Abiel (Harrington) Slayton (1713 - 1786)

Born 7 Apr 1713 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Slayton II — married 21 Sep 1732 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 27 Jan 1786 at age 72 in East Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts

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Biography

Birth and Parents

Abiel or Abigail

Abiel appears in the records as both Abiel ^[1] and Abigail. The name Abiel is used here since this is how she appears in Thomas's will, although it is usually a male name, probably a household distinction because her mother was an Abigail. ^[2]

Birth Year

According to Asa Slayton, The History of Watertown reports that "Abigail Harrington was born March 21, 1712-13" and also, Abiel Harrington, b. 1716 ^[3] Slayton concludes that the first date was the date of birth and the second was the date of baptism. The same date appears on the Slayton Obelisk in East Brookfield Cemetery (which may have come from Asa Slayton.

Abigail “Abiel” Harrington was born 21 Mar 1712 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

Alternatively, Abiel Harrington, daughter of George and Abiel (Parker) Harrington was born at Watertown on 7 April 1716. ^[4]

Parents

She was the daughter of George Harrington of Watertown, born 2 Mar 1689, died 9 Oct 1760 and his wife Abiel Parker, daughter of James Parker of Groton, born 1691 and married November 15, 1711. ^[2]

Siblings

Henry Bond ^[5] shows 13 children of George Harrington and his wife Abiel Parker:

1. Abigail, b. Mar 21, 1712, married Sept 31, 1732, Thomas Slaton of Weston
2. Hannah, b. Feb 16, 1714-15, d. Apr 30, 1740, married (publ Aug 24) 1735, William Whitney
3. Abiel, b. April 9, 1713
4. George, b. Mar 16, 1717-18, m. jan 1, 1740-1 Rebecca Allen
5. Thankful, b. Jan 25, 1719-20, married April 20, 1738 Richard Cutting, of Waltham.
6. Grace, b. Mar 12, 1723
7. Joshua, b. Feb 28, 1725-6
8. Lydia, b. Feb 14, 1727-8
9. Phinehas, b. Mar 1, 1729-30, died next January
10. Phinehas, b. Mar 1, 1730-1, died February 1734
11. Ruth, b. April 8, 1732
12. Prudence, b. Nov 267, 1734

Marriage

On September 21,1732, she married Thomas Slayton (1709–1778)

Abiel married, at Watertown, 21 September 1732, Thomas Slaton (or Slayton), of Weston.^[6][1]

Abiel married Thomas Slayton on 21 September 1732 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts^[6]. Weston Vital Records read: " Thomas Slatin of Weston and Abigal Harrington of Watertown were married in Watertown September 21, 1732 by Reverend Wareham Williams. Per the Slayton Obelisk in East Brookfield Cemetery, the marriage took place in Abiel's home.^[7] Bond's Watertown Genealogies has marriage date as 31 Sept 1732.^[5]

Thomas Slayton was born 15 Jun 1709; he died September, 1778

1738 Church

Abiel and Thomas were both admitted to the First Church in Weston, in December 1738, and were dismissed to the Church in Brookfield, 27 July 1755. ^[1]

Abiel was a member of the church in December 1738. Abiel was admitted to full communion with her husband Thomas Slayton. The church was not identified..^[8]

Death and Burial

Abiel died after 1786. ^[2] . Abiel was living with Phineas on 27 January 1786. p.324 says that Abiel was buried 8 or 9 years after Thomas which would put her death about 1786-1787.

The inscription on the obelisk states that "Abigail or Abiel Slayton, wife of Thomas, was living in Brookfield in 1786. Date of death unk. 9 children." This is exactly the text in Brookfield Vital Records ^[9]

She died 27 Jan 1786 (aged 73) in East Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA and was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, East Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA in the Slayton plot.

Her name, birth date, and marriage are inscribed on the SW side of the Slayton Obelisk with her husband, Thomas Slaton (Slayton). "The Harrington Monument is close to the graves of Isaac, William and Albert Slayton families near the center of the cemetery.

