The following entry is courtesy of the "Peabody Family Home Page International"



WILLIAM PABODIE

WILLIAM 2PABODIE (John1) was born in 1619 in England. He married, Dec. 26, 1644, at Plymouth, Mass., Elizabeth Alden, daughter of John and Priscilla (Mullens) Alden, born in 1623 at Plymouth. Elizabeth is supposed to have been the first white female child born in New England.

William, who grew up in Duxbury, Mass., is referred to in various documents of the period as a yeoman, boatman, planter, and wheelwright. He was also a land surveyor. On Nov. 1, 1648, four years after he was married, he bought from John Holland and Hopestill Foster of Dorchester, Mass., a dwelling house, garden, stables, land and meadow. He later bought additional tracts of land in Mattapoisett and Sepecan. At one point, on Oct. 27, 1680, he adjusted a boundary line between his lands and those of Mrs. Sarah Parke and William Brewster. He served as a Duxbury town officer and as a representative or deputy to the General Court at Plymouth, being repeatedly elected to the court from 1654 to 1663, then again in 1668, and continuously from 1671 to 1682. He was admitted a freeman of the colony June 5, 1651.

About 1684, he removed to Little Compton, then in Massachusetts but now in Rhode Island, where he had acquired a share in lands. Thus he established in Rhode Island what has come to be known as the Rhode Island branch of the family. He died Dec. 13, 1707, in Little Compton. His widow survived for almost 10 years, dying May 31, 1717, in Little Compton.

William's will provided as follows:

“The Last Will & Testament of William Pabodie of Little Compton in the County of Bristoll being aged and weakly, but of perfect understanding, as at other times, blessed be God for it, for the settling & continueing peace in my family and amongst my children after my decease do order my estate in the world as followeth

“Impris that my Body after it be Dead have Decent buriall & all funerall charges be Defrayed out of my estate....

“Item That all my Lawful Debts be fully & clearely and truely payed out of my estate as soon after my Death as Conveniently Can....

“Item I give unto my beloved wife all my houseing and lands in that part of ye town of Little Compton aforsd called the three quarters of a mile square the land being the one halfe of fourteen eleven acre lotts of land lyeing all of them in said three quarters of a mile square the Dwelling house being the East end of said house (the one halfe of sd fourteen eleven acre lotts of land. I gave formerly unto my son William Pabodie as may appear by a Deed of Gift unto him under my hand and Seal) Dureing the time of her widowhood: but if she Marry againe then I give her the Third part only Dureing her life. Allso I give unto my sd wife all my household stuff beds and beding puter brass Iron Tinn wood except onely one sett of Green Curtaines which I have given unto my Daughter Lidea Greenill after my wives Decease Together with the vallens thereunto belonging Allso I give unto my wife what cattle or beast of any sort or kind shall be found mine at my Death Together allso will all Bills due unto me at my death and what money shall be found mine at my Death Provided she Marry not againe and allso Rest contented with this my bequest to her in this my last will & Testament But if my wife shall see cause to claime her Thirds of my house and lands that was mine at Duxbury which I sold unto Samuel Bartlett and make use thereof then my will is my son William Pabodie shall have the whole use of houseing & lands at Little Compton & pay Samuel Bartlett fifty shillings by the year Dureing the time his mother makes use of her thirds at Duxbury....

“Item my will further is that if my wife will not be Contented with her thirds at Little Compton onely nor with her thirds at Duxbury onely but shall claime her thirds in both places or Marry Againe then my will is that I do hereby make Voide all my Bequest to her before Mentioned in this my last will & Testament and that she shall have onely such part of my estate as the law provides when the Husband. Dyes Intestate, and my bequest in this my last will & Testament in what is more then the law Request as aforesaid shall goe to make up the Damage any person shall sustain by her Refusall....

“Item I give to my son William Pabodie after his Mothers death that part of my house and land in Little Compton which I have bequeathed unto his mother dureing her life to him & his heirs for ever with all the Appurtenances....

“Item I give unto my son William Pabodie one Quarter part of a four & Twenty acre lott of land in Little Compton to him and his heires and assigns for ever....

“Item I give unto my son William Pabodie all my books not otherwise Disposed of before my Death and all my tools Axes hoes augurs saws Chaines hooks plows Irons. Crow & c...

