Robert Wilson

Lived in Salem Farms (present-day Beverly), Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, per Eben Putnam. A colonial soldier, serving under Captain Lothrop, who died in the Battle of Bloody Brook. The soldiers were guarding a haul of grain that teamsters were moving to storage.

Robert Wilson was a twice-married father who owned a house and more than thirty acres of land. At Marblehead in 1658 he married Deborah Buffum. She bore two children, Robert and Deborah, named in Robert's probate record. She committed a remarkable act of civil disobedience in defense of her beliefs as a Friend (Quaker). Deborah died in 1668.

Robert later married Ann Trask. His probate record mentions "Anna, John, Mary, and Elizabeth children by Ann."

Probate record:

ESTATE OF ROBERT WILSON OF SALEM. Administration upon the estate of Robert Wilson, intestate, was granted 28 : 4m : 1681, unto Ann, the relict, who brought in an inventory amounting to about 150li., and whereas there is some legacy or something of an estate of Tamsen Buffum's which of right is to belong to Robert and Deborah, children of the deceased, the court ordered that Ann should pay out of this estate in the inventory, to Robert the eldest son 14li. and to Deborah aforesaid, children by his first wife, and to Anna, John, Mary and Elizabeth children by Ann, 7li. each, at age or marriage, the house and land to stand bound for security. —Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 6, leaf 19.

Inventory of the estate of Robert Willson of Salem, taken May 8, 1681, by William Traske and Daniell Southwick: his dwelling howse & outhowsing & ye land wch ye said howse stands & is belonging to it in ye Towne, 60li.; 30 acres of Land in ye limitts of Salem neer to Samuel Verries Farme, 38li.; a standing bedsteed in ye lower roome, featherbed & bolster with ye Furniture upon & about ye said bed, 7li.; one Trundle bedsteed & flagg bedd, a small bolster, 3 feather pillows with ye coverings & what elce belongs to ye said bed, 3li. 10s.; 1 Tablecloath & 10 napkins, 15s.; his wearing apparell, 8li.; 1 saddle & bridle & 2 rasors, 15s.; 1 cuppboard, 1li.; 3 chests, 2 boxes, a desk, 1li.; 1 Table & forme, 1li.; chaires & other woodden Lumber, 1li.; 3 brass kettles, 3 Iron potts, warming pan, 2 skillets, Ladle, skimmer & dark lanthorne, 2li. 6s.; a spitt, 2 hakes, firepan, gridiron, a pr. bellowes, 16s.; a fowleing peece, musket, sword & belt, 2li.; 12 pewter porringers, 18s., 10 pewter Basons, 25s., 2li. 3s.; 12 pewter platters, 2li., 1 brass candlestick, 2 pewter potts & other small pewter ware, 8s.; glasses, 2s., bell mettle morter & smoothing Iron, 8s.; 2 Bibles, 12s., earthen ware, 1s., 13s.; 16li. Lynnen & woollen yarne, 16s.; his carpenter Tooles & other utensills, 2li. 10s.; his cart & wheels & horse Tacklin, 2li.; , 3li., 2 cowes, 6li., a grey horse, 30s., 10li. 10s.; a mare, 1li. 10s.; 3 sheep & a lamb, 20s., part of a canoo & part of a grindstone, 6s., 1li. 6s.; total, 151li. 6s. Debts oweing to ye estate, 15li. is. 8d. The estate is Debtor, 16li. Attested in Salem court 28:4:1681, by Ann, relict and administratrix of the deceased. —Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol. 36, leaf 7.

Sources:

Salem Quarterly Court Records

Essex County Quarterly Court Files

Report of the Committee Appointed to Revise the Soldiers' Record, Danvers (Mass.), Committee Appointed to Revise the Soldiers' Record, Eben Putnam, 1895, pp 94-95

See cemetery description for further details and bibliographic information.