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Abigail Bell (Tilton)

Also Known As: "Fillmore"
Birthdate:
Birthplace: Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
Death: November 15, 1727 (48)
Norwich, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America
Immediate Family:

Daughter of Abraham Tilton and Deliverance Tilton
Wife of John Filmore; John Fillmore and Robert Bell
Partner of Timothy Cunningham
Mother of John Filmore; Capt. John Fillmore; Ebenezer Fillmore; Abigail Fillmore; Ruth Day and 3 others
Sister of Ebenezer Tilton; Mary Brown; Benjamin Tilton, died young; Joseph Tilton; Daniel Tilton and 2 others
Half sister of Lieutenant Abraham Tilton, II; Isaac Tilton and Jacob Tilton

Managed by: Rod Michael Johnson
Last Updated:

About Abigail Bell

2nd Great Grandmother to Millard Fillmore 13th President of the USA

Abigail married twice – John Fillmore and Robert Bell. She had 7 children, one being illegitimate.

Information below taken from Roots Web for John Fillmore https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=pusch&id...

“December 25, 1711, Abigail Fillmore of Beverly, widow, personally appearing in court, confess herself guilty of ye crime of fornication and charged Timothy Cunningham of Boston, coaster , of being ye father of ye child unlawfully begotten of her body, and made oath of same. It s considered that she pay a fine of ____(no sum mentioned) and costs and stand committed till performed.” (Beverly Historical Records)

Quoting from Charles L. Fillmore:

“This child, a daughter, was named Ruth Fillmore. It is quite possible that Timothy Cunningham, coaster, was an acquaintance, perhaps a former companion or friend, of John, the Mariner . He may have come to extend his sympathy and offer his help to Abigail. Perhaps he came to o often and stayed too late. There is nothing to indicate that Abigail was a promiscuous woman. Despite the unfortunate incident it is apparent that her eldest son, John, held her in high esteem, as did also, her mother, Deliverance (Shaw) Tilton.”

“By her will, made 9 November 1730 and proved 2 July 1733, Deliverance Tilton left to her three sons, 5 s. apiece. To the three sons of son-in-law Robert Bell, deceased, 5 s. apiece. T o her daughter, Sarah, 10 pounds. To John and Ebenezer Philmore and Ruth Kennison, children of my daughter, Abigail, deceased, 10 pounds each.” (Taken from Essex Probate, 319, 393)

Quoting from Charles L. Fillmore:

“Apparently Abigail did not stand condemned indefinitely in the eyes of all. On 7 November 1717, she married Dr. Robert Bell, a physician and widower, who had come from Scotland to Ipswich. The Bells removed to Norwich, Conn., about 1720. Dr. Bell is listed among the physicians of Norwich, and is referred to as, “the father-in-law of Captain John Fillmore.” (A different use of the term from that in present day practice.)” (Information from History of Norwich , Connecticut, by Francis Manwaring Caulkins, pp 224, 634)

Dr. Robert and Abigail Bell had three children, Samuel, born Ipswich, 1719, Benjamin and Deliverance born in Norwich.

Dr. Robert Bell, died on August 23, 1727 and his wife, Abigail died on November 13, 1727.

Quoting from Charles L. Fillmore:

“Abigail (Tilton) Fillmore-Bell, twice married, twice widowed, the mother of three children by each husband, and mother of a child of ‘sorrow’ rather than of ‘love’ entered eternal rest at the age of 48 years 6 months.”

Administration Estate of John, the Mariner, Fillmore:

“March 17, 1722/23, Samuel Balch and Jona. Raymens of Beverly and Levi John Porter of Wenham appraise house and land formerly John Fillmore’s at 45 pounds, and judged it could not be divided.”

“March 19, 1722/23, Abigail Bell, alias Fillmore, relinquishes administration to her son John , carpenter, on his father John’s estate, his sureties were Abram Tilton, carpenter and Wm Young all of Ipswich. John brings in the estate free and clear of all charges. He is entitled to two shares, Eben one, Abigail one and the widow’s thirds. John redeems and buys the whole.”

birth: 1 April 1679 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States

parents: Abraham Tilton (1638-1728) and Deliverance Littlefield Shaw (1655-1732)

marriages:

  1. 1 John Fillmore (1676-1711) married 19 June 1701 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States

40369_272003__0003-00087 (2) see source info below

  1. 2 Robert Bell (-1727) married 7 November 1717 in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States by John Chipman

record-image_33S7-9RSJ-9MK (2)

children:

with John Fillmore John Fillmore ( 1702-1777) married #1 Mary Spiller (1707-1733); #2 Dorcas Day (1715-1759) Ebenezer Fillmore (1706-) married Thankful Carrier Abigail Fillmore (1708-1717) Ruth Fillmore ( 1711-1736) married Nathaniel Day

with Robert Bell Samuel Bell (7 April 1719- ) married Mary Martha Warren Benjamin Bell (1721-1779) married Sarah Hazen Deliverance Bell (1724 – 14 Dec 1773) married Anna Kinney

death: 13 November 1727 (needs confirmation) in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, United States

burial: unknown at this time (4/2018)

Sources for Abigail Tilton 1 Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (Online Datebase), New England Historic Genealogical Society (2001-2008), Ipswich Births, Page 366, [Birth]. 2 Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (Online Datebase), New England Historic Genealogical Society (2001-2008), Marriage record for John Fillmore and Abigail Tilton. 3 Vital Records of Norwich Connecticut, 1659-1848 (Online database), New England Historic Genealogical Society (2007), 34, [Death]. 4 Cutter, William Richard, Genealogical and Family History of Western New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People . . ., Vol. 1, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co. (1912), 807. 5 Davis, Walter Goodwin, The Ancestry of Phoebe Tilton, 1775-1847, Portland, Maine: Anthoensen Press (1947), 26, Hathi Trust Digital Library, [Death]. 6 Davis, Walter Goodwin, The Ancestry of Phoebe Tilton, 1775-1847, Portland, Maine: Anthoensen Press (1947), Hathi Trust Digital Library. 7 Gilbert, Hilah Scott, Ancestors of Heather J. Gilbert, Susan Scott Gilbert and Allyn Ellsworth Gilbert, Jr., Chrisman, Illinois: Privately Printed (1963), 7. 8 Napoli, Marjorie Little, The Smith Genealogy, Rutland, Vermont: Academy Books (1974), 158.

sources:

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).

“Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHZQ-ZWH : 25 September 2017), Robert Bell and Abigail Filmore, 07 Nov 1717; citing Marriage, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 760,604.

Title: Hyde Genealogy, or, The Descendants, in the Female as Well as in the Male Lines, From William Hyde. Source Information: Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

RootsWeb’s WorldConnect for John Fillmore https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=pusch&id...

view all 13

Abigail Bell's Timeline

1679
April 1, 1679
Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
1701
March 18, 1701
March 18, 1701
Ipswich, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts
1706
July 21, 1706
Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
1708
August 1, 1708
lpswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
1711
December 25, 1711
Ipswich, Essex County, Province of MA
1719
April 27, 1719
Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
1721
1721
Norwich, New London County, CT, United States