|
a.
|
Note: "Between 1734 and 1740 he (Elijah) was in Sherburne with the family.During this time he acquired a good education for his journal is wellexpressed. After his father's death in 1740 he probably lived with eitherthe Frosts or the Daniels. The formal guardianship assumed by Joseph Frost may have been surety forElijah on going out into the world. It was probably about this time thathe went to Haverhill. He was admitted to the Second Church[Congregational] at East Salisbury on March 4th, 1750. On November 14th1750 he married Mary Hackett of Salisbury. The marriage was performed atHaverhill, Mass., but is recorded in the Second Church at Salisbury. The family evidently lived in East Haverhill from 1750 to about 1757 asthe baptisms of their first three children are recorded in the FourthChurch [Congregational]; Hannah, Bapt. August 25, 1751; Molly, Bapt.March 18, 1753; Elijah, Bapt. May 23 1756. Apparently Elijah moved toBoxford adjacent to Bradford about 1757, for baptisms of two of hischildren appear in the records of the Second Church [Congregational] inBox ford; Samuel, Bapt. Dec 11, 1757; Ebenezer, Bapt. September 9, 1759.Elijah's wife, Mary Hackett was born in Salisbury August 1, 1728,daughter of Ebenezer and Hannah [Ring] Hackett. Her family wereship-builders. The diary of Elijah Estabrooks is the record of his experience in thearmy during the years 1758-59-60. He was in Captain Israel Herrick'sCompany of Col. Jedediah Prebble's Regiment of Provincials during 1758 onLake Champlain and gives an account of the army during November 7, 1758,and re enlisted April 6, 1759. He was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia wherehe remained until November 25, 1760. During this time he became asergeant. His family remained in Boxford, Massachusetts. During the next three years Elijah Estabrooks made preparations to movehis family to the St. John River. Governor Lawrence of Nova Scotia wasurged by the Lords of Trade and Plantations to repeople the lands vacatedby the French with settlers from New England. Colonel McNutt went throughthe Essex County section of Massachusetts. urging men to better theirfortunes. In the Newbury-Haverhill district a group organized and decided toexamine the situation for themselves. They sent a party of twelve menunder Israel Perley to investigate. They made their way by canoe andportage until finally they descended the Oromocto, New Brunswick. TheTownship of Maugerville, twelve miles long and twelve miles wide, waslaid out in lots early in 1762. There is a tradition that ElijahEstabrooks was in this party. On Wednesday, the 6th day of October 1762,the signers of the agreement met at the house of Daniel Ingalls,inn-holder in Andover, New Brunswick at 10 o'clock to draw their lots.(Raymond, "The River St. John" pg. 280 et seq) Early in 1763 Elijah Estabrooks moved his family to Halifax, Nova Scotiaand then to Cornwallis, intending to leave them there until he hadprepared for them in the Maugerville Township, New Brunswick. He crossedthe bay and joined Israel Perley's party which was going up the river tooccupy the land. It is said that he took his son, Elijah, a boy of sevenor eight years with him to see the country. When they reached the township Elijah found that his lot near Jemseg wasunder water. This must have been great disappointment. He decided not touse the lot and returned to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. On the 18th of October 1765, Elijah Estabrooks entered the employ ofSimonds and White at Portland Point, Saint John County, New Brunswick. Inthe summer of 1768 the Reverend Thomas Wood, a clergyman of the Church ofEngland visited the River Saint John. At Portland Point he had service on Sunday, July 2nd, 1768 and baptisedJohn and Abigail, children of Elijah and Mary Estabrooks, probably Sarahalso was baptised this time. In 1773 Elijah Estabrooks made an agreement with William Hazen and JamesSimonds to settle in the township of Conway near the mouth of the river,Hazen and Simonds guaranteeing him a deed of 250 acres of land. An oldreturn or census dated August 1, 1775 shows that he had cleared andimproved seven acres of land and build a log house. Major Studhol's report states that Elijah Estabrooks was one of those whoaccompanied Hugh Quinton the expedition against Fort Cumberland in 1776.This probably refers to Elijah Jr. [Massachusetts soldiers and sailors ofRev. War. V5 P. 156] In the spring of 1777 Elijah Estabrooks was compelled, owing to thedanger from American privateers, to remove his family from the mouth ofthe river to the vicinity of Gagetown, Queens County. He had no legalclaim to the land he settled upon the arrival of the Loyalists in 1783made his position precarious. The following reports are of interest inthis connection: REPORT OF THE COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE PRE-LOYALIST SETTLEMENTS: For Gagetown, Jun 30, 1783 Elijah Easterbrook had a wife and eight children, a log house with tworooms and about 12 acres of land cleared. Came from Cornwallis about 16years past; settled at the mouth of the river and says he was drove up bythe rebels. Elijah Estabrooks settled in consequence of an agreement with Hazen andSimonds. Cleared and improved about 7 acres of land and build a log housewhich is now fallen to decay, said Easterbrook moving up the river onaccount of the danger of his situation; has lived on it eight years. Governor Parr decreed that such lots as were occupied by old inhabitantsof the country