Lt. Francis Peabody or Pabodie was born 19 February 1614 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom to John Pabodie (1590-1667) and Isabel Harper (1592-1664) and died 19 February 1698 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States of unspecified causes. He married Lydia Perkins (1614-1647) 1638 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. He married Mary Foster (1618-1705) 27 March 1650 in Framingham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.
Biography
Francis Peabody was born at St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, in 1614. Burke's Genealogy states that he was the son of John Peabody of St. Albans, Hertfordshire.
1635 Migration to America
On 2 April 1635, Francis Peabody embarked for America on the ship Planter with Master Nicholas Travice (Martin ?) which arrived in Boston, Mass., June 7, 1635. He was 21 and traveled with his father's family.
Francis, a farmer and miller, settled first at Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. In 1636, he lived near “Labour in Vaine” on a road that led to the beach. The first reference to Francis in the Ipswich records appears in a description of lands owned by Samuel Hall.
In 1638 or 1639, Francis joined Rev. Stephen Bachilor and 12 others in starting the settlement of Hampton, New Hampshire. He often served on the Grand Jury fro "Tryalls". He was also confirmed as a small trails justice.
He married Lydia about 1639. They had five children. Lydia died about 1649.
He became a freeman of Hampton May 18, 1642. In 1645, he held a share in the common lands of Hampton and was also acting as a member of the committee that oversaw the finishing of the meeting house. In the seating of the Hampton meetinghouse on 4 March 1649/50, "Fran[cis] Peabody" was in the "first seat among the men's seats and "Goody Pebody" was in the "first seat next Mistress Whelwrit" among the women's seats.
Settlement in Topsfield
After spending about 12 years in Hampton, Francis Peabody on March 25, 1650, sold his Hampton property to Robert Drake and moved to Topsfield, Massachusetts to start a new life with a new wife. After moving to Topsfield, he bought 250 acres of land from Samuel Symonds. He became one of the most prominent men in Topsfield with his property holdings and business.
He married again to Mary Foster about 1650. She was the widow of Daniel Wood who had died at Ipswich by 27 March 1649. Francis and Mary had nine more children together. Francis became a large landholder in Topsfield and Boxford.
On Apr. 20, 1666, he purchased from his near neighbor, William Evans, an acre located beside Pye Brook, on which he established in 1672 the first grist mill in the town. His house, situated on the bank of the brook, survived until 1846. He built a second, two story house a little farther up the brook in 1692, and this stood until Oct. 4, 1914.
1690 Deposition
A deposition made by Francis Peabody in 1690, when he was 78, provides some interesting detail:
“The testimony of francis Pabody aged 78 years is that I having bought on half of mr Simmonds farm: ye said ffeild mr Simmonds sent up goodman gage & goodman Brag to shew me the bounds of that farme, and they did shew me a stak in a medow which medow is now on the back sid of the dweling house of Isaac Cumins senr & on the north sid of the brook several rods: to be the bounds on the north east corner of the farm: & from thence to a tree on the end of pains hill near to a medow where Ipswich commity setled the bounds; afterward I got ensign howlet to help me run the line on the south est side of the farme between goodman every & me & he with others brought the line to the same place on the south est corner: to which place my fence did then & now doth point.“Swore november 19th 1690 before me Samll Appleton Asst.”
Francis Peabody died Feb. 19, 1697/8, in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Francis' will is dated Jan. 20, 1695/6. Estate Inventory on 20 May 1698 was £1327-05-06; £1030 in real estate; Probate dated 7 Aug 1698.
Mary survived about seven years, dying Apr. 9, 1705, in Topsfield.
Last Will of Lt Peabody
The Last Will & Testament of Lieut. Francis Pebody of Topsfield in ye county of Essex in New England. I Francis Pebody taking into consideration the uncertaity of my life and certainty of my death being of perfect understanding & memory have seen good to make such a disposall of the temporall estate which God of his grace hath given me in this world as followeth. I committ my immortall soul into the hands of God and my body to a decent buriall when God shall take me out of this world I give to by son John Pebody & Joseph Pebody all that tract of land which I bought of merchant Joseph Juett of Rowly which land lyeth in Boxford. I give to my son J(ohn) two thirds of the aforesaid tract of land & to my son Joseph the other third which I give to them and to their heirs for ever & morever I do give to them both in c(urrent) pay (not mony) five pounds to each of them, that is five pounds apiece besides what I have already given to them. I do give to my son William Pebody, all that land which I bought of John Tod Senr. of Rowly and of John Perley (excepting one hundred acres) which land I do give to him & his heirs for ever, moreover I do give to him five pounds besides what he hath.....me already, which I do the rather on consideration of his being (by the providence of God) deprived of ye use of one of his arms, which five pounds is to be paid as is above specified.
