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66. Richard Hildreth (c. 1605–1693)

Richard Hildreth was born about 1605. He died on 23 February 1692/3, age 88, in Chelmsford. [1] He married first Sarah Unknown. She died on 8 August 1644 in Cambridge. [2] He married second Elizabeth Unknown.

Richard's gravestone in Chelmsford says, "Richard Hildreth, age 88 years, died February 23, 1693." [3, 717]

67. Elizabeth Unknown (d. 1693)

Elizabeth, the widow of Richard, died on 3 August 1693 in Chelmsford. [1]

The origins of Richard Hildreth are unknown. He first appears in the New England records when he was admitted a freeman on 10 May 1643. [4]

On 7 (8) 1651. Richard complained to the Middlesex Court that Samuel Eldred's swine had destroyed his corn. [5, 1:2]

Richard was one of the petitioners for a grant of land for the town of Chelmsford on 19 May 1653. [3, 2–3] On 21 (1) 1662 Sergeant Richard Hildreth, Sergeant Thomas Adams and William Fletcher were commissioners for Chelmsford. [5, 1:142]

Richard received grants for eight lots of land in Chelmsford, amounting in total to 105 acres, 77 of upland and 28 of meadow. However he was unsatisfied and petitioned the general court on 24 (3) 1663, asking for mor land. He said that he was a husbandman with a wife and many small children, and greatly disadvantantaged because of "ye hand of God, depriving mee some few years since of the use of my right hand, whereby I am wholly disabled to labor." The court granted him 150 acres. [4]

Richard disliked the minister, Mr. Fiske, in Chelmsford. He was used to better preaching in Cambridge. In 1670 he obtained the signatures of those who wanted him removed. This caused a furor in the town and in April he was called before the county court in Cambridge to answer for this. [3, 412]

Richard Hildreth of Chelmsford, "being aged, sick and weakly in body tho sound in mind," made his will on 19 May 1693. He mentions his wife Elizabeth, his natural son Ephraim Hildreth and his son James. He says that, because of his infirmity, he spent his estate and has nothing to bequeath. Inventory on his estate was taken on 19 May 1693 and it amounted to about 17 pounds. [6]

Children of Richard Hildreth and Sarah Unknown: [1]

i. Jane Hildreth was born say 1627. She died after 1697. She married Robert Proctor.

ii. Lieutenant James Hildreth was born about 1631. He died on 14 April 1695 in Chelmsford. He married Margaret Ward on 1 June 1659 in Dorchester. Margaret, the widow of Lieutenant James, died the "last of" August 1693 in Chelmsford.

Testifying in the matter of Samuel Eldred's swine and his father's corn, James said that he was 20 years old on 30 (3) 1651. [5, 1;2]

James Hildreth was chosen constable in Chelmsford in 1661. [3, 22] He was chosen lieutenant on 29 June 1689. [3, 128] He was a selectman from 1692 to 1694. [3, 754–6]

Children of Richard Hildreth and Elizabeth Unknown: [1][7]

iii. Elizabeth Hildreth was born on 21 September 1646 in Cambridge. She married John Stephens on 15 December 1664 in Chelmsford. John, the son of Henry and Alice Stevens, was born on 10 September 1637 and was baptised on 18 June 1643 in Boston. [8]

iv. Sarah Hildreth was born on 8 August 1648 in Cambridge. She married David Stone on 31 December 1674 in Cambridge. David, the sone of David and Dorcas Stone, was born in Cambridge and baptised before 1658. [9] He is probably the David Stone who died on 21 August 1679, age 29, in Cambridge. [2]

v. Mary Hildreth was born say 1650. She married Jacob Warren on 21 June 1667 in Chelmsford. He might be the son of Arthur Warren, born 26–8 1642 in Boston. [10]

vi. Major Ephraim Hildreth was born say 1654. He died on 26 September 1740 in Dracut. [11][3, 141] He married Dorothy Barnes on 11 June 1685 in Stow. [12] Dorothy, the daughter of Thomas, Sr. and Abigail Barnes, was born on 6 February 1644 in Marlborough. [13] She died on 17 June 1686 in Stow. [12] Ephraim married second Anna Moore of Sudbury on 8 October 1686 in Stow. [12]

Ephraim was on a 1 September 1674 list of able-bodied men in Chelmsford. [3, 89] He was a selectman in Chelmsford from 1696 to 1698. [HR, 754–6]

Ephraim moved to Dracut, where he was a major in the militia, town clerk and owner of a sawmill. [3, 141]

vii. Abigail Hildreth was born say 1656. She married Moses Parker.

