Cpl. Abraham Bell, of Charlestown

Abraham Bell, waterman, was in New Haven in 1643 and came to Charlestown in 1647. He married Katharine Waffe, widow, who died August 29, 1692, aged sixty-nine. It appears by the town records that he was "cast away 31 Dec, found 4th [Jan.], buried 7th [1662-3].

His children were:

• Hannah married Samuel Bignall, 1669;
• Mary, born about December 25, 1653, married John Hands;
• Abraham, died January 16, 1656-7 ;
• Abraham, born November 17, 1657 ;
• Dorothy married Samuel Cutler, 1681 ;
• Isaac, born October 10, 1661, or 1662.

Source: The Bell family in America being an account of the founders and first colonial families, an official list of the heads of families of the name resident in the United States in 1790 and a bibliography by Weeks, Lyman Horace Published 1913 page 9

From Wyman, Thomas Bellows. The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown, Massachusetts: in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1629-1818. (Boston, Mass.: David Clapp and Son, 1879), p. 75.

Children of Abraham Bell and widow Katharine Waffe: Dorothy m. 1681 Samuel Cutler. "Hannah Bickner [sic] and Mary Hends, sell sister Dorothy Treadway 1/3 each of 8 acres Mystic side".
[The referenced deeds: Vol. 24, p. 255 1 Dec 1723: Mary Hands widow of Boston for divers good causes quitclaim to Dorothy Treadway of Charlestown all rights to a wood lott in Charlestown of about 8 acres.
Vol. 24, p. 256 10 Dec 1724: Mary Hands and Hannah Bicknel both of Boston widow for a Valuable Consideration to our Brother in Law Josiah Tredway of Charlestown Malster, confirm to him our two Thirds of a wood lot of eight acres No 156 in the first division lying in Charlestown formerly laid out to our hon'd father Abraham Bell which belongs to us the other third to our sister Tredway all children of the aforesaid Abram Bell formerly of Charestown dece'd. [note: although both named in deed, only Hannah Bignall signed or acknowledged.] ]

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Re: Bio of ABRAHAM BELL d.1663 Posted by: Richard Houghton Date: April 19, 2011.

After some more research, I have a more updated version of this bio:

Abraham Bell was born in England before 1620. One online source gives his birth as 1588 in Thirsk Yorkshire, but I have not researched parish records.

Abraham Bell was a "waterman" and a corporate in the militia. He died by drowning.

The surname comes from the Middle English belle “bell,” in various applications; most probably a metonymic occupational name for a bell ringer or bell maker, or a topographic name for someone living “at the bell” – indicating residence by an actual bell (e.g., a town’s bell in a bell tower, centrally placed to summon meetings, sound the alarm, etc.) or “at the sign of the bell,” i.e., a house or inn sign. It also comes from the medieval personal name Bel, which means beautiful, or as a man’s name from Old French beu, bel “handsome,” which was also used as a nickname.

He married KATHERINE [BULLFINCH?] (No. 856:3:8733), it is thought in England.2 [2: THE WEED FAM. IN AMERICA 81;

Inventory of the Estate of Abraham Bell, File No. 1510, Norfolk Co. Prob. Recs, Mass. Sup. Jud. Ct., Boston, MA (1663)(recorded in Liber 2 pg. 105-07)

“Katherine is the relict of the above named Abram Bell deceased”). If Savage is right about her age in 1692, however, that would mean she was born in 1624, and was a little young to be married before Abraham sailed for New England.]

Katherine was probably the daughter of John Bullfinch of Salem and widow of John Waffe. because in 1680, administration of the estate of John Bulfinch, “lately deceased at Chatham in the County of Kent in Old England” was granted to Katherine Bell, widow of Abraham Bell.” 3 MIDDLESEX CO. RECS. 334.

In addition, Abraham Bell sold lands formerly belonging to John Bulfinch on 24 August 1653. Book 1, ESSEX REGISTER OF DEEDS 19.

It may also be that she had married first John Waffe, see TORREY's NEW ENGLAND MARRIAGES BEFORE 1700, at 770, hence the name would correctly be Katherine (Bullfinch) Waffe.

