Andover
The native people of the area that became Andover were Penacook, an Algonquin-speaking tribe that lived primarily in the Merrimack River valley. The area around Andover was an important fishing area for the tribe. The first white settlers arrived in 1636 when the area was called Cochichawicke. The first permanent settlement was in 1642 with the first land division and grants of property. The settlement was incorporated as Andover in 1646. Andover was one of the first “inland” settlements for the English. To encourage settlers to leave the coastal areas, they were exempted from taxes for the first three years.
Of our immigrant ancestors, more of them settled in Andover than in any other single location. Andover is the location of the ancestors to whom we are most related. We are descended from George and Hannah (Chandler) Abbott by six paths and we are descended from Hannah Chandler’s parents, William and Annis (Bayford) Chanlder, by ten paths. William and Annis Chandler settled in Roxbury where William died in 1641, but their children settled in Andover and married with the Abbott family and with others of our ancestors in Andover.
The list of the initial twenty-three freeholders includes our ancestors Nicholas Holt, George Abbott, John Aslett, Richard Barker, Robert Barnard, William Ballard, and Thomas Chandler. Forty men received house lots in Andover prior to 1662. Of those, the following twelve are our ancestors: Nicholas Holt, John Frye, John Stevens, John Aslett, Richard Barker, William Ballard, Robert Barnard, Thomas Chandler, George Abbott, Ralph Farnum, Robert Russell, and John Johnson. The home locations of ten of our ancestors in 1692 can be seen on the map following.
George Abbott (1617-1681) and Hannah Chandler (1630-1711)
We are descended from George Abbott by six paths. They are our 9th great-grandparents by five paths and out 8th great-grandparents by one path. Four of their children are our direct ancestors.
George Abbott and Hannah Chandler were both from Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire. George was baptized 22 May 1617 son of George and Elizabeth (-) Abbott. Hannah was born 22 May 1630 daughter of William and Annis (Bayford) Chandler. Although the exact dates of emigration are not known, they likely both arrived sometime in the mid 1630’s. Hannah traveled as a young child to New England with her parents, and it is probable that George arrived as a single young man and may have been sponsored by the Chandler family or the family of John Dane. In any event, the Chandler family was first in Roxbury where William Chandler died in 1641. George Abbott settled in Andover as a first proprietor in 1643. George Abbott and Hannah Chandler were married at Roxbury on 12 December 1646.
George and Hannah lived originally in what was North Parish in Andover. In 1663, George Abbott obtained property from Richard Sutton in the area of the current Central Street in Andover. It was here that George Abbott built his garrison house in the South Parish. This was one of twelve garrison houses in Andover at that time. It is believed that it is in this area that on 8 April 1676, Joseph, the 24-year old son of George and Hannah, was killed by Indians and another son, 13-year old Timothy, was taken captive for several months.
George Abbott wrote his will on 12 December 1681. It begins “To all christen people to hom this presont righting may com.” After making the customary statements related to giving his soul to god, he continues (in modernized version here) And as for that portion of worldly goods that god has given me, considering the great love and affection I have unto my loving wife Hannah Abbott, and considering her tender love and respect she had to me, and also considering her care and diligence in helping to get and save what god has blessed us with. . . leave my whole estate to her. The total value of the estate in the inventory was 587 pounds, 12 shillings, 5 pence. This inventory excludes portions of the property that had previously been given to the eldest son, John Abbott, as his portion of the estate. Hannah was left the responsibility of disposing of the property she and George Abbott and acquired. She did this 10 February 1706/7 when she conveyed property to her sons Timothy, Thomas, and Nathaniel. This was a rare example for the times of a woman conveying property as a single agent, as opposed to acting as a spouse. I Hannah Abbott : alias Dane Relick to gorg Abbott late of Andover deceased for the natural afectean I bare to my sons : Timothy : Thomas : and Nathaniel Abbott : doe give to my sons : above named : all my rights in the common and undivided land in the Township of Andover aforesaid.
George and Hannah were parents of thirteen children, ten of whom lived to adulthood. We are descended from the oldest child John Abbott and his wife Sarah Barker, the oldest daughter Hannah Abbott and her husband John Chandler, the eighth oldest child Benjamin Abbott and his wife Sarah Farnum, and the youngest child Elizabeth Abbott and her husband Nathan Stevens. George Abbott died 24 December 1681. After his death, Hannah married the Reverend Francis Dane. Hannah died 2 June 1711.
(Abbot and Abbot 1847; Bailey 1880)
John Abbott (1648-1721) and Sarah Barker (1647-1729)
John Abbott was the oldest son of George and Hannah (Chandler) Abbott. He married Sarah Barker on 17 November 1673. Sarah was born at Andover 23 November 1647 daughter of Richard and Joanna (-) Barker. Richard Barker has the distinction of being the subject of the first official record made in Andover when there was a record of transfer of a farm from William Howes of Topsfield to Richard Barker of Andover in 1643. He continued to accumulate large tracts of land over a number of years. He was a selectman in Andover until his death.
John resided with his father in the garrison house in Andover, Massachusetts. He was active in the community and several years served as selectman. He was deputy (representative) to the General Court in 1701. When the church was organized in the South Parish in 1711, he was chosen deacon. The “Old Red Abbot House” that was on Central Street in Andover was built in 1704 for John Abbott by his brother Timothy. John Abbott and Sarah Barker were parents of nine children. The oldest child, John, is our ancestor.
Hannah Abbott (1650-1741) and John Chandler (1655-1721)
Hannah and John were first cousins. They were married at Andover 20 December 1676. They were parents of six children and their son John is our ancestor.
The will of John Chandler was written 16 July 1721 and proved 4 December 1721. He made the following provision for the support of dear and loving wife Hannah Chandler: eight bushels of Indian corn plus two bushels each of rye, wheat, and ground meal, plus some sheep’s wool, 100 pounds of good pork, 50 pounds of good beef all the be delivered to her annually by the executor, and other provisions too numerous to mention here. This was a common characteristic in wills, the detailed listing of provisions for the care and support of the widow/mother in the family. Sometimes, these provisions were given in lieu of the dower right of the wife, but sometimes the provisions were in addition to the dower. The right of dower provided that the widow had use of and improvement of (income from) one-third of the estate during her lifetime or while she remained a widow.
Benjamin Abbott (1661-1703) and Sarah Farnum (1661-)
Benjamin Abbott is the source of our direct Abbott line. He married Sarah Farnum on 22 April 1685. Sarah Farnum was born at Andover 14 January 1661daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth (Holt) Farnum. Sarah Farnum was the granddaughter of Ralph and Alice (Harris) Farnum who emigrated from Rochester, Kent in 1635. Benjamin and Sarah were parents of four children. Our ancestor is son David.
Although Benjamin made important contributions to his community, he is also known as being the accuser of Martha Carrier for witchcraft. There was a property dispute that may also have been a factor in the accusations of witchery. Martha Carrier and her husband Thomas owned a property adjacent to Benjamin Abbott. There was dispute about the property line and, during an argument between Martha and Benjamin, she cursed him for seven years. At some point following this, Benjamin developed a series of maladies including a swollen foot and a pustule on his side. He attributed this to Martha’s witchery. Martha was arrested and jailed, the first accused witch from Andover. She was also accused of witchcraft by the infamous Salem girls who fell in hysterics during her trial. Martha was tried, convicted, and hanged in Salem on August 19, 1692.
Benjamin Abbott had a relationship with Naomi Hoyt Lovejoy when he was about age 22 and she was a young widow about age 28. There was a daughter born of this relationship recorded in the Andover vital records: “Abbot, Ben Naomie, d. illegitimate, Benjamin and Naomie Lovejoy, 1684.” It is not known what became of this child.
Benjamin Abbott was the builder of what is now one of the two oldest houses in Andover located at 9 Andover Street. The house was placed on the National Register in 1976. (Andover Historical Preservation, https://preservation.mhl.org/9-andover-st)
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Elizabeth Abbott (1673-1750) and Nathan Stevens (1665-1740)
Elizabeth Abbott and Nathan Stevens were married at Andover on 24 October 1692. Nathan was born at Andover 5 April 1665 son of John and Hannah (Barnard) Stevens. Nathan’s grandparents were Robert and Joan (Harvey) Barnard and John and Elizabeth (Parker) Stevens.
Nathan’s grandfather John Stevens, who died in 1662, was an early settler of Andover. He was a farmer ("husbandman") from Caversham, England who immigrated on board the Confidence in 1638 with wife, Elizabeth, brother William, mother Alice, and indentured servants John and Grace Lovejoy (brother and sister). The family initially came to Newbury, Massachusetts but was one of the first settlers of Andover (as was John Lovejoy). John Stevens was a prominent citizen and a sergeant in the militia. The servant John Lovejoy was also one of our ancestors.
Nathan’s grandfather Robert Barnard came as a yeoman to Salisbury 1639-1640. Robert relocated to Andover in 1644, and in 1663, he and his family left for Nantucket where Robert’s brother had property.
Elizabeth Abbott and Nathan Stevens were parents of six children. Their daughter Hannah is our ancestor. (Abbott 1829)
References
Abbot, Abiel. 1829. History of Andover: From its Settlement to 1829. Andover, MA: Flagg and Gould.
Abbot, Abiel, and Ephraim Abbot. 1847. Genealogical Register of the Descendants of George Abbot of Andover, George Abbot of Rowley, Thomas Abbot of Andover, Arthur Abbot of Ipswich, Robert Abbot of Branford, CT, and George Abbot of Norwalk, CT. Boston: James Munroe and Company.
Bailey, Sarah Loring. 1880. Historical Sketches of Andover: Comprising the Present Towns of Andover and North Andover. Boston: Houghton.