Best of the Genea-Blogs - 25 to 31 January 2015

Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.

My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for daily blog prompts or meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week:

*  Setting Genealogy Goals With Blogging Buddy Amy Coffin by Denise Levenick on The Family Curator blog.  Denise and Amy carry on their tradition of setting reasonable goals for the next year.

*  SLIG 2015 - Part I by Susan Olsen LeBlanc on the Gopher Genealogy blog.  Susan describes her SLIG 2015 experiences.

*  All Packed for the Combined FGS and RootsTech Conferences?  by Paula Stuart-Warren on the Genealogy by Paula blog.  Um, not yet, still two weeks to go.  Thanks for asking, though!  Paula has excellent tips for this.

*  FamilySearch Releases 570 Million New Hints Between Family Tree and Records by Robert Kehrer on the FamilySearch Blog.  Excellent news, I wodner if they found anything on thomas Newton?

*  Following a Shiny Star Into a Genealogy Black Hole by Sierra Pope on the Up In the Tree blog.  I do this all the time but don't have this much success!  Great find, Sierra!

*  Census Assumptions: A Tale of a Genealogy Near-Mistake by Diane Haddad on the Genealogy Insider blog.  Diane recovered nicely.

*  Smash and Grab Genealogy, or Deciding Whether to Post an Online Tree by Debbie Mieszala on The Advancing Genealogist blog.  Debbie ponders why se should (or not) post an online tree, at least for DNA matches.

*  Learning About Genetic Genealogy, Part 1 by Shelley Bishop on the A Sense of Family blog.  Shelley shares her experiences at SLIG in the "Getting Started in Genetic Genealogy" class.

*  Read How a Family History Fib Spread in 1889, and is Still Spreading Today by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on the Nutfield Genealogy blog.  This happened before the Internet...

*  A Supreme Irony by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist blog.  Judy demonstrates how even Supreme Court cases can have a genealogical interest.

*  Case Study - the Origins of Jan Dirkse van Eps by Yvette Hoitink on the Dutch Genealogy blog.  Yvette studies my ancestor (but I wasn't the client).  Excellent work!

*  The 4 Family Stories You Must Save For Your Children by Karen Hanna on the FamilySearch Blog.  I wish I had a better answer for these four topics.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week:

*  GAGs - GeniAus Gems - 30 January 2015 by Jill Ball on the GeniAus blog.

*  Recommended Reads by Linda Stufflebean on the Empty Branches on the Family Tree blog.

*  Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for January 30, 2015 by Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog.  

*  Friday's Finds -- 01/30/15 by Julie Cahill Tarr on Julie's Genealogy & History Hub.

*  Friday Finds and Follows:  30 January 2015 by Miriam J. Robbins on the Ancestories: The Stories of My Ancestors blog.

*  Blog Posts and News Stories for Genealogists, January 30, 2015 by Michael J. Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog.

*  This Week's Creme de la Creme - January 31, 2015 by Gail Dever on the Genealogy a la Carte blog.

*  Saturday Serendipity (January 31, 2015) by John D. Tew on the Filiopietism Prism blog.

Readers are encouraged to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add their blogs to your Favorites, Feedly, another RSS feed, or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I am currently reading posts from over 1550 genealogy bloggers using Feedly, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/02/best-of-genea-blogs-25-to-31-january.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - BSGO (Bright Shiny Genealogy Objects)

It's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun! 

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1) Do your research activities get sidetracked by Bright Shiny Genealogy Objects (BGSO?)  You know, an email, a record that pops up about an ancestor, something that you just have to look at?

2)  Provide an example of a recent BSGO and what you did with it.  How much time did you spend on it?  Was it worthwhile?

3)  How do you deal with them?  Do you always follow them, or do you pick and choose, or do you have the discipline to put it aside and finish what you planned to do?

4)  Share your responses in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a post on Facebook or Google+.