I give unto my son in law Daniell Wood that hundred acres of land which is above excepted to my son William & is already in part possessed by my son in law Daniel Wood which said land I do give to him & to his heirs for ever it being in consideration of what I was obliged to do for him when come to age & propose he shall be satisfied therewith on that account & give a discharge thereof to such...shall concern Which land I gave already promised & do propose forthwith to give him a deed of in a way of firm conveyance in which deed I shall bound and Limit the above said hundred acres accordingly. Item I do give to my son Isaac Pebody all the land that I do now live upon which I bought of Mr Simmons & my will is that my son Isaac shall have all the said land which lyeth on the south side of the brook running through the said farm both upland & meadow so bounded. I give to my son Isaac Pebody together with my dwelling house & housing, orchard, mill, & millyard with all that I bought of William Evans & moreover I give to my son Isaac from the bridge all the meadow downward on the north east side of the brook which runneth through Thomas Borman's meadow; and also I do give to my son Isaac a Rod & half of upland at the aforesaid meadow all along for the bringing of his hay from time to time which aforesaid land I do give to my son Isaac & to his Heirs forever, together with seventy acres of land on the south side of the River, near to the dwelling of Joseph Town, Jun.
Also I give to my son the bed with the furniture thereunto belonging which he now hath & improvements of & this I would have noted, That I have given the more to my son Isaac on consideration of the providence of God disenabling him by the loss of one of his leggs. I give to my Grandchild, Jacob Pebody ( the son of my son Jacob deceased) the house which his father dwelt in together with all the upland on the side of the brook that is on the north side of the above said brook, as also the meadow on the same side of the brook to the bridge & so upward, my will is that in case my said Grandchild Jacob Pebody do live to the age of twenty one years that then he shall have all the above said to injoy himself and his heirs forever, but in case the said Jacob Pebody live not to that age then any of my other (heirs) shall have liberty to have that land & house above said provided that he or they shall give to my Grandchildren Kezia & Mercy Pebody the children of my son Jacob deceased ...hundred and twenty pounds in common currant pay (not silver) notwithstanding the abovesaid in case the said Jacob should have issue before he should arrive at the aforesaid age then the said land shall be at the dispose of the above said Jacob Pebody together.....aforesaid.
Also I do give to my granchildren Kezia & Mercy Pebody the children of Jacob deceased, I do give to each of them thirty acres of land apiece provided that they live to the age of eighteen years, which threescore acres of land lyeth on the south side of the the River in the south-west division beyond Mr. Endicott's farm in the place called the Stick (Slick?) meadow which land above said I bought part of Deacon Tho. Perkins about thirty (acres) & about thirty more which I bought of Daniell Borman, but in case neither of the children Kezia & Mercy shall live to the age of eighteen that then the above said thirty acres apiece shall return to my next immediate children and be equally divided amongst them and in case one of the said grandchildren live to the age & not the other that then the whole threescore acres shall fall to the survivor of them. I give to my son Nathaniell Pebody together with my Grandchild Samson How all that four hundred acres which I bought of Mr. Stephen Sewall lying in Rowly village now called Boxford, which land lyeth near Bradford & was formerly Mr. Nelson's of Rowly. My will is my son Nathaniell shall have three hundred & Samson How the other hundred acres which for quantity and quality ye aforesaid Samson How shall have the said hundred acres provided that the Samson How shall be at my dispose til the age of twenty one. But in case my son Nathaneill shall dye without Lawfull Issue that then the said three hundred acres shall fall to my other children by equall devision, his widdow nothwithstanding injoying the benefit thereof during life & as to his moveables which he is already in possession of, I leave it all to be at his, that is my son Nathaniell here is to be understood, that what shall be left undisposed of by my son Nathaniell at his death of his three hundred acres shall be for the use of his widdow during her life as above said That is the life of her widdowhood.