She was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery at in East Brookfield, Hampton County, Massachusetts. ^[2] Referred to as Abigail and "Abiel" on obelisk. Obelisk erected later. Observed 7/99. No individual gravestone found but positive proof of her grave was found when the foundation of the obelisk was excavated (p.324). ^[10]

Children

They had three children born in Weston.^[1]

1. Thomas Slayton b. 20 Feb 1732/33, d. 28 Dec 1822. Thomas Slayton (1733–1822)
2. Abiel Slayton b. 24 Jun 1735, d. 26 Jun 1740. Abiel Slayton (1735–1740)
3. Phinehas Slayton b. 4 Sep 1737, d. 13 Sep 1825. Phineas Slayton (1737–1825)
4. David Slayton b. 2 Jun 1740, d. c 1794. David Slayton (1740–1794)
5. Joshua Slayton b. 16 Dec 1744, d. 14 Nov 1785. Joshua Slayton (1744–1786)
6. Ruth Slayton b. 10 Feb 1746.
7. Reuben Slayton b. 30 May 1748, d. 1811. Reuben Slayton (1748–1811)
8. Samuel Slayton b. 26 Sep 1751, d. 10 Aug 1830. Samuel Slayton (1751–1830)
9. Hannah Slayton b. b 20 Jan 1754, d. b 1772.
10. Patience Slayton b. 13 Dec 1757, d. c 1836. Patience Slayton (1757–1836)

3rd generation Descendant of Robert Harrington of Watertown
4th generation Descendant of James Cutler of Lexington

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Frederick Lewis Weis, Th. D, Early Generations of the Family of Robert Harrington of Watertown, Massachusetts, 1634, and Some of His Descendants (Worcester, Massachusetts: Privately Printed 1958)(Available at Ancestry.com: http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=11918), page 42
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Asa W. Slayton, History of the Slayton Family, Biographical and Genealogical By the author: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1898. Reprinted by Higginson Book Company. pages 30-31.
3. ↑ History of Watertown, cited by Asa W. Slayton, History of the Slayton Family, Biographical and Genealogical By the author: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1898. Reprinted by Higginson Book Company. pages 30-31.
4. ↑ The date of her birth given in Bond is 9 April 1717. The date according to the original vital records of Watertown as printed is 7 April 1713. Evidently both dates are wrong unless Abiel was a delayed twin! If the other birth dates in this family are correct, the only logical date for Abiel’s birth is 7 April 1716. Weis, p. 42
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Henry Bond. Genealogies of the families and descendants of the early settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, including Waltham and Weston : to which is appended the early history of the town Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1860. [Entry for George Harrington Accessed 12/7/2019 jhd
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Watertown Records Comprising the Third Book of Town Proceedings and the Second Book of Births Deaths and Marriages to the end of 1737 also Plan and Register of Burials in Arlington Street Burying Ground (Prepared for Publication by the Historical Society)(Watertown Mass Press of Fred G Barker 1900)(Free e-book). (Records are also available at ma-vitalrcords.org) p. 94
7. ↑ [S198] MA Town of Weston, Town of Weston; Births, Deaths, Marriages 1707-1850; Gravestrones 1707-1900; Church Records 1709-1825, p.268. Identified as Thomas Slatin of Weston and Abigail Harrington of Watertown in marriage record. Married in Watertown. Marriage intention for Thomas Slaten and Abiel Herrington published in Weston 14 Oct 1732 (p.29). |Same date in Slayton History and Asa Slayton bio, American Ancestry, p.89.
8. ↑ MD Henry Bond, Genealogies of the early Settlers of Watertown, MA including Waltham & Weston, p.433. Church not identified.
9. ↑ Vital Records of Brookfield, MA, to the end of 1849, (Worcester, Mass: Franklin P. Rice, 1909) p. 530-531
10. ↑  :Evergreen Cemetery, East Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts: Slayton Plot.

See also:

History of the Slayton family: Biographical and genealogical (Google eBook) Printed by Dean Printing Co., 1898 - page 35