Here's mine:

I received an email this morning from Billion Graves, which sends me notices when a record for one of my selected surnames is added to their system.  This morning it was Frank G. Seaver (1866-1915), buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego.

I saved it, and when I had completed the tasks I had planned to do, and had two free hours before dinner to do something useful, I opened up my database to see what I knew about Frank G. Seaver (1866-1915).  Note:  I have a fairly large Seaver surname database and am trying to add as many Seaver persons to it as possible so it can help other researchers.

I found that this Frank G. Seaver was not in my database.  Okay, a challenge!  Was he married and who was his spouse?  Who were his children?  Who were his parents?  Who were his siblings?  They are all Seaver persons and need to be in my database.

Using online resources on Ancestry.com and GenealogyBank, I managed to piece together three generations of this family (creating a RootsMagic descendant report):

1.  Frank Severe was born about 1827 in Canada. He appeared in the census on 1 June 1870 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.  He married Zoa before 1860, probably in Canada.

Zoa was born about 1836 in Canada. She appeared in the census on 1 June 1870 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.

Frank Severe and Zoa  had the following children:

2 i. Josephine Severe was born about 1860 in Canada. She appeared in the census on 1 June 1870 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.
+3 ii. Frank G. Seaver, born December 1866, Illinois, United States; married Olive E. Scott, 1890, probably Iowa, United States; died 26 April 1915, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.
4 iii. Eddie Severe was born about 1868 in Illinois, United States. He appeared in the census on 1 June 1870 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.

3.  Frank G. Seaver (Frank-1) was born in December 1866 in Illinois, United States. He appeared in the census on 1 June 1870 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. He appeared in the census on 1 June 1900 in Lyon, Lyon, Iowa, United States. Frank appeared in the census on 1 April 1910 in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. He died on 26 April 1915 at the age of 48 in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. He was buried after 26 April 1915 at Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.

Frank G. Seaver and Olive E. Scott were married in about 1890 in probably Iowa, United States. 

Olive E. Scott was born on 7 July 1873 in Iowa, United States. She appeared in the census on 1 June 1900 in Lyon, Lyon, Iowa, United States. She appeared in the census on 1 April 1910 in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. Olive appeared in the census on 1 January 1920 in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. She died on 25 January 1943 at the age of 69 in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.

Frank G. Seaver and Olive E. Scott had the following children:

+5 i. Lois M. Seaver, born 30 July 1899, Iowa, United States; married Conrad Arnholt Smith, 9 December 1922, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States; died 20 September 1981, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego, California, United States.

+6 ii. Dorothea Elizabeth Seaver, born 9 December 1900, Minnehaha, South Dakota, United States; married Malcolm Edgerton Selby, about 1925, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States; died 18 October 1963, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.

I have source citations for most of the events noted above.  I couldn't find any record of Frank Severe (or other spelling variations) in Canadian census records, or in U.S. census records.  I couldn't find a trace of Josephine or Eddie Seaver after the 1870 census.  There were no online family trees (AMT, worldConnect, MyHeritage, FS Family Tree) for the parents, Frank and Zoa Seaver.  One newspaper article on Frank's death said his mother was still alive in 1915 but I couldn't find her.  

I found quite a bit on Frank and Olive (Scott) Seaver in records and newspaper articles (since they settled in San Diego).  I have children and grandchildren of both of the daughters also, but haven't included them herein.  One of the neat things about this family line is the husband of Frank's daughter, Lois Seaver - he was a well-known San Diego banker, and the first owner of the San Diego Padres major league baseball team.  I didn't know that he married a Seaver girl!

I spent about two hours tracking down the details of this BSGO.  It was definitely worth it - I added another family line to the database, with source citations.  This was genealogy fun.  It would have been more genealogy fun if I'd been able to hook this line into another Seaver line.

