The TOBEY Family of Sandwich

Send comments and corrections to anneb0704@yahoo.co.uk

First Generation

THOMAS TOBEY (prob. bef. 1629 - 1714) of Sandwich

Parents:

Thomas Tobey was probably born before 1629. [Ref] He died on 9 Jan 1713/4. [Ref] He married first Martha Knott on 18 Nov 1650. [Ref][Ref] He married second Hannah (Swift) Fish after 11 Sep 1691. [Ref, see her entry for a discussion]

At a 7 Nov 1652 town meeting in Sandwich, Edmund Freeman, Edward Perry, George Allen, Daniel Wing, John Ellis and Thomas Tobey were appointed to take care of all of the dead fish [including whales] that the Indians cut up in town. [Ref] On 20 May 1655 he pledged five shillings for the building of a meeting house in Sandwich. [Ref] On 17 Jul 1657 he agreed to pay one pound towards the minister. [Ref] In 1657 he was given five acres of upland in Sandwich. [Ref]

In 1655 Thomas Tupper,Thomas Tobey, William Swift, Edmund Freeman and Nathaniel Fish were among the 19 Sandwich residents who signed a letter entreating Mr Leveridge to continue at Sandwich. [Ref] On 24 4 1658 he was a rater. [Ref] On 18 May 1658 Thomas was chosen constable in Sandwich. [Ref] On 22 May 1658 he was chosen to pay an Indian for killing a wolf. [Ref] On 29 Nov 1659 he was appointed to meet with Barnstable men to fix the bounds between the towns. [Ref] On 16 Feb 1662 Goodman Bourne, Goodman Skiffeand Thomas Tobey were chosen to dispose of the town's oil. [Ref] On 20 Feb 1667 he was a rater. [Ref] By 13 (10) 1659 he had paid five shillings toward the construction of the meeting house and he and Benjamin Nye were paid 12 pounds for its frame. [Ref] On 11 May 1665 Edmund Freeman and Thomas Tobey were part of a committee to agree with Mr Thomas Dexter about grinding the townsmen's corn. [Ref] On 7 Aug 1673 James Skiffe, Edmund Freeman and Thomas Tobey were chosen to lay out land for John Smith. [Ref] On 22 (12) 1675 Thomas was one of the men appointed to go with Daniel Wing to view a piece of meadow and to make an exchange for the town. [Ref] On 10 (3) 1676 Lieut. John Ellis, Thomas Tobey, Sr and Steven Skiffe were emowered to hire men to act as scouts for the town. [Ref] On 8 Aug 1676 and 11 Jul 1678 Thomas Tobey and Richard Bourne were chosen to take the constable's accounts. [Ref] On 14 Aug 1679 Thomas Tobey was chosen rater. [Ref] On 18 (3) 1680 Thomas was chosen to be a surveyor for the town of Sandwich. [Ref] Also on 18 (3) 1680 Thomas was engaged to find cattle, sheep and swine that were not supposed to be on the Neck. [Ref]

Thomas Tobey signed his will on 24 Mar 1709/10; it was proved on 9 Apr 1714. [Ref] He mentions his sons John, Samuel, Gershom, Jonathan and Nathaniel; his grandson Thomas Tobey; his granddaughter Sarah Tobey, daughter of Hannah; his wife Hannah. [Ref]

Children of Thomas Tobey and Martha Knott:

1. Thomas Tobey was born on 8 Dec 1651. [Ref] He married Mehitable Crowe in 1677/8. [Ref]
   some descendants of Thomas Tobey
   
2. John Tobey was born about 1654/5. [Ref] He married Jane Unknown. [Ref]
   On 1 Jan 1667 Widow Knott gave John Tobey an acre of land. [Ref]
   
3. Nathaniel Tobey was born about 1656/7. [Ref] He married Sarah [Ref] Fallowell.
4. Ephraim Tobey was born about 1658/9. [Ref] He married Hannah Unknown. [Ref] She died before 20 May 1714, when her estate was administered. [Ref]
5. Jonathan Tobey [Ref] was born about 1665. He died on 22 Jul 1741 in Sandwich. He married Remember Perry.
6. Samuel Tobey was born about 1664/6. [Ref] He married Abiah Fish. [Ref] Abiah was his stepsister, the daughter of Ambrose Fish and Hannah Swift.
7. Gershom Tobey was born about 1670. [Ref] He married Mehitable Fish. [Ref] Mehitable was his stepsister, the daughter of Ambrose Fish and Hannah Swift.

Second Generation

JONATHAN TOBEY (abt 1665 - 1741)

Parents: Thomas Tobey and Martha Knott

Jonathan Tobey was born about 1665. He died on 22 Jul 1741, age 76, in Sandwich. [Ref] He married Remember Perry. [Ref] She was born about 1674. She died on 4 Nov 1732, age 58, in Sandwich. [Ref]

Children of Jonathan Tobey and Remember Perry:

Will of Jonathan Tobey, Senior

   I, Jonathan Tobey of ... Sandwich ... husbandman being at present in tolerable health of Body and of Disposing Mind and Memory ... do make this my Last will and Testament
   Item.  I will and bequeath to my Daughters Deborah, Mariah, Remember, and Abigail five pounds a piece.
   Item.  I will and bequeath to my Grandson John Clark Twenty shillings.
   Item.  I will and bequeath to my Grandson Jonathan Clark the sum of four pounds money.
   Item.  I will and bequeath to my Daughter Mercy the Use and Improvement of my new house chamber During Life and a feather bed and furniture and one cow.
   Item.  I will and bequeath to my Daughter Mary the sum of Fourty pounds in money and a feather bed & Furniture and one cow.
   Item.  I will and bequeath to my sons Samuell, Jonathan, and Nathaniel their respective Heirs and assigns forever all my Estate in Housing Lands and Meddows whatsoever i also give them my said three sons all my Tools and Utensils that are used about Husbandry and my Arms and Ammunition and one feather bed and furniture Equally among them.
   Item.  I will and bequeath the Rest of my household Goods To my Daughters Mercy and Mary equally.
   Item.  My will is that after the before mentioned Legacies Funeral Expenses and Just Debts are paid what Remains of my Stock of Creatures shall be Equally Divided betwixt my said three sons and my Daughters Mercy and Mary and I do constitute and appoint my Eldest son Samuell to be Executor of this my Last Will and Testament.   In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand seal the sixth day of September Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and thirty eight.

