52 Ancestors - Week 407: #630 Michael Bowden (1673-1741) of Marblehead and Lynn, Massachusetts

 Michael Bowden (1673-1741)  is #630 on my Ahnentafel  List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married #631 Sarah Davis (1676-1749)  in 1697 in Lynn, Essex County,  Massachusetts Bay Colony.

I am descended through:

* their daughter #315 Mary Bouden (1705-1755) who married #314 Joseph Richards (1703-1748) in 1726 .

* their daughter #157 Mary Richards (1733-????). who did not marry #156 Isaac Buck (1732-????).

*  their son #78 Isaac Buck (1757-1846) married #79 Martha Phillips (1757-1830) in 1791.

* their daughter #39 Sophia Buck (1797-1882)married #38 Lambert Brigham (1794-1834)  in 1817.

* their daughter #19 Sophia Newton (1834-1923) married #18 Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) in 1852.
* their daughter #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) married #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) in 1874.
* their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
* their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) 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:                          Michael Bowden[1–2,4]

*  Alternate Name:          Michiel Bouden[3]

*  Alternate Name:           Mychall Bowden[5–6]

*  Sex:                              Male

*  Father:                         Michael Bowden 1651-1740

*  Mother:                        Sarah Nurse 1651-1699

2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Birth:                           1673, Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts, United States[1,4]

*  Will:                            26 September 1741 (about age 68), will written; Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States[2]

*  Death:                         1 October 1741 (about age 68), Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States[3-4]

*  Burial:                        after 1 October 1741 (after about age 68), Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States[4]

*  Probate:                      12 October 1741 (about age 68), will proved, Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States[2]

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

*  Spouse 1:                     Sarah Davis 1676-1754

*  Marriage 1:                 20 November 1697 (about age 24), intentions, Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States[1,5–6]

*  Child 1:                       Susanna Bowden 1699-1709

*  Child 2:                       Francis Bowden 1701-1737

*  Child 3:                       Sarah Bowden 1702-????   

*  Child 4:                       Martha Bowden 1705-1719

*  Child 5:                       Mary Bowden 1705-1755

*  Child 6:                       Hannah Bowden 1707-1753

*  Child 7:                       John Bowden 1709-1765

*  Child 8:                       Lydia Bowden 1712- ???? 

*  Child 9:                       Michael Bowden 1714-1761

*  Child 10:                     Ebenezer Bowden 1716-????    

*  Child 11:                     Susanna Bowden 1717-1799

*  Child 12:                     Benjamin Bowden 1721-????                         

   

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

This family was summarized in William Hammond Bowden's book, Michael Bowden and Some of his Descendants, on pages 7 to 10[1].

Michael Bowden was born about 1673, probably in Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay, the son of Michael and Sarah (Nurse) Bowden[1,4].  

His marriage intention, as "Mychall" Bowden of Marblehead, with Sarah Davis (1676-1754) of Lynn was recorded at Lynn on 20 Nov 1697[5-6]. She was the daughter of John and Sarah (Kirtland) Davis of Lynn. Michael and Sarah (Davis) Bowden had 12 children, all born in Lynn and recorded in the town record books:

*  Susanna Bowden (1699-1709).

*  Francis Bowden (1701-1737), married 1735 Elizabeth Webster (1710-????).

*  Sarah Bowden (1702-????), married 1724 John Riddan (1695-1756).

*  Martha Bowden (1705-1719).

*  Mary Bowden (1705-1755), married 1726 Joseph Richards (1703-1748).

*  Hannah Bowden (1707-1753)

*  John Bowden (1709-1765), married 1749 Huldah Emery (1720-1817).

*  Lydia Bowden (1712-????), married 1731 Samuel Kelley (1706-????)

*  Michael Bowden (1714-1761), married 1735 Hannah Hendley (1712-????)

*  Ebenezer Bowden (1716-????)

*  Susanna Bowden (1717-1799), married 1740 Moses Newhall (1718-1774).

*  Benjamin Bowden (1721-????), married 1745 Christian Bartlett (1721-????).

On 29 Mar 1707, Michael bought land in Lynn "near the burying place" for £66. In later records he is described as an "innkeeper"; it is assumed that his home was his place of business. He and his wife systematically disposed of the other real estate that came to them[1]. 

On 20 Oct 1729, they sold their rights in the estate of John and Sarah (Kirtland) Davis who were the parents of Sarah (Davis) Bowden; on 14 June 1732 they made a similar sale of rights in the estate of Mary (Davis) Langdon, sister of Sarah (Davis) Bowden. On 12 March 1734 they sold the Naragansett Lands granted to John Davis for military service, located in Sowhegan West (the present township of Amherst, New Hampshire). Finally, on 12 Sept 1738, they confirmed the sale of a plantation located on the island of Nevis in the West Indies; this property was left to Sarah (Davis) Bowden by one of her uncles, one Ebenezer Kirtland[1].

Michael Bowden of Lynn died testate on 1 October 1741 in Lynn, Massachusetts[3].  He is buried in Western Burial Ground in Lynn, but there is no stone[4]. 

He wrote a will on 26 September 1741[2].  It reads:

"In the Name of God amen.  I Michael Bowden of Lynn in the County of Essex and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Inholder, Being weak in body but of Perfect Disposing mind and memory, Do make this my Last will and testament.  Imps. I will that my body be Decently Interred at the Discretion of my Executor.

"Item  I will that my Exec-t-r Duely pay all my Just Debts, and Funeral Charges out of my moveable estate.

"Item  I will to my Beloved wife Sarah the Improvm't of my whole remaining Estate During the time of her Natural Life In lieu of her thirds.

"Item  I will that after my wife's decease my whole Estate be devided in equal parts To and among all my Children that Shall be then Alive And the Lawfull Representatives of any that may be Dec-d.

"Item  I will that my wife Sarah be sole Execut-r of this my Last Testament In Witness Whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seal this twenty Sixth of Sept-r 1741.

"Signed, Sealed published & Declared by ye sd Michael Bowden to be his Last will and Testam-t

In presence of John Lewis, 

Henry Burchfeld

John Newhall                                                       Michael Bowden & Seal"

The will was proved by the Essex County Probate Court at Ipswich on 12 October 1741, with John Lewis and John Newhall appearing and making oath that they witnessed Michael Bowden sign, seal and declare this to be his last will and testament.  The Executor was directed to make an inventory and present it to the Court in 30 days[2].

John Lewis, John Newhall, and Daniel Mansfield took an inventory of the estate of Michael Bowden of Lynn, deceased, on 29 December 1741. The estate was appraised at 555 pounds, 16 shillings.  The real estate included the dwelling house and barn with 40 poles of land adjoining (160 pounds), 4 acres of upland and salt marsh adjoining (95 pounds) and 9 acres of woodland (65 pounds).  Sarah Bowden presented, and the Court approved, the inventory on 30 December 1741[2]. 

5.  SOURCES

1. William Hammond Bowden, Michael Bowden and Some of His Descendants (Salem, Mass. : Newcomb & Gauss, 1968), pages 7-10, Michael Bowden and Sarah Davis family sketch.

2. Essex County, Massachusetts, Probate Records and Indexes 1638-1916, Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), on 280 FHL microfilm reels, Volume 324, page 583, Michael Bowden of Lynn, accessed on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 0,875,132.

3. Vital Records of Lynn, Massachusetts to the end of the Year 1849 (Salem, Mass. : The Essex Institute, 1906), 2 Volumes, Deaths, page 430, Michiel Bouden entry, 1 October 1741.

4.. Find A Grave, indexed database and digital image, (http://www.findagrave.com), Western Burial Ground, Lynn, Mass., Michael Bowden memorial #164064038.

5. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), Essex > Lynn> Marriages 1667-1744, page 8, Mychall Bowden and Sarah Davis marriage intentions entry, 20 November 1697.

6. Vital Records of Lynn, Massachusetts to the end of the Year 1849, Volume 2, Marriages, page 51, Mychall Bowden and Sarah Daves intentions entry, 20 November 1697.

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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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