft, Warwick RI", SentinelHillpress.com, publisher of the Arkham Gazette and Others, (accessed 2023-05-25), Online Publication: October 1st, 2018, Sarah Teft

Removed CItations

• Yates Publishing, Space:U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900|U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004)
• The Computerized Ancestor: https://www.computerized-ancestor.com/?firstname=Sarah&lastname=Greene&gender=f&birthyear=&birthloc=RI&spfirstname=Joshua&splastname=Tefft&spbirthyear=&spbirthloc= Sarah Greene Name Search Results : Spouse Joshua Tefft
• Reason; These sources are Not considered a reliable source for a Pre-1700 profile by Wikitree, see help section for explanation of derivative sources. (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Uncertain, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Pre-1700_Profiles#Cite_reliable_sources).

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} The Tefft Papers: The Tefft Family and the Narragansett Controversy : accessed 15 May 2018.
3. ↑ The Tefft Ancestry, Pg 3
4. ↑ The Tefft Ancestry, Pg 6
5. ↑ Find A Grave
6. ↑ Kramer, Bret (aka WinstonP), "Grave-tober-1-Sarah-Tefft, Warwick RI", SentinelHillpress.com, publisher of the Arkham Gazette and Others, (accessed 2023-05-25), Online Publication: October 1st, 2018, Original Headstone Image
7. ↑ "Sarah Tefft Lot ", Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission,
   Sarah Tefft Lot Details and Image, (accessed 2023-05-25),
   Death Date: March 16, 1672, Cemetery#: WK051, Location: Cole Farm Road, Warwick, Rhode Island
8. ↑ Find A Grave

See Also;

• Stocking, Charles Henry Wright, The Tefft Ancestry, Comprising Many Hitherto Unpublished Records of Descendants of John Tefft of Portsmouth, Rhode Island; ([Chicago] The Lakeside press, 1904), Joshua Tefft, Pg 3, Pg 6

• "Find a Grave", database and images,
  Find A Grave: Memorial #24649365, (accessed 25 May 2023),
  memorial page for Sara Tefft (1606–16 Mar 1672), citing Sara Tefft Lot, Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA; Maintained by Matthew Fatale (contributor 242).

• Ancestry.com Article on Sarah Greene