Philip Amidown, Sr.

Philip Amidown, sometimes spelled Amidon or Ammidown, was a cooper, farmer, selectman, and constable from Rehoboth and Oxford, Massachusetts.

He was born on January 26, 1670 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts to Roger and Joanna Amadowne and died on March 15, 1747 in Oxford, Massachusetts.

Residences & Work

He resided at Rehoboth until after the death of his first wife, when he removed to Mendon, Massachusetts. In 1704, he had a share in the sixth division of lands there and also had a minister's rate of one shilling.

In 1717, he removed to Oxford, Massachusetts. Philip bought his main homestead on April 24, 1727 from Joseph Chamberlain and willed it to his son Ephraim on his death. After passing down only a few generations, his homestead in South Oxford ultimately fell into the ownership of the Franklin H. Clark family. Another plot of land owned by Philip became property of Lucinda Morse in later generations.

Work & Service

Amidown's primary occupations were as farmer and cooper. He left a collection of tools to his sons in his will.

In 1720, he and his wife became members of the church at its organization in Oxford. In 1730, he served as Selectman; in 1735, he was Constable.

Family Life

Amidown's first marriage was on May 27, 1698 in Rehoboth. He married Mehitable Perry, the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Millard) Perry. She was born at Rehoboth on April 30, 1680 and died there on July 4, 1699.

With Mehitable, Philip had only one child, his son Henry, born February 8, 1699.

He married next married Ithamar Warfield on September 16, 1700. She was born on March 28, 1676 and was the daughter of Deacon John Warfield of Mendon and his third wife, Hannah Randall.

With Ithamar, Philip had:

• Roger, b. February 6, 1702
• Ichabod, b. May 1704
• Mary, b. March 30, 1706; married Benjamin Chamberlain of Oxford on July 18, 1728
• Philip Jr., b. 1708
• Ephraim, b. 1710
• Ithamer, b. April 25, 1712
• John, b. May 19, 1713
• Hannah, b. February 2, 1717; married Samuel Wheelock

Death & Will

Philip died on March 15, 1747 in Oxford, Massachusetts. The full text of Philip's will has been transcribed as is available on Geni.

Although many websites claim that Philip was buried at Worcester Rural Cemetery, that cemetery did not open until 1838 and does not have a record of him being buried there. It is likely that he was buried at either the Common Cemetery or the cemetery at Thomas and Summer streets, but a grave has so far not been located.

Sources

Primary

• Will of Philip Amidown.
• Burial Records, Worcester Rural Cemetery.
• Vital Records, Town of Oxford. Including: Land transfer records, birth and marriage records for children, death record.

Secondary

• Best, Frank Eugene. Amidon Family: A Record of the Descendants of Roger Amadown of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Chicago: 1904, pp. 2-8.
• Crane, Ellery Bicknell. Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts. New York: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1907.
• Daniels, George Fisher. History of the Town of Oxford, Massachusetts. p. 305
• Stearns, Ezra S. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908, p. 141.

