John Sawyer

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JOHN WELLS (d. 1677), son of Thomas Wells and Abigail Warner

SARAH LITTLEFIELD (1649–1734), daughter of Francis Littlefield and Rebecca Unknown

John Wells died on 11 April 1677 in Wells, Maine. [1] He married Sarah, the daughter of Francis Littlefield of Wells, Maine by 1666. [1][2]

Sarah Littlefield was born on 16 November 1649. [2] She died in January 1734 in Wells. [2, 1735][3] She married second William Sawyer of Wells. [1][2][3] He died in June 1718.

John moved to Wells about 1657. [1]

Thomas Wells refers to Francis Littlefield as his son John's father-in-law in his will of 31 July 1666. [4]

William "Sayer" of Wells, "being weak in body," made his will on 4 June 1718. It was proved on 1 July 1718. He left his grandson William Sayer 100 pounds when he became 21; he left his daughter Hannah Chesley 50 pounds; he left Hannah's eldest sons, Joshua and Paul Chesley, each 50 pounds when they became 21; he left his daughter Ruth Sampson 50 pounds; He left his grandchildren Ebenezer, William, Timothy, Hannah, and Sarah Sampson each 20 pounds—the boys at age 21 and the girl at 18. He left his wife Sarah one-third of his real estate for life and and a third of his personal estate. He left the remainder to his son Francis and asked Sarah and Francis to be his executors. [5]

Sarah "Sayer" of Wells, the widow of William Sawyer, made her will on 27 April 1734. Probate was on 10 February 1734/5. She bequeathed her sons John and Thomas Wells each eight pounds and forgave the 13 pound bonds they had given her. They were to use their eight pounds to procure funeral coats after her decease. She left her daughter Patience Clark five pounds in addition to the five pounds already given her. She left her daughter Sarah Sayer of Newbury two pounds and four pounds each to her two sons Jonathan and and Samuel Sibley. She lefter her son Francis Sawyer 30 pounds and her grandson William, son of her deceased son Daniel Sayer, 30 pounds. She left her daughters Hannah Chesley and Ruth Sampson each 30 pounds. She left her granddaughter Mary Clarke, daughter of her grandson Nathaniel Clarke, a feather bed and homespun tick. [5]

She left her four daughters her clothes as follows:

I give to my Daughter Patience Clark a black Calaminco suit & my black blew searge Petty Coat. I give to my Daughter Sarah Sawyer my silk Crape suit & my red & Yellow under Petty Coat. I give unto my Daughter Hannah Chesley my silk suit. I five to my Daughter Ruth Sampson my striped Calaminco suit, & A striped Calaminco Gown & a black silk Petty coat. all the Rest of my Cloths I will shall be Equally Divided among these my four Daughters.

She left four pounds to the church in Well to distribute to the poor. The residual was to be divided between her grandsons Joseph and William Sayer and her daughters Hannah Chesley and Ruch Sampson. She appointed her son Francis Sayer and her grandsons Joseph and William Sayer her executors. [5]

Children of John Wells and Sarah Littlefield:

i. John Wells was born in 1670. [2] He died in 1748. [2] He married Mary ___. [1]

John was a mariner, innholder, and yeoman in Boston. [1] He moved to Wells as early as 1723. [1]

ii. Thomas Wells was born in 1672. [2] He died on 26 August 1737 in Wells. [1][2] He married first Sarah Brown on 14 May 1696. [1] She died in 1703 in Wells. [1] He married second Lydia Ropes, the widow of Abraham Gale, on 12 October 1704. [1]

Thomas's wife Sarah and all his children were killed by Indians. [1]

iii. Patience Wells was born say 1674. She married Nathaniel Clark by 1692. [1][2][6]

iv. Sarah Wells was born say 1676. She married first Samuel Sibley. She married second John Sawyer.

Children of Samuel Sawyer and Sarah Littlefield:

i. Joseph Sawyer was born on 14 August 1678 in Wells. [2][3] He was killed by Indians on 10 August 1703. [2]

ii. Francis Sawyer was born on 6 March 1681 in Wells. [2][3] He died on 31 August 1756 in Ipswich. [3] He married first Elizabeth Dennis of Ipswich in 1705. [3] He married second the widow Susanna Low of Ispwich. [3]

iii. Daniel Sawyer was born on 26 May 1683 in Wells. [2][3] He died before 27 April 1634. He married Sarah ___. [3]

iv. Hannah Sawyer was born on 9 April 1685 in Wells. [2][3] She married ___ Chesley. [2]

v. Ruth Sawyer was born 26 May 1687 in Wells. [2][3] She married ___ Sampson. [2]

Endnotes:

1. David Webster Hoyt, The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Part 1 (Providence: Snow and Farnham, 1897), 348–9.

2. Charles K. Wells, Genealogy of the Wells Family of Wells, Maine (Milwaukee: Burdick & Armitage, 1874).

3. W.S. Appleton, "Family of William Sawyer, of Newbury," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 28 (1874): 194–8.

4. "Essex County, MA: Early Probate Records, 1635–1681," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, case 29317 (Thomas Wells).

4. "Maine: Early Wills and Deeds, 1640-1760," database with images, AmericanAncestors > Wills, 130 (William Sawyer), 222 (Sarah Sayer).

6. "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). 1: 326 CLARK, Nathaniel & Patience [WELLS]; by 1692; Salisbury {Salisbury Fam. 349; Clark (,10) 3; Wells (,12) 12; GDMNH 147, 735; Treadwell (1906) 5; Reg. 60:50, 41:97}

15-Nov-2023 6:37 PM