Generation 1

WILLIAM ABBOTT (abt 1470 - living 1532) of Bishop's Stortford

Parents: Unknown

William Abbott was born about 1470. [Ref]

He was church warden of St. Michael's in Bishop's Stortford in 1509, 1517, 1518. [Ref] He appears in a subsidy of 14 Henry VIII (1523). [Ref] He was a juror on St. Catherine's Day 24 Henry VIII (21 Nov 1532) in Bishop's Stortford. [Ref]

Children: (probable)

1. John Abbott was born about 1495. He was living in 1545.

Generation 2

JOHN ABBOTT (b. abt 1495 - living 1545) of Bishop's Stortford

Parents: probably William Abbott [Ref]

John Abbott was assessed in the subsidy of 14 Henry VIII (1523) for goods worth 40s. He paid taxes of 3s. 4d. in the subsidies of 34 Henry VIII (1542-3), 35 Henry VIII (1543-4) and 37 Henry VIII (1545-6). In the subsidy of 34 Henry VIII, the tax was on goods worth 10s. [Ref] John appears in the rental roll of the Bishop of London for his manor of Stortford in 37 Henry VIII: "John Abot paies for a tenement that he dwelleth in on the est syed of northstrete by yere xx d." [Ref]

Children of John Abbott: (probable)

1. John Abbott was born about 1520 and was buried on 8 Apr 1570 in Bishop's Stortford. [Ref] He married Joane Carrowe, the daughter of Thomas and Joane Carrowe, about 1543. [Ref] John and Joane had three children. [Ref] In his will, dated 25 Jun 1548, Joane's father says, "I give my daughter Joane no money, as it would not serve her husband two months; therefore I give her for life my house in Northgate ... ".
2. William Abbott was born about 1525. He died in 1569. He married Margaret Elliot.

Generation 3

WILLIAM ABBOTT (abt 1525 - 1569) of Bishop's Stortford

Parents: probably John Abbott [Ref]

William was born about 1525. [Ref] He died between 12 Mar 1568/9, when his will is dated, and 29 Mar 1569, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Margaret Elliot about 1550. [Ref]

William was a man of "good estate". [Ref] He paid poor-rate assessments of 12d. in 1558 and 5s. 4d. in 1556. [Ref]

Henry Parseley was querent versus William Abbott and his wife Margaret, deforciants, for a messuage and land in Stortford in autumn of 1564. [Ref]

William paid 10s. 8d. on land worth £4 in the subsidy of 5 Elizabeth (1563) and he paid 5s. 4d. on land worth £4 in the subsidy of 8 Elizabeth (1566). [Ref]

In his will, William left Margaret his messuage and adjoining tenement, together with crofts and land, until his son George was 21. He also left Margaret other lands in Stortford and land in Farnham that he bought from his cousin Elliott. He also left bequests to his sons John, Robert and Thomas. His cousin Rowland Elliot was named supervisor. [Ref]

The family of Margaret Elliot:

Children of William Abbott and Margaret Elliot:

1. George Abbott was born about 1550 in Bishop's Stortford. He was buried on 11 Jan 1619/20. He married Bridget Wylley.
2. John Abbott
3. Robert Abbott
4. Thomas Abbott

Generation 4

GEORGE ABBOTT (abt 1550 - bu. 1620) of Bishop's Stortford

Parents: William Abbott and Margaret Elliot [Ref]

George was born about 1550 in Bishop's Stortford. [Ref] He was buried on 11 Jan 1619/20. [Ref] He married Bridget Wylley, the sister of Agnes Wylley, wife of John Denison 1 about 1576. [Ref][Ref gives only the date] She was buried on 13 Aug 1625. [Ref]

George was amerced 3d. for default of suit of court on 13 Apr 1577. [Ref] On 6 Apr 1583, 30 Mar 1585 and 27 Sep 1585 he was one of the chief pledges. [Ref] On 1 Oct 1604 he was ordered to make two easy stiles in his croft out of Napton Field into London Lane. [Ref] In 1596 he sold land in Bishop's Stortford. [Ref] On 20 Sep 1602 he witnessed the will of John Gace of Stortford. [Ref] In 1608 he was a church warden. [Ref]

