Friday, June 20, 2014

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 25: #32, Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  Here is my ancestor biography for week #25:

Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) is #32 on my Ahnentafel List, and is my 3rd great-grandfather. He married Abigail Gates (1797-1867) in 1817.


I am descended through:

*  their son, #16, Isaac Seaver III (1823-1901), who married #17 Lucretia T. Smith (1828-1884) in 1851.
*  their son, #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who married #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920), in 1874.
*  their son, #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.* their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002), in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

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1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


*  Name:                     Benjamin Seaver [1–9]   
*  Alternate Name:       Benjamin Sever [12–15]
*  Sex:                        Male   
*  Father:                    Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)   
*  Mother:                   Martha Whitney (1764-1832)   
  
2) INDIVIDUAL FACTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Birth:                      15 November 1791, Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [1–2]
*  Military Service:      1812 (about age 21), Massachusetts, United States [10]
*  Heir:                       22 May 1817 (age 25), inherited part of father's estate; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [11]   
*  Deed:                      4 January 1818 (age 26), bought the one and a half acres his father had purchased from Josiah Kendal, for $32; Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [12]
*  Deed:                      4 January 1818 (age 26), bought the land in Westminster which was the whole of the real estate apportioned to his minor siblings Martha, Silas, Isaac, Rozilla, and Mary Jane Seaver; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [13]    
*  Census:                  1 June 1820 (age 28), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [3]
*  Deed:                     19 April 1823 (age 31), sold land in the northerly part of Westminster to Isaac Seaver for $780; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [4]
*  Deed:                     1 February 1825 (age 33), bought 15 acres and 22 rods of land in Westminster from Gilman Thurston and Moses Thurston for $300; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [5]
*  Death:                    25 May 1825 (age 33), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [6-7]
*  Burial:                    after 25 May 1825 (after age 33), Whitmanville Cemetery, Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [8]   
*  Probate:                 8 June 1825 (age 33), petition of administration filed by widow; Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [9]   
   
2) MARRIAGES AND CHILDREN (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Spouse 1:                Abigail Gates (1797-1867)   
*  Marriage 1:              2 March 1817 (age 25), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States [14–15]   

*  Child 1:                   Abigail Seaver (1817-1899)   
*  Child 2:                   Lucinda Seaver (1821-1899)   
*  Child 3:                   Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)   
*  Child 4:                   Benjamin Seaver (1825-1836)  

4) BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


 The birth record in the Westminster, Mass. Town Records, under "Benjamin Seaver and Marthy his wife family records" says:[1-2]

"November 15th 1791.  Benjamin Seaver Jun^r born " 

Benjamin Seaver lived his entire life in Westminster MA.  He apparently was a farmer or yeoman. His surname was spelled either Seaver or Sever.

He served during the War of 1812 in Captain Rice's company, Colonel Messenger's regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.[10]

The marriage record in the Westminster, Mass. Town Records says:[14-15]

"Feb^y 15 1817; Mr. Benjamin Sever and Miss Abigail Gates both of Westminster March 2;  published for marriage as the law directs."

Benjamin Seaver inherited a 1/10th portion of his father's estate in 1817.[11]  On 22 May 12817, he received 51 acres and 132 rods of the home farm, and agreed to pay each of the minor children (of his father) $28.

As Benjamin Sever, yeoman of Gardner, he bought, for $32, the one and a half acres his father had purchased from Josiah Kendal, dated 4 January 1818.[12]

He bought, for $1,480, the land in Westminster which was the whole of the real estate apportioned to his minor siblings Martha, Silas, Isaac, Rozilla, and Mary Jane Seaver, who were represented by their guardian, Heman Ray, dated 4 January 1818.[13]  In both of these transactions, the land was auctioned to the highest bidder with 30 days notice given in Westminster, Princeton and Worcester, but the highest bidder refused to take a deed or security, and the grantor bargained with the grantee and agreed to the price.

In the 1820 US Census, the Benjamin Seaver family resided in Westminster township, Worcester County, Massachusetts.[3] The household included one male aged 26-45, one female aged 0-10, and one female aged 16 to 26.

