Person:Benjamin Sabean (3)

MARRIAGE: Spent 10 shillings for marriage ceremony. DEATH: at age 78 perChristian Messenger and Weymouth Bapt Ch Rcds; left widow and 12children. Prob of estate 13 Mar 1845 in Weymouth, NS per Digby Co EstateIndex.

Benjamin, as a founder of the Sissiboo Baptist Church, signed his name6th on the list of original members. He along with his brother,Willoughby, were members of a contingent of seven from Digby co. who wentto Granville to be recognized as a chu rch in 1799. Ben was bapt at thattime, voted a Deacon in 1811.

[From Digby co, NS Probate A-238] In the Name of God amen. The tenth dayof May in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and twentyseven I, Benjamin Sabin of Sissiboo in the Township of Digby, County ofAnnapolis and Province of Nov a Scotia yeoman being quite unwell andfeeble of body, but of perfect mind and memory express thanks be given toGod for the same calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowingthat it is appointed for all men and to die, do make and ordai n this myLast Will and Testament. Principally and first of all I recommend my soulinto the hands of God that gave it, and for my body I recommend to theearth to be buried in a christian like and decent manner at thediscretion of my executors . ----------------- but at the GeneralResurrection I shall receive the same again by the Mighty Power of God.Now as touching worldly estate, where with it hath pleased God to blessme in this world I shall dispose of the same in manner and for mfollowing (viz) In the first place I give and bequeath to Elizabeth mybeloved wife all my Estate both real and personal during the term of hernatural life except two hundred acres of land lying on the road leadingfrom Sissiboo Falls to the Ya rmouth road. All the remaining part of myestate to be in my wifes hands during her life if she remains my widowbut if she marries it is my will that the said estate shall go to, and bedivided amongst my children that shall be hereafter named . But if mywife remains my widow until her decease it is my will that she shall haveand enjoy all my estate both real and personal during her life and after the death of my wife it is my will that all my estate shall be equallydivided between all my children except the two hundred acres of landbefore mentioned which I give and bequeath to my two youngest sonsbesides these equal parts with the res t of my children in the remainingpart of my estate my said two sons Benjamin and Simon is to have the saidtwo hundred of land to be equally divided between them at my decease thesaid lotts is known by being No. three situate lying on the new ro adleading from Sissiboo Falls to the Yarmouth road and is fully describedin the plan an act. to the Grant of Said Block of Land---And I do furtherorder and direct that after my decease and after what has been alloted tomy wife and to my two yo ungest sons the remaining part of my estate bothreal and personal shall be equally divided between all my children (viz)to my son Charlton Sabin and to my son Robert Sabin and to my son AronSabin and to my son Benjamin Sabin and to my son Simo n Sabin and to mydaughter Freelove wife of Jno McNeill and to my daughter Susannah wife ofGeorge Prime and to my daughter Lurana wife of Elisha Prime and to mydaughter Mary wife of Charles McNeill and to my daughter Catherine and tomy daughte r Charlotte and to my daughter Elizabeth and to my daughterSarah Jane all to have equal share of my before mentioned estate after mydecease and my wifes dower. And I do also authorize and appoint my my sonCharlton Sabin and my son in Law Joh n McNeill my Executors of this myLast Will and Testament and do request them my said executors to carrythis my my last will into effect equally to the conditions of this mysaid Last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills mad e by mecertifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will andtestament in witness where of I here unto set my hand and seal the day and year first above mentioned.

The Rev Charles Randall wrote the following obituary in the ChristianMessenger dated 7 Feb 1845: "Died, at New Tusket, Township of Clare,County Digby, on the 16th of October last, Deacon Benjamin Sabean, in the79th year of his age. Dea Sabea n was born at Argyle, County ofShelburne, and came to Sissiboo with his parents when he was but twoyears of age. About eight years before his death, he sold his farm andremoved to New Tusket, where several of his children had previouslysettle d. At the age of 25 he was united in marriage to Miss ElizabethCharlton of Wilmot, by whom he had 5 sons and 9 daughters; twelve of whom are yet living, the comfort and support oftheir widowed mother. Brother Sabean was one of the first persons thatprofessed experimental religion in the County of Digby, and one of sevenwho went to Stony Beach, Lower Gra nville, in the year 1799, and werebaptized and subsequently organized into a church, called the BaptistChurch of Digby. This church subsequently changed its name to that ofSissiboo Church, at the time that the branch in Digby Neck was constituted a separate society. The mind of Brother Sabean was religiouslyimpressed when only a boy, under the preaching of the late Rev. Henry Alling under whose ministry some of his familywere also brought to the knowledge of the truth. He did not howeverobtain hope in the Saviour until after he was married, owing probably tothe want of proper religious instru ction. There were but few in thosedays in Nova Scotia to direct the enquirer to the Lamb of God who takethaway the sin of the world. The writer has frequently heard Brother Sabean say that he laboured longunder the most fearful apprehension that there was no mercy for him fromGod. He knew of no way by which to obtain the Divine favour but by theperformance of religious duti es--and when he found that he could donothing meritorious, and that instead of growing better as he hadexpected he had discovered more of the depravity of his heart, heconcluded that God could not save him and continue just. He frequentlyspok e of a memorable time, when, filled with despairing thoughtsrespecting his salvation, he wandered into a certain field, bemoaning hissituation when the way of acceptance by the cross of Christ was opened tohis mind--or, to use his own expressio n, a light appeared from Heavenwhich came directly in his heart and filled him with peace and joy, somuch so that everything around him appeared to be praising God. It was not long,however, before he again became the subject of perplexity and fear. Heseemed ever deeply conscious of the depravity of his nature, and inclinedrather than to pore over the dar k side of the picture, even to his lasthours. He never appeared to possess any confidence in himself and wasonly joyous as he was enabled to act faith in Chist as an all sufficientSaviour. He suffered much in his last sickness, which was pro tracted forabout 14 weeks. His death was looked for every day. He showed, however,evident marks of resignation to the Divine will, waiting with patiencetill his change should come. His remains were interred at Sissiboo on theSabbath followi ng his death, in the presence of a large number ofmourning relatives and friends, who were comforted with the belief thathe had gone to the place where the wicked cease from troubling and theweary are all at rest. The congregation was addresse d on the occasion by the Rev C Randall, from Isaiah 26:49.

Tradition says that Ben and David Grant went by horseback from Weymouthto Halifax, stopped at Wilmot to rest and change horses, met daughters ofHenry [or James] Charlton there -- on their way home, stopped to marrythem and brought them bac k to Weymouth on their horses. Ben receivedmarshland 10 Feb 1817.

1. ↑ Gordon Alan Morris <gamorris@hawaii.rr.com>. Sabin Family of North America.
2.   Isaiah W. Wilson published 1900. Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia.