Archive:NEHGR, Volume 126

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Kellogg, Dale C., and Threlfall, John B., "Richard Sawtell of Watertown, Mass. and Some of His Descendants," NEHGR, Volume CXXVI (1972), pp. 3-17, 129-140.

[p. 3]

It is likely that every person named Sawtell (or Sartwell and numerous other variations) in all of New England and New York prior to 1790 is descended from Richard Sawtell of Watertown and Groton, Mass. Much of the documentary evidence pertaining to this Colonial ancestor and his descendants has found its way into print in scattered sources, but no comprehensive study of the family has ever been published. In addition, much of the published material is sprinkled with errors, distorted legends and false conclusions. The following genealogy attempts to straighten out the early generations and includes relationships heretofore unreported. [snip]

[p. 5]

2. Jonathan2 Sawtell (Richard1) was born 24 Aug. 1639 at Watertown. He was an original proprietor of Groton in 1661-2 with a five-acre grant and on 23 Nov. 1664 was chosen a fence viewer (Samuel A. Green, The Early Records of Groton, 1880, p. 11). On 3 July 1665 at Groton, he married Mary Tarbell, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Vital Records). She died after childbirth 25 April 1676 at Watertown (Vital Records). He was made freeman at Groton on 15 May 1672 (The Register 3:239). After destruction of Groton by the Indians, he fled with his neighbors back to Watertown. Two years later he returned to Groton and was chosen selectman 1688-90. He died there 6 July 1690. There is no evidence that he ever remarried. [snip]

[p. 6]

His four surviving daughters and their husbands deeded his Groton land on 8 Dec 1698 to Jonas Prescott.
Children, all born at Groton except the youngest: [snip]
  1. Elizabeth3, b. 3 Feb. 1668/9; mar. at Watertown 25 Aug. 1691 [see Note p. 140], Richard Whitney Jr. of Stow, Mass., (Middlesex County Deeds, 13:197). He was b. 13 Jan 1660/1 at Watertown; d. 25 Dec. 1723; eight children named in his will; she d. 24 Nov. 1723; res. Stow (Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, 1895, p.30) [snip]

[p. 16]

12. Hezekiah3 Sawtell (Obadiah2, Richard1) was born 2 March 1703 at Groton. He married (int. 1 Aug. 1723) Joannah Wilson, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Foster) Wilson, born 6 Jan. 1701 and died 11 Sept. 1786 in her 85th year, per gravestone. He died 18 March 1779 in his 77th year, buried with her in Groton Cemetery (V.R.). He was a soldier in King George's War and a deacon of the Groton church.
Children born at Groton: [snip]
  1. Hannah, b. 11 Oct. 1730; she was probably the Hannah who m. at Groton 26 Feb. 1759, John Whitney Jr. of Shirley, Mass., b. there 20 March 1725, son of John and Rebecca (Whitney) Whitney; 2 sons; she d. ca. 1761-2 and he m. (2) at Groton, 15 April 1762, her cousin Elizabeth Sawtell, daughter of David3 (No. 14). (Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, 1895, pp. 47-8, 84). [snip]
13. Richard3 Sawtell (Enoch2, Richard1) was baptized 21 April 1689 at Watertown. He married 18 March 1716/17 at Watertown, Abigail Whitney, born there 3 May 1688 to Benjamin and Abigail (Hagar) Whitney (Whitney, op. cit., p. 29). Richard resided first at Waltham, Mass., and in later years at Bolton, Mass., where he died. He was named to help regulate swine on 3 March 1717/18 (Watertown Records, 2:253). His estate was administered 20 Oct. 1760. Widow Abigail apparently died about 1783 when her dower third was distributed (Worcester County Probate, No. 52227).
Children, recorded at Watertown:
  1. John4, b. 11 Feb 1717/18 at Watertown; d. 14 Feb. 1717/18.
  2. Abigail, b. 12 April 1719 at Watertown; "eldest daughter" m. 12 May 1743 at Waltham, Mass., (V.R.), Benjamin Hastings, both alive in 1783.
  3. Henry, b. 1720-1, "eldest son".
  4. Enoch, "second son".
  5. Sarah, bap. Watertown, 29 Aug. 1736; "second daughter" m. 7 July

[p. 17]

    1748 at Bolton, William Sawyer; 9 ch. rec. at Bolton; widow Sarah Sawyer d. 1810 at Bolton (V.R.).
  1. Hannah, bp. Watertown, 29 Aug 1736; "third daughter"; m. 17 May 1753 at Bolton (V.R.) Jonas Whitcomb; he d. 31 Dec. 1792, ae. 69; she d. 27 June 1796, ae. 70, both bur. old cemetery at Bolton (V.R.).
  2. Ruth, bp. Watertown, 29 Aug. 1736; m. 1757 John Richardson; d. 1 Oct. 1764 at Templeton, Mass. (V.R.); he m. (2) at Bolton 1768 (V.R.) Rebecca Moor of Bolton, he of Templeton; he d. at Templeton 4 Nov. 1819, ae. 83, called Captain (V.R.)

