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Gershom Bradford Weston was born 27 August 1799 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States to Ezra Weston (1772-1842) and Jerusha Bradford (1770-1833) and died 14 September 1869 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States of unspecified causes. He married Judith Sprague (1799-1845) 17 September 1820 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He married Deborah Brownell (1801-) 23 February 1848 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

Biography

Gershom Bradford Weston, son of Duxbury shipbuilding tycoon Ezra Weston (1772-1842) (AKA: King Caesar II) and his wife Jerusha Bradford (1770-1833), who were both direct descendants of six Mayflower pilgrims. Gershom was a large man with reddish hair, weighing about 250 pounds.

At a age 17 he began sailing on his father's ships to Denmark, England and India, before taking on a managerial role in the family business. From 1842 to 1857 he and his brothers ran the family firm until it closed down.

Gershom was president of the Duxbury State Bank from 1836 to 1842 when it was discontinued.

  • Beginning at the age of 28 he was elected to represent Duxbury in the state legislature (1828-1840), serving there for twelve years.
  • Massachusetts State Justice (1840-1857).

Gershom Weston House Fire

Gershom built a beautiful estate of some thirty acres and a mansion that was valued at about $50,000 when destroyed by fire on the night of 29 March 1850. All residents there barely escaped, and the Duxbury volunteer fire department arrived only in time to save the barns and outer buildings.


In 1851 his fortune was estimated at approximately $200,000.



Free Soil and Temperance

He began his political career as a Whig.

He turned to politics in the 1820s, serving as a member of the state legislature for twelve years and a state justice for seventeen years. He stood as the Free-Soil candidate for the U.S. Congress and lost by fewer than 150 votes. Thereafter, Gershom experienced significant financial reverses. In 1868, friends from the Massachusetts Senate purchased for him the small house he was then renting.

In 1848 Gershom joined the newly formed Free-Soil Political Party and strongly advocated it's Temperance and Abolitionist platform - "Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free Men"


Marriage and Family

Gershom had some cousins, that were memorialized in a book - The Weston Sisters: An American Abolitionist Family. They lived in Weymouth MA and their husbands worked in the Weston Shipyards.

1st Month : Judith Sprague

  1. Gershom Bradford Weston (1821-1887)
  2. Maria Weston (1822-1823)
  3. Jerusha B Weston (1824-1824)
  4. John Allyn Weston (1825-1869)
  5. George Canning Weston (1828-1856)
  6. William Bradford Weston (1830-)
  7. Edgar Weston (1832-1851)
  8. Jerusha Bradford Weston (1834-)
  9. Alfred Weston (1837-)
  10. Maria Weston (1839-)
  11. Judith Sprague Weston (1843-)
  12. Alden Bradford Weston (1844-1919) - Civil War Veteran - Co F, 2nd N.H. Inf.

2nd Marriage : Deborah Brownell

Children -

  1. Edmund Brownell Weston (1849-)
  2. Ezra Weston (1859-1859) - died age 3 months



Children


Offspring of Gershom Bradford Weston and Judith Sprague (1799-1845)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Gershom Bradford Weston (1821-1887)
Maria Weston (1822-1823)
Jerusha B Weston (1824-1824)
John Allyn Weston (1825-1869)
George Canning Weston (1828-1856)
William Bradford Weston (1830-)
Edgar Weston (1832-1851)
Jerusha Bradford Weston (1834-)
Alfred Weston (1837-)
Maria Weston (1839-)
Judith Sprague Weston (1843-)
Alden Bradford Weston (1844-1919) 8 November 1844 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 10 January 1919 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States Helen Parker Baker (1842-1933)


Offspring of Gershom Bradford Weston and Deborah Brownell (1801-)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Edmund Brownell Weston (1849-)
Ezra Weston (1859-1859)



Siblings


Offspring of Ezra Weston (1772-1842) and Jerusha Bradford (1770-1833)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Maria Weston (1794-1804) 1794 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 1804 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Ezra Weston (1796-1805) 1796 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 12 September 1805 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Gershom Bradford Weston (1799-1869) 27 August 1799 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 14 September 1869 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States Judith Sprague (1799-1845)
Deborah Brownell (1801-)
Jerusha Bradford Weston (1802-1804) 9 August 1802 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 3 March 1804 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Alden Bradford Weston (1805-1880) 17 January 1805 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 1880 United States Phoebe A Hammond (1814-1869)
Ezra Weston (1809-1852) 23 December 1809 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States 6 September 1852 Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States


Vital Records

Mayflower Gravestone

Gbweston2017a

Wife's Gravestone - Mayflower Cemetery

Gravestone of Wife : Judith Weston - Mayflower Cemetery, Duxbury MA. Gravestone Plot : Lot 585 Grave 9 Oak Avenue Lists Wife vitals, Gershom's vitals. Curiously this stone also lists Gershom's 2nd Wife, Deborah Brownell.


References

Residences

Footnotes (including sources)

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