Return to main file
Abraham Gale (c. 1643–1718), son of Richard Gale and Mary Unknown
Sarah Fiske (c. 1656–1728), daughter of Nathan Fiske and Susanna Unknown
Abraham Gale was born about 1643. [1] He died on 15 September 1718 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [2, 2:64] He married Sarah Fiske on 3 September 1673 in Watertown. [2, 1: 37]
Sarah was the daughter of Nathan and Susanna Fiske. [1] Based on her reported age at death and the births of her children, she was probably born about 1656. She died on 14 May 1728, age 72. [1]
Sarah is called Sarah Gale in the 29 June 1676 will of her father.
Abraham was admitted a freeman on 11 October 1682. [1] He was a selectman in 1706. [1]
Abraham Gale, being "sick & weak," made his will on 3 September 1718. He mentioned his wife Sarah; his sons Abraham, Richard and Ebenezer Gale; his two younger sons John and Joshua Gale; and his daughters Sarah Pratt, Marcy Sanderson, Mary Gale, Lydia Gale and Abigail Gale. His widow Sarah posted bond on 22 September 1718. [3]
Children of Abraham Gale and Sarah Unknown: Births of all but Abraham, Marcy and the second Abigail recorded in Watertown.
i. Abraham Gale was alive and of Watertown on 29 July 1729. He married Rachel Parkhurst on 6 December 1699 in Watertown. [2,2: 26]
ii. Sarah Gale was born on 10 (12) 1674. [2, 1: 39] She may have married Jonathan Pratt in August 1700. [4] Jonathan, the son of Thomas and Susanna Pratt, was born about 1673 in Framingham, Middlesex County. [4]
Gundry claims without evidence that Sarah, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Gale, married Jonathan Pratt. [4] Since this Sarah's father calls her Sarah Pratt, it is more likely that if a Sarah Gale married Jonathan Pratt, it is this one.
Jonathan and Sarah had children Jonathan (1701), Abraham (1703), Sarah (1704), Joseph, Micah, Jonas (1710), Susanna and Lydia. [4]
Jonathan and Sarah moved to Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts. [4]
iii. Richard Gale was born on 25 September 1677. [2, 1: 43] He died before 28 May 1729. He married Sarah Knight of Watertown on 22 January 1705/6 in Watertown. [2, ] Sarah was the daughter of John and Mary Knight. [1] She died after 9 October 1729.
Richard went to Canterbury. The births of his eight children are recorded there: Sarah (1706), Jonathan (1708), Mercy (1710), Thankful (1715), Lydia (1717), Hannah (1720), Jerusha (1722) and Abigail (1724). [5] His daughters Hannah and Abigail were baptized there in 1720 and 1724, respectively. [6]
On 28 May 1729 Jacob Reed—the husband of Richard's daughter Sarah—paid a bond that Richard, deceased, had entered into with Benjamin Baldwin of Canterbury and took possession of Richard's 40 acres in Canterbury. [7]
On 29 July 1729 Sarah and her sisters received full title to their father's estate from their uncles Abraham, Ebenezer and John of Watertown. [7]
On 9 October 1729 Jacob Reed quitclaimed land to his wife's mother. [7]
iv. Hopestill Gale was born on 12 December 1678. [2: 1: 45] He died on 29 December 1678 in Watertown. [2, 1: 45]
v. Mary Gale was born on 27 March 1680. [2, 1: 48] She apparently died young.
vii. Abigail Gale was born on 12 March 1681. [2, 1: 51] She died on 21 November 1696 in Watertown. [2, 2: 9]
viii. Mary Gale was born on 16 September 1683. [2, 1: 54] She was alive and unmarried on 19 May 1721.
ix. Ebenezer Gale was born on 4 June 1686. [2, 1: 158] He was baptized on 14 November 1686 in Watertown. [2, 4: 120]] He was alive and of Watertown on 29 July 1729. He married Elizabeth Green of Watertown on 27 December 1709 in Watertown. [2, 2: 44]
x. John Gale was born on 23 April 1687. [2: 1: 59] He died on 15 February 1734/5 in Watertown. [2, 2: 104] He married Lydia Unknown.
Lydia Gale, widow of John Gale, was granted administration on John's estate and posted bond on 10 March 1734/[5?]. [3]
xi. Marcy Gale was baptized on 21 April 1689 in Watertown. [2, 4: 127] She married Samuel Sanderson of Watertown on 13 April 1708 in Watertown. [2,2: 35] Edward was the son of Deacon Jonathan and Abiah (Bartlett) Sanderson and the grandson of Edward and Mary (Eggleston) Sanderson and Ensign Thomas and Hannah Bartlett. [8] He was born one 28 May 1681 in Cambridge, Middlesex County and died on 21 July 1744. [8] Samuel and Marcy are buried in the Grove Hill Cemetery in Waltham, Middlesex County. [8]
Sanderson says that Samuel married the Mary Gale born in 1683. [8] However, Abraham's will refers to a daughter Marcy Sanderson and an unmarried daughter Mary.
It is said that Samuel was killed by lightning, but it was his son that died that way. [8]
xii. Jonas Gale was born on 29 August 1694. [2, 2: 4] He died on 17 March 1717/8 in Watertown. [2, 2: 62]
Abraham Gale of Watertown was granted administration on Jonas's estate and posted bond on 25 March 1718. [3]
xiii. Joshua Gale was born on 22 February 1696/7. [2, 2: 9] He died on 15 September 1719 in Watertown. [2, 2: 69]
Joshua died intestate and without issue. On [blurred] 1720/1 his brothers Abraham and Ebenezer and Samuel Sanderson, in the right of their sister Marcy Gale, agreed to a division of his real estate. [3]
xiv. Elizabeth Gale (twin) was born on 9 July 1699. [2: 2: 15] She died on 13 July 1699 in Watertown. [2, 2: 15]
xv. Lydia Gale (twin) was born on 9 July 1699 in Watertown. She died on 22 August 1753 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut. She married Colonel Jabez Fitch.
xvi. Abigail Gale married Edward Jackson of Newton between 3 September 1718 and 19 May 1721.
On 19 May 1721 Edward Jackson appeared before a probate judge in Cambridge with his wife Abigail, the daughter of the late Abraham Gale of Watertown. Two other daughters, Mary and Lydia, also appeared. In return for 32 pounds they quitclaimed their rights in the estate of their late father and their late brother Joshua to their brother John. [3]
References:
1. George Gale, "Gale Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 18 (1864): 189–97.
2. Watertown Historical Society, Watertown Records (Watertown: Fred G. Barker, 1894, 1900): vol. 1, vol. 2.
3. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648–1871," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, Abraham Gale (case 8810); John Gale (case 8817); Jonas Gale (case 9012); Joshua Gale (case 8819).
4. Eldun Gundry, Thomas Pratt of Watertown, Mass. and One Line of His Descendants, 2nd ed. (Flint, Michigan: handwritten, 1962).
5. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870," online database, AmericanAncestors.org > Canterbury, image 82.
6. "Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630–1920, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3032) > Volume 15 Canterbury, image 30.
7. Jane Belcher, "William Reed of Weymouth and Boston, Massachusetts, and Some of His Descendants," Connecticut Nutmegger 40 (2007): 353–6.
8. Page Sanderson, "Edward Sanderson of Watertown, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 127 (1973): 181–92.
19-Feb-2023