Benjamin Seaver, yeoman, with his wife Abigail signing, sold land in the northerly part of Westminster to his brother, Isaac Seaver for $780 on 19 April 1823.[4]  The land was bounded by land of Merari Spaulding, the heirs of Jabez Fairbanks, John Jackson, Asa Rand, Daniel Howe and Hannah Whitney 

On 1 February 1825, he bought 15 acres and 22 rods of land in Westminster from Gilman Thurston, yeoman of Westminster,  and Moses Thurston, yeoman of Cambridge VT, for $300.[5] The land was part of a farm lately owned by Benjamin Bigelow, and bounded by land of Benjamin Seaver deceased, the county road to Ashburnham, Asa Rand, Jonas Whitney and Nathan Merriam  
Benjamin Sever died in 1825, the Westminster, Mass. Town Records say:[6-7]

"Benjamin Sever, parent of the above family, died May 25th 1825 aged 33 years and 5 Months"

The gravestone inscription for Benjamin and Abigail Seaver in Whitmanville Cemetery in Westminster, Massachusetts says:[8]

"Benjamin Seaver
died
 May 25 1825
AE. 33
Abigail 
wife of
Isaac Seaver
formerly wife of
Benj. Seaver
died Jan. 4 1867
AE. 69."

Benjamin Seaver died intestate in 1825, and his probate papers are in Worcester County Probate Records, Probate Packet 52,866.[9]  Abigail Seaver petitioned the court to nominate John Jackson of Westminster as administrator of the estate on 8 June 1825, saying:

"The Petition of the Widow Abagail Seaver of Westminster in said County, humbley represents that her late Husband Benjamin Seaver of said Westminster is dead and that she is altogether unacquainted with doing business and besides she is left with four young children to take care of and that it will be impossible for her to administer upon said estate."

Bond of $10,000 was posted by Merari Spaulding and Daniel Howe, sureties.  An inventory was taken by Edward Kendall, Zebina Spaulding and Daniel Howe on 5 July 1825, showing Real estate of $1000 (the Home Farm with the buildings thereon) and Personal estate of $996.10.  A warrant was issued to Daniel Howe, Zebina Spaulding and Benjamin F. Wood to set out the widow's dower rights, and they were granted to Abigail Seaver on 4 October 1825.

On 23 March 1826, the estate was represented as insolvent, and a commission of Edward Kendall and Simeon Sanderson was formed.  A petition to sell the real estate to pay the debts was formed.  Upon the bond of John Jackson, an affidavit was filed for the sale.  An advertisement for the sale of the personal estate was printed 17 May 1827.  A list of bills and the account of Abigail Seaver of the articles she took at the appraisal and what were sold at private sale was presented.  John Jackson presented his account of the estate, which was allowed 17 May 1827, with a balance of $29.13 to be paid "to the Widow of said deceased to enable her to uphold life."

Abigail Seaver was appointed guardian of her four minor children on 1 April 1826 with Isaac Seaver, Nathan Wetherbee and Henry Collidge, Jr posting $5000 bond as sureties.  An inventory of the property belonging to the four children included 13 and a half acres of pasture and woodland and a cider mill and house, amounting to $30, filed 6 October 1827.

5)  SOURCES
 
1. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Westminster Births, Marriages and Deaths, Births, page 38 (penned), Image 116, Family of Benjamin and Marthy Seaver.

2. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Worcester, Mass.: F.P. Rice, 1908), Births, page 83: Benjamin Seaver entry.

3. 1820 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Westminster town, online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), Page 108, citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M33, Roll 54.

4. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 301, Page 153, recorded 28 June 1834, on US/CAN FHL Microfilm 0,848,968.

5. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 246, Page 43, recorded 5 July 1825, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,760.

6. Massachusetts, Town Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com, "Westminster Births, marriages and deaths", page 246 (penned), image 223, Family of Benjamin and Abigail Sever.

7. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, Deaths, page 247: Benjamin Seaver entry.

8. Whitmanville Cemetery (Westminster, Massachusetts), Grave Markers, Benjamin Seaver gravestone.

9. "Worcester County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records" (Worcester County Probate Courthouse, Worcester, Mass.),  Probate Packet 52,866, Benjamin Seaver (1825) estate, widow's petition for administration.

10. William S. Heywood,  History of Westminster, Mass. (first named Narragansett no. 2) (Lowell, Mass. : S.W. Huse & Co., 1893), Seaver family sketch.

11. Worcester County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records, 1731-1916, volume 48, page 493, Benjamin Seaver (died 1816) estate partition;  FHL microfilm FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,856,327).

12. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 246, page 48, recorded 5 July 1825, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,760.

13. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 246, Page 50, recorded 5 July 1825, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,760).

14. Massachusetts, Town Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com, "Westminster Births, Marriages and Deaths", page 299 (penned), image 379, Marriage of Benjamin Sever and Abigail Gates.

15. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, Marriages, page 186: Benjamin Sever and Abigail Gates entry.

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Copyright (c) 2014, Randal;l J. Seaver

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