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GEDCOM Note

From the "Amidon Family" by Frank Eugene Best 1904 PHILIP AMIDOWN (ROGER1) was born at Rehoboth, January 26, 1670. He resided at Rehoboth until after the death of his first wife, when he removed to Mendon, Massachusetts. In 1704 his minister's rate at Mendon was one shilling and he had a share in the sixth division of the lands there in 1713. In 1717 he removed to Oxford, Massachusetts, where he died March 15, 1747. He was a farmer and cooper. In 1720 he and his wife became members of the church at its organization in Oxford. In 1730 he served as Selectman and as Constable in 1735. He married, first, at Rehoboth, May 27, 1698, Mehitable, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Millard) Perry. She was born at Rehoboth, April 30, 1680, and died there July 4, 1699. He married, second, September 16, 1700, Ithamar Warfield, who survived him. She was born March 28, 1676, daughter of Deacon John Warfield, of Mendon, and his third wife, Hannah Randall. Will of Philip Amidown: Will allowed M)iy 12, 1747. In the name of God, Amen, this sixteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fourty three, I, Philip Amidown of Oxford in the County of Worcester, in the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, yeoman, being advanced in years and in a weak and low condition. Do make this my last will & testament, as follows, viz: - First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God, my Creator, hoping in his mercy thro the merits Death & Passion and prevailing intercession of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour and my body I desire may be decentiy interred at the discretion of my executor hereinafter named in faith of the resurrection of it at the last day and as touching such temporal estate as God has betrusted me with (after my just debts and funeral charges are paid) I will and bequeath the same as follows: - That is to say Impr. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Ithamar Amidown the improvement use profit and incomes of one quarter part of my farm whereon now I dwell in quantity and quality, as also my house which we now occupy, and the equal half of my barn together with all my moveables of the within doors as well as without to be possessed and enjoyed by her during her natural life, and at her decease the said quarter part of my farm house and barn to be to my son Ephraim Amidown his heirs and assigns forever as his and their proper estate and inheritance, and my moveable estate and goods to be distributed as hereafter expressed in this my last will and testament. Item, I give and bequeath unto my sons Henry Amidown, Roger Amidown, Ichabod Amidown, Philip Amidown and John Amidown to each of them three pounds in Good public bills of credit or good current lawful money of New England, each and every pound equal to six shillings and eight pence in bills of credit of the new tenor of the said province to be paid to each of them for their respective heirs and assigns before or at the expiration of one year after my decease. Also my carpenter's tools to be divided equally between them, my said sons and their respective heirs and assigns having already given unto my said sons their full part & portion of all my estate real & personal. Item. I give and bequeath unto the heirs of my son Ithamer Amidown three pounds of money as above specified to be paid to them their heirs and assigns at the expiration of one year after my decease. The said Ithamer Amidown having in his life time received his part & portion of my estate real and personal. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Chamberlain three pounds in money as above specified to be paid to her and the heirs begotten of her body at the expiration of one year after my decease and one moiety of my household goods after the decease of my said wife to be possessed and enjoyed by her and her aforesaid as above expressed. Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Hannah Wheelock three pounds to be paid unto her her heirs and assigns at the expiration of one year after my decease in money as above specified and also the other moiety of my household goods after the decease of my said wife, having already given to my said daughters their part & portion of my estate. Item. I give, grant and devise unto my son Ephraim Amidown his heirs and assigns all my real and personal estate whatsoever together with all my buildings profits, incomes of my said real estate after the decease of my said wife Ithamar Amidown appointing and ordaining the said Ephraim Amidown sole executor of this my last will & testament and to pay all my just debts & legacies in manner as is above expressed. In witness whereof I, the said Philip Amidown have hereunto put my hand and seal the day and year first hereinbefore written. PHILIP AMIDOWN. (Seal) Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of us by the said Philip Amidown and by him declared to be his last will & testament. BENJ. DAVIS, DUNCAN CAMPBELL, JOHN CAMPBELL. Worcester, ss, Probate Office. April 20, 1747. The Revd. Mr. John Campbell and Duncan Campbell two other witnesses to this within instrument personally appearing made oath that they saw Philip Amidown the testator sign and seal and heard him publish pronounce and declare the same instrument to be and contain his last will and testament and that when he did so he was of sound disposing mind according to those deponants best deeming & that then with Benjamin Davis the other witness set to their names as witnesses thereof at the same time in said testators presence. Sworn before me John Chandler, Judg. Prob. Oxford, May 12, 1745. These lines may notify you that I am satisfied with the will of my husband, to witness my hand. her ITHAMER X AMIDOWN. mark The old homestead owned by Philip Amidown in South Oxford now belongs to Franklin H. Clark. The transfers being as follows: April 24, 1717, Joseph Chamberlain to Philip Amidown; December 15, 1743, Philip Amidown to his son Ephraim, three-fourths with a new house; November 2, 1793, heirs of Ephraim Amidown to Elisha Davis; 1795, Elisha Davis to Joseph Davis; January 10, 1807, Joseph Davis to Abijah Davis; 1810, Abijah Davis to Silas Fitts; May 6, 1868, executor of estate of Silas Fitts to Sylvanus Robinson; August 1, 1868, Sylvanus Robinson to Mary J., wife of Abel M. Chaffee, who took down the old house and built the present one; April 6, 1884, Mary J. and Abel M. Chaflee to George A. Kimball; June 16, 1885, George A. Kimball to Horace Shepardson; June 20, 1885, Horace Shepardson to Franklin H. Clark. The other quarter of the land owned by Philip Amidown is now owned by Lucinda Morse.