[p. 129]

14. David4 Sawtell (Zachariah3, Zachariah2, Richard1) was born 30 March 1702 at Groton, Mass. He married first, intention recorded 1 March 1723/4 at Chelmsford (V.R.) Elizabeth Keyes, who was born ca. 1701 and died 23 Nov. 1772, ae. 71, at Groton (V.R.). He married, secondly, 16 June 1773 at Groton, Patience (Nutting) Kemp, widow of William Kemp, and daughter of Moses and Mehitable (Kemp) Keyes.
David Sawtell enlisted for Lovewell's War 2 Dec. 1723 and joined the church at Groton 2 Feb. 1728. He lived out his last years at Townsend, Mass., where he died. His will, dated 23 Aug. 1781, was admitted to probate 7 Aug. 1784. He bequeathed his household goods to wife Patience for her lifetime, then to be divided among his children and grandchildren. His clothing was to be divided among his three sons, Samuel, Moses and John (Middlesex County Probate, No. 19949).
Children, all born at Groton (V.R.): [snip]
  1. Elizabeth, b. 12 July 1737; mar. 15 April 1762 at Groton, as his second wife, John Whitney, Jr. of Shirley, Mass., whose first wife was Hannah Sawtell, second cousin of Elizabeth. [snip]

[p. 138]

30. Henry4 Sawtell (Richard3, Enoch2, Richard1), "eldest son" per estate papers of father, was born ca. 1720/1. He married 6 June 1744, Sarah Harrington of Watertown, daughter of Joseph and Martha Harrington. She was born at Watertown 13 Aug. 1719. He died at Phillipston, Mass., 10 Oct. 1802, ae. 82, and she died there 25 May 1816. ae. 93.
He lived at Watertown, Bolton and Templeton, Mass., and served

[p. 139]

in 1757 in the foot company of Capt. Thomas Wilder (Henry S. Nourse, The Military Annuals of Lancaster, 1889, p. 61). He does not appear by name in the 1790 Census but was probably living with son Richard at Gerry (now Phillipston).
Children:
  1. Henry5, 14 Sept. 1745 at Watertown; mar. at Templeton 4 April 1768, Jerusha Hudson, b. ca. 1745 at Petersham; d. at ae. 37 according to funeral sermon of Sarah (Harrington) Sawtell, 1816; res. Athol, Mass., and ca. 1774 moved to Newfane, Vt., where all but son Levi died when their log cabin burned 2 Feb. 1782, Levi then being with his grandparents at Phillipston (Vermont Historical Gazetteer, 5:pt 2:459-60); children: 1. Henry Tertius, b. 1769; 2. Levi, b. 1770; 3. Jerusha, b. 1773; 4. Rufus, b. 1774; 5. Thomas, b. 177_; 6. Joel.
  2. Joseph, b. 12 March 1746/7 at Bolton.
  3. Sarah, b. 5 March 1748/9 at Bolton; mar. at Templeton 22 June 1778, as his second wife, Jonathan Warren of "York State" but actually of Marlborough, Vt. (see the Rev. Ephraim H. Newton, The History of the Town of Marlborough, 1930, pp. 157-8)
  4. Richard, b. 20 July 1751 at Bolton; mar. at Templeton 31 Dec. 1776, Sarah Grout, b. Petersham; d. Athol 5 March 1846, ae. 89 yrs., 25 days; res. Athol and Phillipston; Revolutionary soldier (see pension file W-13867); he d. Athol 31 July 1838, ae. 87, per gravestone; children: 1. Joseph, b. 1777; 2. Elijah, b. 1779; d. 1801; 3. Richard, b. 1781; 4. Jerusha, b. 1783; d. 1802; 5. Nabby, d. 1846; 6. Susanna, d. 1789; 7. Sally; 8. Henry, b. 1790; 9. Lydia, b. 1792; 10. Lucinda, b. 1794; 11. Eli, b. 1796, d. 1802; 12. Eunice, b. 1799.
  5. Martha, b. 16 July 1753 at Bolton; mar. at Phillipston 15 Feb. 1792, John Wetherby.
  6. Thomas, b. 4 May 1754 at Bolton; possibly the Thomas Sawteel who served in the Revolution from New Braintree, 1777-80 (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors..., op. cit.).
  7. Eunice, b. 12 Dec. 1757 at Bolton; d. there 3 Jan. 1758.
  8. Susannah, b. 1 March 1759 at Bolton; d. at Athol 27 April 1780.
  9. Abigail, b. at Templeton 3 March 1761; mar. at Athol 16 Aug 1783, Thomas Carless (?Canless), both of Templeton.
  10. David, b. at Templeton 15 April 176- (prob. 1763); mar. (1) ca. 1785-6, Deborah -----, who d. 24 June 1789 at Phillipston; (2) 16 May 1791 at Phillipston, Rebecca Fisk, who d. Jaffrey, N.H., 31 Dec. 1832, ae. 67; he d. there 16 Nov. 1841, ae. 78 (Daniel B. Cutter, History of the Town of Jaffrey, 1881, p. 453, where he is erroneously called Daniel); res. at Athol, Jaffrey; in 1790 Census of Phillipston, 1-0-3; children: 1. Deborah, b. 1786; 2. Sarah, b. 1788; 3. Betsey, b. 1792, d. 1859; 4. Aaron, b. 1793; 5. Polly, b. 1795; 6. David, b. 1797; 7. Warren, b. 1800; 8. Henry, b. 1802; 9. Rebecca, b. 1805; 10. Amos, b. 1809.
  11. Eunice, b. ca. 1766; d. at Phillipston 13 July 1798, ae. 32.
31. Enoch4 Sawtell (Richard3, Enoch2, Richard1), "second son" according to his father's estate papers, could hardly have been born before 1722 and is unlikely to have been form after 1723. He, residing at Waltham, married 13 April 1747, Bethia Bond of Watertown, daughter of John and Ruth (Whitney) Bond. She was born at Watertown 23 March 1719/20 (Bond, op. cit., p. 51). He lived first at Bolton, later at Templeton, and by the 1790 Census was at Gerry (now Phillipston) with a family of three men and three women or girls. By 1800, he and three of his sons were at Somerset, Windham County, Vt., and he probably died soon thereafter. The Content Sartwell who died at Somerset 21 March 1849, ae. 83, was perhaps

