Ephraim Stevens, of Andover

Ensign Ephraim Stevens was a selectman of Andover, and he was also charged with the security of the town’s supply of weapons and ammunition. Town records for 20 February 1712/13 state “we have left the keas of the Town Stock of Ammunition with Ensign Ephraim Stevens, to be at ye selectmen’s service, when they shall have ocation for them, and there is two dry casks of the Towns left standing on ye chest that the Amonition is locked up in.” (Bailey, “Andover in the Indian Wars,” Historical Sketches of Andover, 185.)

Ephraim Stevens wrote his will 11 June 1718 and his estate entered probate 7 July 1718. To his son-in-law Robert Swan and daughter Hannah, he left his buildings and lands except one-half of the house being reserved for the use of his younger daughters while they are unmarried. He bequeaths to the other five daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Mehitabel, and Deborah, £20 each. The three younger daughters are to receive amounts equal to the amounts the three older daughters received at the time. His six daughters receive his stock of cattle and all the household goods. The daughters also receive £55 to be divided equally among them. His three sons-in-law receive his clothing to equally divide but “son” Joseph Robinson is to receive the cloak. Daughter Sarah receives the larger bible. Son-in-law Robert Swan was named executor. (Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. Probate of Ephraim Stevens, 7 Jul 1718, Case number 26333.)

On 7 April 1731, the children in this family, in consideration of payment of £20, quitclaimed their rights to the property in “Penne Cook” that was awarded by the General Court to their uncle Benjamin Stevens, to Ebenezer Stevens. Those quitclaiming their rights were Stephen Abbott and Sarah his wife, Joseph Robinson and Elizabeth his wife, Robert Swan and Hannah his wife, James Ingalls and Mary his wife, Mehitabel Stevens, and Samuel Carlton and Deborah his wife. On 26 March 1733, the six daughters and their respective spouses, with Mehitabel single, and all children of Ephraim Stevens, in consideration of £83, quitclaimed to Job Marble property in Andover that was part of the estate of Capt. Benjamin Stevens. On 24 December 1742, Mehitable Stevens, spinster of Andover, and Samuel Carlton, mariner of Salem and his wife Deborah, in consideration of £7.10, conveyed to James Ingalls a tract of land in Andover. On 20 March 1754, Joseph and Elizabeth Robinson, Robert and Hannah Swan, and Mehitable Stevens daughter of Ephraim Stevens deceased joined other of their cousins in a quitclaim of property to Job Marble. (The others involved in this quitclaim were John and Joanna Farnum, Abiel and Deborah Stevens, John 3rd and Deborah Foster, Nathan Barker, and Nathan Stevens. These cousins are descended from Benjamin Stevens’s sister Mary Stevens wife of John Barker.) (Massachusetts Land Records, Essex County, 89:68, 116:229, 88:46, 116:234)

Sarah Abbott and Ephraim Stevens had eight children all born at Andover.

i SARAH STEVENS, b. 28 Oct 1681; d. at Andover, 28 Dec 1750; m. 22 Jul 1708, STEPHEN ABBOT, b. at Andover, 16 Mar 1678 son of John and Sarah (Barker) Abbott; Stephen d. at Andover, 27 May 1766.

ii ELIZABETH STEVENS, b. 7 Aug 1683; d. 28 Apr 1763; m. 20 Mar 1706/7, JOSEPH ROBINSON, b. about 1678 son of Joseph and Phebe (Dane) Robinson; Joseph d. at Andover, 9 Apr 1761.

iii HANNAH STEVENS, b. 18 Nov 1685; d. before 28 Sep 1773 when her will was probated; m. 17 Mar 1708/9, ROBERT SWAN, b. at Haverhill 28 May 1686 son of Robert and Elizabeth (Storie) Swan; Robert died before 4 Sep 1770 when his estate was probated.

iv MEHITABLE STEVENS, b. 29 Sep 1691; died young.

v MARY STEVENS, b. 10 Feb 1693/4; d. at Pomfret, 9 Mar 1773; m. 5 Nov 1719, JAMES INGALLS, b. 9 Aug 1695 son of James and Hannah (Abbott) Ingalls; Hannah Abbott Ingalls is from the Rowley Abbott line; James d. at Pomfret 6 Mar 1767.
vi EPHRAIM STEVENS, b. 13 Jul 1698; d. 9 Nov 1702.

vii MEHITABLE STEVENS, b. 31 Aug 1700; Mehitable was living in Andover and unmarried in 1754.

viii DEBORAH STEVENS, b. 4 Oct 1704; d. 17 Jun 1748 at Salem; m. 20 Jun 1726, SAMUEL CARLETON, b. 3 Jun 1696 son of John and Hannah (Osgood) Carleton; Samuel d. at Salem 9 Mar 1767.

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ourbigfam...

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https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LCT7-VQT/ephraim-stevens-1649...

Ephraim Stevens 14 November 1649–15 June 1718

Birth • 1 Sources 14 November 1649 Andover, Essex, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America

Age 68 Death • 1 Sources 15 June 1718 Andover, Essex, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America

Ephraim Stevens in entry for Eliz. Stevens, "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915"

SPOUSES AND CHILDREN

Ephraim Stevens 1649-1718

Marriage: 11 Oct 1680 Andover, Essex, Massachusetts

Sarah Abbott 1641-1685

Children ()

PARENTS AND SIBLINGS

John Stevens 1605-1662

Marriage: about 1638 of Caversham, Oxfordshire, England

Elizabeth Parker 1613-1694

Children (9)

Erasmas Stevens 1635-

John Stevens II 1639-1689

Timothy Stevens 1641-1708

Thomas Stevens 1643-1729

Elizabeth Stevens 1645-1714

Nathan Stevens 1645-1718

Ephraim Stevens 1649-1718

Mary Stevens 1652-1703

Joseph Stevens 1654-1743

https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Andover/aMarriagesS.shtml "(STEEVENS (Stevens)) Ephraim, and Sarah Abbott, Oct. 11, 1680."

https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Andover/aDeathsS.shtml "(STEPHENS (Stevens)) Ephraim, Ens., June 15, 1718, in his 70th y."

Andover VR has Ephraim & Sarah with these children:

• Sarah, d. Ephraim and Sarah, Oct. 28, 1681. married Stephen Abbott
• Elizabeth, d. Ephraim and Sarah, Aug. 7, 1683. married Joseph Robinson, Mar. 20, 1707. [1706-7. CR1]
• Hannah, d. Ephraim and Sarah, Nov. 18, 1685. married Robert Swan of Haverhill, Mar. 17, 1708-9.
• Mehitabel, d. Ephraim and Sarah, Sept. 29, 1691. died young.
• Mary, d. Ephraim and Sarah, Feb. 10, 1693-4. married James Ingalls, Nov. 5, 1719.
• Ephraim, s. Ephraim and Sarah, July 13, 1698. died Nov. 9, 1702.
• Mehitabel, d. Ephraim and Sarah, Aug. 31, 1700. married Ebenezer Holt