In his will, dated 12 Oct 1619, George calls himself a yeoman of Bishop's Stortford. [Ref] He mentions his eldest son George, his wife Bridget, his son Edward, his daughter Joane and her two children and his daughter Anne, the wife of Matthew Reeve, and her two daughters. [Ref]

Children of George Abbott 1 and Bridget Whylley. The baptism and burial dates are given in Moriarty [Ref]

1. George Abbott was baptised on 17 Jul 1577. He was buried on 10 Aug 1577.
2. John Abbott was probably born in 1579. [Ref] He was buried on 2 Apr 1589.
3. Anne Abbott was baptised on 3 Dec 1581. She married Matthew Reeve. [Ref]
4. Johanne Abbott was baptised on 17 Jun 1584. She died young. [Ref]
5. Grace Abbott was baptised on 10 Oct 1585. She was buried on 6 Jan 1585/6.
6. George Abott 2 was baptised on 28 May 1587. He married Elizabeth Unknown. [Ref]
7. Johanne Abbott was baptised on 5 Apr 1590.
8. Edward Abbott was baptised on 19 Dec 1591. He married Unknown Marsh of Chrishall, co. Essex. [Ref]

Generation 5

GEORGE ABBOTT (bp. 1587) of Bishop's Stortford

Parents: George Abbott and Bridget Wylley [Ref]

George Abbott was baptised on 28 May 1587. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Unknown about 1615. [Ref]

Children of George Abbott 2 and Elizabeth Unknown. Baptisms recorded at Bishop's Stortford. [Ref]

1. George Abbott was baptised on 22 May 1617. He died on 24 Dec 1681 in Andover. He married Hannah Chandler.
2. Edward Abbott was baptised on 25 Mar 1623.
3. John Abbott was baptised on 16 Oct 1625.
4. Christopher Abbott was baptised on 2 Nov 1628.

Generation 6

GEORGE ABBOTT (bp. 1617 - 1681) of Bishop's Stortford and Andover

Parents: George Abbott and Elizabeth Unknown [Ref]

George Abbott was baptised on 22 May 1617 in Bishop's Stortford. [Ref] He died on 24 Dec 1681 in Andover, age 66. [Ref][Ref says 6 Dec] He married Hannah Chandler on 12 Dec 1646 in Roxbury. [Ref][Ref] There was a significant and unusual age difference between George and Hannah; he was 29 when they married and she was about 16.

On 18 Nov 1656, while preparing to testify against James Perley, George deposed that he was about 40 years old. A George Abbott, Jr. also testified and deposed that he was 26 at the same trial; this was the son of George Abbott of Rowley. [Ref] George Abbott of Rowley was an older immigrant who died in Rowley in 1647. He left four sons and two of them, George (born 1630) and Thomas, Jr. (born about 1634), caused genealogical complications by settling in Andover in about 1655 and 1660, respectively. [Ref]

Our George came to New England in 1637. [Ref] He lived a few years at Roxbury and was one of the first settlers there. [Ref] He is on a list of 1658 Proprietors of Andover. [Ref] George lived at first in the northern section of Andover but moved to a farm in the South Parish in 1660. [Ref] His house was fortified as a garrison against Indian attacks. [Ref] During King Philip's War there was an attack on Andover on 8 Apr 1676. Two of George's sons, Joseph and Timothy, were caught in the fields. Joseph was killed and Timothy was captured, but later released. [Ref]

George was not particularly active in public life, but he must have been relatively well educated and well regarded as he was constable of Andover on 19 (1) 1663 [Ref 3;132] and clerk in Andover on 26 (9) 1666. [Ref 3;153] On 28 (7) 1658 and 26 Sep 1676, George was on the grand jury of the court at Ipswich. [Ref]

