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About Benjamin Abbott
Corporal Benjamin Abbott
- Born 20 Dec 1661 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts
- Died 30 Mar 1703 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts
- Husband of Sara (Farnum) Abbot — married 22 Apr 1685 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, New England
- Father of Benjamin Abbot Jr, Jonathan Abbot, David Abbot and Samuel Abbot
There are two years given for Benjamin's birth. December 20, 1661 is given in the "Genealogical Record of the Descendants of George Abbot" but December 20, 1662 is given in the Massachusetts vital statistics for Andover.
Benjamin Abbott was the eighth oldest of the 13 children of George Abbot and Hannah Chandler. This family was among the very first settlers in Andover, Massachusetts. Benjamin married Sarah Farnum and they had five children.
Although Benjamin made a number of contributions to his community, he is also known as being the accuser of Martha Carrier for witchcraft. To be fair, he was not the only accuser of Martha Carrier, but his accusation illustrates some of the superstition that was endemic with the Puritans. Of course, there was a property dispute that may also have been a factor in the accusations of witchery.
Martha Carrier and her husband Thomas owned a property adjacent to Benjamin Abbott. There was dispute about the property line and in the course of an argument between Martha and Benjamin she cursed him for seven years. Some time following this, Benjamin developed a series of maladies including a swollen foot and a pustule on his side. He attributed this to Martha’s witchery. Martha was arrested and jailed, the first accused witch from Andover. She was also accused of witchcraft by the infamous Salem girls who fell in hysterics during her trial. Martha was tried, convicted, and hanged in Salem on August 19, 1692.
We have another family connection to the Salem witch trials. Hannah Chandler Abbot (Benjamin’s mother) married the Reverend Francis Dane after George Abbot’s death. The Reverend Dane was a vocal opponent of the witch trials. He was also the uncle of Martha Carrier. A total of six of his family members were accused of witchcraft and including two of his daughters. There has been some speculation that his opposition to the witch hunt contributed to his family members being accused of witchcraft.
http://www.andovertownsman.com/community/dalton-column-witches-and-...
From http://www.treetreetree.org.uk/Abbot.htm#BenjaminGeorge
Children of George Abbott and Hannah Chandler:
8. Benjamin Abbott was born on 20 Dec 1662 in Andover. [Ref, s. George and Hannah] He might be the Corp. Benjamin who died on 30 Mar 1702/3 in Andover. [Ref]
He married Sarah Farnham on 22 Apr 1685 in Andover. [Ref][Ref][Ref] Sarah was the daughter of Ralph Farnam. [Ref][Ref] She was born about 1660.
Benjamin took the Oath of Allegiance on 11 Feb 1678 in Andover. [Ref]
In Jun 1683 Naomi Lovejoy appeared before the court, acknowledged fornication with Benjamin Abbott and was fined. [Ref 9;59] Benjamin and Naomi had an illegitimate daughter in 1984 in Andover. [Ref, d. Benjamin and Naomi Lovejoy] Naomi was Naomi Hoyt, the widow of John Lovejoy. (Mass. VR link - https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Andover/aBirthsA.shtml "(ABBOT (Abbet, Abbett, Abbott, Abbut, Abbutt, Abett)) Ben Naomie, d. illegitimate, Benjamin and Naomie Lovejoy, ––– ––, 1684.")
http://www.treetreetree.org.uk/Abbot.htm#BenjaminGeorge
Benjamin, age 31, testified in the witch trial of Martha Carrier, arrested in Andover on 28 May and executed on 19 Aug 1692. He said, 'Last March ... having some land granted to me by the town of Andover near to Goodman Carrier's his land, and when this land came to be laid out Goodwife Carrier was very angry and said that she would stick as close to Benjamin Abbott as the bark stuck to the tree and that I should repent of it before seven years came to an end and that Dr. Prescott could never cure me. These words were heard by Allen Toothaker. She also said to Ralph Farnam, Jr. that she would hold my nose so close to the grindstone as ever it was held since my name was Benjamin Abbott. Presently after I was taken with a swelling in my foot and then was taken with a pain in my side. Exceedingly tormented, which bred to a sore, which was lanced by Dr. Prescott and several gallons of corruption did run out as was judged and so continued about six weeks. Very bad and then one other sore did breed in my groin which was lanced by Dr. Prescott also and continued very bad a while and then another sore breeding my groin which was also cut and put me to very great misery, so that it brought me almost to death's door, and continued until Goodwife Carrier was taken and carried away by the constable and that very day I begun to grow better ... and have great cause to think that the said Carrier had a great hand in my sickness and misery. [Ref, Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft 1;138, my spelling and punctuation]
References
https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Andover/aBirthsA.shtml "(ABBOT (Abbet, Abbett, Abbott, Abbut, Abbutt, Abett)) Benjamine, s. Georg and Hannah (Chandler), Dec. 20, 1662."
https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Andover/aMarriagesA.shtml "(ABBOTT (Abbet, Abbett, Abbot)) Benjamin, and Sarah Farnam, Apr. 22, 1685."
https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Andover/aDeathsA.shtml "(ABBOTT (Abbet, Abbett, Abbot)) Benjamine, Corp., h. Sarah (Farnum), s. George and Hannah (Chandler), Mar. 30, 1702-3."
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76594416/benjamin-abbot
- Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via son David Abbott by SmartCopy: Jan 4 2015, 0:37:12 UTC
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Benjamin Abbott's Timeline
| 1661 |
December 20, 1661
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Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony
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| 1683 |
July 1683
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Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
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| 1686 |
July 11, 1686
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Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
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| 1687 |
September 1687
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Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
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| 1689 |
January 18, 1689
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Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
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| 1694 |
May 19, 1694
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Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
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| 1703 |
March 30, 1703
Age 41
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Andover, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts
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| 1884 |
January 8, 1884
Age 41
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| 1885 |
May 22, 1885
Age 41
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