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10. Captain Jabez Keep (1706–1774), son of Samuel Keep and Sarah Colton
Captain Jabez Keep was born on 10 March 1706 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. [1] He died on 19 August 1774, age 68, at Harvard, Worcester County, Massachusetts [2][3] He is buried in the Harvard Center Cemtery. [4] He married first Sarah Leonard of Springfield on 16 April 1730 in Littleton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [5] Sarah, the daughter of Joseph Leonard, was born on 10 August 1707. [6] She died on 9 March 1738/9, age 31, in Westford. [2] He married second Experience Lawrence on 3 April 1740 in Littleton. [2][5]
11. Experience Lawrence (1719–aft. 1774), daughter of Major Eleazer Lawrence and Mary Scripture
Experience Lawrence was born on 22 June 1719 in Littleton, Massachusetts. [8] She died after 19 August 1774, when her husband mentioned her in his will.
On 29 November 1729 Jabez bought the forge and tools of Samuel Kent of Westford. [6]
John appears on the first Westford tax list in 1730. He was a selectman in 1742, 1744 to 1747 and 1750 to 1757. He was a representative to the general court in 1756. [6]
Jabez or his son Jabez was admitted to communion on 20 September 1761 in the church at Westford. [1]
In 1768 John sold his forge and other property in Westford and moved to Harvard, where he had a forge. [6]
Jabez Keep of Harvard, "being weak in body but of sound mind" made his will on 7 July 1773. He mentioned his wife Experience, his sons Samuel, Jabez, Leonard, Jonathan, his eldest daughter Sarah Leonard, his second daughter Lucy Rogers, his third daughter Eunice Fletcher, his fourth daughter Mary Proctor, his fifth daughter Ruth Green, his sixth daughter Bette Hapgood, his seventh daughter Experience Hildreth, his eighth daughter Jemima and his ninth daughter Rebecca. He named his son Jabez his executor. His witnesses testified on 12 September 1774. [7]
Children of Jabez and Sarah:
i. Sarah Keep was born on 10 April 1731 in Westford. [2] She was baptised on 6 June 1731 in Westford. [9] She died on 18 January 1761 and is buried in the Old North Burying Ground in Agawam, Hampden County, Vermont. [4] She married as his first wife Captain Preserved Leonard of Springfield on 22 May 1751 in Westford. [2] Preserved was born on 13 March 1728 and he died on 18 May 1801. [6] He married second Mary Mosely. [4] He married third Mary Unknown. [4]
ii. Samuel Keep was born in November 1732 in Westford. [2] He was baptized on 3 December 1732 in Westford. [9] He died on 3 December 1802, age 71, in Brandon, Vermont. [6][4] He married the widow of John Chipman of Salisbury, Connecticut. [6] Perhaps she is Sarah, the wife of Samuel Keep, who died on 28 November 1804, age 84. [4] Samuel and Sarah are buried in the Seeley Cemetery in Middlebury, Addison Counry, Vermont. [4]
iii. Lucy Keep was born on 7 November 1734 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 12 January 1735 in Westford. [9] She died on 3 June 1803, age 68, and is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Tolland Center, Hampden County, Vermont. [4] She married Jabez Rogers. [4]
iv. Captain Jabez Keep was born on 13 December 1736 in Westford. [2] He was baptized on 6 February 1737 in Westford. [9] He died on 21 January 1821. [6] He married Phebe Crosby on 7 July 1757 in Westford. [2] Phebe was born on 11 December 1738 and died on 22 July 1826. [6] She left Jabez to join the Shaker community in Shirley, Massachusetts. [6] Jabez married second Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers. [6] She died on 26 January, 1818, age 78. [6] Jabez and Elizabeth are buried in the Hewins Cemetery in Sheffield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. [4]
Jabez was a soldier in the French and Indian War; he fought at Lake George, was in service at Crown Point and was in the 1760 expedition against Canada. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. [6]
Jabez enlisted in April 1777 at Harvard as a private in Captain Benjamin Brown's company, Colonel Michael Jackson's regiment and served until December 1780. He was at the Battle of Monmouth. He was allowed a Revolutionary War pension by a 27 April 1818 application. In 1820 he said that he was a resident of Sheffield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts and was 84 years old. He said that he was a bloomer, but that he could no longer work. He said that his wife had been sick for twelve years and had died. [RWP]
Jabez took over his father's forge. [6]
Children of Jabez and Experience:
v. Eunice Keep was born on 18 May 1741 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 24 May 1741 in Westford. [9] She married Zechariah Fletcher by an intention of 22 August 1761 in Westford. [2]
