Robert Rowe Sr (abt. 1684 - 1761)

Born about 1684 in Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire

Husband of Mehitable (Leavitt) Rowe — married 19 Dec 1707 in Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire

Descendants

Died 21 Feb 1761 at about age 77 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham, New Hampshire

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pamjoy Major [send private message]

Explanatory Note for Researchers

Note that Capt. Robert Rowe (Rowe-222) married Mehitable Leavitt on Dec. 19, 1707 and Robert Rowe (Jr) (Rowe-5011) married Mehitable Swaine on May 26, 1708 (both in Hampton, NH). The two Roberts are not related - they lived at the same place so were called Sr. and Jr. to differentiate. See reference attached to Rowe-5011.

Biography

Captain Robert Rowe was born in 1684, and died at Kensington, N. H. February 21, 1761, age 77 years. Will proven March 25, l76l. (His will is recorded in the New Hampshire State Papers, Vol. XXXVI, page 205.) He is buried in Kensington old cemetery.

He married first at Hampton, N.H. on December 19, 1707, to Mehitable Leavitt. She was born at Hampton, N. H. June 8, 1682, and died on October 20, 1725. She was the daughter of Aretas Leavitt and Ruth Sleeper of Hampton. (Ref: Vol. 67, page 80 of N, E. Historical and Genealogical Publications.)^[1]

Following the death of his first wife, he married second at Hampton Falls, N.H. on March 3, 1726, to Apphia (Shaw) Sanborn, widow of Peter Sanborn, and daughter of Caleb Shaw and Elizabeth Hilliard of Hampton, N.H. Apphia was born in Hampton, December 22, 1699. (Ref: Shaw Genealogy and Sanborn Genealogy) .

Captain Robert Rowe acquired his military title in the early French and Indian wars. He served in Queen Anne's war under Colonel Shadrach Walton against Port Royal, Nova Scotia from July 21 to November 8, 1710. It was in this battle that Port Royal was defeated and its name changed to Annapolis after Queen Anne. In 1712 he was on a two weeks scouting expedition under the command of Captain James Davis in Captain Green's company. (Reference: Vol. XIV, New Hampshire State Papers, see Roe-Row) It was in 1712 that Dover, Kingston and Exeter, N. H. were attacked by the Indians. Captain Robert Rowe also served in other expeditions.

Captain Robert Rowe was highly respected by the town folks, served as deacon of the church and was a staunch supporter of Rev. Jeremiah Fogg, the first minister of Kensington after this town became a separate Parish from Hampton Falls in 1737. He was one of a committee of five chosen to "hiere a scool master" for Hampton Falls, now Kensington, in 1718, and served the town as surveyor of highways, constable, assessor, and repeatedly as selectman. (Reference: Town records of Kensington, recorded in Sec. of State Office at Concord, N, H.)

Robert was one of the town proprietors of the township of Old Chester, N. H. and owned large tracts of land. In his will he left tracts of land and real estate to all of his sons and monetary gifts to his daughters.

All of his sons served in the militia. He thought a great deal of his children and often in the N. H. Provincial Record of Deeds you will find the following: "for love and affection of my son——————, I give ——————" signed Robert Rowe Sr. The children by his first wife, Mehitable Leavitt, were baptized at the Hampton Falls Church by Rev. Joseph Whipple December 10, 1726.

The old Rowe Homestead that Captain Robert Rowe built and first paid a tax on in 1714, still stands today, located in Kensington or as he describes it in his will as "laying on west Side of Road that goeth from Kensington to Exeter.” This road is still called the Drinkwater Road and is now a side road. The house has ship-carpenter joints that we find also in many of the early pioneer homes. It also shows various places where the construction is cruder than the later day colonial houses.

The home remained in the Rowe family until 1944. The late Hon. Stewart Everett Rowe, active in New Hampshire politics and former mayor of Portsmouth, was born there and in later years had used it as a summer home. After Mr. Rowe died, his widow and brother, Gilman Rowe, sold the place to Mr. Harold Dickinson who has made extensive repairs but made no changes in its construction so the house still stands today just as it was built, over 24O years ago. (written in 1953 by Alfred Rowe)

Through the first quarter of a century of Kensington the town had no representation at the Assembly that met at Exeter and Portsmouth. On August 6, 1740 Capt. Robert Rowe and Ezekiel Dow, selectmen of that year, petitioned the Assembly for representation but were refused. On September 22, 1742 the same gentlemen were sent again with a petition but were again turned down. It was not until 1761 that the Assembly was again petitioned, and by an odd coincident, Robert Rowe's son, Dr. Benjamin Rowe presented the request and permission for representation was given. Robert died in 1761.

Volume 1, page 323, Town Records of Kensington, N. H. at the Sec. of State Office at Concord, N, H, states: "February ye 21st l76l There Died the Honorable Captain Robert Rowe in the Seventy Seventh year of his age."

Other notes - Leah (prob), m. John Rowe, son of Robert (2) (Dow - p603).

Sources

1. ↑ Dow, Joseph. History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire. Salem, MA, 1893, Vol. 2. Leavitt pg. 810-1

• Eastman, John. History of the Town of Andover, New Hampshire, 1751-1906 (Rumford, Concord, N.H., 1910) Part 2, Page 297
• Farwell, Harriette Favoretta. Shaw Records: a Memorial of Roger Shaw, 1594-1661. (E. C. Bowler, Bethel, Me., 1904) Page 33
• Family Search Captain Robert Rowe Sr, 1684 – 21 February 1761 : accessed 18 Feb 2021