Caleb Buffum

From Buffum Family, Volume II:

Caleb Buffum lived in Salem, Mass. with his family as late as 1715. He was a husbandman and carpenter. He possessed a wealthy estate and was a freeman.

Caleb was a Quaker and grantor of Quaker Meeting House lot on Oct. 1690.

Caleb and brother Joshua Buffum were executors of their mother's (Tamoson Buffum) will which was proved 19 June 1688. Under the will Caleb received 'two acres of meadow, and a great pewter basin'. Caleb was listed as 'old' in death records.

The following account was written in 1856 and rewritten in 1875 by Caleb Buffum, son of no. 943, and was given as a gift from Mrs. Marjorie Buffum Foss to the Salem Essex Institute on 24 March 1949.

'His (Caleb Buffum) house which he built stood on the land owned by the late Caleb Buffum to the South of Joshua's house it was taken down about 61 years ago (1814). Caleb in his will which was made in January, 1730 and proved the next month of the same year is called a Husbandman but it is evident he worked at Carpentry as he built the house he lived in if not others and I have seen several articles such as chests, etc. which he made. Also my Great-Grandfather used to tell of being in his shop and his grandfather working at the bench planing and sawing and his surprise to hear him whistle at his work being so grave a man. It might have been that farming was his chief business as he had a great quality of land, owning a hundred acres of land in the North Field alone, or he might have made farming his business in his later days.

'He strongly opposed the witchcraft delusion and rendered all the help in his power to the sufferers, especially in assisting the relations to give those who were hung decent burial, which was done by stealth and at night. His land bordering on the North River, gave him great facilities in this respect. He is said to have made coffins and carried them down to the river by night as well as assisted in bringing the bodies from the hill where they were hung.

'An anecdote in connection with this is worth preserving which I had as well as other anecdotes from my esteemed Great Uncle and Aunt (Caleb Buffum No. 385 and Peace Buffum No. 386) who lived to a great age and were but the third in descent from Caleb. At this time those who were accused of witchcraft in the neighboring Towns were summoned to Salem to be tried. They often arrived late in the afternoon and so great was the fear and prejudice against them that but few would take them into their houses. Caleb entertained as many as he could find room for which he was alike honorable to him as a proof of his good sense and the benevolence of his heart. One night he and his wife overheard as they lay in the next room to a party of them, the following conversation 'is it not hard that we church members are accused of witchcraft when whores rogues and Quakers run free.' Their Hostess at the morning meal to their great confusion told them what she overheard and made this answer: 'that as for whores and rogues she could not tell why they run free, not being acquainted with such people, but as for Quakers the Lord preserved his people and would not suffer the wicked to harm them' and it is a remarkable fact that in no instance was a Quaker cried out against, although they were considered by most people as the very children of the Devil and altogether out of the pale of Christian sympathy, and to a man opposed the delusion to show how at that day, the Quakers were regarded even by intelligent men the following anecdote will show my (Caleb Buffum No. 385) Great Grandfather (Caleb Buffum) when quite a boy at the corner of Essex and Dean St. overheard the following from two very respectable citizens, 'Old Caleb Buffum would be a very clever man if he were not a Quaker,' to which the other assented.

'Caleb left a handsome property amounting in valuation to 2000 L, besides a farm at Westerly Narragansett and land in New York State. His real estate he left to be divided betwixt his two Sons living and his two Sons deceased. The personal estate was equally divided between his six heirs. The farm at Westerly and the land in New York was given to his two daughters, although I am not sure that the N. York land was not sold before his death.

'In 1718 Caleb Buffum gave to the Quaker Society the lot of land on Essex Street now used as a burial ground, the deed says 'they having built and finished', on the front part, 'a house for the public worship of God and the other half of the said ground, the doner family freely gives to the Society aforesaid for a burying ground.'

His will was made in either Jan 1729/1730 or 1730/1731 and was proved Feb, 1729/30 ir 1730/1731.

"Gertrude Pope was second wife of Joseph Pope, thus Hannah Pope, wife of Caleb Buffum, is half-sister of Damaris Pope, wife of Caleb's brother, Joshua Buffum."

Name: Caleb Buffum Spouse: Hannah Pope Parents: Robert Buffum Birth Place: Essex, Salem, MA Birth Date: 29 Sep 1650 Marriage Place: Salem, Essex, MA Marriage Date: 26 Mar 1672 Death Place: Salem, Essex, MA Death Date: 24 Nov 1731

Caleb Buffum in the Massachusetts, Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850

Name: Caleb Buffum Gender: Male Spouse: Hanna Pope Marriage Date: 26 Mar 1672 City: Salem County: Essex Source: Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Film # 0761210.