[p. 140]

the widow of son Enoch Jr. or of son Richard; or another child of Enoch.
Children:
  1. Benjamin5, b. Bolton 2 July 1749; mar. at Templeton 30 Nov. 1775, Relief Washburn; he prob. the one who served from Templeton in the Revolution, 1778. (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors..., op. cit.); in 1790 at Gerry (1-3-4) and in 1800 at Somerset, where he d. 11 Feb. 1823, ae. 73; had large family.
  2. Enoch, b. ca. 1752; d. Somerset 24 June 1824; ae. 72; at Gerry in 1790, prob. with his father; in 1800 at Somerset; prob. the one who enlisted from Templeton in 1775 (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors..., op. cit.).
  3. Bethia, b. ca. 1753-4; d. Somerset 16 Feb. 1827, ae. 73.
  4. Abigail, b. at Bolton 18 Dec. 1755.
  5. Richard, b. ca. 1759; d. Somerset 1 May 1823, ae 64 (town rec.)
  6. Ruth, bapt. at Templeton 8 April 1764; perhaps the Ruth who mar. at Athol 3 June 1790, Calvin Goss, both of Gerry.

Note: The date and place of the marriage of Elizabeth3 Sawtell (Jonathan2, Richard1) to Richard Whitney, Jr., as given in the first installment of this article (126:7) should be deleted. No original record of this marriage has been found.

"Marriage Records of the Rev. Thomas Baldwin, Pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Boston, Massachusetts," NEHGR, Volume CXXV (1971), pp. 99-109, 214-223, 287-294;, Volume CXXVI (1972), pp. 64-68, 141-145, 204-209.

Pg. Year Date Record
66 1817 Nov 25 Mr. Luther Turner, Miss Lucinda Whitney
67 1818 Sep 13 Mr. Peter Sanburn, Waltham, Miss Sally Whitney, Boston
142 1820 Feb 17 Mr. Simeon K. Whitney, Miss Elizabeth Marsh
145 1821 Nov 15 Mr. James Whitney, Miss Nancy Lawrence
145 1822 May 19 Mr. Elisha Ellis, Miss Sophronia Whitney
207 1824 June 6 Mr. Sewell Gates, Miss Martha Whitney
209 1825 May 22 Mr. Isaac Whitney, Miss Nancy Tracy

Hannibal, Edna Anne, and Barlow, Claude W., "Richard, William and Hugh, Sons of John Briggs of Taunton, Massachusetts," NEHGR, Volume CXXV, pp. 77-90, 200-211, 268-281; Volume CXXVI (1972), pp. 30-42, 115-126, 210-221, 267-277; Volume CXXVII (1973), pp. 59-67.