vii. Major Leonard Keep was born on 7 October 1742. [6] He was baptized on 10 October 1742 in Westford. [9] He died on 29 January 1829, age 89, and is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Franklin, Franklin County, Vermont. [4] He married Ruth Stone on 7 October 1765 in Westford. [2] Ruth was the daughter of Ebenezer Stone of Westford. [6] She may be the Ruth Keep who died on 19 April 1794, age 23, in Harvard. [3]
On 18 May 1766, Leonard Keep and Ruth, his wife, by confession of fornication—the church heard such confessions regularly—were restored to the favor of the church in Westford. They owned the covenant that day. [1]
vii. Mary Keep was born on 23 March 1743/4 in Westford. She died on 3 September 1827. She married Leonard Proctor.
viii. Lieutenant Jonathan Keep was born on 7 August 1745 in Westford. [6] He was baptized on 11 August 1745 in Westford. [9] He married first Hannah Hildreth on 26 July 1769 in Westford. [2] She died on 5 February 1815, age 64, in Westford. [6] He married second Ruth Scott on 19 January 1816 in Pepperell. [6]
Lieutenant Jonathan Keep was a blacksmith, lawyer and tavern keeper. He was a selectman in Westford. He moved to Groton, then to Townsend and then to Pepperell. [6]
Jonathan and Hannah, his wife, owned the covenant at the church in Westford on 15 April 1770. [1]
ix. Ruth Keep was born on 25 March 1746/7 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 29 March 1747 in Westford. [9] She married Benjamin Green of Groton by an intention of 2 June 1765 in Westford. [2] She married second Unknown Wood. [6]
x. Experience Keep was born on 13 September 1748 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 18 September 1848 in Westford. [9] She died on 12 September 1750 in Westford. [2] She is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Westford. [4]
xi. Elizabeth Keep was born on 20 April 1750 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 22 April 1750 in Westford. [9] She died on 13 October 17896. [6] She married Shadrach Hapgood, Jr. on 23 July 1770 in Harvard. [3]
xii. Experience Keep was born on 23 January 1752 in Westford. [2] She was baptizedd on 26 January 1752 in Westford. [9] She died on 27 May 1817, age 65, and is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Westford. [4] She married first Hosea Hildreth on 22 June 1769 in Westford. [2] Hosea was born in December 1744 and died on 20 December 1776. [6] Experience married second Dr. Ebenezer Parker on 18 November 1777. [6]
Experience Keep was the mother of Pede Hildreth who married Leonard Proctor. [6]
The inscription on Experience's gravestone says, "Mrs. Experience Parket, wife of Ebenezer Parker, who died May 27, 1817, age 65 years. She was a kind and affectionate mother of sixteen children, a wise counsellor and a friend to humanity." [4]
xiii. John Keep was born on 29 September 1953 in Westford. [2] He was baptized on 30 September 1753 in Westford. [9] He died on 20 October 1838 in South Lee. [6] He is buried in the South Lee Cemetery in Lee, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. [4] He married first Elizabeth Smith of Salisbury. [6] She died on 20 February 1796. [6] He married second Abigail Lewis Lester of Canterbury, Connecticut on 20 October 1796. [6][RWP] She died on 29 July 1854, age 99. [6]
John was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. {RWP] He went to Salisbury and then to South Lee. [6]
xiv. Jemima Keep was born on 10 August 1755 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 17 August 1755 in Westford. [9] She died on 10 October 1796, age 41, and is buried in the North Cemetery in Boxboro, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. [4] She married Abel Whitcomb on 18 April 1774 in Harvard. [3]
xv. Rebecca Keep was born on 16 April 1758 in Westford. [2] She was baptized on 23 April 1758 in Westford. [9] She died on 3 June 1838, age 80, and is buried in the Harvard Center Cemetery. [4] She married Captain Prince Turner on 5 December 1775 in Harvard. [3] He died in 1800 in Harvard. [6] She married an unknown second husband. [6] She married third her sister Jemima's husband Abel Whitcomb. [6]
Endnotes:
1. "Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988," database with images, Ancestry > Springfield > births, marariages, and deaths, image 498. Jabez Keep the son of Samuel Keep & Sarah Keep was born March 10th, 1706; > Westford > Church records with births, marriages and deaths, Jabez's admission (as Capt.) to church, p. 65; Leonard's confession, p. 194, Leonard and Ruth owned the covenant, p. 205, Jonathan and Hannah owned the covenant, p. 205.
