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| Notes for Rebecca RUST | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| !BIRTH: "Gen. Dict. of Me. & N.H."; by Libby, Noyes and Davis "The Littlefield Family"; by F.E. Littlefield "N.E. Marriages Prior to 1700"; by C.A. Torrey (NSA) (Year only) !DEATH: "N.E. Marriages Prior to 1700"; by C.A. Torrey (NSA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes for Francis (Spouse 1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Wells Family"; by D.W. Norris "The Littlefield Family"; by F.E. Littlefield "Wells, the Frontier Town of Me."; by E.G. Perkins, 1971 "N.E. Marriages Prior to 1700"; by C.A. Torrey (NSA) "Wells, the Frontier Town of Me."; by E.G. Perkins, 1971 "The Wells Family"; by D.W. Norris (NSA) "Gen. Dict. of Me. & N.H."; by Libby, Noyes and Davis "Wells, the Frontier Town of Me."; by E.G. Perkins971, 1 LITTLEFIELD Gen p2 Freeman 5 Jul 1653,Wells NEHGReg v3p193 Littlefield Fanily Newsletter, Vol 4-10: Know all men, that I, John smith, of charlstown, have solde and doe heare by confirme unto francise litlefeild one dwelling house, with all the land belonging there unto, now setewate in charlstown which land is bownded up on the north west up waping creeke, on the south east by charlstown river, and also all the timber and bords there to belonging, all which house and land and timber the forsaid John Smith, with Sarah, his wife, doe sell and have sold unto francis littellfeild, and doe heare by give up all our right and interest unto the aforsaid francis and his aires for ever, as a bill of salle under our hands, datted the 22 the 5 mo., 1653, testifieth. Samuell Adams, Clarke. Source: Charlestown (Mass.) Land Records. City Document No. 39. page 128. The grantee in the above document is Francis Littlefield, Sr. (Edmund), and although he was in Wells, Me. in the 1650's he seems to have been wheeling and dealing in several areas. This is also the source for the statement in NLD that Francis,Sr., bought a house in Charlestown in 1653. This deed does not mention a wife (who would have been Rebecca) so possibly her family lived in Charlestown. Our thanks to John A. Richardson for this deed record. Known as Francis Senior (Sr.) and his younger brother is Francis Jr. Littlefield Family Newsletter, 5-17,18: FRANCIS LITTLEFIELD THE ELDER Francis Littlefield the Elder (hereafter Francis Sr.) was bp. in Titchfield, Hampshire, England on 17 June 1619. His parents were Edmund and Annis/Anne/Agnes (Austin) Littlefield. It is very evident that Francis left Titchfield with his father before February of 1636 at which time Edmund had "absented himself." [1-1 It is likely that Edmund, Francis Sr. and Anthony Littlefield emigrated to America c. 1637. They are first seen in Boston, Massachusetts. Edmund left Boston and went to Exeter, New Hampshire. Francis followed his father to Wells from these places, but was was also in Woburn, Charlestown, and Ipswich, Massachusetts, and in Dover, New Hampshire, before settling in Wells. There is no basis for the local lore that Francis was some- how separated from his family. That much-romanticized story evolved from a historian's attempt to explain Edmund having two sons with the same name. Charles Thornton Libby [2.1 suggested that this situation came about as a result of the custom of letting the godfather select the infant's name. Using the LDS IGI files [see Austin] we learn that Annis Austin had a brother Francis Austin who died young. The most likely scenario is that Francis Jr. who was bp. in Titchfield 24 March 1635/6, (after his father "absented himself") was named in memory of his maternal uncle, whereas Francis Sr. had been named for the paternal side of the family. C. T. Libby's suggestion applies well to this theory. Francis Littlefield Sr.'s original grant (1643) was situated in Wells, crossing both sides of Route #1. [3.1 The First Church of Wells (the Congregational Church) was erected on this lot c. 1702. [4.1 This lot was adjacent to Edmund Littlefield's grant at the Webhannet Falls. By deed research it appears that Francis sold this lot, and then received another grant a short distance southwesterly of his original lot. The second site is adjacent to the junction of Route 9-B and Route #1. Dependence, son of Francis Sr. lived there, as proven by the division of his estate. Also on this lot [at Willow Tree Restaurant] is an ancient burial ground, now almost obliterated, upon which are buried (besides some descendants of Dependence): Josiah Littlefield and Joseph Hammond, who were not descendants, and who did not live adjacent to the lot, but were original founders of the First Church. Is it just a coincidence that the First Church and the original church burial ground are situated on Francis Sr.'s lands? Francis Littlefield Sr. married (1) Jane Hill who died in Woburn 20 December 1646; they had one child: Mary, born Woburn, in 1646. He married (2) Rebecca [surname unknown). There is no basis for Banks' statement that she was Rebecca Rust or Rusk. No such person existed. The date of birth of Rebecca is given in the First Book of Records for the town of Wells (the book is in - 5 - 1 7 - the possession of the Kennebunk Town Clerk) i.e. "born 31 January 1630." In the same record will be found the birth dates of the first seven children of Francis Sr. and Rebecca, i.e. Sara, Hanneth, Deliverance, James, Isaac, Abigell and Dorcas. Their dates of birth range between 1649 and 1664. After 1664 were born Phoebe, Daniel, Dependence and Rachel. Francis Sr. married (3) Mrs. Mary (Wade) Symonds. No children by the last wife. [1.) The Complaint of Stephen March, Vol. II of English Origins of New England Families From the NEHGR [2.) Noyes, Libby & Davis, The Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire [3.) The original grants in Wells were laid out beginning at the sea, and ran north westerly for 2 and 1/2 miles into the country, crossing the main road, now US Rte 1 [4.) The present Meeting House of the Historical Society of Wells and Ogunquit is situated on the first (1643) lot laid out to Francis Sr. This same lot is the site of the First Church of Wells erected c. 1702. This article was written by Dorothy A. Seaman for the files of the "Piscataqua Pioneers." This organization is compiling brief biographies on early pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire. He mved around a lot owned 50 acres of land Wells 1643, taxed in Woband, Ma 1646, Dover, Nh. 1648, backin Wells, bought a house in Charlestown, Ma 1653 Rep. From Yk Wells through the 1600s. Grand jury and Co. Treas. same period, Innholder, Ispwich,Ma.1670, Licenced at Wells 1700/2. Deede971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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