Friday, June 18, 2021

52 Ancestors - Week 387: #608 Nathan Brigham (1671-1747) of Marlborough, Massachusetts

Nathan Brigham (1671-1747)  is #608 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married #609  Elizabeth Maynard (1664-1733) before 1693 in Marlborough, Middlesex County,  Massachusetts Bay.

I am descended through:

*  their son #304 Nathan Brigham (1693-1784), who married #305 Dinah Rice (1693-1725) in 1717.
*  their son #152 Moses Brigham (1723-1769), who married #153 Mehitable Grout (1726-1795) in 1749.
*  their son, #76 Phinehas Brigham (1755-1802), who married #77 Lydia Batherick (1752-1795) in 1779.
*  their son #38 Lambert Brigham (1794-1834), who married #39 Sophia Buck (1797-1882) in 1817.
*  their daughter #19 Sophia Newton (1834-1923), who married #18 Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) in 1852.
*  their daughter #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) who married  #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) 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 Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

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1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
 
 
  *  Name:                      Nathan Brigham[1–7]

 *  Sex:                           Male

*  Father:                        Thomas Brigham (1641-1717)
*  Mother:                      Mary Rice (1646-1698)  

2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
 
*  Birth:                         17 June 1671, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1-3]    

*  Distribution:              1 January 1717/8 (age 46), father's will proved; Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[4]    

*  Death:                       16 February 1746/7 (age 75), Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1,3,6]    
*  Burial:                      after 16 February 1746/7 (after age 75), Old Common Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[3]    

*  Probate:                   13 March 1746/7 (age 75), will proved; Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[5]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Spouse 1:                Elizabeth Maynard (1664-1733)    
*  Marriage 1:             before 1693 (before about age 22), Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1,7]    

*  Child 1:                  Nathan Brigham (1693-1784)    
*  Child 2:                  Thomas Brigham (1695-1765)    
*  Child 3:                  Tabitha Brigham (1698-1731)    
*  Child 4:                  Elizabeth Brigham (1700-1757)    
*  Child 5:                  Sarah Brigham (1701-1744)    
*  Child 6:                  Ziporah Brigham (1704-1790)    
*  Child 7:                  Hannah Brigham (1706-1781)    
*  Child 8:                  Ephraim Brigham (1708-1771)    

*  Spouse 2:               Mehitable Gould (1685-1758)    
*  Marriage 2:            about 1734 (about age 63), probably Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]  

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  
 
The Brigham Family History book[1] summarizes Nathan Brigham's life has a family sketch, but misidentifies his first wife as Elizabeth How.  

Nathan Brigham was born 17 June 1671 in Marlborough, Massachusetts Bay, the second son of Thomas and Mary (Rice) Brigham of Marlborough[1-3].  

Nathan married Elizabeth Maynard (1664-1733) before 1693, probably in Marlborough[1,7].  Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Mary (Gates) Maynard of Marlborough. They had eight children[1]:

*  Nathan Brigham (1693-1784), married (1) 1717 Dinah Rice (1693-1725); (2) 1729 Hepzibah Ward (1708-1748); (3)  1751 Martha (--?--) Gleason (1700-????).
*  Thomas Brigham (1695-1765), married 1720 Sarah Stratton (1700-1775).
*  Tabitha Brigham (1698-1731).
*  Elizabeth Brigham (1700-1757), married 1722 John Stow (1696-1761).
*  Sarah Brigham (1701-1744), married 1727 Uriah Eager (1700-1780).
*  Ziporah Brigham (1704-1790), married 1733 John Warren (1701-1783).
*  Hannah Brigham (1706-1781), married 1732 Jabez Rice (1702-1783).
*  Ephraim Brigham (1708-1771), married 1730 Hannah Willard (1707-1775).

Nathan Brigham settled on a part of the Thomas Brigham homestead, his house being a garrison house in Queen Anne's War.  He inherited the town-right of his father and drew shares of the public land in this right. He acquired many more land holdings during his lifetime, some of which he gave to his children before his death[1]

The will of Thomas Brigham, father of Nathan Brigham, was written on 21 April 1716 and proved on 1 January 1717/8[4].  Nathan Brigham and his brother Jonathan Brigham were bequeathed "... all that part of his Etten farm that Lies on the Easterly side of Assabeth River Except what I have Given to my son Elnathan Brigham, and twenty two acres of the thirty acres that is Laid out to me in Etten farm to have it on the southerly end of the sd Thirty acres And also the pece of Land that Joyne to it on the westerly side."  

Nathan was a weaver.  He held town offices and was a selectman for seven years, the last time in 1738; He was also was representative in 1726 and 1730[1]

Elizabeth (Maynard) Brigham was found dead, kneeling by a chair, on 29 March 1733 in her home in Marlborough[1].  

Nathan Brigham married, secondly, to Mehitable (Gould) Eaton (1685-1758), widow of Jonas Eaton, in about 1734[1].