[p. 125]

70. Isaac5 Briggs (James4, Richard3-2, John1), born in Norton, Mass., 12 Nov. 1762, died in Athol 12 July 1837 (g.s. Old Cemetery, Athol).
He married, probably in Taunton 1 Jan. 1786, Polly Danforth, daughter of John and Rhoda (Dean) Danforth, born in Taunton 3 Nov. 1763 (John Joseph May, Danforth Genealogy (1902), p. 50), died in Athol 9 July 1842 "widow of Elder Isaac" (aged 78 years, g.s. Old Cemetery, Athol; aged 78, 8 mos., Bible Record). [snip]
Children of Rev. Isaac and Polly (Danforth) Briggs, born in Taunton and Athol: [snip]

[p. 126]

  1. John, b. Athol 7 March 1797; d. Michigan 20 May 1841; mar. in Petersham, Mass., 30 Nov. 1823 Hannah Mann, dau. of Ensign and Alice (Whitney), b. 30 July 1792, d. Calhoun County, Mich. 3 Oct. 1865. Children: 1. John S., b. 25 May 1824; mar. 10 Dec. 1852, Mary Ann Doyle. 2. Mary, b. 23 Oct. 1825; d. in Michigan 1874. 3. Julia H., b. 16 April 1827; d. 15 June 1882; mar. 28 April 1856, William S. Woodruff, d. 19 Oct.1868. 4. Phebe, b. 7 Feb. 1829; mar. Milton W. Woodruff. 5. David b. 10 Dec. 1831. 6. Priscilla Gracia, b. 6 Aug. 1833, mar. 1856, M. W. Southworth of Michigan. [snip]
Note: Used in preparation of the record of the above family, in addition to town records, were Bible Records from Mrs. R. O. Briggs of N. Orange and We and Our Kinfolk, by M. B. Briggs.

[p. 269]

87. Henry5 Briggs (Matthew4-3, William2, John1) born in Dighton, Mass., 16 Jan. 1747/8, died in Westville Center, N.Y., 11 Dec 1828 "in his 82nd year" (g.s. Cole Hill cemetery - located between Westville and West Constable).
He married in Rehoboth in December 1767, by the Rev. Robert Rogerson, Hannah Ormsbee, daughter of Jabez and Charity (Fisher) Ormsbee, born in Rehoboth 27 Jan. 1746/7, died between 16 July 1773 and 1 Sept. 1774.
Children of Henry and Hannah (Ormsbee) Briggs, the first eight born in Putney, Vt.: [snip]
  1. Israel, b. 8 July 1771; d. Northfield, Vt., 30 July 1856 (Vermont Records, Montpelier, Vt.); mar. (1) Prudence Burrough, d. Williamstown, Vt., 9 July 1810 "age 31 yrs"; mar. (2) Williamstown 22 Nov. 1810, Polly Whitney (Northfield, Vt., Town Record), d. Northfield 8 Sept. 1867 "age 83y. 2m. 22d." (Vital Records, Montpelier, Vt.)
    2. Children, b. in Williamstown and Northfield, the first four by Prudence, the others by Polly: [snip]
    1. Warren, b. 16 July 1812.
    2. George Dennison, b. 25 April 1814; d. Northfield 4 April 1858; mar. 26 April 1841, Mary Whiting
    3. Prudence, b. 28 March 1816; d. Fort Covington, N.Y., 4 Nov. 1901; mar. ---- Wright.
    4. Sally, b. 19 Jan 1818; lived Lowell, Mass., mar. ---- Phelps.
    5. Teresa, b. 21 Dec. 1821.
    6. Albern, b. 26 Dec. 1823 (g.s. 1822); d. Williamstown 3 June 1903; mar. 18 Nov. 1852, Mabel Whitney (Vital Records, Montpelier, Vt.).
    7. Warren, b. 9 March 1825; d. Northfield 1903; mar. (1) 26 April 1852, Celina Edgerton; mar. (2) Elizabeth Taylor, b. Northfield 1829 (g.s.); d. there 1909.
    8. Orinda, b. 13 July 1828; mar. 14 July 1847, Lyman T. Putney, b. 1825 in New Hampshire (Vital Records, Montpelier, Vt.). [snip]

Copyright © 2000, 2006, 2011, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.

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