George was frequently in court as a witness. On 24 (4) 1661 he deposed that he was between 40 and 50 and testified against John Carr, who was on trial for stealing from his master, Mr Simon Bradstreet, and other misdemeanors. [Ref 2;307] On 16 Jun 1662 he deposed that he was about 50 and testified in the defamation case of John Carr v. John Godfrey. [Ref 2;412] On 4 (3) 1663, and again at the court in Ipswich on 5 May 1663, George testified against Bray, Samuel and John Wilkins, who were accused of carrying away Mr Simon Bradstreet's hay. [Ref 3;45] On 16 Mar 1667/8 George provided a surety bond in his brother-in-law Thomas Chandler's legal controversy with Job Tyler. [Ref 4;1]

In 1658 [?] George was one of the inhabitants of Andover who signed a petition asking for John Osgood to be appointed Sergeant and Chief Commander. [Ref 1;123] On 7 (7) 1658 John Dane of Andover signed a will leaving his daughter Elizabeth How a cow that was in the hands of George Abbott. [Ref 9;37] On 28 Apr 1662 George helped inventory the estate of John Stevens of Andover. [Ref 2;412] George bought 48 acres in Andover from Richard Sutton on 18 Mar 1663. [Ref]

The will of "George Abbut" of Andover, co. Essex, aged and "crasey" in body, dated 12 Dec 1681. Considering the great love and affection I have unto my loving wife Hannah Abbut and the tender love she hath had to me and her care and diligence in helping me to get and save what God has blessed us with and also her prudence in management of the same, I leave her my whole estate for life, she to dispose of the same among my children with the advice of my overseers, my eldest son John Abbot to have a double portion. My wife is to be sole executrix and my brothers Thomas and William Chandler and my friend John Barker to be overseers.

His estate amounted to about £487. [abstract in Ref]

Children of George Abbott and Hannah Chandler. All births, except John's and Edward's, are recorded in Andover. [Ref]

1. Dea. John Abbott "oldest son" [Ref] was born on 2 Mar 1648. He died on 19 Mar 1682. [Ref] He married Sarah Barker, the daughter of Richard Barker, on 17 Nov 1673. [Ref][Ref] They had nine children. [Ref] John took the Oath of Allegiance on 11 Feb 1678 in Andover. [Ref] He is on the 18 Apr 1691 Andover list of freemen. [Ref]
2. Joseph Abbott was born on 11 Mar 1649.
3. Hannah Abbott was born on 9 Jun 1650. She married John Chandler on 20 Dec 1676 in Andover. [Ref][Ref]
4. Joseph Abbott was born on 30 Mar 1652. He was killed by the Indians on 8 Apr 1676 in Andover. [Ref][Ref]
5. George Abbott was born on 7 Jun 1655. He died on 22 Mar 1688/9 in Andover. [Ref][Ref] He married Dorcas Graves, the daughter of Mark Graves, on 17 Apr 1678 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref]
   George was credited as a soldier in King Philip's war under Maj. Thomas Savage on 24 Jul 1676. [Ref] He took the Oath of Allegiance on 11 Feb 1678 in Andover. [Ref][Ref] He is on the 18 Apr 1691 Andover list of freemen. [Ref]
6. William Abbott was born on 18 Nov 1657. [Ref 1;121] He died on 24 Oct 1713. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Geery, the daughter of Nathaniel Geery (Geary) of Roxbury, on 19 Jun 1682 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref] They had 12 children. [Ref] He took the Oath of Allegiance on 11 Feb 1678 in Andover. [Ref]
7. Sarah Abbott was born on 14 Nov 1659. She married Ephraim Stevens on 11 Oct 1680 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref]
8. Benjamin Abbott was born on 20 Dec 1662. He married Sarah Farnham, the daughter of Ralph Farnham, on 22 Apr 1685 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref] He took the Oath of Allegiance on 11 Feb 1678 in Andover. [Ref]
   Benjamin, age 31, testified in the witch trial of Martha Carrier, arrested in Andover on 28 May and executed on 19 Aug 1692. He said, 'Last March ... having some land granted to me by the town of Andover near to Goodman Carrier's his land, and when this land came to be laid out Goodwife Carrier was very angry and said that she would stick as close to Benjamin Abbott as the bark stuck to the tree and that I should repent of it before seven years came to an end and that Dr. Prescott could never cure me. These words were heard by Allen Toothaker. She also said to Ralph Farnam, Jr. that she would hold my nose so close to the grindstone as ever it was held since my name was Benjamin Abbott. Presently after I was taken with a swelling in my foot and then was taken with a pain in my side. Exceedingly tormented, which bred to a sore, which was lanced by Dr. Prescott and several gallons of corruption did run out as was judged and so continued about six weeks. Very bad and then one other sore did breed in my groin which was lanced by Dr. Prescott also and continued very bad a while and then another sore breeding my groin which was also cut and put me to very great misery, so that it brought me almost to death's door, and continued until Goodwife Carrier was taken and carried away by the constable and that very day I begun to grow better ... and have great cause to think that the said Carrier had a great hand in my sickness and misery . [Ref, Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft 1;138, my spelling and punctuation]
9. Timothy Abbott was born on 17 Nov 1663. He died on 9 Sep 1730. [Ref] He married Hannah Graves, the daughter of Mark Graves, on 27 Dec 1689 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref]
10. Thomas Abbott was born on 6 May 1666. He married Hannah Gray on 7 Dec 1697. [Ref][Ref]
11. Edward Abbott was born in Andover. He drowned when young.
12. Lieut. Nathaniel Abbott was born on 4 Jul 1671. He died on 1 Dec 1749. He married Dorcas Hibbert.
13. Elizabeth Abbott was born on 29 Jan 1673. [Ref 5;263] She married Nathan Stevens on 24 Nov 1692. [Ref][Ref]

