Genealogical Sketch of the Shubael Seaver and Hannah (Wilson) Seaver Family of Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony

I have started writing genealogical sketches, and then will write AI-assisted biographies, of my ancestors by ancestral couple, not by individual ancestor.  

Here is the genealogical sketch for my 8th great-grandparents Shubael Seaver (1640-1730) and Hannah (Wilson) Seaver (1646-1722) who married in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1668.

Shubael Seaver was born on 31 January 1639/40 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[1] He was the first child of Robert Seaver (1608-1683) and Elizabeth Ballard (1616-1657), who married in 1634. Shubael’s siblings were:

• Caleb Seaver (1641-1713), married 1671 Sarah Inglesby (1651-1708).
• Joshua Seaver (1641-1730), married 1678 Mary May (1657-????).
• Elizabeth Seaver (1643-1731), married 1661 Samuel Craft (1637-1691).
• Nathamiel Seaver (1646-1676), married 1671 Sarah --?-- (1647-????).
• Hannah Seaver (1647-1648).
• Hannah Seaver (1650-1654).

Hannah Wilson was born before 2 May 1647 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony when she was christened.[2] She was the daughter of Nathaniel Wilson (1621-1692) and Hannah Craft (1628-1692) who married in 1645. Hannah's siblings were:

• child Wilson (1646-1646).
• Susanna Wilson (1649-1725), married 1673 Thomas Gill (1648-1725).
• Nathaniel Wilson )1653-1721), married 1680 Hannah Jackson (1660-1690).
• Benjamin Wilson (1655-1706), married 1677 Sarah --?-- (1658-1689).
• Joseph Wilson (1656-1710), married 1685 Deliverance Jackson (1657-1718).
• Isaac Wilson (1658-1720), married 1685 Susanna Andrews (1659-????).
• Mary Wilson (1661-1729), married 1682 Thomas Oliver (1645-1715).
• Abigail Wilson (1663-1746), married 1687 Edward Jackson (1652-1727).
• Samuel Wilson (1666-????), married 1696 Experience Trowbridge (1675-1705).

Shubael Seaver and Hannah Wilson were married on 7 February 1668 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[3] Shubael Seaver and Hannah Wilson had the following children:

• Robert Seaver was born on 7 Jun 1670 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was christened on 14 Apr 1672 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony. There are no marriage records, death records, land records or probate records for Robert Seaver. It is likely that he died as a child or young man.
• Joseph Seaver, born 1 Jun 1672, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; married Mary Read, 13 Oct 1700, Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, six children; died bef 26 Aug 1754, Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Hannah Seaver, born 1 Sep 1674, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; married Patrick Gregory, 26 Nov 1724, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Abigail Seaver, born 23 Jul 1677, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; married Edmund Cole, 29 Mar 1705, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Shubael Seaver, born 10 Oct 1679, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; married Abigail Twelves, 12 Jun 1704, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; died bef 14 Jan 1757, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Thankful Seaver, born 6 Apr 1684, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ; married Richard Mowear, 29 Mar 1705, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Shubael Seaver was a wheelwright, and was moderately active in Roxbury community affairs during his lifetime. He was granted significant parcels of land which were gradually sold during his lifetime and after his death.

Shuball Seuer was part of a group who ran the lines between Roxbury and Boston, Cambridge and Dedham on 19 January 1657.[4]

On 24 February 1661, "Shewbell Seaver" was paid 16 shillings for "whels."[4]

Shuball Sever was voted a parcel of town land on 18 January 1663 near his father's land, "to build a shopp upon for his trade, and fence in part of the Towne land to lay his timber in, so that it may not debarr the neighbours from goeing downe to water there cattle and when he leaves following his trade he is to take downe his howse and pull up his fence and let the land lye for the Towns use the neighbours thare abouts to agree upon the quanty and place."[4]

Shubael and his brother Caleb were admitted into membership of the First Church of Roxbury in 1674, while Hannah was admitted in 1671.

On 3 February 1675, Shewball Sever was granted "a small quantyty of land on the west side of stony river nere the now dwelling house of John Craft such a quantyty of land as the selectmen now chossen with the inhabitanc nere there about shall thinks fit to build a shop on and lay timber on, to carry on his trad of a wheel wright. this grant is upon condicion that a shop be built theron within two yers after the said land shalbe soe layd ought as aforesayd and he is hereby injoined to relinquish all former grants of land nere therabought." [4]

On 13 January 1678, Shuball Sevir was chosen as one of three men to make coffins for the year following. [4]

On 22 February 1682, "there was a grant of a parcell off land absolutely to Shuball Seaver lying before his door among the rocks which was graunted conditionally, the Neighbourhood consenting and the Selectmen staking out the same."[4]

After his father's death in 1683, Shubael received a portion of the estate. He is named as receiving all of the salt marsh. The will also provided that the estate of Robert Seaver, which he had given liberty to his widow to use, would be divided among Robert's four children after her death.