There are times, usually when I'm really bored and not under deadline pressure, when I go off on the rabbit trail due to the BSGO.  Other times, like today, I finished up the deadline stuff and leaped onto the BSGO - kind of a reward to have genealogy fun after completing the planned tasks for the day.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/01/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-bsgo.html

copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Surname Saturday -- LAWRENCE (England to colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  

I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1085 who is  Judith LAWRENCE (1660-1713) [Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations in this LAWRENCE family line is:

1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)

16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)

32. Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)
33. Abigail Gates (1797-1869)

66.  Nathan Gates (1767-1830)
67.  Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855)

134.  Jeremiah Knowlton (1745-1785)
135.  Abigail Pierce (1750-1776)

270.  Samuel Pierce (1712-1772)
271.  Abigail Stearns (1715-1798)

542.  George Stearns (1690-1760)
543.  Hannah Sanderson (1689-1770)

1084.  John Stearns, born 24 January 1657 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 22 February 1722 in Lexington, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2168. Charles Stearns and 2169. Rebecca Gibson.  He married about 1681 in probably Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
1085.  Judith Lawrence, born 12 May 1660 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died before 02 April 1713 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  

Children of John Stearns and Judith Lawrence are:
*  Rebecca Stearns (1683-????).
*  Judith Stearns (1684-????)
*  Sarah Stearns (1686-????), married 1721 Joshua Child (1682-1734)
*  George Stearns (1688-1760), married 1712 Hannah Sanderson (1689-1770)
*  Benjamin Stearns (1690-????), married 1721 Hepzibah Hastings.
*  John Stearns (1692-????), married 1715 Deliverance Bigelow (1695-1762).
*  Abigail Stearns (1694-????)
*  Thomas Stearns (1696-1772), married 1729 Mary Jennison (1708-1784).
*  Daniel Stearns (1697-????)
*  Isaac Stearns (1698-????), married 1725 Mehitable Frost (1697-????)
*  Mary Stearns (1699-????)
*  Elizabeth Stearns (1700-????)
*  Charles Stearns (1702-????).

2170.  George Lawrence, born 1637 probably in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 21 March 1709 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married 29 September 1657 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
2171.  Elizabeth Crispe, born 08 January 1637 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 28 May 1681 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 4342. Benjamin Crispe and 4343. Bridget.

Children of George Lawrence and Elizabeth Crispe are:
*  Elizabeth Lawrence (1659-????), married 1681 Thomas Whitney (1656-????).
*  Judith Lawrence (1660-1713), married 1681 John Stearns (1657-1722)
*  Hannah Lawrence (1662-1707), married 1680 Obadiah Sawtell (1648-1741).
*  John Lawrence (1664-1674).
*  Benjamin Lawrence (1666-1733), married (1) 1689 Mary Clough (1669-1695); (2) 1696 Anna (1668-1716); (3) 1716 Anna Coolidge (1671-1718); (4) 1719 Elizabeth Bennett (1663-1738).
*  Daniel Lawrence (1666-1743), married (1) 1689 Sarah Counts (1670-1694); (2) 1695 Hannah Mason (1665-1721); (3) 1722 Maud Russell (1676-????).
*  George Lawrence (1668-1736), married 1696 Mary Hemenway (1674-1741).
*  Sarah Lawrence (1671-????), married 1691 Thomas Rider (1670-????).
*  Mary Lawrence (1671-????), married (1) 1689 John Earle (1667-1704); (2) 1704 Michael Flagg (1651-1711).
* Martha Lawrence (1680-1708), married 1697 John Dix (1672-1726).
*  Grace Lawrence (1680-1758), married 1698 John Edes (1680-1721).

Information about this Lawrence family was obtained from:

*  Henry Bond, M.D., Family Memorials: Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts (Boston, Mass. : Little, Brown & Co., 1855) 

*  Emily W. Leavitt, "Descendants of George Lawrence," New England Historic Genealogical Register, volume 46, number 2 (April 1892), page 149.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/01/surname-saturday-lawrence-england-to.html

copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

NEW or Updated Databases on Ancestry.com - Week of 24-30 January 2015

The following databases were added or updated on Ancestry.com during the period from 24 to 30 January 2015 (Note: not all new or updated databases are indexed or have images).

