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Robert Moulton (bp. 1644–by 1731), son of Robert Moulton and Abigail Goad
Mary Cook (1650–aft. 1732), daughter of Henry Cook and Judith Birdsall
Robert, the son of Robert Moulton, was baptized on 23: 4: 1644 in Salem. [1] He died before 26 February 1730/1, probably in Salem. He married Mary Cooke on 17 July 1672 in Salem. [1]
Mary, the daughter of Henry and Judith (Birdsall) Cook, was born on 15 September 1650 in Salem. [2] She died after 22 July 1732.
Robert was a husbandman of Salem.
The 24 September 1678 court at Ipswich heard an appeal of Gyles Corey's defamation suit against John Proctor and confirmed a decision in favor of Corey. John (later hanged in Salem as a witch) had accused Gyles (later pressed to death at Salem for refusing to enter a plea) of burning his house when the damage had been done when one of John's sons was careless with a lantern. Robert, age about 33, had testified in the case. He said that Gyles had threatened to harm his planting and torn down his fence; stolen his wood, hay, and carpentry tools; said he would damage his sawmill, after which it would not work. He say Gyles was "a very quarrellsome & contenitious bad neighbor." [3, 7: 91]
Robert apparently claimed that Gyles had stolen several bushels of apples from him. An 18 November 1678 writ ordered Robert to answer Gyles charges of defamation. The suit, however, was withdrawn. [3, 7: 132]
Robert was assessed a one-shilling tax on the 50 acres he owned in Salem in November 1682. [3, 9: 378]
In 1690 Robert was on a jury to determine the death of John Harad, Sr. [4]
Robert died intestate. His son Robert took oath to an inventor of his personal estate on 8 March 1730/1. Robert Moulton of Brimfield posted bond on 26 February 1730/1. The court ordered a division of Robert's real estate and a setting out of a third for his widow Mary Moulton on 14 July 1732. This was done on 22 July 1732. Mr. Ebenezer Moulton settled some of the accounts of Robert Moulton, late of Salem on behalf of Mr. Robert Moulton of Brimfield. [5]
Robert's grandfather Robert Moulton left him his farm in Salem after the death of his parents in his will of 20 February 1654/5.
Children of Robert Moulton and Mary Cook: The first four births recorded in Salem as the children of Robert and Mary (Cook) [1]
i. Mary Moulton was born on 2 June 1673. She married Thomas Mackintire. [4]
Thomas and Mary moved to Oxford. [4]
ii. Robert Moulton was born on 3: 7m: 1675 in Salem. He died on 25 August 1756 in Brimfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. He married Hannah Groves.
iii. Ebenezer Moulton was born on 28 April 1678.
iv. Abigail Moulton was born on 28 (12) 1681/[2?]. She married Zachariah, the son of John and Alice Marsh, on 2 September 1724. [4]
v. Samuel Moulton died in 1745. [4] He married Sarah Green on 15 January 1719/20. [4]
vi. Martha Moulton married Thomas Green of Brimfield. [4]
vii. Hannah Moulton was unmarried in 1745. [4]
References:
1. Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts: To the End of the Year 1849, vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5, vol. 6. (Salem: Essex Institute, 1916, 1918, 1924, 1925), vol. 2: 80, 89–90 (Moulton births); vol. 4: 103–5 (Moulton marriages).
2. Alicia Crane Williams, "Early New England Families, 1641–1700," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Robert Moulton, Jr.
3. George Francis Dow, ed., and Harriet S. Tapley, trans., Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, 9 vols., digitized books, Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project (http://salem.lib.virginia.edu).
4. Sydney Perley, The History of Salem, Massachusetts, vol. 1, 1626–1637, vol. 2, 1638–1670, vol. 3, 1671–1716, (Salem: Sydney Perley, 1924, 1926), 1: 117, 252; 3: 328.
5. "Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638–1881," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, case 19045.
03-May-2023