Generation 7

LIEUT. NATHANIEL ABBOTT (1671 - 1749) of Andover

Parents: George Abbott and Hannah Chandler.

Nathaniel Abbott was born on 4 Jul 1671 in Andover. [Ref][Ref 4;416] He died on 1 Dec 1749. [Ref] He married Dorcas Hibbert on 22 Oct 1695 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref]

Children of Nathaniel Abbott and Dorcas Hibbert

1. Nathaniel Abbott was probably born about 1700. He died in 1770 in Concord. He married Penelope Ballard.
2. Joshua Abbott was baptised on 3 Feb 1712 in Andover. [Ref]
3. Elizabeth Abbott was born on 1 Feb 1713/4 in Andover. [Ref]
4. Rebecca Abbott was baptised on 24 Apr 1717 in Andover. [Ref]

Generation 8

NATHANIEL ABBOTT (abt 1700 - 1770) of Andover and Concord

Parents: Lieut. Nathaniel Abbott and Dorcas Hibbert

Nathaniel was probably born about 1700 but there is no apparent record of his birth in Andover. There is a torn Abbott record from 1701; maybe this is him. He died in 1770 in Concord. [Ref] Nathaniel Abbott married Penelope Ballard on 23 Nov 1726 in Andover. [Ref] It is claimed that the Nathaniel Abbott who married Penelope Ballard is the son of Nathaniel and Dorcas (Hibbert) Abbott [Ref] and that the Nathaniel who moved to Concord is the son of Nathaniel and grandson of George. [Ref]

Nathaniel left Andover and moved to Concord. [Ref] Nathaniel is on a 5 Feb 1725 list of original settlers of Concord. [Ref] A meeting of the first proprietors of Concord was held at Andover on 7 and 8 Feb 1726 and Nathaniel Abbott attended. [Ref] He must have moved his household after 1728, when Dorcus was born in Andover.

Nathaniel went on the Louisburg expedition from the Rumford District. [Ref] The first European child born in Concord was born in his house [Ruth or Joshua?]. [Ref]

Nathaniel held some minor public offices. In 1730 he was the pound keeper and one of the two field drivers (people who rounded up stray animals and took them to the pound) in Concord. [Ref] He was constable in 1733. [Ref]

Children of Nathaniel Abbott and Penelope Ballard. The births of the first two are recorded in Andover [Ref] The births and deaths of the others and the marriages are taken from Abbott [Ref].