*  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Welsh Society of Philadelphia Charity to Immigrants, 1798-1883; indexed database with images, ADDED 1/29/2015

*  Web: Iceland Census, 1890; indexed database, no images, ADDED 1/29/2015

*  Web: Iceland Census, 1880; indexed database, no images,  ADDED 1/29/2015

*  Web: Iceland Census, 1870; indexed database, no images, ADDED 1/29/2015

*  U.S., Northern Pacific Railway Company Personnel Files, 1890-1960;  indexed database, with images, Updated 1/28/2015

*  Georgia, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1904-1964;  indexed database, with images, Updated 1/27/2015

*  Oregon, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1888-1963;  indexed database, with images, Updated 1/27/2015

*  Upper Austria, Austria, Catholic Church Records, 1772-1853 (in German);  indexed database, no images, Updated 1/27/2015

*  Alabama, Passenger Lists, 1904-1962;  indexed database, no images, ADDED 1/26/2015

*  Indiana, Passenger and Crew Manifests, 1957-1960;  indexed database, with images, ADDED 1/26/2015

*  Colorado, Passenger and Crew Manifests, 1959-1960; indexed database, with images, ADDED 1/26/2015

*  Registers of Patients at Naval Hospitals, 1812 - 1934;  indexed database, with images, ADDED 1/26/2015

*  Spain, Diocese of Lugo, Catholic Parish Records, 1550-1930 (in Spanish);  indexed database, with images, Updated 1/26/2015


*  North Carolina, Divorce Index, 1958-2004;  indexed database, with images, Updated 1/26/2015

The recently added or updated page on Ancestry.com is  at  http://www.ancestry.com/cs/reccol/default.

The complete Ancestry.com Card Catalog is at  http://search.ancestry.com/search/CardCatalog.aspx.  There are 32,565 databases available as of 30 January, an increase of 9 over last week. 

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/01/new-or-updated-databases-on-ancestrycom_30.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 57: #64, Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)

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.  I am extending this theme in 2015 to 104 Ancestors in 104 Weeks. Here is my ancestor biography for week #57:

Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)  is #64 on my Ahnentafel list, my 4th great-grandfather. He married in 1783  to #65 Martha Whitney (1764-1832) .

I am descended through:

*  their son, #32 Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825), who married  #33 Abigail Gates (1797-1867) in 1817.
*  their son, #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901), who married #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884) in 1852.

*  their son, #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who married #9 Hattie Louise Hildreth (1847-1920) in 1874. 

*  their son, #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), who married 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-....)

 =====================================================

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

*  Name:                               Benjamin Seaver [1–12]    
*  Alternate Name:               Benjamin Sever [8,14–15,19–22,24–25]
*  Sex:                                  Male   

*  Father:                              Captain Norman Seaver (1734-1787)   
*  Mother:                             Sarah Read (1736-1809)   
  
