Ancestors of Tim Farr

Notes

John FORD

Was a Vicar.

Wrington Parish Records Film No. 1526776 item 32, the record reads: "Mary daughter of John and Mary Ford Oct 22", 1748.

John is possibly the son of Rev. Thomas Ford.

Jonathan FARR 2nd

Jonathan Farr was styled the second in 1776.

Jonathan sold his homestead Apr 27th, 1768 to Isaac Thomas. It was bounded on the East by the Ware River South by the land of Thomas Farr and west by the highway.

Marriage from the "Chesterfield, N.H. History" it only mentions of his wives that "there were 3 of them". Married Mary Wells 5 Jun 1751 (from Vital Records of Hardwick  974.43/H3, v2b) and had William and Jonathan in Hardwick.  Jonathan's Great Grandson, Marshall H. Farr, went to Hamilton, Ontario and built railroads. Marshall's son, Herbert Marshall Farr, went from Hamilton to Hespeler, Ontario to start a factory making alpacca. Later he moved the factory to Holyoke, MA., he employed over 1,000 people. He married Annie Hespeler, daughter of Jacob Hespeler of Hespeler, Ontario. (from "The Farr Genealogy" by Rev. Charlese N. Sinnett)

Book Area US/CAN 973 C4of Supp. 1 "The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America" Jonathan Farr: he signed the association test.

FHL film #0563308 "Stow, Massachusetts, 1683-1933" p.70:
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

DURING the French and Indian War, from 1755 to 1763, the town furnished soldiers for the army at Fort William Henry, Crown Point, Canada and Nova Scotia. Sometimes when the soldiers were leaving for the seat of war, services were held by the resident minister. Thus, on the 23rd of June 1755, Rev. Mr. Gardner preached at the desire of Capt. William Pierce, being the day he began his march with his company for Albany, in the expedition against Crown Point. Samuel Preston was a captain in the army in 1756. In Capt. Pierce's company, Michael Law was sergeant, John Law was corporal, Jonathan Farr was drummer, Nathan Whitney; Solomon Taylor, Josiah Wetherbee Jonathan Pierce of Stow, were privates. Ephraim Powers was sergeant in Capt. Preston's company, and Ezekiel Davis in another company. May 22, 1758, Ensign Jabez Brown and others of Stow, whose names are not known, started to join the army destined for Canada. In April, 1760; others started for Crown Point.

The following Stow soldiers went to Canada in 1760: Joshua Brown, Jonathan Far, Phineas Fuller, Amos Gates, Simon Gates; Abra Gates, Paul Graves, and Solomon Savcas, a servant of Mary Hapgood. None of the men were killed in the army during the war, but the following died while in service from diseases contracted in camp: January 4, 1756, Capt. Ephraim Brown, a few after his return from the army; July 23, 1758, Ebenezer Gates died at Lake George May 24; 1760, Abel Ray died at Shrewsbury, on his march to the army; November 1760, Isaac Taylor died at Crown Point; November 28, 1761, Stephen Houghton while returning from Crown Point. Robert Lawrence held a garrison a short time; was promoted Captain; was mortally wounded in an attack on the fort in 1690, by the French and Indians. Captain Thomas Lawrence, commander of a company, enlisted in the French War in 1758, from Pepperell and vicinity.

Jonathan FARR 2nd

Jonathan Farr was styled the second in 1776.

Jonathan sold his homestead Apr 27th, 1768 to Isaac Thomas. It was bounded on the East by the Ware River South by the land of Thomas Farr and west by the highway.

Marriage from the "Chesterfield, N.H. History" it only mentions of his wives that "there were 3 of them". Married Mary Wells 5 Jun 1751 (from Vital Records of Hardwick  974.43/H3, v2b) and had William and Jonathan in Hardwick.  Jonathan's Great Grandson, Marshall H. Farr, went to Hamilton, Ontario and built railroads. Marshall's son, Herbert Marshall Farr, went from Hamilton to Hespeler, Ontario to start a factory making alpacca. Later he moved the factory to Holyoke, MA., he employed over 1,000 people. He married Annie Hespeler, daughter of Jacob Hespeler of Hespeler, Ontario. (from "The Farr Genealogy" by Rev. Charlese N. Sinnett)

Book Area US/CAN 973 C4of Supp. 1 "The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America" Jonathan Farr: he signed the association test.

