Person:Joshua Abell (1)

Watchers
m. Bef 1639
  1. Abraham AbellEst 1639 - 1639
  2. Mary Abell1642 -
  3. Lieutenant Preserved AbellEst 1644 - 1724
  4. Sergeant Caleb AbellAbt 1647 - 1731
  5. Joshua AbellEst 1649 - 1724/25
  6. Benjamin AbellEst 1651 - Bef 1699
  7. Experience Abell1653 - 1706
m. 1 Nov 1677
  1. _____ Abell1678/79 - 1678/79
  2. Nehemiah Abell1679 - Abt 1679
  3. Anne Abell1681 - 1728
  4. Martha Abell1682/83 -
  • HJoshua AbellEst 1649 - 1724/25
  • WBethia Gager1657 - 1723
m. Nov 1685
  1. Mehitabel Abell1686 - 1694/95
  2. Lydia Abell1688 - 1752
  3. Sarah Abell1690/91 -
  4. Phebe Abell1693 -
  5. Elizabeth Abell1695 -
  6. Bethiah Abell1697 -
Facts and Events
Name[1][2][3] Joshua Abell
Gender Male
Birth[1][2] Est 1649 Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States
Marriage 1 Nov 1677 Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United Statesto Mehitable Smith
Marriage Nov 1685 Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United Statesto Bethia Gager
Will[2] 6 Nov 1722 Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States
Death[2][4] 1 Mar 1724/25 Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States
Burial[5] Old Norwichtown Cemetery, Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States
Probate[2] 5 Mar 1724/25 Will proved.

"Note: Several genealogies have credited Benjamin Abell and his brother Caleb both with a son by the name of Benjamin, and Caleb's son was supposed to have married Lydia Hazen. The early land records of the town of Norwich, Conn., indicate that there were only two Benjamins and show conclusively that Benjamin who married Hannah deeded all his land to his son Benjamin who married Lydia Hazen, and he in turn deeded most of this land to his sons, his two sons Benjamin and Simon receiving the largest parcels. Further records show deeds from Benjamin to his sons, Andrew, Elijah, Oliver, Altheus and Isaiah. The confusion undoubtedly arose from the custom of orphaned children, especially minors, being located in the homes of their next of kin and to all intents becoming members of such families. We therefore find Hannah, probably oldest daughter of Benjamin, in the household of Joshua from the death of her father in 1699 at least until her marriage in 1702 to Ebenezer Metcalf. Similarly, Mary and Benjamin are found attached to the household of their Uncle Caleb. Four other daughters, Lydia, Mehitable, Jemima and Experience, probably youngest members of the family, may have remained with their mother and probably were taken into the household of David Caulkins whom she married."[6]

References
  1. 1.0 1.1 Robert Abell, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995)
    1:5.

    "Joshua (Abell), b. Rehoboth say 1649; …"

  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 8. Joshua Abell, in Abell, Horace A. (Horace Avery), and Lewis P. (Lewis Parker) Abell. The Abell Family in America: Robert Abell of Rehoboth, Mass., his English Ancestry and his Descendants; Other Abell Families and Immigrants; Abell families in England. (Rutland, Vt. : The Tuttle Publishing Company, Inc., 1940)
    52-54.

    "8. Joshua Abell, born 1649, probably at Rehoboth, Mass.; died March 1, 1725 (inscription on gravestone at Norwich, Conn.); … Joshua was Constable in Dedham, Mass., and frequently chosen Townsman. He moved to Norwich, Conn., 1677 and became a considerable land owner, 44 land grants are listed to him of a total of about 1000 acres and he was buying others. He presented the West Church Society of Norwich, February 24, 1720-1 with the lot on which was erected the first meeting house. In 1691 Joshua exchanged his lands east of the river for the Norwich town homestead and other privileges of John Allyn, son of Robert Allyn. His nephew Benjamin (31) probably lived with him. He lived near the center of West Church Society, now Franklin, Conn., and joined this Church in 1724. On June 12, 1684 Nehemiah Smith and his wife gave their home and 15 acres to their son-in-law Joshua Abell, stipulating maintenance for life as they were infirm from age. On February 8, 1703-4 Joshua Abell of Norwich, Yeoman, conveys 15 acres of land to Caleb Abell, Jr. (16) of Lebanon, Mason, indicating Joshua's occupation.