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                                21 April 1757, Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[13–14]   
*  Christened:                      24 April 1757 (age 0), Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
*  Military Service:             13 May 1775 (age 18), enlisted in Col. Asa Whitcomb's 23rd Regiment; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[15]    
*  Miscellaneous:                1787–1810 (about age 30–about 53), Children born to Benjamin and Martha Seaver; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[16]   
*  Census:                           1 June 1790 (age 33), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[1]
*  Estate Distribution:         3 January 1792 (age 34), distribution of father's estate; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[17]
*  Deed:                              13 December 1793 (age 36), bought 1 acre in Westminster from Asa Taylor; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[18]   
*  Deed:                              1 January 1794 (age 36), bought 40 acres of land in Westminster (part of the 3rd division lot 67), from David Barnard; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[19]   
*  Deed:                             16 January 1795 (age 37), bought 12 and a half acres in Westminster from Zachariah Rand; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[8]   
*  Deed:                             5 January 1796 (age 38), sold 1/4 acre of land in the northerly part of Westminster to Zebina Spaulding; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[2]   
*  Tax List:                        1798 (about age 41), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[20]
*  Deed:                            4 March 1800 (age 42), bought 60 acres of upland in the northerly part of Westminster, being half of the farm, from Ephraim Wetherbee for $77.50; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[3]   
*  Census:                         1 June 1800 (age 43), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[21]
*  Deed:                           14 April 1801 (age 43), agreement to buy 62 acres in the northerly part of Westminster from Ephraim Wetherbee; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[4]   
*  Deed:                           11 January 1802 (age 44), bought 34 acres, being part of lots 41 and 42 in Westminster, from Farwell Jones for $700; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[5]
*  Deed:                           3 March 1806 (age 48), Bought part of lots 41 and 42 in Westminster from Jarvis Pierce; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[6]    
*  Census :                       1 June 1810 (age 53), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[7]
*  Deed:                          28 November 1811 (age 54), bought one and a half acres in the Beech Hill part of Westminster from Josiah Kendall; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[8]    
*  Deed:                          3 December 1814 (age 57), bought 49 acres of land in Hubbardston, part of the great farm number 7, from Luke Church; Hubbardston, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[9]   
*  Deed:                          22 January 1815 (age 57), sold 26 acres and 56 rods of the lot in Hubbardston to Sewell Barnes; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[22]
*  Death:                        24 June 1816 (age 59), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[10]
*  Burial:                        after 24 June 1816 (after age 59), Woodside Cemetery, Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[11,23]
*  Estate Administration: 16 July 1816 (age 59), Letter of administration to Martha Seaver; Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[12]    
  
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:                    Martha Whitney (1764-1832)   
*  Marriage:                    19 August 1783 (age 26), Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[25-27]

*  Child 1:                       Achsah Whitney Seaver (1784-1865)   
*  Child 2:                       Abigail Seaver (1786-1817)   
*  Child 3:                       Job Whitney Seaver (1789-1868)   
*  Child 4:                       Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)   
*  Child 5:                       Susannah Whitney Seaver (1794-1879)   
*  Child 6:                       Martha Seaver (1797-1837)   
*  Child 7:                       Silas Whitney Seaver (1799-    )   
*  Child 8:                       Isaac Seaver (1802-1870)   
*  Child 9:                       Rozilla Seaver (1806-1825)   
*  Child 10:                     Mary Jane Seaver (1812-1892)   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

The birth record for Benjamin Sever in the Sudbury, Massachusetts town records says[13,14]:

"Benjamin Sever son of Norman Sever & Sarah his wife was born April 21st 1757"

Benjamin Seaver served in the Revolutionary War[15].  He was a private in Captain Edmund Bemis's company in Colonel Asa Whitcomb's 23rd Regiment, enlisting May 13, 1775, and was on the muster roll dated August 1, 1775 (service 2 months, 24 days).  He was a Corporal on a company receipt for wages for August 1775, dated Camp at Prospect Hill.  He was a Private on the company return (probably October 1775), and on a receipt for a bounty coat dated Westminster, November 20, 1775.

In a separate listing, Benjamin Sever of Sudbury was on the list of men raised agreeable for six months service to the resolve of June 5, 1780, returned as received of Major Joseph Hosmer, Superintendent for Middlesex County by Justin Ely, Commissioner, dated 8 July 1780 in Springfield by Brigadier General John Glover.  He is described as age 23 years, stature 6 feet, light complexion.  He was engaged for the town of Sudbury and marched to camp on 8 July 1780 under command of Ebenezer Kent, Esquire.  He was also a Private in Captain Joseph Fox's Third company, 16th Massachusetts Regiment.  He was on the pay roll for June and July, 1780 for 24 days of service. He was also on the list of men raised for the six months service and returned by Brigadier General Paterson as having passed muster in a return dated Camp Totoway on October 25, 1780.

