Person:Mary Payson (9)

7 Jul 1783: "Esther Short, alias Esther Ephraim, an Indian or mulatto girl, at her examination stated that she was born in Grafton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Joshua Grafton who owned real estate there. When she was six-months-old, her mother took her to Woodstock and left her with the widow Mary Child, who later became the wife of Capt. Peter Tew of Woodstock, with whom she lived until about two months ago, when she came to Providence and lived in several families. She was then in her seventeenth year of her age." [Source: Rhode Island Roots, Warwick, RI: Rhode Island Genealogical Society, 1975–, (Online database, AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012), Providence Town Council Records, p 63]

CT Church Rec Abstracts 1630-1920, Vol 132 Woodstock, p 127
TEW, Paul had d. [ ], d. Jan [ ], 1779 in her 7th year
___, Mrs., had s. Oliver Child by a former husband, d. 29 Nov 1779

1. ↑ Barbour, Lucius Barnes, and Newton Case Brainard. Vital Records of Woodstock, 1686-1854. (Hartford, Connecticut: The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1914)
   p.54.

   "Mary Payson Daughter of John Payson by Zerviah his wife born May 30^th 1735."

2. ↑ Providence Town Council Records 1789-1801, in Mathew, Linda L., "Gleanings from Rhode Island Town Records"
   p 24 (174 of 300).

   5 Sep 1791, "Paraclete Tew, over the age of fourteen, chose John Dorrance, Esq., as his guardian"