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JOHN CROWELL (c. 1662–1728), son of John Crowe and Mehitable Miller
BETHIAH SEARS (1661–1724), daughter of Paul Sears and Deborah Willard
John Crowell (or Crow) was born about 1662. John Crowell of Nobuscuset died on 15 October 1728 in Yarmouth. [1, 155] He is buried in the Dennis Village Cemetery in Dennis, Barnstable County. [2] John Crowell, Jr. of Nobscussett married Bethiah Sears on 27 May 1684 in Yarmouth. [3][4][5]
Above: marriage record [5]
The inscription on John’s gravestone says, “Here lyes the body of Mr John Crowell he decd October 15, 1728 in ye 67 year of his age.”
Bethiah Sears was born on 3 January 1661 in Yarmouth. [1, 1a no first name, “11 years old the 3rd of January 1672”][3] She was the daughter of Captain Paul and Deborah (Willard) Sears. [3] Bethiah, the wife of John, died on 5 July 1724 in Yarmouth. [1, 155] She is buried in the Old Chatham Burial Ground in Chatham, Barnstable County. [2]
The inscription on Bethiah's gravestone says," Her lyes the body of Mrs. Bethiah Crowell. Wife to Mr. John Crowell who decd July th 1724 in 63 year of her age."
By a deed of 10 September 1716, John Crowell, Jr. bought all of William Covell’s land in Chatham. [6]
Note: The John Crow of Yarmouth who made his will in 1715 was this John’s first cousin, the son of this John’s uncle Thomas.
Children of John and Bethiah Crowell: Births recorded in Yarmouth [1, 16–17]
i. Joseph Crowell was born on 20 March 1685. He died on 2 April 1758, age 72. [2] He married first Bathsheba Hall on 27 October 1709 in Yarmouth. [1, 138] She died on 8 April 1750, age 63. [2] Joseph and Bathsheba are buried in the Old Burying Ground in Falmouth, Barnstable County. [2]
ii. Colonel Paul Crowell was born on 20 April 1687. He died on 11 October 1765. [2] He married first Elizabeth Hallett on 21 October 1714 in Yarmouth. [1, 138] Elizabeth was the daughter of Jonathan Hallett. [6] She died on 17 November 1723. [2] He married second Margery, the daughter of Deacon Joseph and Hannah (Miller) Hall of Yarmouth on 15 February 1724/5. [2][3, 25 February] She died on 26 May 1773. Paul, Elizabeth and Margery are buried in the Old Burial Ground in Chatham. [2]
The inscription on Elizabeth’s grave says, “Here Lyes ye Body of Ms Elizabeth Crowel Wife to Mr Paul Crowel Dec'd Nov'br ye 17th 1723 in ye 35 Year of Her Age.” [2]
Paul settled in Chatham in 1717 at Chathamport on a farm that his father bought for him from William Covell. [6] The was town treasurer there for seven years, a selectman for six years and a deacon. [6] He was a lieutenant in 1739 and a captain in 1744 in the local militia. He was a major in 1749 and later colonel of the county militia. [6] He left a large estate. [6]
iii. Bethiah Crowell was born on 13 April 1689. She married Joseph Atwood on 12 October 1710 in Yarmouth. [1, 138]
iv. Mehitable Crowell was born on 3 September 1691. She died on 21 March 1766 and is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Chatham. [2] She married John Rider on 20 May 1713 in Yarmouth. [1, 139] He died on 10 January 1766 and is buried in the Nickerson Cemetery in Chatham. [2] John and Mehitable both died of small pox. [2]
The inscription on John’s grave says, “Here Lies buried Mr John Rider Who Dec'd Jan'ry ye 10th 1766 in ye 76th year of his Age with the Small pox.” [2]
v. John Crowell was born on in July 1693. He married Keziah Eldridge on 23 October 1718 in Yarmouth. [1, 140]
John moved to Falmouth. [3]
vi. Deborah Crowell was born in July 1695. She died on 11 January 1705/6 in Yarmouth. [1, 131]
vii. Christopher Crowell was born on 24 April 1698. He died on 12 (town record) or 23 (gravestone) January 1781, age 82, in Yarmouth. [1, 282][2] He married Sarah Matthews on 23 October 1724 in Yarmouth. [1, 143, first name illegible] Sarah died on 23 July 1774. [2] Christopher and Sarah are buried in the Dennis Village Cemetery. [2]
viii. Elizabeth Crowell was born on 30 October 1700. She died on 23 January 1778. [2] She married Benjamin Homer on 22 December 1721 in Yarmouth. [1, 143] Benjamin, the son of Captain John and Margery (Stephens) Homer, was born on 8 May 1698 in Boston. [3][7] He died on 23 or 24 October 1776 in Yarmouth. [2][7] Benjamin and Elizabeth are buried in the Ancient Cemetery in Yarmouth Port, Barnstable County. [2]
Benjamin moved to Yarmouth and was a magistrate and deputy to the general court. [7]
ix. Mercy Crowell (possibly), daughter of the unnamed wife of John Crow of Yarmouth, was baptized on 22 April 1705 in Barnstable. [8] She married Thomas Bray on 4 September 1723. [3]
x. Mary Crowell was born on 25 December 1704. Mary, the daughter of Bethiah, the wife of John Crow of Yarmouth, was baptized on 14 September 1705 in Barnstable. [8]
References:
1. Robert M. Sherman and Ruth Wilder Sherman, Vital Records of Yarmouth, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1993).
2. Webpages on the FindaGrave website:
“John Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6424930/john-crowell); “Mrs Bethiah Sears Crowel” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36175958/bethiah-crowel); “Joseph Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5855319/joseph-crowel); “Bathsheba Hall Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22380368/bathsheba-crowell); “Col Paul Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40875989/paul-crowell); “Elizabeth Hallett Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57388719/elizabeth-crowell); “Margery Hall Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108280424/margery-crowell); “John Rider” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57378990/john-rider); Mehitable Crowell Rider” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52123186/mehetable-rider); “Christopher Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140248437/christopher-crowell); “Sarah Matthews Crowell” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140248468/sarah-crowell); “Benjamin Homer” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50305227/benjamin-homer); “Elizabeth Crowell Homer” (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50305313/elizabeth-homer).
3. Samuel Pearce May, The Descendants of Richard Sares (Sears) of Yarmouth, Mass., 1638-1888 (Albany: J. Munsell, 1890), 41–42.
4. "New England Marriages to 1700," digitized books, AmericanAncestors, originally published as Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015).
5. “Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988,” database with images, Ancestry > Yarmouth > Town Records, image 114. [photo]
6. William C. Smith, A History of Chatham, Massachusetts, Part III (Hyannis: F.B. & F.P. Goss, 1917), 216, 243. [William Covell (son of Nathaniel) sold all his land at Chatham to John Crowell, Jr. of Yarmouth and moved to Harwich.]
7. “Worcester County, Massachusetts Memoirs, Volume I–II,” online database, Ancestry > Massachusetts > City Information, image 335. Original data: Ellery Bicknell Crane, ed., Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County Massachusetts with a History of Worcester Society of Antiquity. Vol. I–II (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1907), p. 335.
8. “Barnstable, MA: Church Records, 1639–1892,” database with images, AmericanAncestors, p. 110.
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31-Dec-2023