Benjamin Abbott (1795-1853)
Rebecca Boynton (1800-1895)
Benjamin and Rebecca are our 3rd great grandparents by the following path: RWA → Fred Pemberton Abbott → Arthur Merrill Abbott → Justin Abbott → Benjamin Abbott and Rebecca Boynton
We perhaps like to think of our ancestors as having exciting stories, but most of them seemed to lead quiet, ordinary lives. Benjamin Abbott and Rebecca Boynton are one such couple. They were both born in Andover. Although Benjamin was the oldest son in his family, he was at the end of several generations of later born sons. Due to the way property was allocated in wills, it was only the oldest son, or sometimes the two oldest sons, who received the bulk of the estate. It is likely that Benjamin’s father did not have much of an estate to pass on, and Benjamin may have left Andover in search of some better opportunities.
After they married, Benjamin and Rebecca made the 50 mile move from Andover to Holden. Holden had been founded around 1737 when it was carved out of a section of Worcester. Benjamin and Rebecca had six children including our ancestor Justin Abbott who served in the Civil War. Perhaps Benjamin got together with friends and family at Ye Old Abbott Tavern which was built in Holden by his third cousin John Abbott (1738-1799). [The tavern is pictured on the left.]
Benjamin was a farmer with property that totaled about 45 acres at the time of his death. He perhaps was not that successful. After his death in 1853 from prostate cancer, the entire property including the family home, was sold at auction to pay his debts. Benjamin’s widow Rebecca received a payment of $250 after everything was sold and the debts were paid. The part of the probate record that includes the notice of auction is shown at the bottom of the page.
After the death of Benjamin, Rebecca became something of a vagabond moving between the homes of her adult children. In 1860 she was living in Holden with her son and his wife and four children. In 1870, she was in Worcester with her daughter Martha and her family. Finally, in 1880, she was living with her son William Otis Abbott and his family in Manchester, New Hampshire. She died there of pneumonia in 1895 at the age of 94.
Family Group Sheet for Benjamin Abbott and Rebecca Boynton: http://sites.rootsmagic.com/colonialgenealogy/family.php?f=177