2. Vital Records of Westford: Keep, Births, the first children recorded as children of Jabez and Sarah; the others recorded as the children of Jabez and Experience. Jabez is refered to as Lieutenant Jabez in Elizabeth's birth record and Captain Jabez in Rebecca's. (63) Marriages: Eunice, and Zechariah Fletcher, int. Aug. 22, 1761; Experience and Hosea Hildreth, June 22, 1769; Jabez, and Experience Lawrence of Littleton, at Littleton [Apr. in pencil] 3, 1740; Jabez, jr., and Phebe Crosby, July 7, 1757; Jonathan, and Hannah Hildreth, July 26, 1769; Leonard, and Ruth Stone, Oct. 7, 1765; Ruth, and Benjamin Green of Groton, int. June 2, 1765; Sarah, and Preserved Leonard of Springfield, May 22, 1751. (192) Deaths, Experience, d. Lt. Jabez and Experience, Sept. 12, 1750, a. 2 y. G.R. 1; Jabez, Capt. at Harvard, Aug. 19, 1774; Sarah, w. Jabeze, Mar. 9, 1738-9 [ in her 32d y. C.R.1]. (292)
3. Thomas W. Baldwin, comp., Vital Records of Harvard, Massachusetts, To the Year 1850 (Boston, Wright & Potter, 1917): Keep: Deaths: Jabez, Capt., Aug. 19, 1774, a. 68 y. 4 m. 28 d. G.R. 1; Marriages: Elisabeth and Shadrach Hapgood, Jr., July 23, 1770; Jemima and Abel Whitcombe, Apr. 18, 1774; Rebecca, and Prince Turner, Dec. 5, 1775.
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| Capt. Jabez, 5213441 | Sarah, 59321212 | Samuel, 127314543 | Lucy, 82331073 |
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| Capt. Jabez, 110800595 | Maj. Leonard, 31508662 | John, 113385634 | Experience, 36127371 |
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| Experience, 36622481 | Jemima, 72990683 | Rebecca, 148985500 |
5. "Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988,"Ancestry > Littleton > births, marariages, and deaths. Jabez Keep and Sarah Leonard of Springfield ... Apr. 16, 1730 (images 5059) Jabez Keep of Westford and Experience Lawrence of Littleton, Apr. 3, 1740 (image 675).
6. Frank Best, John Keep of Longmeadow, Massachusetts and His Descendants (Chicago: Frank E. Best, 1899), 24–26, 36–46.
7. "Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635–1991," database with images, Ancestry > Worcestor > Probate records, vol. 13–14, 1774–1778.
8. Records of Littleton, Massaachusetts (Littleton: printed for the town by Patriot Press, 1900), 451, daugher Eleazer and Mary.
9. "Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988,"Ancestry > Westford > church records, baptisms as children of Jabez, images 9–30.
"Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Application Files," Fold3 > MA > K > Keep > Jabez Keep, pp. 4,6; John Keep, pp. 6, 10.
Revised 26-Dec-2019
©2019 A. Buiter