FHL film #0563308 "Stow, Massachusetts, 1683-1933" p.70:
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

DURING the French and Indian War, from 1755 to 1763, the town furnished soldiers for the army at Fort William Henry, Crown Point, Canada and Nova Scotia. Sometimes when the soldiers were leaving for the seat of war, services were held by the resident minister. Thus, on the 23rd of June 1755, Rev. Mr. Gardner preached at the desire of Capt. William Pierce, being the day he began his march with his company for Albany, in the expedition against Crown Point. Samuel Preston was a captain in the army in 1756. In Capt. Pierce's company, Michael Law was sergeant, John Law was corporal, Jonathan Farr was drummer, Nathan Whitney; Solomon Taylor, Josiah Wetherbee Jonathan Pierce of Stow, were privates. Ephraim Powers was sergeant in Capt. Preston's company, and Ezekiel Davis in another company. May 22, 1758, Ensign Jabez Brown and others of Stow, whose names are not known, started to join the army destined for Canada. In April, 1760; others started for Crown Point.

The following Stow soldiers went to Canada in 1760: Joshua Brown, Jonathan Far, Phineas Fuller, Amos Gates, Simon Gates; Abra Gates, Paul Graves, and Solomon Savcas, a servant of Mary Hapgood. None of the men were killed in the army during the war, but the following died while in service from diseases contracted in camp: January 4, 1756, Capt. Ephraim Brown, a few after his return from the army; July 23, 1758, Ebenezer Gates died at Lake George May 24; 1760, Abel Ray died at Shrewsbury, on his march to the army; November 1760, Isaac Taylor died at Crown Point; November 28, 1761, Stephen Houghton while returning from Crown Point. Robert Lawrence held a garrison a short time; was promoted Captain; was mortally wounded in an attack on the fort in 1690, by the French and Indians. Captain Thomas Lawrence, commander of a company, enlisted in the French War in 1758, from Pepperell and vicinity.

Robena

Mention of Jonathan's third wife is found in "The Farr Genealogy" by the Rev. Charles N. Sinnett. Sinnett says that the name of the wife could not be found, however the names of the children were found.

Susy FARR

Birth date of Susy was found in the following book. Mention of Jonathan's third wife is found in "The Farr Genealogy" by the Rev. Charles N. Sinnett. Sinnett says that the name of the wife could not be found, however the names of the children were found.

William ALDOUS

From records in the posession of Tim Farr.

William Aldous and Margaret Noyes were married 10 July 1567 at the parish church in Fressingfield, Suffolk, England.  They subsequently resided in Fressing-field, where they had various properties, some or all of which had been left to William by his father, Robert Aldous, who had died in 1560.  Included in William's inheritance was the family dwelling, with adjoining lands, called Bourneys; a por-tion of the home was reserved for his mother to use during her life.  After the father died, and before William was wed, he and his two other unmarried brothers had shared a section of the house designated by their father.  William also re-ceived a close, or enclosed field, called Bardenes; and the major portion of a farm, which had had buildings upon it, called Cotwyns.  Specific items he inherit-ed were his father's horse mill, with the stones and other appurtenances to it, four milk cows, and a bay mare.
William's mother lived until 1576, and during that time William undoubtedly kept the faith his father had in him in providing her with various items.  After she died William and Yorgaret were able to add to their use the part of the house that had been hers.  By that time they had become parents to four daughters. Three years later they were blessed with a son, which they named Stephen. When the lad was not yet five years old his father passed away.  William left no will, but evidently his property passed to his son, for Stephen later transmitted it by will to his own son.  William died in December of 1583.
In 1596 William's brother John prepared his will, and in it named William's son-in-law William Brame. It seems certain that Margaret is the "Margarett Aldous widow" who was buried at Fressingfield 5 June 1605.

Moses FARR

Moses and his father Jonathan signed the 'Amos Colburn Petition' for a land grant in Vermont for having served in the war. The pettion was filed June 21, 1781. There is no record of legislative action thereon.