Jonathan Tobey (his J mark) 

Signed Sealed and Declared to be his Last Will and Testament in Presence of: Samuell Jennings, Abigail Perry, Ruhama Jennings

Entire will posted by Sherry Perry on Ancestry.com; my abstract

(Proved Aug 4, 1741.  Barnstable County, Probate Book 6, page 86)

1. Jonathan Tobey was baptised on 19 Jun 1715 in Sandwich. He married Deborah Swift.

Third Generation

JONATHAN TOBEY (bp. 1715)

Parents: Jonathan Tobey and Remember Perry

Jonathan Tobey was baptised on 19 Jun 1715 in Sandwich. [Ref] Jonathan Tobey of Sandwich married Deborah Swift of Plymouth on 19 Feb 1740 [Ref] at Plymouth. [Ref][Ref]

Children of Jonathan Tobey and Elizabeth Swift:

1. Jonathan Tobey was born on 12 Jun 1743 in Sandwich. [Ref]
2. Lydia Tobey was born on 16 Jan 1748 in Sandwich. [Ref] She died on 30 Jan 1830. She married first Michah Blackwell on 23 Nov 1766. [Ref] Micah, the son of Mordecai Blackwell, was born on 28 Dec 1741 and died on 30 Sep 1781 in Sandwich. [Ref] Lydia married second Joshua Freeman on 15 May 1796 in Sandwich. [Ref] Joshua was born on 6 Apr 1744 in Sandwich. [Ref] He named his wife in his 1811 will. [Ref]
3. Deborah Tobey married Israel Tupper.
4. Lemuel Tobey was baptised on 29 Aug 1755. [Ref] He married Joanna Ellis about 1780. [Ref] Joanna, the daughter of Lieut. John and Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis, was born on 22 Oct 1759, baptised on 10 Feb 1760 and died on 1 Jun 1836. [Ref]

Fourth Generation

DEBORAH TOBEY

Parents: Jonathan Tobey and Deborah Swift (maybe)

Deborah Tobey was born about 1747, based on her age at death. She died on 5 Sep 1833 [Ref], age 86, in Barnard, Vermont. [Ref, w. Israel] She married Israel Tupper on 24 Nov 1770. [Ref] Israel and Deborah are buried in the Barnard center yard. [Ref][Ref]

Who was the Deborah Tobey who married Israel Tupper? The Tupper genealogy [Ref] claims that she was the daughter of Joshua and Maria Tobey. But, that Deborah was baptised as Deborah Tobey on 6 Sep 1772 in Sandwich [Ref, d. Joshua and Maria], after Israel and Deborah were married.

The Tobey who married Israel was married in 1770 and had her last child in 1793. This suggests she was almost surely born between 1745 and 1755. Based on the date of her death, she was born about 1747. The only possible Deborah Toby that I have been able to uncover is the Deborah baptised on 30 Jun 1751 in Sandwich. [Ref, d. Jonathan and Deborah] It is sometimes claimed that this Deborah married Silas Swift. The basis for this is that Silas Swift and a Deborah Tobey, both of Dartmouth, published their intention to marry on 17 Dec 1765. [Ref] However, the Deborah Tobey of Dartmouth who married Silas Swift was the daughter of Elisha and Desire Tobey, baptised on 5 Jul 1752 in Dartmouth. [Ref, d. Elisha and Desire] Elisha Tobey left a bequest to his daughter Deborah Swift. [Ref, p. 72] Is it possible Deborah was a widow?

References

Barclay, Mrs. John E., "Hannah (Swift) Tobey, Daughter of William² Swift and the Family of Ambrose Fish² of Sandwich, Mass.," The American Genealogist 35, 1959, 40-43.

Brownson, Lydia B. (Phinney) and Maclean W. McLean, "Lt. John and Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis of Sandwich, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 119, 1965, 161-73, 260-275; 120, 1966, 26-38, 97-122, 187-202. Errata 125, 1971, p. 140.

Brownson, Lydia B. (Phinney) and MacLean W. McLean, "Michael Blackwell of Sandwich, Mass. (c. 1620 - 1710)," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 117, 1963, 180-194.

Kardell, Caroline Lewis, and Lovell, Russell A. Jr., Vital Records of Sandwich Massachusetts to 1885, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1996.

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

Newton, William Monroe, History of Barnard, Vermont, with family genealogies, Vol. I-II, Burlington, Vermont Historical Society, 1928.

Swift, Eben, "William Swift and Descendants to the Sixth Generation," in Smith, Leonard H., Jr., ed., Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy, v. 1, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., c. 1992.

Tobey, Rufus Babcock and Charles Henry Pope, Tobey (Tobie, Toby) Genealogy, Boston, Charles H. Pope, 1905.

Tupper, Franklin Whittlesey, Thomas Tupper and his Descendants, Boston, Tupper Family Association of America, Inc., 1945.

Vermont Births, Marriages and Deaths to 2008. (From microfilmed records. Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2013.)

©2015