viii. Joseph Hildreth was born on 16 April 1658 in Chelmsford. He died on 28 January 1706. He married Abigail Wilson on 25: 12m: 1683 in Chelmsford. Abigail, the daughter of John Wilson, was born on 8 August 1666 in Woburn. [14] She married second, as his third wife, Jonathan Barrett about 1708. Jonathan, the son of John and Sarah Barrett, married first Sarah Learned. He married third Abigail Weston on 26 June 1696 in Woburn. She died on 19 October 1706. [15]

ix. Persis Hildreth was born on 8 February 1659/[60?] in Chelmsford. She died on 22 February 1698 in Canterbury, Connecticut. [16] She married Samuel Cleveland as his second wife on 23 May 1682 in Chelmsford. Samuel, the son of Moses Cleveland, was born on 9 June 1657 in Woburn. [14] Samuel married first Jane, the daughter of Solomon Keys, on 17 May 1682 in Chelmsbord. She died on 14 November 1681 in Chelmsford. Samuel married third Margaret Fish on 25 July 1699 in Canterbury. [16]

x. Thomas Hildreth was born on 1 February 1661/[62?] in Chelmsford. He died on 28 May 1662 in Chelmsford.

xi. Isaac Hildreth was born on 20 July 1661 (1663?) in Chelmsford. He died on 15 April 1730 in Chelmsford. He married Elizabeth Wilson of Woburn on 12 November (or 24 July) 1685 in Chelmsford. Elizabeth was born on 6 August 1668 in Woburn. [14] She was probably the sister of Isaac's brother Joseph's wife Abigail. Elizabeth, the widow of Isaac, died on 4 January 1742/3 in Chelmsford.

Endnotes:

1.Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Salem, Essex Institute, 1914). Hildreth, births of Joseph, Persis, Thomas and Isaac recorded as children of Richard and Elizabeth. Marriages of James, Elizabeth, Abigail, Joseph, Persis and Isaac and the second marriage of Joseph's widow, Abigail, pp. 248–51. Deaths of Richard, Elizabeth, James, James's wife Margaret, Thomas (as s. Richard and Elizabeth), Isaac (Sr.) and Isaac's wife Elizabeth, pp. 402–4. Persis's husband Samuel's first marriage (s. Moses of Woburn) to Jane (d. Solomon), p. 207. Jane's death (w. Samuel), p. 379.

2. Thomas W. Baldwin, comp., Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: Wright & Potter, 1914, 1915.)Vol. 1 (births): Sarah and Elizabeth's births (ds. Richard and Elizabeth), p. 352. Vol 2. (marriages and deaths): Marriage of Sarah and David, p. 196; death of Sarah (w. Richard), p. 600, death of David Stone, p. 751.

3. Wilson Waters, History of Chelmsford (Lowell, MA: Courier Citizen Co., 1917).

4. D.M. Hildreth, "Origin and Genealogy of the American Hildreths," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vo. 11 (1857): 7–8.

5: "Middlesex County, MA: Abstracts of Court Records, 1643–1674," database with images, American Ancestors.

6. "Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records," database with images, AmericanAncestors > Middlesex > probate records, vol. 7–10, 1689–1704, image 425.

7. Concord, Massachusetts, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1635–1850 (Boston: Beacon Press, n.d.). Jane's marriage, p. 6.

8. "Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S", online database. AmericanAncestors, p. 508.

9. Lexington, Mass: Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths to January 1, 1898 (Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1898), p. 78.

10. Joseph Alfred Harwood, comp., Records of Littleton, Massachusetts (Littleton: Patriot Press, 1900). Birth record for Mary's husband, p. 491.

11.Vital Records of Dracut, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston: NEHGS, 1907). Death of Ephraim (Maj., in 60th[!] yr., G.R.), p. 282.

12. Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston: NEHGS, 1911), Ephraim's marriage to Dorothy, p. 162, Dorothy's death (w. Ephraim), p. 270. Dorothy and Anna's (of Sudbury) marriage, p. 163.

13. Vital Records of Marlborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Worcester: Franklin P. Rice, 1908), p. 18.

14. Edward F. Johnson, Woburn Records of Births, Deaths and Marriages, from 1640 to 1873 (Woburn: Andrews, Cutler & Co., 1890), Samuel's (s. Moses) birth, p. 5. Births of Abigail and Elizabeth (ds. John), p. 276.

15. Joseph Hartwell Barrett, "Thomas Barrett of Braintree, William Barrett of Cambrige," New England Historic and Genealogical Register, vol. 42 (1888): 259.

16: "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870," database with images, AmericanAncestors > Canterbury. Death of Persis (w. Samuel), p.55. Marriage of Samuel and Margaret, p. 56.

Revised 10-Dec-2019

©2019 A. Buiter