“Item I give unto my three Gransons Namely Stephen Southworth the naturall son of my daughter Rebecca now Deceased and the naturall sons of my son William Pabodie Namely John Pabodie & William Pabodie as followeth, whereas there are certain lands belonging unto me the Testator Lyeing in or about a place called Wesbanange westward of the town of Providence in Rhod Iland Jurisdiction in New England not as yet bound out nor Divided namely one whole share I purchased of Philip Taber as may apear by Deeds under the hand & seale of sd Taber bearing date November the 12th 1685. and one other share in sd. Land in the same Country Purchased by my son William ffoabs of Shuball Painter as may appear by Deed under his hand and seal bearing date March the 8th, 1682, but assigned over by the said William ffobes unto my son in law Icabod Wiswell and my self the Testator as may appear by an assignment on the back side said Deed Now I give unto my three Gransons before named viz Stephen Southworth John Pabody and William Pabodie one third part of that whole share of land bought of Phillip Taber the other two third parts haveing formerly sold unto my two sons in law namely Edward Southworth & William ffobes allso I give two third parts of my halfe share of what was said Suball Painters the other third part of said half share I sold unto my said son in law Edward Southworth now I say the one third part of my share I bought that was Suball Painters I give unto my said three Gransons namely Stephen Southworth John Pabodie & William Pabodie by an equal Division to them and their heirs for ever.

“Item I give unto my naturall Daughter Mary one shilling & to my naturall Daughter Mercey one shilling and unto my naturall Daughter Martha one shilling and unto my naturall Daughter Priscilla one shilling & unto my Naturall Daughter Ruth one shilling and unto my naturall Daughter Hannah one shilling & to my naturall Daughter Lidia one shilling and to the heires of my naturall Daughter Elizabeth one shilling and unto the heirs of my naturall Daughter Rebeccah one shilling.

“Lastly I constitute and apoint my beloved wife & my son William Pabodie sole executors of this my last will and Testament Desireing my beloved friends:

William Pabodie (s)

“Signed and sealed in the
presence of these witnesses May: 13th: 1707
John Woodman
Peter Taylor
Samuel Wilbore

An inventory of William's estate included the following groups of items: 70 acres of land; six acres of out land; a share of land in “a Purchase called Washganaug in Rhoad Island Collony”; a dwelling house and half the barn; one mare and her yearling being a mare; one cow and her young calf; sundry books; two feather beds and the furniture belonging to them; four basins, three platters and three porringers; a tankard, a pint pot, a bowl, a cup and a plate; two old chamber pots, one bed pan, two cups and some old pewter; two iron pots and one iron kettle; an old brass pan, two kettles and two skillets; two trammels, a spit, a pair of tongs and a fire slice; a pair of andirons, an old dripping pan, an old skimmer, two turning pots and a grater; a warming pan and two earthen pots; four trays, three keelers and a cheese fatt; three chests and nine chairs; old tools, an old saddle and bridle; two pairs of pinchers, two hammers, four awls, six fishing hooks and lines; two old plow chains, an iron bar and a pair of old plough shares; a pair of cupples and a half peck; a dozen napkins, two table cloths and a looking glass; a grid iron and an old sword; a pair of marking irons, a small pewter bottle and a cow bell; a churn, a runlett and two glass bottles; powder, shot and flints; two pounds, six shillings in cash; linen and woolen wearing apparel; and a pitch fork, for a total estate valued at 407 pounds, 14 shillings.

An account of the administration of the estate was filed by the son William on Sept. 13, 1709, showing he had paid each of the heirs their cash legacies and paid the expense of the funeral, which included “one shilling for the robe, six shillings for digging the grave, three shillings for the coffin, twelve shillings for 3 gallons of rum and 13 shillings for the grave stones, besides paying the doctor two pounds and three shillings.”_

Children (dates follow old style, year beginning March 25), all born in Duxbury:

  1. John, b. Oct. 4, 1645; sold his grandfather's legacy in 1668; d. Nov. 17, 1669. The coroner's jury found “hee riding on the road, his horse carried him underneath the bow of a tree, violently forceing his unto the body thereof, broke his skull, which wee doe judge was the cause of his death.”_

  2. Elizabeth, b. April 24, 1647; m. Nov. 16, 1666, in Duxbury, John Rogers Jr., son of John and Ann (Churchman) Rogers of Duxbury; she d. before 1707 and he m. (2) Hannah (Hobart) Browne, widow of John Browne of Salem, Mass., and daughter of the Rev. Peter Hobart of Hingham, Mass.; Hannah d. 1691 and he m. (3) int. March 22, 1692/3, Marah (Cobham) Browning, widow of Joseph Browning and daughter of Josiah and Mary Cobham or Marah (Browning) Newell, who d. in 1739; he d. June 28, 1732, in Barrington, Mass., (now R.I.); children born to John and Elizabeth: Hannah Rogers, John Rogers, Elizabeth Rogers, Ruth Rogers, Sarah Rogers.

  3. Mary, b. Aug. 7, 1648; m. Nov. 16, 1671, in Duxbury, Edward Southworth, son of Constant and Elizabeth (Collier) Southworth; lived in Duxbury; children: Mercy Southworth, Elizabeth Southworth, Thomas Southworth, Constant Southworth, Benjamin Southworth, John Southworth, Priscilla Southworth.