They had at least three children (Savage suggests more, Francis is generally accepted but unproven):

• i Francis4 b. m. Rebecca
• ii Dorothy b. m. (1) Samuel Cutler m. (2) Josiah Treadway
• iii Isaac b.

He came to the New Haven Colony in 1639 where he lived on Elm Street, “next east from Mr. Johnson's corner” to the north of the Common.

In the Autumn of 1640, the General Court ordered that every Planter should give in the names of the heads or persons in his family, wherein his wife together with himself and children were only reckoned with an estimate of his Estate, according to which he will pay his proportion in all Rates and Public Charges from time to time to be assessed for civil uses, and expect Lands in all divisions which shall generally be made to the Planters.

By the time that he died, Abraham had a generous amount of personal property for the era. However, on the resultant list in New Haven, Abraham is listed as a household of one with a very meager £10 estate.6 [6: Edward R. Lambert, HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF NEW HAVEN 55-56 (New Haven 1838).]

The fact that he listed only one person in his household tends to cast some doubt in my mind as to whether he was married and had a family before moving to New Haven. He may not have had a wife with him at New Haven.

This conclusion would be supported if the identity of Katherine is established as outlined above, since both Bullfinch and Waffe lived in the Charlestown area of Massachusetts and appear to have no connections with New Haven.

The records state he served as a Corporal in the militia.

Then in 1647, running counter to prevailing settlement patterns, he sold his estate to Job Hall and moved north to Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts (then Massachusetts Bay Colony)7 [7: THE WEED. FAM. IN AMERICA, supra n. 1, at 81.] where initial records reference him as “from New Haven.”8 [8: FAMS. OF ANCIENT WETHERSFIELD, supra n. _, at 93].

On 24 August 1653, Abraham “of Charlestown, waterman,” sold to Jeffrey Massy of Salem “one tooe acre lott in Salem late in the possession of John Bullfinch adjoyning to the lands of Francis Skerry and George Ropes” for £0.24.00.9 [9: Book 1, ESSEX REGISTER OF DEEDS 19].

Abraham died in Charlestown, likely in either February or early March 1663;10 [10: THE WEED. FAM. IN AMERICA, supra n. 1, at 81] his estate was inventoried on 15 March 1662/3.11 11: Inventory, Estate of Abraham Bell, supra n. 1.]

Those sources that give his date of death as July 1644 are clearly incorrect, given the date he sold his property in New Haven.

Interestingly enough, I have seen one undocumented source that says he died on 31 December 1662 by drowning.

The inventory listed the following items ( Numbers indicate value of item in Pounds.Shillings.Pence):

one hows and yard Adjoynin 75.00.00

one Cowe 5.00.00

one hayfor and Calfe 4.00.00

one Swine 1.05.00

2 Swine a broad 1.00.00

16 Acrs of Ground 3.00.00

1 Suite 2.00.00

1 hatt 0.10.00

2 pr hose 0.05.00

1 pr shose 0.05.00

1 pr boot topps 0.04.00

2 Shurts 0.06.00

2 hankerchevs 4 bands 0.06.00

2 Child bed Lynin 2.00.00

1 fitherbed & Boulster & 3 pillos 5.00.00

1 flockbed & straw bed 0.16.00

1 Baskit 0.04.00

3 Cushons 2 Covers & a Stoole 1.00.00

2 Rugs 1 new 1 very ould 1.00.00

2 pr of ould Curting & trunckle bed 0.05.00

7 stools 0.06.06

2 Chests 0.20.00

ould Riggin 0.08.00

1 Betel 3 wedges 2 Axes 2 fork 1 Shovle 0.11.00

1 fether bed & Boulster 3.10.00

2 Cotton pillow & 1 Straw Bed 0.09.00

3 Blankits 2 Coverlyds 2.01.00

5 pr sheets & 1 Sheet 5.04.00

1 pr Sheets & 1 pr pillowbers 1.11.00

1 table Cloth 3 napkins 3 pillow beers 1.06.00

2 small table Clothes & 1 pillow beer 0.06.00

9 napkins 8 hand towils 1 Mantick 1.06.04

2 ould Mantick 1 Swath & littlr Cushons 0.05.00

mony 3s.6d 4 boxes 8s 0.11.06

1 Bedsted Curting & Bed Cord 0.12.00

1 Muskit Sword & Bundle Eres 1.02.00

6 ould Chayrs & Canestares 0.11.00

[?] Ould Lumber 0.03.00

3 bush Indian ½ bush wheat 1 peck Malt 0.13.00

Pork & Beefe 0.16.00

2 Small Sives 0.02.00

Lumber Earthin & woodin 0.14.00

1 frying pan 0.04.00

1 warimng pan 0.06.00

Books 0.12.00

2 Kettels 2.00.00

2 Iron Skillitts small 1 grate 0.13.00

1 Grate Iron pott & pott hucks 0.15.00

4 Bras Skillit & Bras pott 0.19.00

Empty Case 1 Small Box 0.06.00

4 Grate pewter Dishes 1.04.00

6 pewter Dishes smaler 1.04.00

2 pewter basons 2 Chamber potts 0.11.00

3 trencher plats & 1 ould Dish 0.05.00

5 potts 1 salt 1 Bowle 1.00.00

7 pewter Dishes 0.09.00

2 Bras Candlestick 0.08.00

7 Spoones 0.01.09

1 Iron pott & pott hucks 0.07.00

1 Bras Ladle 6 trenchers & [?] 0.07.06

2 [?] 1 tin pans 0.03.00

3 Jugs 1 Bottle 1 Earthin pan 0.03.00

1 Grid Iron & 8 Earthin Dishes ould 0.03.00

1 pr Andirons 1 Spitt 1 pr tongues 0.14.00

1 pr Bellows 1 Lump & small thinges 0.04.00

1 table bord 0.10.00

1 pcell of ould tubbs & Cask 0.11.00

1/4 of a [?] 12.00.00

2d ½ flax 0.02.06

The total value of his estate was £154.01.01.12 [12:

Inventory, estate of Abraham Bell, supra n. 1; THE WEED. FAM. IN AMERICA, supra n. 1, at 81].

The court at Cambridge appointed his wife Katherine administrator of the estate on 2 April 1663.13 [13: Inv., Estate of Abraham Bell, supra n. 1].

Savage says Katherine died on 29 August 1692, aged sixty-eight.14 [14: FAMS. OF ANCIENT WETHERSFIELD, supra n. _, at 93].

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http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bevangene...

Children:

1. Elizabeth BELL c: 16 DEC 1678 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England.

(Married Richard WRIGHT, son Jonathan Wright.)

2. Anne BELL b: 17 JAN 1675 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

3, Mary BELL b: 3 FEB 1677 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

4. Sarah BELL b: 24 FEB 1680 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

5. Abraham BELL b: 18 NOV 1682 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

6. Frances BELL b: 27 JAN 1684 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

7. Isaac BELL b: 15 MAR 1686 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

8. John BELL b: 17 APR 1688 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

9. Thomas BELL b: 31 JUL 1689 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

(Married Jane SHARROW. Sons: William BELL)

10. Robert BELL b: 26 MAY 1692 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

(Married Marion KIRKPATRICK. Children: Mary BELL, William BELL, John BELL)

11. Abraham BELL b: 25 NOV 1701 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England

ID: I18028

Name: ABRAHAM BELL

Sex: M

Burial: 7 JAN 1662/63

Christening: 1647 New Haven, New Haven, CT, USA 1

Occupation: waterman 2

Note: Abraham cast away 31 December, found on the 4th of January and buried 7th Jan, 1662/63.

Marriage 1 KATHERINE WAFFE b: 1623

Children

FRANCIS BELL b: 1614 in Stamford, England

HANNAH BELL
MARY BELL b: 25 DEC 1653
ABRAHAM BELL
ABRAHAM (2) BELL b: 17 NOV 1657
DOROTHY BELL
ISAAC BELL b: 10 OCT 1661
Sources:

Abbrev: GEC

Note:

GEC

Abbrev: FTM Hall

Note:

FTM Hall