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Family
Marriage: Children:
  1. Nabby Linnell: Birth: 1784. Death: 6 DEC 1789 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA

  2. Abigail Linnell: Birth: ABT 1786. Death: ABT 1792


Family
Marriage:
Notes
a. Note:   Rebecca was appointed guardian of her minor daughter Abigail 12 Dec 1787 after John's death. An old English law of the time forbade a man to marry his wife's sister after her death and declared that any children of such a marriage would be declared illegitimate. Such was the case with Abigail. John's sisters and brothers sought to keep his sizeabole estate from going to Abigail upon his death on the basis of her illegitimacy. Before the case could be settled, however, Abigail had died at about the age of 6, and the major share of the estate then went to Rebecca.
  Decendants of Robert Linnell by Rachel L. Wynn, pa. 244.
  Rebecca is her husband John's first cousin and sister to his first wife Ruth.
  Elisha was only 31 years of age at the time of the marriage; Rebecca was 46 and eccentric. Otis tells the story of Aunt Beck’s Museum, as her house was known, for she saved everything and stored them everywhere in great disorder. There were pans of milk for the cream to rise for making butter, there were bones for making of soap. Curiosities covered with mold were on the table. Bedding, too good to use, with coins hidden in it was deposited in barrels. Even dead animals were under the table. Old clothing was hung on the walls and dumped the bed. The motive seems to have been to save every penny and everything that might be used at some later time.
  "She died on Sunday. On the Thursday preceding, her attendants began removing the rubbish. She overheard them and asked if it thundered. They satisfied the dying woman with an evasive answer. Before her burial, all of her curiosities were either burnt or scattered to the four winds of heaven. "the old house soon lost all its charm, and its doors ceased to attract visitors. Its interior was cleansed and pained; paper hangings adorned the walls, and handsome furniture the rooms. Forty-five days after her death there was a wedding party at the house. Mr. Blush endeavored to correct the sad mistake with he made when young by taking in his old age a young woman for his second wife, forty years younger than himself and fifty-seven years younger than his first wife, another Rebecca Linnell, grand niece of his wife." (Otis, Genealogical Notes pp. 96,97,98)
  Descendants of Robert Linnell by Rachel L. Wynn, pa.242


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