Mercy FARR

Baptism date found in "The Farr Genealogy" and in Chesterfield N.H. History.

Edmond FREEMAN

Edmund FREEMAN born: 30 Aug 1683 in Sandwich, MA; married: bef. 1708 Keziah PRESBURY(b. 1688 d. 20 Apr 1764 in Mansfield CT) in Sandwich MA; died: 1 Jun 1766 in Mansfield CT; Son of Edmond FREEMAN and Sarah

Apparently Edmund and Keziah migrated with their large family from Barnstable Co MA on Cape Cod to Wyndham Co CT in what is now Mansfield, possibly having inherited the land from Edmund's father. The home that they established was in the South Parish of that town.

Sources: Tolland and Winham Counties, Connecticut- Biographies - 1903; Freeman Genealogy in Three Parts by Frederick Freeman; Sandwich MA Vital Records; Mansfield CT vital records

[ISAAC FREEMAN TO BROTHER EDMUND FREEMAN]

"I, Isaac ffreeman of yarmouth In the County of Bamstable . . . Marener" for £200 "Currant money to me in hand paid & Lawfully secured to be paid before the signing hereof by my Honoured Mother Sarah ffreeman of Eastham for & In behalf of my Brother Edmond ffreeman of Eastham ... Labourer" have sold to him "all & singuler my several parcels of upland & medow or sedg ground as hereafter express, that is to say all my severall lots of Land lying situate in sd Town of Eastham ajoyning to the homstead or Houselot of my Deceased ffather

Freeman Notes       43

Edmond ffreeman both on the eastwardly & westwardly side the way that goes down to my house lot that was the house lot of my sd Deceased ffather which sd lands on each side sd way Contain by estimation thirty acres more or less & ware severall lots laid out in the Division of Lands in sd Eastham & are buted & bounded as by the Records thereof may appear only excepting & always reserving for my self my heirs & assigns forever free liberty of a watering place in that swamp or watering place on the easterly side the way that goes down to my Dwelling house neer the gate which sd Granted lands & lots are bounded seperate from the lands of my house lot begining on the easterly side the way by the gate neer my Dwelling house thence easterly along by the southerly side my garden spot & so easterly on a straight line by the fence to weset Cove & on the westerly side side sd way that goes down to my Dwelling house is bounded from my other lands of my house lot begining at a walnut tree by sd gate on the westerly side sd way from thence it runs by the fence to the pond cald the mill pond laving that neck of upland on the southerly side the mouth of sd mill pond to my sd house lot otherways comprehending all my sd lots there on each side the way that goes down to my sd house lot whome to sd Dividing bounds. Together with all that my seventh part of a small parcel of Land at weset Together with my two lots of sedge ground lying on the sedge flats in sd Eastham Cald Town flats on the midle flat which ware the two lots of sedg ground of my sd Deceased ffathers: Together as they are buted & bounded in the Records of Division of sd sedge ground as also all that my half part of a parcel of Land that my sd Deceased ifather in equal partnership bought with my uncle Nathaniel ffreeman Esqr of James Maker lying in the Town of Harwich neer the head of Namskekit & is bounded as by the Deed of Conveyance from sd Maker may appear"

The deed was dated 13 September, 1721, and acknowledged the same day, before Joseph Doane, Justice of the Peace. It was witnessed by Joseph Doane and Thomas Mayo; was recorded 10 June, 1724, in Barnstable County Deeds, Book 12, folios 94 and 95, by John Thacher, Register, and was not re-recorded after the fire.

Source: Printed from Mayflower Descendant Legacy CD-ROM  All rights reserved. Copyright © 1996 - 1998 by Search & ReSearch Publishing Corp. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Birth Source: FHL Number 775836 " Civil Records for Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts"

Kezia PRESBURY

The following is a research report by Andrew Pierce:

Robert S. Wakefield's Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Family of Richard Warren(1999) offers the most up-to-date analysis of Keziah(Presbury?) Freeman, who was born in 1687/88(according to age on death record?), was named as a granddaughter of Stephen Skiffe of Sandwich in his will, dated 1701 (Wakefield's sketch does not say whether a surname is given for her in the will). She married Edmond Freeman at Sandwich in 1706; a codicil to Stephen Skiffe's will in 1708 noted that Keziah 'was given her things upon marriage.'