Shubal Seaver, planter of Roxbury, and Hannah his wife sold land in Roxbury to John Parker, planter of Roxbury, for 16 pounds sterling. The land was about six acres near Boston called "Boston Field", and was bounded by the widow Beameslyes on the north, the widow Bigges on the southeast, the great swamp on the west, and Mr. Coalburne's marsh on the east.[4]

A bill was paid to Shuball Sever for two coffins for Eliezer May and his wife and child, on 14 December 1688, in the amount of 15 shillings.[4]

Subael Seavers of Roxbury, yeoman, sold 20 acres of land in Roxbury to Robert Thompson of London, represented by William Stoughton, for 30 pounds current money. The land consisted of a pasture lying near Stony Brook in Roxbury, bounded eastward by land of Deacon William Garey, southward by land of Isaac Curtice, westward by land of Caleb Seaver, and northward by the highway to Dedham. The deed was dated 2 March 1689.[7]

Shuball Sever of Roxbury, wheelwright, sold the messuage, tenement and land in Roxbury on which he dwelt, plus 3 acres of adjoining land, to George Clark of Boston, glover, for 25 pounds. The land was located in Stony River, and was bounded on the north by land of John Curtis, on the west by land of John Pike, on the south and east by the highway or country road. The deed is dated 1 November 1690.[8]

Subael Sever senior of Roxbury, wheelwright, sold five acres of woodland in Roxbury to John Davis senior of Roxbury for 9 pounds. The land was near to Bear Marsh, bounded to the east by the lands of John Davis, north by ther lands of Thomas Morey, west by the land of Caleb Seaver, and south by the lands of Joseph Baron. The deed was signed 4 October 1692.[9]

Shobal Sever of Roxbury sold land in Roxbury to John Davis senior of Roxbury for 12 pounds in current money. The land was the northeast end of two lots in the second division of land in Roxbury, nigh to the mansion house of John Davis. It comprised 6 and a half acres. Another lot was in the southwest end of another lot in the first division of Roxbury, comprising two acres adjoining to the first parcel. The two parcels were bounded by land of John Davis, by land of Shoball Sever sold to Thomas Morey and now in the possession of John Watson, on the southwest by land of Caleb Sever, land of Joseph Weld on the northwest, by the head line running between lands of the first and second division, and on the northeast by lands of the heirs of Joseph Pepper, and by the highway to Bear Marsh on the southeast. The deed was dated 15 March 1692.[10]

Shoball Sever was paid 1 pound, 14 shillings on 30 May 1694 for mending country bridges.[4]

Shubael Seaver kept Sarah Parker for some time. He was paid about 1 pound per quarter from 17 May 1698 until 9 May 1700 for her maintenance and clothing.[4]

Shoball Sever was on the list in 1698 of those holding lots in Woodstock, Connecticut Colony (which was settled by people from Roxbury). He held lot 62 in the third range comprised of 40 acres.[5]. In the list of 22September 1715, Shobaal Seever held 60 and a half acres in lot 42 in the third range of the second division in Woodstock, Connecticut Colony.[5]

Shubael Seaver of Roxbury, yeoman, sold two lots of land to Samuel Sewall and Peter Sergeant for 45 pounds current money on 1 July 1694. One parcel was 16 acres of part arable land and part pasture bounded eastward by land of William Garey, southward by land of Isaac Curtis, westward by land of Caleb Seaver, and northward by the highway to Dedham. The second parcel of land contained 30 acres of land in the second division bounded to the southeast by land of Isaac Newell, northwest by land of Caleb Seaver, northeast by Joshua Child, and southwest by the third division line.[11]

Shubael Seaver, wheelwright, and his wife Hannah deeded land in Roxbury on 8 September 1700 to their son-in-law Edmond Cole, cordwainer of Roxbury, for "a godd and valuable sum in hand". The land contained a half acre more or less, and was located on the other side of the way of the now dwelling house of Shubael Seaver, and bounded north by land of William Heath, east by Stony River, south by land of the heirs of John Craft, southerly by land of Shuball Sever, and westerly by the highway to Dedham. The deed was acknowledged by Shubael Seaver in the 90th year of his age on 25 March 1727.[12]

Shubael Seaver, husbandman, and Hannah his wife sold 20 acres of land, being the 13th lot in the second allotment of the last division of outland in Roxbury, for 20 pounds current money to Isaac Newell of Roxbury on 20 September 1700.[13]

Shoball Sever of Roxbury, wheelwright, and Hannah his wife sold seven acres of land, being the 13th lot in the second division in Roxbury, to Isaac Newell for 14 pounds in current money on 10 April 1701.[14]

Shobal Sever petitioned the town, and the town granted "upon the nineteenth day of February [1702/3] the selectmen met at Stony river at the request of Shoball Sever to see if he might be accommodated with a small slipe of land, before his dore petitioned for at the Generall Town meeting there being severall of the neighbours there also present and none making any opposition..."[4]

Shubael Sever of Roxbury, wheelwright, sold land in Woodstock for 35 pounds to Ichabod Holmes, recorded 20 May 1710.

