Person:Robert Seaver (26)

Robert Sever and his two oldest sons were in Captain Ephraim Baker's company of Sir William Pepperell's regiment at the taking of the fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island on 28 June 1745 during the French and Indian War. Either Joseph or Benjamin were killed there (it is not clear, since there are no records for either after 1745) [Alfred S. Hudson, "The History of Sudbury, Massachusetts," published by the town, 1889; p. 210 (hereafter "Hudson")].

Robert Sever of Framingham, yeoman, bought land in Framingham for 500 pounds in bills of credit from Thomas Frost of Framingham on 19 January 1737. The land comprised 100 acres of upland and pasture in Framingham. The land was bounded northwesterly by land of Hezekiah Stone, northerly by land of Thomas Frost and Nathaniel Gibbs, easterly by Ebenezer and James Boutal, and southerly by Christopher Nixson [Middlesex County Deeds 42.26, recorded 16 September 1740, LDS Microfilm 0,554,023].

Robert Sever, bricklayer of Framingham, and his wife Eunice, sold 100 acres of land in Framingham for 75 pounds in bills of credit to the Manufactory Company headed by Robert Auchmuty of Roxbury on 9 September 1740. Robert Sever became a partner in the company as a condition of the sale. The land was the parcel bought from Thomas Frost [Middlesex County Deeds 42.79, recorded 26 October 1740, LDS Microfilm 0,554,023.]

Robert Sever of Framingham, husbandman, received 5 acres of land in Sudbury from his father, Joseph Sever, yeoman of Framingham, for many good causes and considerations, and especially in fatherly love and affection, on 20 October 1740. The land was meadowland near West Brook, bounded by the brook, land of Joseph Parmenter, Paul Brintnal, and Elisha How, and was valued at 150 pounds in bills of credit [Middlesex County Deeds 42.27, recorded 20 October 1740, LDS Microfilm 0,554,023].

On 20 January 1741, Robert Sever of Framingham sold 4 acres of land in Sudbury to Isaac Gibbs of Sudbury for 140 pounds in currant money. The land was meadowland bounded by lands of Elisha How and Paul Brintnall 29 May 1741 [Middlesex County Deeds 42.500, recorded 29 May 1741, LDS Microfilm 0,554,023].

Robert Sever, husbandman of Sudbury, sold land in Sudbury to Isaac Read, yeoman of Sudbury, for 120 pounds on 19 April 1742. The land was on the west side of the Sudbury River and contained 4 and a quarter acres of meadow, bounded easterly by Elisha How, northerly by Paul Brintnal, westerly by Nathan Goodenow and Josiah Richardson, and southerly by a brook [Middlesex County Deeds 45.59, recorded 25 February 1744, LDS Microfilm 0,554,025].

Robert Sever, bricklayer of Framingham, sold 100 acres of land in Framingham to Robert Montgomery for 570 pounds of old tenor bills on 13 March 1746/7. The land and meadows contained a dwelling house and was bounded by land of Belcher, Frost, and Stratton. The deed was also signed by Eunice Sever [Middlesex County Deeds 46.169, recorded 17 March 1746/7, LDS Microfilm 0,554,025].

The Robert Seaver family lived near the town line dividing Sudbury and Framingham. He was a bricklayer by trade. In October, 1748 his house at Sudbury was consumed by fire. He petitioned the General Court for relief as follows:

"My house was burned and consumed all the little substance I had in the world, it being in movables and bonds and bills of credit, and amongst the money your petitioner lost was one 8 pd one 3 pd and one 3 pc and one 4 pd all of this Province old Tenor."

He stated the fact that he and his sons were at the taking of Louisbourg, "and that one of them is there still." The court granted him 3 pounds 15 shillings in respect of his service [Hudson, p. 219-220].

Robert Seaver moved his family to Narragansett No. 2 (which was part of the lands assigned to soldiers of the Indian Wars), which was later called Westminster. He settled on Lot 70 located in the southeast part of town on the highland nearly a mile northeast of the outlet to Wachusett Lake, having purchased the lot from Josiah Brown of Sudbury on 20 November 1750 for 60 pounds [Worcester County Deeds 35.342, LDS Microfilm 0,843,173]. In the spring of 1751, he had a frame house, three acres of land fenced, two acres cleared and one acre broken for planting [William S. Heywood, "History of Westminster Massachusetts", Vox Populi Press, Lowell, MA, 1893].