I do reserve for Mary my wife the South End of my house for her use to live in as also the New Cellar as also the use of two milch cowes which she shall choose out of my milch kine. Also my will is that my son Isaac shall pay to my wife Mary yearly twenty bushels of Indian corn, four bushells of wheat, four of rye & six of malt. Also that my wife have liberty to keep two or three swine, and also yearly a half a dozen pounds of wool, also my will is that my wife have pasture for her cowes with my son Isaacs as also my son Isaac shall provide fodder for them in the winter. As also my wife shall have Liberty for an horse to ride on as she shall have occasion. Also my will is that in case my wife shall marry again that then all the privileges above shall cease, but during her widdowhood she shall also have (as benefit by my orchard) yearly a barrell of Cider as also som apples as her occasions either summer or winter shall require. Moreover my wife shall have the use & despose of two beds together with needful firewood provided her for which end she shall have the use of such of my oxen as shall be needful. Also I do order that Samson How live with my wife til he shall come to the age of twenty one years & be at her Command to be helpfull to her on all accounts as she shall have occasion & in case Samson How shall be taken away by his father before he shall have served as above that then my wife shall have that huindred acres of land abovesaid (given Conditionaly to the said Samson) to provide for herself such help as shall be necessary. In case my wife shall dy before the said Samson How shall arrive at the aforesaid term of years then he shall be at my wives despose to whom she shall see good & in case the said Samson will not comply with such despose that then the said hundred acres of land intended for him shall be at my wives despose. I give to my Daughter Lydia Perley five pounds besides what she hath already had of me. I do give to my Daughter Mary Death five pounds besides what she hath had already. I give to my Daughter Sarah How five pounds besides what she hath had already. I give to my Daughter Hephzibah Ray five pounds besides what she hath had already, all which Legacies ordered to my Children I do appoint to be paid in common currant pay as is before specified to others of my children.
Note that what Legacies I do here give in my will shall be paid by my executors out of my etate which I do leave in my son Isaacs hands & to my wives, as corn or Cattell & my debts & funerall expences being discharged. And finally I do appoint, constitute & ordain my wife Mary to be executrix together with my son John Pebody & Isaac Pebody executors of this my last will & testament & in case after Legacies paid there be any Estate left to be divided that it shall be desposed of in away of devision as my executrix together with executors shall see good. That what is here above written is my last will & testament of the above said Francis Pebody appears by his own hand & seal this day & date here mentioned as also by the testimony of the witnesses hereunto subscribed. It is to be noted that notwithstanding what is above said concerning my son Nathaniels three hundred acres returning to his brethren in Case of his dying without lawfull Issue, It is to be understood by (sic) the three hundred acres what he shall not see cause to despose of before his death I hereby not withstanding what hath been said giving him full power in case he see good to despose of it either in part or whole not knowing but divine providence may necessitate him thereunto, otherwise what is above written to be of full force as is expressed. ffrancis Pabody The above said Premises were signed sealed & declared to be the last will and testament of the said Francis Pebody this twentieth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred Ninety & five or six, in presence of us. Joseph Capen Thomas Baker Ephriam Dorman,
- Name
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Lydia Peabody (1640-1715) | August 1640 Hampton, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States | 30 April 1715 Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States | Thomas Howlett (1637-1667) Thomas Perley (1641-1709) |
| John Peabody (1642-1720) | |||
| Joseph Peabody (1644-1721) | |||
| William Peabody (1646-1699) | 3 March 1646 Hampton, Rockingham County, New Hampshire | 6 March 1699 Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts | Mary Brown (1646-1684) Hannah Hale (1663-1733) |
| Isaac Peabody (1648-1727) | 1648 Hampton, Rockingham County, New Hampshire | 21 October 1727 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts | Sarah Estes (1677-1727) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Mary Peabody (1656-1731) | 22 May 1656 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States | 22 December 1731 Framingham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | John Dearth (1651-1690) Samuel Eames (1664-1747) |
| Ruth Peabody (1658-) | |||
| Damaris Peabody (1660-1660) | |||
| Samuel Peabody (1661-1677) | |||
| Jacob Peabody (1664-1689) | |||
| Hannah Peabody (1668-) | |||
| Nathaniel Peabody (1669-1715) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Thomas Peabody (c1612-1649) | |||
| Francis Peabody (1614-1698) | 19 February 1614 St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom | 19 February 1698 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States | Lydia Perkins (1614-1647) Mary Foster (1620-1705) |
| Annis Pabodie (c1616-1680) | 1616 England | 1680 Massachusetts | John Rouse (1615-1684) |
| William Pabodie (1620-1707) | 1620 St. Albans, Herefordshire, England | 13 December 1707 Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island | Elizabeth Alden (1625-1717) |
References
Residences
Footnotes (including sources)
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