Hannah wife of Moses Thurston of Andover, Mass. & Hollis, N.H.
Replies: 6
Hannah wife of Moses Thurston of Andover, Mass. & Hollis, N.H.
 EbenGraves
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Posted: 2 May 2005 2:18AM GMT |
Classification: Query
Surnames: Thurston Sewall Johnson
The first wife of Moses Thurston (1721-1800) of Andover, Mass. and Hollis N.H., is said to have been Hannah Sewall (Brown Thurston, Thurston Genealogies, 44). This attribution inspired fruitless searches for Hannah Sewall's family. It is clear that she is not descended from Henry Sewall of Newbury and Rowley, Mass., nor is it likely that she is from Edward Sewall of Salem, Mass., and Exeter, N.H.. If she were related to Timothy Sewall of Mendon, Mass., or Thomas Sewall of Gilmanton (later Gilford), N.H., it would have to be as a sister, but the parents and siblings of neither Timothy nor Thomas are known.
No one has been able to explain why Brown Thurston said that Hannah was a Sewall. The birth records of their first three children at Andover from 1744 to 1748, the birth records of five children at Hollis from 1744 to 1756, including a duplicate for the eldest, and the baptism records of five children at Pepperrell, Mass., from 1756 to 1765 do not give Hannah's maiden name (Andover VRs and extracted Hollis VRs and Pepperrell ChRs on the IGI). The ten children of Moses and Hannah Thurston listed by Brown Thurston (45-6) can be assembled from these three lists. Nevertheless, the surname of Moses Thurston's wife Hannah is given as Sewall on may online family trees and other resources.
It seems much more likely that Moses and Hannah were the Moses Thurston and Hannah Johnson who were married at Andover on May 29, 1744 (VRs, 2:199). Hannah would appear to the the eldest daughter, born on March 31, 1724, of Zebediah and Hannah Johnson, who had eight children at Andover from 1724 to 1747 (VRs, 1:226-232).
The names of the three children of Moses and Hannah Thurston recorded at Andover, Hannah, Moses, and Shuah, and their birth dates, are an exact match for the eldest three children in Brown Thurston, 45. Moreover, the name and birthdate of the eldest is repeated in the birth records of Hollis. It would seem that Moses moved to Andover sometime before his marriage and lived there until about 1749, when he moved to Hollis.
There are only three and one-half months from the Thurston-Sewall marriage at Andover on May 29, 1744 until the birth of Moses's and Hannah's eldest child Hannah on Sept. 10, 1744. But marriage of necessity would not be a unique situation.
Does anyone have probate records for Zebediah or Hannah (----) Johnson? Is anyone aware of another Thurston couple with the names Moses and Hannah at this time? Does anyone have Thurston land records from either Andover or Hollis?
Best, Eben W. Graves
No one has been able to explain why Brown Thurston said that Hannah was a Sewall. The birth records of their first three children at Andover from 1744 to 1748, the birth records of five children at Hollis from 1744 to 1756, including a duplicate for the eldest, and the baptism records of five children at Pepperrell, Mass., from 1756 to 1765 do not give Hannah's maiden name (Andover VRs and extracted Hollis VRs and Pepperrell ChRs on the IGI). The ten children of Moses and Hannah Thurston listed by Brown Thurston (45-6) can be assembled from these three lists. Nevertheless, the surname of Moses Thurston's wife Hannah is given as Sewall on may online family trees and other resources.
It seems much more likely that Moses and Hannah were the Moses Thurston and Hannah Johnson who were married at Andover on May 29, 1744 (VRs, 2:199). Hannah would appear to the the eldest daughter, born on March 31, 1724, of Zebediah and Hannah Johnson, who had eight children at Andover from 1724 to 1747 (VRs, 1:226-232).
The names of the three children of Moses and Hannah Thurston recorded at Andover, Hannah, Moses, and Shuah, and their birth dates, are an exact match for the eldest three children in Brown Thurston, 45. Moreover, the name and birthdate of the eldest is repeated in the birth records of Hollis. It would seem that Moses moved to Andover sometime before his marriage and lived there until about 1749, when he moved to Hollis.
There are only three and one-half months from the Thurston-Sewall marriage at Andover on May 29, 1744 until the birth of Moses's and Hannah's eldest child Hannah on Sept. 10, 1744. But marriage of necessity would not be a unique situation.
Does anyone have probate records for Zebediah or Hannah (----) Johnson? Is anyone aware of another Thurston couple with the names Moses and Hannah at this time? Does anyone have Thurston land records from either Andover or Hollis?
Best, Eben W. Graves