  4. Mercy, b. Jan. 2, 1649; m. Nov. 16, 1669, in Duxbury, John Simmons, son of Moses and Sarah (Chandler?) Simmons; lived in Duxbury; he d. before Feb. 9, 1715/16; she d. before Nov. 8, 1728; children: John Simmons, William Simmons, Isaac Simmons, Martha Simmons, Benjamin Simmons, Joseph Simmons, Rebeckah Simmons, Joshua Simmons, Moses Simmons.

  5. Martha, b. Feb. 24, 1650; m. (1) Apr. 4, 1677, in Duxbury, Samuel Seabury, a Duxbury physician b. Dec. 10, 1640, in Duxbury, son of John and Grace (_____) Seabury; Samuel, whose first wife was Patience Kemp, who d. Oct. 29, 1675; Smauel d. Aug. 5, 1681, in Duxbury, and Martha m. (2) William Fobes, b. in 1650, son of John and Constant (Mitchell) Fobes; Martha d. Jan. 25, 1712, in Little Compton; William d. Nov. 6, 1712; children: Joseph Seabury, John Seabury, Martha Seabury, Elizabeth Fobes, Constant Fobes, Mary Fobes, and Mercy Fobes.

  6. Priscilla, b. Nov. 16, 1652; d. March 2, 1653.

  7. Priscilla, b. Jan. 15, 1653/4; m. Dec. 24, 1677, or Dec. 2, 1679, in Duxbury, the Rev. Ichabod Wiswall, b. 1637/8, probably in Dorchester, Mass., son of Thomas and Elizabeth (_____) Wiswall; he had m. (1) Remember _____; he d. July 23, 1700, in Duxbury; she d. June 3, 1724, in Kingston; children: Mercy Wiswall, Hannah Wiswall, Peleg Wiswall, Perez Wiswall, Priscilla Wiswall, Deborah Wiswall.

  8. Sarah, b. Aug. 7, 1656; m. (1) Nov. 10, 1681, probably in Duxbury, John Coe, b. June 30, 1649, son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Whately) Coe of Portsmouth, N.H.; he d. Dec. 10 or 16, 1728, in Little Compton, and she m. (2) Oct. 7, 1731, Caesar Church; she d. Aug. 27, 1740, in Little Compton; children: Lydia Coe, Sarah Coe, Lydia Coe, Sarah Coe, Samuel Coe, Elizabeth Coe, Hannah Coe, John Coe, Joseph Coe.

  9. Ruth, b. June 27, 1658; m. December 1676 or 1678, in Duxbury, Benjamin Bartlett, son of Benjamin and Sarah (Brewster) Bartlett; lived in Duxbury; she d. before March 27, 1725, in Duxbury; his will, dated Dec. 10, 1717, was proved Apr. 10, 1724; children: Robert Bartlett, Sarah Bartlett, Rebeckah Bartlett, Ruth Bartlett, Mercy Bartlett, William Bartlett, Priscilla Bartlett, Deborah Bartlett, Abigail Bartlett.

  10. Rebecca, b. Oct. 16, 1660; m. in 1680, William Southworth, b. in 1659, in Duxbury, Mass., son of Constant and Elizabeth (Collier) Southworth; she d. Dec. 3 or 23, 1702, in Little Compton, and he m. (2) Nov. 14, 1705, Martha (Kirkland) Blague (later spelled Blake), widow of Joseph Blague and daughter of Nathaniel and Parnell Kirkland; he d. June 25, 1718 or 1719, in Little Compton; children born to William and Rebecca: Benjamin Southworth, Joseph Southworth, Edward Southworth, Elizabeth Southworth, Alice Southworth, Samuel Southworth, Nathaniel Southworth, Thomas Southworth, and Stephen Southworth.

  11. Hannah, b. Oct. 15, 1662; m. Aug. 2, 1683, Samuel Bartlett, son of Benjamin and Sarah (Brewster) Bartlett; he d. in 1713, and she d. after 1714; children: Benjamin Bartlett, Joseph Bartlett, Samuel Bartlett, Hannah Bartlett, Ichabod Bartlett, Elizabeth Bartlett, Lydia Bartlett, Sarah Bartlett, possibly Judah or Judith Bartlett, and possibly William Bartlett.

  12. William, b. Nov. 24, 1664.

  13. Lydia, b. Apr. 3, 1667; m. about 1683, Daniel Grinnell, b. about 1668, in Portsmouth, R.I., son of Daniel and Mary (Wodell) Grinnell; he d. Jan. 7, 1740, in Saybrook, Conn.; she d. July 13, 1748, in Saybrook or Killingworth (later Clinton), Conn.; children: Peabody Grinnell, George Grinnell, Mary Grinnell, Priscilla Grinnell, Ruth Grinnell, Elizabeth Grinnell, Lydia Grinnell, Sarah Grinnell, Jemima Grinnell, Daniel Grinnell, Rebecca Grinnell.



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