Josiah Sawtell (abt. 1691 - 1752)

Born about 1691 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Phelps) Sawtell — married [date unknown] in Marlborough, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Lydia (Nutting) Sawtelle — married 10 Feb 1717 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 14 Sep 1752 at about age 61 in Sunderland, Franklin, Massachusetts

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Biography

Josiah Sawtell was born in about 1691 to Obadiah and Hannah (Lawrence) Sawtell of Groton, Massachusetts. He was their 7th child of 13. There is no birth record for his birth.

On 4 February 1713, Josiah Sawtell married Lydia Phelps in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Lydia Phelps was from Lancaster, the daughter of Edward and Ruth (Andrews) Phelps of Andover and Lancaster. The record of marriage is very clear and lists his name as Joseph. However, there is no Joseph Sawtell that this could be and thus the author feels it was an error of Josiah.

On 22 November 1716, Josiah Sawtell joined the Lancaster Church and his first child was baptized there.

Sometime after 1717, Josiah Sawtell moved from Lancaster back to Groton for a few years.

Lydia (Phelps) Sawtell probably died in 1717 in Groton, because Josiah married his second wife, Lydia (Nutting) Parker, on 14 January 1717/8 in Groton, Massachusetts. The town record said January 10 while the church record was the 14th. She was the widow of Nathaniel Parker and the daughter of James and Lydia (Longley) Nutting. She had several children by her first husband and five by Josiah. They were:

• Lydia bpt. Lancaster 9 Oct 1720, m c 1737/8 Ephraim Kellogg, divorced in 1756, he d. during French and Indian War, m #2 16 May 1757 Samuel Scott Jr., she d. 4 Feb 1760;
• Bathsheba b. 1 Oct 1721 Groton;
• Susan b. March 1724 Groton, conflilcts with or perhaps twin of;
• Jemima b. 7 Mar 1724 Groton, m #1 William Phipps who d. 5 July 1743, m #2. Caleb Howe who d. 27 June 1755, [both husbands killed by Indians], 7 children, m

1. 3 Amos Tute of Vt, 2 children, she d. 7 March 1805, he d. 17 Apr 1790 Vernon, Vt, She and 7 children were carried into captivity when Caleb Howe was killed;

• Jonathan b. 23 April 1726 Groton, soldier 1746/7, captured by Indians at Hinsdale, NH 22 Oct 1747, probably killed;
• Lucy b. perhaps Northfield, m 14 Nov 1754 Samuel Dickerson of Hatfield.

In 1725 Josiah was living in Northfield. He probably went there to clear land and build a house while his family stayed in Groton. By deed of February 1727/8 he sold his house and land in Groton to his brother Nathaniel, wife Lydia concurring [Middlesex Deeds 27:274] In this deed he is called an innholder. The place where he settled was later set off to Hinsdale, NH and finally became Vernon, Vt. There he built Fort Sawtell in 1737 or 1739. It was also called Sawtell's Fort. He engaged in Indian fighting and was wounded. He received a grant near Northfield for his services. [Colonial Society of Mass. 24:38, 40] His fort stood for nearly a century and some timbers were used to construct a house on the site occupied in 1884 by a descendant. A historical novel Not Without Peril by Margarerite Allis is about the fort and family. In 1748 he moved to Sunderland.

Only Jemima, Bathsheba and Lucy are named in his will; the rest of the children were apparently dead except for Lydia. It is possible that he was estranged from her due to the divorce.

Sources

• NEHGS Register, vol 126, pages 14-15
• Brøderbund Software, Inc. Title: World Family Tree Vol. 3, Ed. 1 Publication: Name: Release date: February 9, 1996; NOTESource Medium: Family Archive CD CONT CONT Customer pedigree. CONT

• WikiTree profile Sawtell-210 created through the import of DurlingJamesO_AncWithDeathAft1600.ged on Feb 19, 2012 by Sue Durling. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Sue and others.
• WikiTree profile Sawtell-209 created through the import of DurlingJamesO_AncWithDeathAft1600.ged on Feb 19, 2012 by Sue Durling. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Sue and others.