The marriage record in the Westminster town records says[27]:

August 19              This day Benjamin Sever                  both of
1783                       and Martha Whitney                      Westminster

He settled on his father's homestead in Westminster in 1787, having been granted two-thirds of the real property and a double portion of personal property (as the eldest son)  in his father's estate in 1792[17].

The list of children born to Benjamin and Martha Seaver in Westminster, Mass. is[16]:

Benjamin Seaver and Marthy his Wife Family Records
December 30th 1784          Achsa Whitney Seaver Born
December 2d 1786             Abigail Seaver Born
May 1^t 1789                     Job Seaver Born
November 15th 1791         Benjamin Seaver Born
July 27th 1794                   Susanna ^Whitney Seaver Born
Febr^y ye 10th 1797          Martha Seaver Born
Nov^r 24^th 1799              Silas Whitney Seaver Born
Dec^r 20^th 1802               Isaac Seaver Born
March 16^th 1806              Rozilla Seaver Born & Died Sept 18 1825
April 14^th 1812                Mary Jane Seaver Born

The Benjamin Seaver family was enumerated in Westminster in the 1790 U.S. census with[1]:

*  1 free white male of 16 years and upwards
*  1 free white male under 16 years
*  3 free white females

He bought 1 acre in Westminster from Asa Taylor for 3 pounds on 13 December 1793[18].

Benjamin Sever, yeoman of Westminster, bought 40 acres of land in Westminster (part of the 3rd division lot 67), from David Barnard, gentleman of Acton, on 1 January 1794 for 66 pounds[19].

He bought 12 and a half acres in Westminster from Zachariah Rand of Westminster on 16 January 1795 for 50 pounds[8].

Bernjamin Seaver, yeoman of Westminster, sold 1/4 acre of land in the northerly part of Westminster to Zebina Spaulding, cordwainer of Westminster, for $5 on 5 January 1796[2].

In the 1798 Direct Tax list for Massachusetts and Maine, Benjamin Sever resided in Westminster and had[20]:

*  Occupants or possessors:  Benjamin Sever
*  Reputed owners:  Benjn Sever
*  157 acres and 120 perches of land
*  Valuation of $1014

He and Joseph Spaulding of Westminster bought 60 acres of upland in the northerly part of Westminster, being half of the farm, from Ephraim Wetherbee of Westminster for $77.50 on 4 March 1800.[3]  The land was bounded by Alpheus Whitney, Lincoln, Lind and Kendall.

In the 1800 U.S. census, Benjamin Sever was enumerated in Westminster, Worcester County, Massachusetts[21].  The household included:

*  2 males under age 10
*  1 male aged 10 to 16
*  1 male aged 26-45

*  2 females under age 10
*  2 females aged 10 to 16
*  1 female aged 26-45
*  1 female over age 45

Benjamin Seaver and Joseph Spaulding agreed to buy 62 acres in the northerly part of Westminster from Ephraim Wetherbee, unless Ephraim Wetherbee or his heirs paid $43.34 in one year from 1 January 1800; on 14 April 1801, Benjamin Seaver and Joseph Spaulding declared that they received $43.34 and were held harmless[4].

Farwell Jones, trader of Westminster, sold 34 acres, being part of lots 41 and 42 in Westminster, to Benjamin Seaver, yeoman of Westminster, on 11 January 1802 for $700[5].  The land was bounded by Benjamin Howard and the county road.

Jarvis Pierce, blacksmith of Westminster, and his wife Rhoda, sold part of lots 41 and 42 in Westminster to Benjamin Seaver, farmer of Westminster, on 3 March 1806 for $700[6].

In the 1810 U.S. Census, Benjamin Seaver was enumerated in Westminster, Worcester County, Massachusetts[7].  The household included:

*  1 male under age 10
*  1 male aged 10 to 16
*  2 males aged 16 to 26
*  1 male over age 45

*  1 female under age 10
*  1 female aged 10 to 16
*  1 female aged 16 to 26
*  1 female over age 45

Josiah Kendall of Sterling sold one and a half acres in the Beech Hill part of Westminster to Benjamin Seaver on 28 November 1811 for $30[8].

