Elis Curtis

ELI CURTIS (1733–1818), son of Thomas Curtis and Ruth Wade

DESIRE TURNER (1735–1750), daughter of Captain James Turner and Mary Turner

Eli Curtis was born on 23 February 1733 in Scituate, Plymouth. [1] He died on 26 January 1818 and is buried in the Union Cemetery in Scituate. [2] He married first Desire Turner on 14 December 1758 in Scituate. [3] He married second Elizabeth Bailey on 22 January 1777 in Scituate. [3] Elizabeth, the daughter of Deacon Joseph Bailey, Jr. and Elizabeth White, born on 11 January 1733 in Scituate. [4] Elizabeth, the wife of Eli, died on 6 October 1781, age 49, in Scituate. [5] Eli married third Bathsheba Nichols on 14 November 1782 in Scituate. [3] Bathsheba is the daughter of Thomas Nichols, baptized on 31 October 17136 in Scituate. [6] Bathsheba, the wife of Eli, died in August 1812, age 75. [5]

Desire Turner was born on 4 April 1735 in Scituate. [7] She died on 17 August 1775 in Scituate. [5] She is buried in the Union Cemetery. [8]

Eli Curtis of Scituate, being of sound mind but "advanced in life and infirm of body, made his will on 6 March 1799. He left his wife Bathsheba the use and improvement of their house and the barn on his farm (for her natural life); the use and improvement of his pew in the North meeting house, the use and improvement of half the land he left his son Eli, four young cattle,five sheep, the use of a horse, half of his furniture and 100 dollars. He left his son Eli several tracts of land, his farm tools and farm animals. The rest of his estate was to be divided between his four children: Abner Curtis; Desire Curtis, the wife of Abel Curtis; Seth Curtis and Asa Curtis. He named Abner his administrator. His estate was probated on 2 March 1818. Inventory on his estate, presented 4 March 1818, amounted to 12,835.51 dollars. [9]

Captain James Turner left bequests to the heirs of his daughter Desire Turner in his will of 2 September 1775. On 17 June 1777 and 27 July 1778 her heirs were listed as Eli Curtis, Jr., Abner Curtis, Luther Curtis, Desire Curtis, Seth Curtis and Asa Curtis. [10]

Children of Eli Curtis and Desire Turner:

i. Eli Curtis was born on 9 March 1760 in Scituate. [1] He died on 21 March 1830 and is buried in the Union Cemetery. [2][11] He married Deborah Merritt on 31 August 1786 in Scituate. [3] Deborah, the daughter of Obadiah and Deborah (Litchfield) Merritt, was born on 30 August 1763 in Scituate. [12] Deborah, the widow of Eli, died of old age on 12 February 1848, age 84 years and six months, in Scituate. [5]

ii. Abner Curtis was born on 31 May 1762 in Scituate. He died on 30 June 1839. He married Tamsin Atwood.

iii. Luther Curtis was born on 10 January 1766 in Scituate. [1] He probably died before 6 March 1799, when he was not mentioned in his father's will.

iv. Desire Curtis was born on 28 July 1767 in Scituate. [1] She died on 28 or 29 December 1838 in Scituate. [5] She is buried in the Union Cemetery [13] She married Abel Curtis on 26 April 1787 in Scituate.

v. Seth Curtis

vi. Asa Curtis was born on 13 March 1773 in Scituate. [1]

References

1. Vital Records of Scituate, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), vol. 1: 104–15.

2. Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for Eli Curtis (23 Feb 1732–26 Jan 1818), Find a Grave Memorial ID 142713309, citing Union Cemetery, Scituate, Plymouth County, MA; Maintained by John Glassford (contributor 47271570) . All Find A Grave entries accessed 28 November 2022. Death date in inscription.

3. Vital Records of Scituate, vol. 2: 82–88.

4. Vital Records of Scituate, vol. 1: 19; vol. 2: 14.

5. Vital Records of Scituate, vol. 2: 373–377.

6. Vital Records of Scituate, vol. 1. 272.

7. Vital Records of Scituate, vol. 1. 372.

8. Find a Grave, memorial page for Desire Turner Curtis (4 Apr 1735–17 Aug 1775),ID 147496172, citing Union Cemetery; Maintained by James Bianco (contributor 47745493) . "Here Lyes The Body of Mrs. Desire Curtis ye wife of Mr. Eli Curtis who died ... ."

9. "Massachusetts, U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1635–1991," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9069) > Plymouth probate files, cases no. 53l77–5427, box 107103, image 86.

10. "Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700–1880," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Brewster, William (MFIP Jonathan), p. 104. From Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620. (Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1975–2015)

11. Find a Grave, memorial page for Eli Curtis (9 Mar 1760–21 Mar 1830), ID 142713370, citing Union Cemetery; Maintained by John Glassford. Death date in inscription.

12. Vital Records of Scituate, vol. 1: 250; vol. 2: 204.

13. Find a Grave, memorial page for Desire Curtis (28 Jul 1767–28 Dec 1838), ID 142713114, citing Union Cemetery; Maintained by John Glassford. Death date in inscription.

last revised 26-Dec-2022