It is apparent from the analysis that Keziah was not a daughter of Stephen Presbury, either by his wife Deborah Skiffe(daughter of Stephen)or by a theoretical first wife. Assuming that the age on his tombstone is correct(d.1730 at 58), he was born ca.1672, and was not necessarily the same Stephen Presbury who witnessed a deed at Kittery, Maine in 1686. We know that he married Deborah Skiffe by 1694, when their daughter Mary was born. They had seven daughters and one son, all of whom(or whose issue)are mentioned in Stephen Presbury's will, and they do not include Keziah.

Banks' only reason for giving Stephen Presbury of the Vineyard a birth date of 'ca.1666' is the 1686 Maine deed, and I maintain there is no evidence that the two Stephens were identical. I have found old Yankee New England gravestone dates to be largely accurate, and there is no reason to believe that Stephen Presbury was not born ca.1672 and married a woman four years older. Banks' statement that he was 'probably older than his wife' is, in this context, entirely without foundation.

My eight-year research into the Native American history of Martha's Vineyard(to be published by GPC in about two years) noticed several flimsy conjectures, and some outright mistakes, made by Banks in sketching both white and Native families, and these have also been noticed by other Vineyard historians & genealogists such as Katherine (Kay) Mayhew of the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society.

Unless there is something I missed, I do not think there is any evidence at all that Keziah WAS a Presbury. This is only stated, without any corroborating evidence, in the 1875 Freeman Genealogy, in which many other conjectures seem to be made based upon hearsay. There is no marriage for Edmund & Keziah in any VRs, and the marriage date of ca.1706 is apparently only based on the birth date of their eldest child, 1708 in Sandwich.

All we know for certain(and even that is not ironclad, looking at Wakefield's sketch) is that Keziah(last name uncertain), born ca.1688, was a granddaughter of Stephen & Lydia (Snow) Skiffe of Sandwich. She may have been born out of wedlock to one of their daughters(so further records of those daughters might be searched down), and not necessarily by Deborah, or by any of the daughters known to exist, either; a daughter or even a son might have died before Stephen Skiffe made his will in 1701, leaving Keziah.

Scanning the long list of Edmond & Keziah's children, I notice they named eldest daughter Lydia, a son Stephen, a son Skeffe, and a daughter Deborah, all names found in the Skiffe family. There are no children named Keturah, Dorcas, Drusilla or Content, all unusual names found among Stephen & Deborah (Skiffe) Presburys' children. It would seem that if Keziah had belonged to the Presburys and been raised by them on the Vineyard, she would have given some of her fourteen children the names of these putative half-sisters. This is obviously not hard evidence either way, but should be considered circumstantial. My opinion is that Keziah was born and raised in Sandwich, never left there and was possibly not even Deborah's daughter, and certainly not Stephen Presbury's.

The above is an example of connections based on flimsy or non-existent evidence, which compounds itself through numerous repetitions in the IGI, published genealogies, etc. The good news is that since Keziah was almost certainly a granddaughter of Stephen & Lydia(Snow)Skiffe, she would have a proven Mayflower descent through Lydia.

Sincerely,
Andrew Pierce


Archibald F. Bennett, Saviors on Mount Zion, p.118 Returning to the search and a wise use of the card catalog, reveals the names and families of thirty-one progenitors of Elijah Freeman on a dozen different lines. On each line there is a printed genealogy. Also printed vital records of the various towns where these families live give elusive connections not found by the family genealogists. By judicious use of these last records Kezia Presbury, paternal grandmother of Elijah Freeman, is traced back to her 2nd great-grandfather, Richard Warren, who came in 1620 as one of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, the 5th great, grandfather of Olive Hovey Freeman Farr!



From:       "Marilyn Roth"
To:          "Tim Farr"
Date:        10/3/00 11:18AM
Subject:
Re: Stephen Skiff

Dear Tim, Welcome to the group of frustrated descendants of Keziah! The will information is from the will itself of Stephen Skiff I have a Xerox of it from Barnstable County. The pages are 137-139, but they did not send the book number. I could Xerox the Xerox if you want to pay for copies and postage, but I can assure you that there is no surname for Keziah.