Luke Church of Hubbardston sold 49 acres of land in Hubbardston, part of the great farm number 7, to Benjamin Seaver, yeoman of Westminster, on 3 December 1814 for $246[9].

Benjamin Sever, yeoman of Westminster, sold 26 acres and 56 rods of the lot in Hubbardston to Sewell Barnes, cooper of Westminster, on 22 January 1815 for $123[22].  This was the southeasterly half of the great farm number 7 he bought from Luke Church.

Benjamin Seaver died in Westminster, worcester County, Massachusetts.  His death record in the Westminster vital records book says[10]:

SEAVER, Benjamin, June 24, 1816, a. 59. Revolutionary War soldier G.S. I

The estate of Benjamin Seaver is in Worcester County Probate Records, Probate Packet 52,865.  His widow, Martha, was appointed administratrix on 16 July 1816[12].  Bond for $1,000 was granted to William Penniman and Merari Spaulding, sureties on the same date .  A warrant of appraisal was also provided on that date.  On 1 October 1816, the inventory was appraised to be Real estate $4,626, and personal property of $1,082.70.

The inventory of the real estate included:

*         the Home farm of 194 acres 38 rods                        $ 2,321
*         the Stearns farm of 86 acres and 75 rods                 $ 1,515
*         the Willington pasture of 63 acres 22 rods               $   660
*         the Hubbardston lot of 26 acres and 56 rods           $   100
*         the Pew in meeting house                                         $     30

A petition for partition of the estate was received on 9 April 1817. A warrant was issued to William Penniman, Merari Spaulding and Horatio G. Buttrick, who filed their report, which was allowed on May 22, 181.  The real estate was apprised at $4,560, and partitioned 1/3 to the widow ($1,520), and 1/10 shares to each child ($304) of the remaining 2/3, divided as follows:

*  Widow Martha Sever received 72 acres of the Stearns lot, 26 acres of the Willington pasture, plus portions of the home lot for her use for a year, and the meeting house pew.

*  Eldest son Job Sever received the remaining 13 acres of the Stearns farm, the Hubbardston lot, and he paying to his sisters Achsah Mosman $15 and Susannah Seaver $40.

*  Son Benjamin Sever and daughter Abigail Fairbanks received 51 acres and 132 rods of the home farm, and equally paying the minor children $28 each.

*  Daughter Achsah Mosman received 38 acres of the home farm plus $15 from Job Sever.

*  Daughter Susannah Sever received 34 acres and 134 rods of the Willington pasture plus $40 from Job Sever.

*  Minor children Martha, Silas, Isaac, Rozilla and Mary Jane Sever received 104 acres of the home farm with all the buildings thereon, and to receive from brother Benjamin Seaver and Jabez Fairbank $14 each.

The partition was agreed to and signed by Martha Seaver, Job Seaver, Benjamin Seaver, Achsah Mosman, Jabez Fairbank, Susanna Sever and Heman Ray (as guardian of Martha, Silas, Isaac, Rozilla and Mary Jane Sever).

Martha Seaver filed her account on 2 December 1817 with a balance of $43.26, which was allowed and awarded to her on 6 January 1818.

Heman Ray of Westminster was appointed guardian of children Martha, Silas, Isaac, Rozilla, and Mary Jane Sever.  Heman Ray sold at auction the land in Westminster which was the minor children's portion to be used to secure the children for their benefit.  Ethan Sever of Gardner was the highest bidder, but he refused to take the deed and give security.  Heman Ray bargained with Benjamin Seaver, brother of the children, who agreed to buy the land for $1,480 on 14 January 1818.  A similar bargain was struck for $32 for the one and a half acre parcel purchased by Benjamin Seaver from Josiah Kendall, with Samuel Whitney being the highest bidder and refusing to take the deed and give security, dated 14 January 1818.

Job Sever received the Hubbardston lot as part of his legacy, and sold the 26 acres and 56 rods to his mother, Martha Sever, on 24 February 1819 for $550.

Martha Sever, widow woman of Westminster, sold the 26 acres and 56 rods of land in Hubbardston (part of Great Farm No. 7)  to Artemas Baker, yeoman of Hubbardston, on 3 January 1823 for $150.

Benjamin Seaver is buried in Plot 641 of Woodside Cemetery in Westminster[11,23].  The stone says he died 20 June 1816, age 59.  His wife, Martha is also buried in the plot.
 
5)  SOURCES

1. 1790 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Westminster: Page 663, Benjamin Seaver household; online image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M637, Roll 4.

2. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 130, Page 303, recorded 13 March 1798, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,844,348.

3. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 139, Page 566, recorded 9 April 1800, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,844,352.

4. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 141, Page 517, recorded 25 September 1800, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,844,353.

5. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 154, Page 626, recorded 8 June 1804, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,844,360.

6. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 203, Page 362, recorded 10 May 1817,on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,600.

7. 1810 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Westminster: Page 764, Benjn Seaver household; online image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M292, Roll 22.

8. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 203, Page 364, recorded 10 May 1817, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,600.

9. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 203, Page 363, recorded 3 December 1814, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,600.

10. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Worcester, Mass.: F.P. Rice, 1908), Deaths, page 247: Benjamin Seaver entry.

11. Jim Tipton, indexed database, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), Woodside Cemetery (Westminster, Mass.), Benjamin Seaver memorial.

12. "Worcester County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records" (Worcester County Probate Courthouse, Worcester, Mass.), Probate Packet #52,865, Benjamin Sever (1816) estate (also in Volume 202, page 253, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,860,638), letter of administration.

13. Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts to the year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1903), Births, page 130, Benjamin Sever entry.

14. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1627-2001," digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), Middlesex County, Sudbury, "Births, marriages, deaths, 1663-1829, Vol. 4," page 120 (penned), image 65 of 142, Benjamin Sever birth entry, 1757.

15. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (Boston, Mass. : 1905),  Volume XIII, page 1002, Benjamin Sever entry.

16. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), "Westminster Births, Marriages and Deaths,"  page 38 (penned, image 116 of 1195), Family of Benjamin and Marthy Seaver, 1784-1812.

17. "Worcester County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records", Volume 24, Page 358, Norman Seaver estate, accessed on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,856,314.

18. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 203, Page 366, recorded 10 May 1817, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,600.

19. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 203, Page 361, recorded 10 May 1817, on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,600.

20. "Massachusetts and Maine 1798 Direct Tax," indexed database and digital image, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org), Volume 14, page 296, Benjamin Sever entry.

21. 1800 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Westminster: Page 451, Benjn Sever household; online image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M32, Roll 16.

22. Worcester County, Mass. Registrar of  Deeds, "Worcester County (Mass.) Deeds (1722-1866) and Index to Deeds (1731-1889)", Volume 199, Page 167, recorded 21 September 1815,  on FHL Microfilm US/CAN 0,845,598.

23. Woodside Cemetery (Westminster, Massachusetts), Grave Markers, Benjamin Seaver monument.

24. Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts to the year 1850, Births, page 130, Benjamin Seaver entry.

25. Massachusetts, Town Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com, "Westminster Births, marriages and deaths," page 3 (penned), image 490, Marriage of Benjamin Sever and Marthy Whitney, 19 Aug 1783.

26. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Leominster, Massachusetts to the year 1849 (Worcester, Mass. : Franklin P. Rice, 1911), Marriages, page 255: Benjamin Sever and Martha Whitney entry.

27. Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, Marriages, page 186: Benjamin Sever and Martha Whiting entry (in Leominster).

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Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver