History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

222 History of Swansea
particularly active both physically and mentally, to the last. In his decease,
which occurred July 6, 1904, Swansea lost a valuable citizen.
Note.—Benjamin N. Wood has a deed of the Nathan M. Wood farm,
the "homestead, " now owned by George H. £uid James Midwood given by
Nathaniel Toogood to John (II), son of Thomas Wood, dated 1691.
Five Gardner Brothers
The Swansea Public Library was presented with a group picture of
five brothers of the Gardner family of Gardner's Neck, who were among
the older residents of Swansea. They were all over seventy years of age
when the picture was taken: Job was born in 1790, and died in 1875, at the
age of 85; Peleg S., born in 1792, died in 1866, aged 74; Preserved S., born
in 1794, died in 1873, aged 79, Samuel, born in 1800, died in 1877, at the
age of 77; Alexander, born in 1802, died in 1896, aged 94. The picture was
presented, Dec. 4, 1915, by Mrs. Annie R. (Gardner), Eddy, a daughter of
Captain William Gardner, the son of Job, of the group.
Samuel Gardner
(I) Samuel Gardner, son of George and Lydia (Ballou) Gardner of
Newport, R. I., the progenitor of the Swansea family of that name, removed
from Newport to Freetown, Mass., in 1687; and in 1693 bought, in partnership
with Ralph Chapman, of Ebenezer Brenton, a farm at Mattapoisett
(long time known as Gardner's Neck, at this time usually called South
Swansea), where he died Dec. 8, 1696. He married Ehzabeth, widow of
James Brown, and daughter of Robert Carr of Newport. She was living
at the time of his death. Their children were: Elizabeth, born in 1684,
died Sept. 24, 1754 (on Jan. 16, 1699, she married Edward Thurston, of
Newport, R. I., who died April 27, 1727); Samuel was born Oct. 28, 1685;
Martha, born Nov. 16, 1686, died Oct. 27, 1763 (she married March 23,
1704, Hezekiah Luther, who died Nov. 2, 1763, of smallpox); Patience,
born Oct. 31, 1687, married Thomas Cranston; Sarah, born Nov. 1, 1692,
married Samuel Lee.
The will of Samuel Gardner reads as follows: "In the name of God,
Amen., I, Samuel Gardner, of ye towne of Swansey in ye Collony of ye
Massachusetts in New England and America, being very sick and wake in
body but of good and perfect memory doth declare this prest. instrument
to be my last will and testament.
"Impris. I give and bequeth my soul into ye hands of Almighty God
my Creator & Redeemer & my body to ye earth from whence itt came to be
decently buried according to ye discration of my executors hereafter named
& for ye rest of my worldly estate which itt hath pleased God Almighty
to possess to me with I do order and dispose of in manner & forme following.
" Item. Whereas share 'was' was a quarter of share of land lying & being
att a place called Westquidnoag in the Collony of Rhode Island & three
pounds of money given unto my son Samuel Gardner & my son-in-law Esek
Brown to be equally divided between them both I do freely give three
pounds moar for in cordigement toward ye settling of sd quarter of share
to be divided equally as ye other is.
" Item. I give and bequeth it my son-in-law Esek Browne ye 'slip of
land' yt I bought of Robert Carr which joynes on James Browne sotherly
and on sd Robert Carr notherly when he cometh to lawfuU age.
" Item. I give & bequeth unto my well beloved son Samuel Gardner &
to my daughters Elizabeth, Martha, Sarah, & Peacience aU ye rest of my