should not be appropriated by Loyalists without paying forimprovements. Governor Carleton and his Council continued this policy after theformation of the Province of New Brunswick. Elijah Estabrooks' house wasvalued at #10 and his improvements at #48. Walter Chase, the Loyalist onwhose grant his land was situated, was unwilling to pay this amount soElijah Estabrooks was confirmed in possession of his land in 1784. Thiswas lot No. 5 Grimroses Neck. However, the Loyalist were determined to get rid of pre-Loyalist andElijah Estabrooks found things very unpleasant. He got a sort ofcompensation in Cambridge, Queens County receiving one-half of lots 25and 26. His sons Joseph and Ebenezer received the other halves. ElijahEstabrooks Jr. was granted 1/2 of lot 3 at Jemseg, Parish ofWaterborough, and lot 32 on RHW interval. The position of the settlers who had been obliged to abandon their homesat the mouth of the river was very difficult. They applied to theGovernment for relief, but it is doubtful if they got any. In the midst of these troubles Elijah's first wife Mary Hackett died. Shehad impressed her children as a woman of courage and resource and "MaryHackett" is a name to be found among her descendants even to the presenttime. On Dec 17, 1778, Elijah Estabrooks married a second time a widow, SarahOakes, who came from Middleton, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, and hadthree sons and one daughter by her first marriage; James Oakes born April13, 1761; Benjamin Oakes, born Sept 10, 1769; Sarah Oakes, born October10, 1771; Christopher Oakes, born April 13, 1773. She was Sarah Hammond,daughter of Philip Hammond of Marblehead, bapt. Oct 21, 1739 and widow ofJames Oakes. There were Oakes who were neighbours of the Estabrooks in Haverhill.There is a tradition that some of these Oakes boys went up to CarletonCounty and then on to Ontario. I (Florence Estabrooks) have wondered ifthe famous Sir Harry may have been a descendent. Elijah Estabrooks died shortly before August 11, 1796. During the latterpart of his life Elijah lived with his son John at Swan Creek where hedied. He remained hale and hearty to the last. Mrs. Abraham Estabrooks,who married his grandson said he had two things that he used to pray for;one was that he should never be sick and the other that he should died athis work. He used to pound up grain for the chickens in a mortar. Oneafternoon after working for a while he lay back in his chair and coveredhis face with his hat. His grandchildren who were playing around, thoughtthat he was asleep; but when they went to waken him for supper they foundthat he was dead. He was buried in the old Garrison graveyard at Jemseg. On August 11, 1796, his sons, daughters and their husbands assembled andmade a legal Instrument for the disposal of his affairs. They all signedoff their claims in favour of his widow. His chief assets were 1/2 lot 25and 12 lot 26. Sarah sold these to her sons James Oakes January 18, 1800,who in turn sold them to Archelaus Purdy. She was to pay funeral expensesand erect a tombstone. This deed was registered in Gagetown, January 2,1797/ [Reg Bk. c-1 Pg. 397]. When I [Florence Estabrooks] tried to locate the place of ElijahEstabrook's burial in October 1932, my brother George took mother and meup to Mill Cove where we found a Mr. John Gunter, a very old man, whotook us to the Garrison graveyard [at Jemseg] and showed us theapproximate location of Elijah grave. The grave was well defined, but thestone, which had been there in Mr. Gunter's childhood, was gone. I tooksome pictures of it. The graveyard is now on Jefferson Dykeman's farm.See Raymond's "History of the Saint John River, page 329 t. seq"" Source:the Estabrook Family Book by Florence Estabrook Elijah spent his later years with his son John. His son Elijah Juniorlived nearby and Elijah Senior used to tell stories of old times, - theIndian Wars and Flanders - to his sons and grand children. Elizabeth waskeenly interested in these and told them to her children. Idella Hoben,the wife of her son Henry with whom Elizabeth lived in her old age,remembered these stories and told Florence Estabrook [author of theEstabrook genealogy] of them, particularly the Flemish traditions. ElijahSenior's diary of the Indian Wars was kept by his son Elijah Jn. ElijahJun. son Jarvis kept his father's papers and his daughter. ElizabethEstabrooks Palmer copied the old diary. So did Stephen Potter's son,Stephen Harris. Middlesex County Probate Records (1st series), v.24, p. 157 [Cambridge,Mass] "Middlesex S.S. Guardianship to Elijah [at his own election] aminor in his nineteenth year of age, son of Elijah Esterbrook late ofSherburne in said County Dec'd., Is committed to Joseph Frost ofSherburne aforesaid. Gent. who hath given bond of #500. Witness my hand and seal of office Dated at Cambridge 14th July 1746. S. Danforth J. Probt." !MIGRATION: Enlisted in the Provincials in 1758; fought at Ticonderoga,and joined a contingent to Halifax where he visited Cornwallis. Hereturned to Haverhill, joined the Maugerville settlers, to Cornwallis,Nova Scotia in 1763, to Portland Point, Saint John in 1765; and on to theSaint John River in New Brunswick. To Gagetown 1777. (The River Saint John - Rev. Wm. O.Raymond. The Strathmore Press, Saint John, NB.) !QUESTION: In the IGI is and entry for a Abijah Estabrooks born 28 Dec 1766 inHalifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is apparently in error as it is thesame birth date as Abigail. BURIAL: Garrison Grave
|