Robert Sever, bricklayer of Narragansett No. 2, died in early 1752 intestate [Worcester County Probate Records, Packet 52,920]. Eunice Seaver was appointed administratrix. An inventory was taken by Oliver Wilder, David Hoar and Joseph Miller on 26 September 1752. The inventory included:

         The Real Estate                                                                                           66:13:04
         To Personal Estate:
                  To one note of Hand 8/ & to apparel 24/1                                                 1:12:01
                  To bedding and furniture 40/          To 2 chests one old Corboard 8/           2:08:00
                  To five old chairs one old Table 5/  To one spining wheel 6/                       0:11:00
                  To one Tubb one nail, one Pigon 5/1                                                            5:01
                  To pewter and wooden Platts                                                                      8:08
                  To Two Iron Potts one frying pan                                                                 4:60
                  To old axes one shavy two stone hammers                                                13:05
                  to Two Trowells 3/ to old books and shoes 4/4                                              7:04
                  to one Staple and Ring and two Cart Boxes one Chain                                  9:04
                 To one narrow hoe and old iron                                                                     1:08
                 To one plow & five plow irons                                                                      16:00
                 To Knives and forks and Razor                                                                      1:02
                 To Bible and other books 12/6                                                                     12:06
                 To one Saddle one pitch fork two Rakes                                                       14:11
                 To Shovell 2/  To one yoke of oxen L8:13:4                                                8:15:04
                 To Two Cows L6   To one Horse L6:5/                                                      12:05:00
                 To Two Calves 20/  To Hay L2:13:4                                                           3:13:04
                 To Two Shoah 12/  To 4 thousand of brick 42/8                                          2:14:08
                 To Bettle Ring 1/8  To 1750 feet of boards 35/                                            1:16:08
                 To Seven Cherry Tree Boards and Logg                                                         3:00
                 To three thousand of Shingles                                                                   1:04:00
                                                                                                                            --------------
                 Entire estate:                                                                                       106:13:06

The debts apparently exceeded the value of the personal effects that could be sold, so Eunice sold the property to pay off the residual debts. The 60 acres of land in Lot 70 were sold in two lots to Luke Brown of Worcester for 20 pounds and to Ezra Taylor on 7 April 1755 for a total of 54 pounds, 8 shillings, 10 pence [Worcester County Deeds 36.270, 36.281, LDS Microfilm 0,843,173]. Eunice Seaver's account was allowed on 21 August 1755.

After Robert's death, Eunice Seaver moved back to Sudbury with her minor children, and lived in Sudbury, perhaps with her son Norman until he married in 1757. Eunice joined the First Parish Church of Sudbury on 14 December 1755 ["Records of First Parish Church - Sudbury", LDS Microfilm 0,185,464]. Samuel Sever, son of Eunice Sever, was baptized at the First Parish Church of Sudbury on 28 July 1754 (although the record says "son to widow Thankful"). Eunice Sever is listed as a member of the First Church of Sudbury on 17 November 1772 ["Record Book of Jacob Bigelow, 1772-1800", LDS Microfilm 0,185,462].

Her death date and residence at the time of her death are unknown. It is probably either Sudbury or Westminster. Heywood's book says she died in 1773. There is no probate record located for Eunice Sever.

The list of children of Robert and Eunice Seaver shown in the vital records has some discrepancies - Norman and Hannah are not shown in any vital records, but are listed according to tradition. Norman is a family name from Eunice Rayment's family. Son Robert is not shown on any records, but the "History of Brookline NH" says he was probably the son of Robert and Eunice Seaver. Moses Sever of Westminster, son of Robert Sever late of Narragansett No. Two, aged almost 14 years, chose Edward Whipple of Westborough as his guardian on 16 April 1755 [Worcester County Probate Records, 617.421, Probate Packet 52,912A]. Robert Sever of Marlborough (formerly of Framingham), selected John Weeks of Marlborough to be his guardian on 23 October 1758 [Middlesex County Probate Records, Probate Packet 20,070, LDS film 0,421,515].

1. ↑ Sudbury (MA) Vital Records to 1850
   130.