1. Nathaniel Abbott was born on 10 Mar 1726/7. [Ref] He died on 9 Feb 1806 in Corncord. [Ref] He married Miriam Chandler in 1749. She died on 24 Jan 1811 [Ref] in Concord. [Ref]
2. Dorcus Abbott was born on 11 Nov 1728. She married Moses Merrill.
3. Rebecca Abbott was born on 11 Nov 1728. She died in Thetford, VT. She married John Merrill.
4. Elizabeth Abbott was born on 1 Jul 1733. She died on 25 Jan 1834. She married Joseph Haseltine.
5. Mary Abbott was born on 7 Mar 1735. She died in Mar 1795. She married Joseph Walker [Ref, p. 625], the brother of James Walker.
6. Hannah Abbott was born on 7 Mar 1736. She married Ephraim Moor.
7. Ruth Abbott was born on 28 Jan 1737/8. She died on 27 Feb 1817. She married James Walker.
8. Capt. Joshua Abbott was born on 24 Feb 1740. [Ref] He died on 26 Feb 1815 in Concord. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Chandler. [Ref] She did on 27 May 1812 in Concord, age 73. [Ref]
9. Rachel Abbott was born on 7 Apr 1743. She died on 13 Jun 1788. She married Daniel Abbott.
10. Jeremiah Abbott was born on 17 Mar 1744. He died on 8 Nov 1823.
11. Dorothy Abbott was born on 28 Dec 1746. She died on 27 Sep 1776.
12. Sarah Abbott was born on 3 Dec 1748. She died in Jun 1842. She married Samuel Farnum.

Generation 9

RUTH ABBOTT (1738 - 1817) of Concord, Merrimack, NH

Parents: Nathaniel Abbot and Penelope Ballard [Ref, p. 625]

Ruth Abbott was born on 28 Jan 1738. [Ref][Ref][Ref, p. 625] She died on 27 Feb 1817 [Ref][Ref, p. 625] in Concord. [Ref does not give the day] She married James Walker. [Ref][Ref, p. 625][Ref][Ref]

References

Court Records

Boyer, Paul and Stephen Nissenbaum, eds., The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Volume 1: Verbatim transcipts of the legal documents of the Salem witchcraft outbreak of 1692, Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library.

Dow, George Francis, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Essex Institute, 1911.

Family Genealogies

Abbot, Abiel, A 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, 1847.

Abbot, George, "The Abbot Family," in Nathaniel Bouton, The History of Concord from its First Grant in 1725 to the Organization of the City Government in 1853 with a History of the Ancient Penacooks, 1856, Benning W. Sanborn, Concord.

Fiske, William Wyman, "John Wall of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, Third Husband of Agnes (Wylley) (Denison) (Gace) Wall," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 158, 2004, 361-363.

Moriarty, G. Andrews, "Abbott-Elliot Connection," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 85, 1952, 233.

Moriarty, G. Andrews, "Ancestry of George Abbott of Andover, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 85, 1931, 79-86.

Local Histories

Bouton, Nathaniel, History of Concord, New Hampshire: From the original grant in seventeen hundred and twenty-five to the opening of the twentieth century, Concord, Rumford Press, 1903.

Bailey, Sarah Loring, Historical sketches of Andover: Comprising the present towns of North Andover and Andover, Massachusetts, Boston, Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1992.

No Author, History of Concord, New Hampshire: From the original grant in seventeen hundred and twenty-five to the opening of the twentieth century, Concord, NH, Rumford Press, 1903.

Public Records

Andover, Massachusetts, Essex County, US GenWeb Project, www.rootsweb/~macandov/index.htm.

Bodge, George, "Soldiers in King Philip's War," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 37, 1883, 375.

Coffin, Joshua, "Early Settlers of Essex and Old Norfolk," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1852, 205.

Paige, Lucius R., "List of Freemen," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 3, 1849, 240, 244.

Trask, William, "Abstracts from the Earliest Wills on Record in the County of Suffolk, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 37.

Winters, W., "The Pilgrim Fathers of Nazing," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 28, 1874, 140-145.

Vital Records

Coddington, John Insley, "Deaths at Concord, N.H., 1792-1836," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1938, 268-286.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

Wills

Trask, William, "Abstracts from the Earliest Wills on Record in the County of Suffolk, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 37.