Ezra Weston, Sr. was born 21 July 1743 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts to Eliphas Weston (1710-1762) and Priscilla Peterson (1713-1778) and died 13 October 1822 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States of unspecified causes. He married Sylvia Church (1750-1768) 20 April 1767 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He married Salameth Wadsworth (1741-1815) 25 October 1770 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He married Priscilla Cooper (1767-1853) 4 July 1817 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Biography
Ezra Weston I was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts on 24 July 1743 and died there on 11 Oct 1822. He was a stout and well-built man, light complexion, light and five feet eight inches tall. He lived on his farm of 100 acres at Powder Point in Duxbury, He was one of the most enterprising and wealthy men in the province.
Early Life
His father, Eliphas Weston (1710-1762) and younger brother Joshua Weston (1748-1762) both died in a great snowstorm when Ezra was 19.
America Revolutionary War
Ezra served in the revolution, in Captain Benjamin Wadsworth's company (2nd Duxbury), Colonel James Warren's regiment, and aswered the Lexingtom alrm of 19 April 1775.
In 10 Dec 1776 he is found in the company of Lt Nathan smapson and Colonel Thomas Lothrop.
In Oct 1777, he is Col Theophilus Cotton's regiment on its secret expedition to Rhode Island.
Ezra's younger brother, Timothy Weston (1749-1783), sailed a privateer in the war and was lost at sea.
Shipbuilder King Caesar
The Weston firm was established by Ezra Weston I (1743–1822) who began building small sloops and schooners on Powder Point in Duxbury in 1764. Ezra I earned the nickname "King Caesar" due to his audacious character and his influence on local politics.
His great success at shipbuilding made him the wealthiest man in all of Plymouth County and earned the accolade of "King Caesar". It is said the he owned nearly half of the town. He directed affairs of the firm from 1764 to 1798.
After his death, the nickname passed to his son Ezra II who greatly expanded the firms activities, built up a fleet of large sailing vessels, and made the Weston name known across the Atlantic. The firm experienced its heyday in the 1820s and 1830s during which Ezra Weston II presided as sole owner.
During the French Quasi War, 1797-1801, a number of Weston vessels were siezed by French privateers. Eventually the U.S. secured reparation payments from the French government, but it would be many, many years before that money was distributed to American business owners for their losses.
Marriage and Family
He was married 1st on 30 Apr 1767 at Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts to Sylvia Church (1750-1768). She was from Marshfield, Massachusetts.
- They had a daughter: Sylvia Church Weston (1768-1836).
He was married 2nd on 25 Oct 1770 at Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts to Salameth Wadsworth (1741-1815).
- They had a son: Ezra Weston (1772-1842).
He was married 3rd on 4 Jul 1817 at Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts to Priscilla Cooper, widow of Capt. John Virgin.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Sylvia Church Weston (1768-1836) | 13 May 1768 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | 1836 United States | Sylvanus Sampson (1761-1848) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Ezra Weston (1772-1842) | 30 November 1772 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | 15 August 1842 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | Jerusha Bradford (1770-1833) |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Warren Weston (1738-1799) | |||
| Daniel Weston (1739-1766) | |||
| Eliphas Weston (1741-1785) | 7 July 1741 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | 1785 | Deborah Nash (1750-) |
| Israel Weston (1742-) | |||
| Arunah Weston (1743-1831) | |||
| Ezra Weston (1743-1822) | 21 July 1743 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts | 13 October 1822 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | Sylvia Church (1750-1768) Salameth Wadsworth (1741-1815) Priscilla Cooper (1767-1853) |
| Joshua Weston (1748-1762) | |||
| Timothy Weston (1749-1783) | 1749 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts | 1783 Bay of Fundy | Rachel Martin (1753-) |
| Simeon Weston (1753-) | |||
References
- Weston, Edmund B. (1916). In Memoriam: Hon. Gershom Bradford Weston and Deborah Brownell Weston. Retrieved March 26, 2010. (Free on Google Books)
- King Caesar House - Wikipedia
- Ezra Weston (1772-1842)/Immigrant Ancesters
- Ezra Weston - disambiguation
- Ezra Weston had some cousins, that were memorialized in a book, with lots more family genealogy, - The Weston Sisters: An American Abolitionist Family. They lived in Weymouth MA and their husbands worked in the Weston Shipyards.