I also have a Xerox of the will of Stephen Presbury, 6 Apr. 1730, 1 July 1730, Edgartown, Dukes Co., MA, 2:56-57. To granddaughter Moriah PRESBURY, only surviving child of son John, decd. To wf. Deborah. Remainder to my seven daughters or their heirs: heirs of dau. Mary, deed.; daus. Katurah; Dorcus; Abigail; Drusilla; and youngest daughters Content and Sarah. [The will is comparatively easy to read, and it is definitely Katurah, not Keziah. It also says "my seven daughters."]

I have contacted lots of people about this. R. A. Lovell, the Sandwich genealogist, thinks that Kezia was dau/o Stephen PRESBURY but not of Deborah. However, that does not make sense at all considering the two wills.

I contacted the Mayflower Society. The latest answer said that "Keziah who married Edmund Freeman is undoubtedly the granddaughter of Stephen Skiff,' but they do not accept the lineage.

Bob Henderson, 62 Summer Ave., Reading, MA 01867, answered my query in Nexus in 1991. He agrees that Keziah had to have been born Ca. 1688-90, which is before the marriage of Stephen PRESBURY and Deborah SKIFF. He asks why Stephen SKIFF was providing such a generous gift to granddaughter Keziah if her father were living and she had seven sisters. [A cow was worth more than a house to most people at that time.]

Have you analyzed the named of Keziah's children? She had Lydia (for Lydia SNOW), Stephen (Stephen SKIFF), Deborah (Deborah SKIFF); Abigail (for Abigail WARREN).

My conclusion is that Keziah must have been an illegitimate daughter of Deborah SKIFF, and she had probably been living with and caring for her grandparents. The only other alternative that makes sense is that Deborah had a prior marriage, but I haven't found any evidence of that.

Do you have any additional thoughts on the matter? Have you done any
research on the wife of the preceding Edmund FREEMAN, Sarah __

Sincerely, Marilyn Roth

Edmund FREEMAN

Birth Source: FHL Number 775836+ " Civil Records for Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts"
Sources: Tolland and Winham Counties, Connecticut- Biographies - 1903; Freeman Genealogy in Three Parts by Frederick Freeman; Sandwich MA Vital Records; Mansfield CT vital records

Thomas FREEMAN

Birth Source: FHL Number 775836+ " Civil Records for Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts"
Sources: Tolland and Winham Counties, Connecticut- Biographies - 1903; Freeman Genealogy in Three Parts by Frederick Freeman; Sandwich MA Vital Records; Mansfield CT vital records

Margaret FREEMAN

Sources: Tolland and Winham Counties, Connecticut- Biographies - 1903; Freeman Genealogy in Three Parts by Frederick Freeman; Sandwich MA Vital Records; Mansfield CT vital records

Prince FREEMAN

Birth Source: FHL Number 775836+ " Civil Records for Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts"
3rd wife Rebackah Johnson daugter of William Johnson of mansfield.

Source for marriages and children: Original Vital records of Mansfield, Tolland, CT. page 221
Sources: Tolland and Winham Counties, Connecticut- Biographies - 1903; Freeman Genealogy in Three Parts by Frederick Freeman; Sandwich MA Vital Records; Mansfield CT vital records

Ruth HALL

Daughter of Thootluius Hall. Source: Original vital records of Mansfield CT.

Prince FREEMAN

Birth Source: FHL Number 775836+ " Civil Records for Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts"
3rd wife Rebackah Johnson daugter of William Johnson of mansfield.

Source for marriages and children: Original Vital records of Mansfield, Tolland, CT. page 221
Sources: Tolland and Winham Counties, Connecticut- Biographies - 1903; Freeman Genealogy in Three Parts by Frederick Freeman; Sandwich MA Vital Records; Mansfield CT vital records

Elizabeth STETSON

daughter of deacon Samuel Stetson of Mansfield CT. Source: Original vital records of Mansfield CT.