On 26 August 1714, Shubael Sever of Roxbury, yeoman aged 75 years, testified that upwards of 55 years before he mowed and made hay in a certain meadow called Mather's meadow in Dorchester in the three divisions on the north side of the Naponset River, and that this meadow was in the possession of William Curtis and William Hopkins, both of Roxbury, and later when occupied and possessed by Edward Morris, yeoman.[15]

Hannah Wilson) Seaver died on 13 February 1721/2 at the age of 73 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[16] Hannah was buried after 13 February 1721/2 at Eliot Burying Ground at the Roxbury Church in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[17]

Shubael Seaver died 18 January 1729/30 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony at the age of 89,.18] He was buried at Eliot Burying Ground in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[19]

Shubael Seaver did not write a will, nor was his estate probated. Shortly before his death, he requested Edmund Weld Jr. to hold his lands in trust for his children, to be divided after his death. Edmund Weld Jr. paid 5 shillings to receive the trust[20]. The details in this indenture are identical to those in the settlement of the estate:[21]

"Whereas our Honoured Father Shubael Seaver late of Roxbury in the County of Suffolk in New England Wheelwright Deceased did in an Instrument under his Hand and Seal duly Executed bearing Date the Third Day of January 1729/30 amongst other things and Uses Order that after his the Said Seaver's decease his real Estate should be disposed of to and for the Use of his two Sons Joseph and Shubael Seaver and his three Daughters Hannah Grigory Abigail Cole and Thankful More them and their heirs forever part and part alike save only a double part & portion to the said Joseph Seaver to be divided as the Law of the province directs and appoints. Agreeable to which we the Subscribers & Children to the said deceased have mutually agreed and by these presents do agree to the Settlement of the said Estate as follows viz.

"Impr. Agreed that our Brother Joseph Seaver shall have and hold all the Mansion or Dwelling House Messuage & Garden and part of the Orchard containing about One Acre & an half as now marked out lying in Roxbury aforesd bounded South Easterly on the Country Road leading towards Dedham and North Easterly on Land lately sold to Mr. Davis by Samuel Gore with the Barn on the other side of the Highway against the said house and the land thereunto belonging bounded on the said Country Road Northwesterly and on Land belonging to our Brother Edmund Cole North Easterly and South Easterly And also the One full half part of the Salt Marsh lying at a place in said Rox'y called the Island containing on the whole about Two Acres bounded on the Creek Southerly & Westerly &c. All which to be to him said Joseph Seaver his Heirs & assigns forever.

"2ly. Agreed that our sister Hannah Griggory shall have and hold the remaining Part of the House Lot of Orchard Land containing about four acres and an half in Roxbury aforesd and Bounded North Easterly partly on the land aforesd set off to said Joseph Seaver and partly on Land sold by said Samuel Gore to Mr. Davis South Easterly on the sd Country Road and partly on George Laucklin's Land and Northwesterly on Capt Jos'h Mayo's Land all which said Land to be to the sd Hannah Grigory and her Heirs forever.

"3ly. Agreed that our Sister Abigail Cole shall have and hold part of the Pasture Land lying on the said Country Road in Roxbury aforesaid Northerly and at the further Side of it next to Mr. Abbot's Land called Whortleberry Hill and bounded Westerly on said Land and to extend into the said Pasture Land so as to make about five Acres as the same is now staked out and divided from the Remainder thereof All which said part of the Pasture Land to be to the said Abigail Cole her Heirs and Assigns forever Said Land is bound Southerly on Isaac Curtis's Land.

"4ly. Agreed that our Brother Shubael Seaver and Sister Thankful More shall have and hold the remaining part of the said Pasture Land being about Ten Acres Bounded Northerly on the Said Country Road and Easterly on Land belonging to the Heirs of William Abbot Deceased Southerly on Isaac Curtis's Land and Westerly on Land of Sister Cole the said Ten Acres of Pasture Land to be equally divided between them And to be to them the said Shubael Seaver and Thankful More and their Heirs forever.

"And further it is agreed that our said Brother Shubael Seaver shall have and hold the One full half being the remaining part of the Salt Marsh on the Island aforesd in Roxbury and bounded on the Creek Southerly and Westerly &c to him the said Shubael Seaver his Heirs and Assigns forever.