    Will of Joshua Abell:

    Know all men by these presents—That I Joshua Abell of Norwich, In ye County of New London, Considering ye mortality of my body vc. have thought fit now in my Right understanding & memory to Settle & Dispose of my temporal estate by this my Last Will and testament. In manner following & first of all my will is yt my wife Injoy During her natural Life one third part of all my Lands & thereunto. Item, yt She Enjoy one third part of my other estate viz. of my Chattels both Real & Personal at her dispose forever.

    Item. I will & bequeath to my two Eldest daughters viz. to Anne Fitch & Martha Smith & to their husbands Nathaniel Fitch & Obadiah Smith twenty pounds yt is ten pounds to each Daughter & her husband.

    Item. I will all ye Residue of my Lands—tenements Goods Chattels & Estate of all sorts in what place or places soever be equally divided to and amongst my other four daughters & their husbands that is to say the fourth part yt of to my son in law Thomas Lathrop to hold during his natural life & after yt to remain to his wife my daughter Lydia and her heirs in fee Simple. One other fourth part thereof to my Son in law John Leffingwell to hold during his natural Life & then after yt to Remain to his wife my daughter Sarah & her heirs in fee Simple. One other fourth part to my Son in law Hugh Calkins to hold During his natural Life & then after that to Remain to my daughter his wife Phebe & her heirs in fee Simple. & ye other fourth part to my son in law John Lathrop to hold during his natural Life & then after that to his wife my daughter Elizabeth & her heirs in fee Simple.

    All wayes provided for it is my will yt in ye division amongst my four Daughters Left with their husbands named, it shall be considered what they or any of them have Received or before my decease shall have received and they shall first be made Equall and then ye Residue equally Divided as aforesd. Excepting yt ye farm I gave to John Leffingwell shall be counted to him at Twenty pounds Less than its just worth which I consider for ye trouble he has been at in defending ye title of it. Also Excepting all my Lands in Voluntown which I will to my Son in Law Thomas Lathrop & his wife Lydia & their heirs as a free gift (for Reasons to me known) & shall not be counted to them in ye Distribution as any part of their portion.

    Finally—I make my Son in law Thomas Lathrop aforesd ye sole executor of this my Last will who is hereby directed to pay all my debts & funeral charges with ye twenty pounds to my two eldest daughters & their husbands aforesd & then to assign & Sett to my wife Bethia her third part as will in ye Real as in ye Personal Estate as she & he shall agree & then by ye orders & Directions of ye perogative Court to proceed to make an Equality as above in my will ordered & then an Equal Division of what shall be Remaining as is above Expressed.

    And I doo Solemnly hereby Revoke all other wills by me heretofore made and In Testimony yt ye is my Last & testament I have hereunto Sett my hand & Seal in Norwich ye Sixth Day of November in ye year of our Lord God 1722-(Note ye words (& their heirs) were Interlined next above ye 14th Line from ye bottom before Signing & Sealing)

    Joshua Abell (Seal)

    Signed—sealed—published & Declared—In ye presence of Christopher Huntington—Isaac Huntington—John Renells.

    Norwich March 5—1724/5—Deacon Christopher Huntington Isaac Huntington and John Renols, perssonall appeared and made Solemn oath that they saw Joshua Abell sign Seal pronounce & declared the within written Testament to be his last Will & Testament to which they signed as Witnesses and that he was then of a Sound Mind and a Disposing frame before me

    Richard Bushnell
    Justice of Peace"

  3. Joshua Abell, in Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
    1:7.

    "Joshua (Abell), Norwich, perhaps br. of the preced. m. 1 Nov. 1677, Experience [Mehitabel], d. of Nehemiah Smith of New London, and perhaps had sec. w. d. of John Gager."

  4. Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States. Vital Records of Norwich, 1659-1848. (Hartford, Conn.: Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, 1913)
    1:30.

    "Jofhua Abell Died ye first day of march anno D: 1724/5"

  5. Joshua Abell, in Find A Grave.
  6. 9 Benjamin Abell, in Abell, Horace A. (Horace Avery), and Lewis P. (Lewis Parker) Abell. The Abell Family in America: Robert Abell of Rehoboth, Mass., his English Ancestry and his Descendants; Other Abell Families and Immigrants; Abell families in England. (Rutland, Vt. : The Tuttle Publishing Company, Inc., 1940)
    56.