Nathan Brigham died on 16 February 1746/7 at age 75 in Marlborough, Massachusetts[1,3,6].  There is a Find A Grave memorial for him for Old Common Cemetery in Marlborough, but no gravestone is extant[3].

On 2 June 1740, Nathan Brigham wrote a three page will that is very difficult to decipher (in Middlesex County Probate Court case file 2,687) bequeathing his estate to his second wife, Mehitable, and to his seven living children[5].  
  • He gave Mehitable the household stuff she brought with her to the marriage, all of the possessions they acquired during their marriage, two cows, £100 from his son Ephraim in two payments, and the use and benefit of part of the dwelling house.  In addition, she was to be supplied with firewood, food and other supplies by son Ephraim.
  • Son Nathan Brigham was to receive what had already been given to him, his Bible, his law books, his sword, one third of his wearing apparel, one half of the livestock, one part of the money and bills of credit, and 100 acres of land in Bedford
  • Son Thomas Brigham was to receive what had already been given to him, one third of his wearing apparel, half of the livestock, his husbandry utensils, a lot in Pine Meadow, 200 acres of land in Bedford, and an equal share of the money and bills of credit.
  • Son Ephraim Brigham was to receive what had already been given to him, one third of his wearing apparel, one half part of the homestead, the lands he received from his father in Marlborough, and an equal share of the money and bills of credit.  In addition, he was to pay the funeral charges for Nathan and Mehitable and provide the material for Mehitable's support.
  • Daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Stow, was to receive what had already been given to her, one quarter part of the household stuff that was in the estate when wife Elizabeth was alive, 11 acres in Marlborough, one half in his right of common land in Marlborough, and an equal share of the money and bills of credit.
  • Daughter Sarah, wife of Uriah Eager, was to receive what had already been given to her, one quarter part of the household stuff that was in the estate when wife Elizabeth was alive, 100 acres of land in Bedford, one half in his rights to common land in Marlborough, and an equal share of the money and bills of credit.
  • Daughter Ziporah, wife of John Warren, was to receive what had already been given to her, one quarter part of the household stuff that was in the estate when wife Elizabeth was alive, one sixth part of his lands in Bedford, one half in his rights to common land in Marlborough, and an equal share of the money and bills of credit.
  • Daughter Hannah, wife of Jabez Rice, was to receive what had already been given to her, one quarter part of the household stuff that was in the estate when wife Elizabeth was alive, one hundred acres of his lands in Bedford, one half in his rights to common land in Marlborough, and an equal share of the money and bills of credit.
Nathan Brigham named his three sons - Nathan, Thomas and Ephraim - as executors of the will.  The witnesses were William Ward, William ???? Jr., and Chas. ?????.  The will was proved 13 March 1746/7 in Middlesex County Probate Court, with all of the named heirs agreeable to the terms of the will.  

5)  SOURCES

1. W. I. Tyler Brigham (Emma E. Brigham, editor), The History of the Brigham Family, A Record of Several Thousand Descendants of Thomas Brigham the Emigrant, 1603-1653 (New York City : The Grafton Press, 1907), page 85, #7 Capt. Nathan Brigham family sketch.

2.  Franklin P. Rice (editor), Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Boston, Mass. : Franklin P. Rice ,1908), Births, page 44, Nathan Brigham birth entry, 17 June 1671, son of Thomas and Mary Brigham.

3. Find A Grave, indexed database and digital image,  (http://www.findagrave.com), Old Common Cemetery, Marlborough, Mass., Nathan Brigham memorial #122501346.

4. Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Volume: Middlesex 2000-3399 Estate File #2703 (5 images), Thomas Brigham estate, 1717; "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871," indexed database and digital images, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (https://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed 16 January 2021); Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org from original records at Probate Registry, Cambridge, Mass.

5. Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate case files, Volume: Middlesex 2000-3399 Estate File #2703 (5 images), Case File 2687 Nathan Brigham of Marlborough, 1746 (12 pages); "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871," indexed database and digital images, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (https://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed 3 May 2020); Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org from original records at Probate Registry, Cambridge, Mass. 

6. Franklin P. Rice (editor), Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849  (Boston, Mass. : Franklin P. Rice ,1908), Deaths, page 349, Capt. Nathan Brigham death entry, 1747.

7. "New England Marriages to 1700," online database with digital images, AmericanAncestors.org (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008, page 205, Nathan Brigham and Elizabeth Maynard entry.

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NOTE: In 2014, Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog. I have extended this theme in 2021 for an eighth year to 416 Ancestors in 416 Weeks. The list of 52 Ancestors biographies from my great-grandparents to the 7th great-grandparents (in work) is in https://www.geneamusings.com/p/ancestor-biographies.html.

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Copyright (c) 2021, Randall J. Seaver

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