"And further as Touching and Concerning the personal Estate out of the good Will and Affection that we bear to our Sister Hannah Griggory give the same to her and her Heirs and Assigns And therefore do further agree to pay all the Debts that do or shall appear due from our said Father equally between us.

"In Witness whereof we the said Joseph Seaver and Patrick Grigory and Hannah his wife Edmund Cole and Abigail his Wife Shubael Seaver & Richard More and Thankful his Wife have hereunto put their Hands and Seals the thirteenth Day of March in the Third Year of his Majestie's Reign Annoque Domino 1729/30. Joseph Sever & a seal Patrick 'G' Griggory his mark & a Seal Hannah 'G' Griggory her mark & a seal Edmund Cole & a Seal Abigail '#' Cole her mark & a seal Shubael Seaver & a seal Richard More & a seal. Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of us Ebenezer Newell Joseph Ruggles Ebenezer Pierpont

"Suffolk Ss Roxbury Apr. 6th 1730. Joseph Seaver Hannah Griggory Abigail Cole and Shubael Seaver appearing before me the subscribers acknowledged this Instrument to be their Act and Deed John Bowles Justice Pacis. Thankful '#' More her mark and a seal. Thankful More Signed Sealed and Delivered this Instrument iin presence of witnesses Hezekiah Turner Edmund Weld junr

"Suffolk Ss Roxbury May 18th 1730 Thankful More appearing before me the Subscriber acknowledged this Instrument to be her free Act and Deed John Bowles Justice Pacis.

"March 12th 1734 Rec'd & Accordingly Entred & Examined. Samuel Gerrish Reg'r."

After Shubael's death, his children dealt with the land:

• Patrick Gregory of Roxbury sold the land, house and barn which previously belonged to Shubael Seaver for 400 pounds to "Brother-in-law Edmund Cole of Roxbury Cordwainer Shubael Seaver of Roxbury Cordwainer Joseph Seaver of Framingham in the County of Middlesex Yeoman and Richard Moore of Lynn in the County of Essex innholder..." This deed was signed on 14 November 1734, signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Jno Walley and John Wilson in Roxbury on 28 November 1734, acknowledged by Patrick Gregory before Paul Dudley on 12 March 1734.

• Joseph Seaver and his wife Mary of Framingham, Shubael Seaver and his wife Abigail of Roxbury, Edmund Cole and his wife Abigail, and Richard Moor and wife Thankful sold land in Roxbury to Thomas Boylston of Boston for 400 pounds in March 1734. The land was bounded northerly at the front by the highway, easterly by the land of the heirs of William Abbott, southerly at the rear by land of Isaac Curtis, and westerly by land of Edmond Cole.

• The same parties sold two parcels of land and wooden house in Roxbury to Thomas Boylston of Boston on 15 November 1735 for 400 pounds. The land was in Roxbury, bounded southeasterly and southerly by the highway, northwesterly by land of George Loughlon and land of Joseph Mayo, northerly by land of Nicolas Davis; the second parcel was also sold bounded northwesterly by the road, northeasterly by the land of Edmond Cole, southeasterly by land of Edmond Cole, and southwesterly by town land.

SOURCES:

1. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849 (Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute, 1925, 2 Volumes), page 315, Shubael Sever birth entry, 11 January 1639/40.

2. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, page 358, Hannah Wilson baptism entry, 2 May 1647.

3. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, page 315 and page 358, Shubael Sever and Hannah Wilson marriage entry, 7 February 1668.

4. Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, The Town Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts 1647 to 1730 (Boston, The New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1997, various pages.

5. "Town of Roxbury Record of Houses and Lands, 1659-1716," page 87, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,478,573.

6. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 14, page 161, Shubael Seaver to John Parker, recorded 2 June 1687; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,936.

7. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 15, page 64, Shubael Seaver to Robert Thompson, executed 2 March 1689, recorded 21 March 1689/90; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,937.

8. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 15, page 191, Shubael Seaver to George Clark, executed 1 November 1690, recorded 24 August 1692; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,937.

9. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 16, page 50, Shubael Seaver to John Davis, executed 24 August 1692, recorded 28 March 1693; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,937.

10. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 16, page 51, Shubael Seaver to John Davis, executed 2 March 1692, recorded 28 March 1693; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,937.

11. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 18, page 165, Shubael Seaver to Samuel Seward and Peter Sergeant, recorded 21 May 1698; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,937.

12. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 51, page 292, Shubael Seaver to Edmond Cole, executed 8 September 1694, recorded 21 May 1698; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,952.

13. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 20, page 194, Shubael Seaver to Isaac Newell, executed 20 September 1700, recorded 19 October 1700; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,938.

14. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 21, page 26, Shubael Seaver to Isaac Newell, executed 10 April 1701, recorded 14 May 1702; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,938.

15. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 28, page 141, Shubael Seaver testified 26 August 1714; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,941.

16. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, page 635, Hannah Sever death entry, 13 February 1721/2.

17. Find A Grave, imaged, (https://www.findagrave.com), Eliot Burying Ground, Roxbury, Mass., Hannah Wilson Sever (1646-1722) memorial #64768387 .

18. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, page 636, Shubael Sever death entry, 18 January 1729/30.

19. Find A Grave, imaged, (https://www.findagrave.com), Eliot Burying Ground, Roxbury, Mass., Shubael Sever (1640-1730) memorial #64768515.

20. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 44, page 45, Indenture of Shubael Seaver to Edmund Weld, Jr., executed 3 January 1729/30, recorded 4 January 1729/30; imaged, FamilySearch    (https://familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,949.

21. Suffolk County Deeds, Volume 49, page 235, Heirs of Shubael Seaver agreement to divide estate, executed 18 May 1730, recorded 12 March 1734, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org), accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,493,951.

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NOTE:  Genealogical sketches of many of my ancestors and relatives are in 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

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Betty and Fred's Story: "The First Date"

 The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my mother, Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver, is in ABC Biography of #3 Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002) of San Diego, California. I wrote Betty's Story: The First-Year Art Teacher about the start of her teaching career.

The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my father, Frederick Walton Seaver, is in ABC Biography of #2 Frederick Walton Seaver Jr. (1911-1983) of Massachusetts and San Diego, California.  I wrote Fred's Story: The Three-Day Cross-Country Escape  and Fred's Story: "I Need A Girl" about him coming to San Diego, and then wanting for a girlfriend.

Then I wrote Betty's Story: "The Dinner That Changed Everything" where Betty met Fred at Betty's student's home and their lives were changed.

                         (AI Gemini colorized images - Betty Carringer and Fred Seaver in 1941) 

1)  Based on the biographies and the earlier stories, I asked Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 to tell the next story - the first "official" date.  Here is the story (edited for more detail and accuracy):

 The First Date

Betty changed her dress three times before settling on the emerald green one with the white collar. It was pretty without being too formal, appropriate for dinner and a movie without looking like she was trying too hard. She checked her reflection in the mirror one more time, adjusted the small pearl earrings her mother had lent her, and took a deep breath.

Fred Seaver was picking her up at six o'clock. Their first real date, without Marcia's well-meaning supervision.

It had been a week since that dinner at the Chamberlains' house, a week of thinking about Fred's easy smile and the way conversation had flowed between them like they'd known each other for years. He'd called her at home three days after the dinner party—Emily had answered the phone and had barely concealed her excitement when she called Betty to the telephone.

"There's a young man on the line for you, dear," she'd said, her eyes sparkling.

Fred's voice over the phone had been slightly nervous, which Betty found endearing. "Betty? I hope you don't mind my calling. I got your number from Marcia. I was wondering—that is, I'd like to take you to dinner this Saturday. If you're free. And maybe a picture show after, if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much," Betty had said, trying to keep her own voice steady.

Now it was Saturday, March 29, 1941, and Fred would be here any minute. Betty could hear her parents in the house -- her father rustling the newspaper, her mother moving around the kitchen, her grandmother Georgianna humming to herself as she did her needlework. They were all trying to act casual about Betty's date, but the house practically vibrated with anticipation.

At precisely six o'clock, Betty heard a car pull up outside. She looked out her bedroom window and saw Fred getting out of a dark blue Ford sedan, straightening his tie, checking his hair in the car's side mirror. He looked handsome in a gray suit and white shirt, more formal than she'd seen him at the Chamberlains'. He took a breath—she could see his chest rise and fall—and walked up the path to the front door.

Betty counted to five before heading toward the living room, not wanting to seem like she'd been waiting by the window. She heard the doorbell ring, heard her father's footsteps in the hallway, heard the door open.

"Good evening, sir. I'm Fred Seaver. I'm here to pick up Betty."

"Lyle Carringer. Come in, young man."

Betty entered the living room slowly. Fred looked up and smiled, and she felt that same little flip in her stomach that she'd felt at the Chamberlains' dinner.

"Hello, Betty. You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself."

Her mother emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "You must be Fred! I'm Emily, Betty's mother."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Carringer." Fred shook her hand with genuine warmth.

Georgianna appeared in the doorway to the living room. "And I'm Betty's grandmother, Georgianna Auble. You're the young man from Massachusetts?"

"Yes, ma'am. Leominster, originally. Though San Diego is starting to feel like home."

"Well, that's a smart thing to say," Georgianna said approvingly. "Any man with sense knows San Diego is the best place on earth."

Lyle had been studying Fred with the careful attention fathers reserve for men dating their daughters. "Betty mentioned you work at a finance company. What do you do there?"

"I'm in sales but I’ve also done investigative work for personal and commercial loans, sir. It's interesting work, especially now with employment at the military companies increasing here in San Diego – people need loans to rent and buy homes."

Betty could see her father processing this. A good job, a foreseeable future, important war preparation work. She thought Lyle approved, even if he'd never say so directly.

"Where are you taking our Betty tonight?" Emily asked.

"I thought dinner at Rudford's in North Park, if that suits Betty. And then there's a new picture playing at the North Park Theater—'The Philadelphia Story' with Katharine Hepburn. I heard it's quite good."

"Oh, I've been wanting to see that!" Betty said. "Everyone says it's wonderful."

"Well then," Lyle said, "you'd better get going. Don't want to miss your reservation."

Fred helped Betty into her coat—a small gesture, but done with such natural courtesy that Emily smiled approvingly. Betty kissed her mother's cheek and allowed her father to squeeze her shoulder in what passed for his blessing.

"Have her home by eleven," Lyle said.

"Yes, sir. Absolutely."

---

The evening air was cool but pleasant as Fred opened the passenger door of the Ford for Betty. She settled into the seat, catching a whiff of his aftershave—something woody and clean. He walked around to the driver's side, and she noticed his hands were shaking slightly as he turned the key in the ignition.

"Your family seems very nice," Fred said as they pulled away from 2130 Fern Street.

"They liked you. I could tell. My father doesn't usually warm up to people that quickly."

"Good to know I passed inspection." Fred glanced over at her and grinned. "I was nervous. Still am, actually."

"You are? You seem so composed."

"That's just New England reserve. Inside, I'm a mess." He navigated through the Brooklyn Heights streets. "I kept thinking, what if I say something stupid? What if she realizes I'm not nearly as interesting as she thought at Marcia's dinner?"

Betty laughed. "I've been wondering the same thing. What if he realizes I'm actually quite boring? Just a junior high school teacher who lives with her parents and paints watercolors on weekends."

"That doesn't sound boring at all. That sounds like exactly the kind of person I want to get to know better."

They drove up 30th Street, over the streetcar tracks and past the shops Betty knew so well. The city was coming alive in the evening—lights in windows, people out for Saturday night entertainment, the promise of spring in the air despite it being late-March.

Rudford's Restaurant was on El Cajon Boulevard in North Park, a neighborhood restaurant popular with locals but not so expensive that a young salesman couldn't afford it. Fred found parking on the street, and they walked the half block to the restaurant entrance.

Inside, Rudford's was cozy and dimly lit, with brightly pained walls, rectangular tables and white tablecloths. A hostess led them to a small table near the window, and Fred held Betty's chair as she sat.

"This is lovely," Betty said, looking around. "I've never been here before."

"Marshall Chamberlain recommended it. He said the pot roast is excellent, and they make a good chicken and dumplings."

A waitress appeared with menus and water glasses. They both ordered conservatively—Betty the chicken and dumplings, Fred the pot roast—and settled in to talk.

And talk they did.

Fred told her more about growing up in Massachusetts, about winters so cold that the Nashua River froze solid enough to skate on. About his year at Dartmouth College, studying business in the shadow of the Depression, getting hurt playing football, and having to stop going due to family finances. About how he'd come to San Diego in December when he was tired of shoveling snow, how he'd stayed with the Chamberlains while looking for his own place.

"I'd never been west of Connecticut," he said. "It was a long way driving to San Diego through the Midwest, the plains, the mountains and the desert, but seeing the bay and the mountains and all this sunshine in January -- I couldn't believe it. I thought there must be a catch. It can't possibly be this nice all the time."

"There's no catch," Betty assured him. "Well, except that it makes you soft. I can't imagine shoveling snow or dealing with real winter – I’ve only seen snow twice in my life, and it was up in the mountains east of here."

"I don't miss the cold. But I miss autumn -- the way the leaves change color, that crisp feeling in the air. You don't really have seasons here, do you?"

"We have seasons. They're just subtle. The jacarandas bloom in April. The marine layer comes in during May Gray and June Gloom. August can be muggy. It gets windy and hot in September. Winter is when everything turns green because we get some rain. You have to pay attention, but the seasons are there."

Their food arrived -- steaming plates that smelled wonderful. As they ate, Betty told Fred about her life. About growing up on Fern Street, about the playhouse in the garden, the greenhouse and fish ponds, the berry bushes, and the vegetable plot and her grandmother who'd immigrated from Canada. About Brooklyn Elementary and San Diego High and her years at State College.

"I loved State," she said. "Joining Phi Sigma Nu was one of the best decisions I made. Some of my sorority sisters are my closest friends. We still get together for lunch once a month. Several of them have boyfriends." 

"And then you started teaching. Do you like it?"

Betty considered the question. "I love it and it exhausts me. Some days I come home feeling like I really reached them, like I made a difference. Other days I wonder if anyone is learning anything at all. But when a student lights up because they finally understand perspective, or when they write something that surprises them with its own power—those moments make everything worthwhile."

"You care about them. That's obvious from the way you talk about your students."

"I do. Maybe too much. My mother says I'll burn myself out if I take everything so personally."

"I don't think you can care too much," Fred said. "The world needs people who care."

The conversation flowed as easily as it had at the Chamberlains' house. They discovered shared interests -- both enjoyed the outdoors, both had a weakness for chocolate. They discovered differences too -- Fred was more analytical, Betty more intuitive; Fred liked sports, Betty loved reading; Fred liked popular music, Betty preferred classical music; Fred was the fifth of seven children, Betty was an only child who'd enjoyed having her parents' full attention.

"Do you want children someday?" Fred asked, then immediately looked embarrassed. "Sorry, that's probably too forward for a first date."

"It's all right," Betty said, smiling. "I do want children. I think I'd like two or three. I work with children every day, and I love their energy, their curiosity, the way they see the world. What about you?"

"I'd like to be a father. My own father was very busy at work and is sick now, and my mother has been so strong and supportive. It wasn't easy for her with seven kids. I'd want to be there for my kids, be more involved in their lives."

There was something in the way he said it, something serious and thoughtful, that made Betty look at him more closely. This wasn't just small talk. Fred was already thinking about the future, about what kind of man he wanted to be.

They lingered over coffee and apple pie, talking until the waitress began giving them pointed looks. Finally, Fred checked his watch.

"We should get going if we want to catch the picture. It starts at eight."

He paid the bill—Betty noticed he left a generous tip—and they walked back to the car. The evening had grown cooler, and when Betty shivered slightly, Fred offered his jacket without hesitation.

"I'm all right," she protested.

"Take it anyway. I run warm."

The jacket smelled like him, and Betty pulled it closer as they drove the few blocks to the North Park Theater.

---

The North Park Theater was an art deco gem, opened just five years earlier in 1936. Its vertical sign rose above the street, glowing with lights that spelled out NORTH PARK in bold letters. The marquee announced: "THE PHILADELPHIA STORY - KATHARINE HEPBURN - CARY GRANT - JAMES STEWART."

Fred bought their tickets—thirty-five cents each—and they joined the crowd filing into the ornate lobby. The theater was beautiful, with its geometric patterns and modern styling, so different from the older Victorian theaters downtown.

"Would you like popcorn? Candy?" Fred asked.

"Popcorn would be lovely."

They found seats in the middle section, not too close to the screen but with a good view. The theater was filling up -- Saturday night at the pictures was popular entertainment, especially with so much uncertainty in the world. War raged in Europe and Asia, and though America wasn't involved yet, everyone could feel the tension building. For two hours, they could forget about all that and lose themselves in a story.

The lights dimmed. The newsreel played first—images of the war abroad, Roosevelt speaking to Congress, defense preparations at home. Betty was acutely aware of Fred beside her, their shoulders almost touching in the narrow theater seats.

Then the main feature began. "The Philadelphia Story" was everything the reviews had promised—witty, sophisticated, romantic. Katharine Hepburn played Tracy Lord, a wealthy socialite navigating love and marriage and self-discovery. Cary Grant was her charming ex-husband. James Stewart was the reporter who falls for her.

Betty found herself completely absorbed in the story. She laughed at the witty dialogue, felt her heart squeeze during the tender moments, and gasped along with the rest of the audience during the dramatic scenes. Halfway through the film, Fred's hand found hers in the darkness between their seats. Betty's heart skipped, but she didn't pull away. His hand was warm and solid, and holding it felt natural, right.

On screen, Tracy Lord was learning that it was okay to be human, to be flawed, to come down from her pedestal. "The time to make up your mind about people is never," Jimmy Stewart's character said, and Betty felt the truth of it resonating.

When the lights came up at the end, Betty realized she had tears in her eyes—happy tears, moved by the story's resolution.

"Did you like it?" Fred asked, still holding her hand.

"I loved it. Katharine Hepburn was magnificent. And the writing—so clever and sharp."

They joined the crowd flowing out of the theater, back into the reality of San Diego on a Saturday night in March 1941. Fred checked his watch: 10:30.

"I should get you home. I promised your father eleven o'clock."

The drive back to Fern Street seemed to pass too quickly. They were quiet, but it was a comfortable silence, both of them processing the evening, reluctant for it to end.

Fred pulled up in front of 2130 Fern Street at 10:45. The porch light was on—a beacon her parents had left burning. Fred turned off the engine and turned to face Betty.

"I had a wonderful time tonight," he said.

"So did I. The best first date I've ever had."

"Can I see you again? Maybe next Saturday?"

"I'd like that very much."

They sat for a moment, neither quite ready to say goodnight. Then Fred reached over and gently tucked a strand of hair behind Betty's ear.

"I know this is only our first date," he said. "But I have a feeling about you, Betty Carringer. A good feeling. Like maybe I've been looking for you without knowing it."

Betty's breath caught. "I feel that too."

Fred leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted. But she didn't want to. His lips met hers in a kiss that was soft, sweet, and over too quickly. He pulled back, searching her face.

"Was that all right?"

"That was more than all right," Betty whispered.

He kissed her once more, a little longer this time, his hand cupping her cheek. Then he pulled back with visible reluctance.

"I really do need to get you inside. Your father --"

"-- is probably watching from the window," Betty finished, laughing. "Welcome to dating the only daughter of protective parents."

Fred walked her to the door, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. At the door, he kissed her hand -- a courtly gesture that made her smile.

"Goodnight, Betty. Thank you for a perfect evening."

"Goodnight, Fred. Drive safely."

She watched him walk back to his car, watched him wave before getting in, watched the taillights disappear down Fern Street. Then she let herself into the house.

---

Her parents were in the living room, pretending not to have been waiting up. Emily was doing needlework, Lyle was reading the newspaper, Georgianna was knitting. All three looked up when Betty entered.

"Did you have a nice time, dear?" Emily asked, her tone carefully casual.

"It was wonderful," Betty said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"What did you see?" Lyle asked.

"'The Philadelphia Story.' It was excellent. Katharine Hepburn was brilliant."

"And Fred was a gentleman?" Lyle's voice was gruff, but Betty could hear the concern beneath it.

"He was perfect, Papa. A complete gentleman."

Georgianna smiled knowingly. "That's good, sweetheart. That's very good."

Betty kissed each of them goodnight and walked down the hall to her room. She changed into her nightgown, washed her face, and sat on her bed, replaying the entire evening in her mind.

The conversation at dinner, the way Fred really listened when she talked about teaching. His nervousness at meeting her parents, which somehow made him more endearing. The comfortable silence in the car. His hand finding hers in the dark theater. That kiss—those kisses—sweet and respectful but with a hint of something deeper, something that made her stomach flutter just remembering it.

Betty had dated before. There had been boys at high school and State College, casual dates to dances and beach parties. But nothing had ever felt like this. With Fred, there was an ease, a rightness, as if they were two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly.

She thought about what he'd said: "I have a feeling about you... like maybe I've been looking for you without knowing it."

Betty had the same feeling. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. She was twenty-one years old, just starting her career, just beginning to figure out who she was as an adult. Was she ready for something serious? Was Fred?

But then she remembered the way he'd looked at her across the dinner table, the way he'd held her hand in the theater, the gentleness of his kiss. This wasn't something to overthink. This was something to feel, to experience, to allow to unfold naturally.

Outside her window, the sounds of the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood settled into nighttime quiet. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the carillon from the California Tower marking eleven o'clock. The same tower she'd been able to hear her entire life, a constant in a world that was changing rapidly.

Betty turned off the light and slid under the covers. Tomorrow was Sunday – walk around the neighborhood, work in the garden, and maybe paint in the afternoon if the weather was nice. And next Saturday, she'd see Fred again. They'd have a second date, and then maybe a third, and who knew what might come after that.

For now, though, she was content to lie in the darkness and relive every moment of the evening. The way Fred's eyes crinkled when he smiled. The sound of his laugh. The warmth of his hand. The softness of his kiss.

Betty Virginia Carringer fell asleep smiling, dreaming of a young man from Massachusetts who made her feel like the world was full of possibility. Who looked at her like she was the most interesting person he'd ever met. Who kissed her like she was precious.

She didn't know yet that she'd marry him in sixteen months. Didn't know that they'd have forty-one years together, three sons, four granddaughters. Didn't know about the war that would separate them, the challenges they'd face, the life they'd build together.

All she knew was that something important had begun tonight. Something that felt like the start of her real life, the life she was meant to live.

And in the house on Fern Street, as the Carringer family settled in for the night, no one mentioned the obvious fact that their Betty had met someone special. But they all knew it. Emily and Lyle exchanged a glance over their bedtime tea. Georgianna smiled to herself as she said her prayers.

The world was heading toward war. Everything was uncertain. But tonight, at least, there was this: a young woman and a young man, finding each other in San Diego in 1941, beginning a love story that would last a lifetime.

And it all started with dinner at Rudford's, "The Philadelphia Story" at the North Park Theater, and a goodnight kiss on Fern Street that promised so much more to come.

2)  Here is the Google NotebookLM video about Betty's evening in March 1941: 

3)  This story is historical fiction based on real people -- my parents -- and a real event. I don't know the real story of the first real date -- but this is how it might have been. Claude is such a good story writer!  I added some details and corrected some errors in Claude's initial version.

Stay tuned for the next episode in this family story.

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

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

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