Sarah Akerman

Parents are Mary Waldro and Anthony Morse

Sarah Morse had nine children with Amos Stickney. Six years after his death she married Stephen Acreman. She died in Newbury on 7 December 1711.

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In the book, Good Wives, Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England 1650-1750 by Laurel Ulrich, Sarah Stickney is mentioned as "the widow Sarah Stickney of Newbury, who had more than one illegitmate child", purportedly one by Samuel Lowell and one by John Atkinson, whom she successfully sued for child support. Court records detail altercations and statements made.

• https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=125854214
• http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/warrenst/F03GEN2.htm
• The Essex Antiquarian, Volume 3 edited by Sidney Perley page 111
• link to Daughters of Eve: Pregnant Brides and Unwed Mothers in Seventeenth Century ...By Else L. Hambleton
• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/k/o/s/Lille-Koski-CA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-...

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https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bakerpub...

Name: Sarah Morse 1 1 Sex: F Birth: 01 MAY 1641 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA 1 1 Death: 11 DEC 1711 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA 1 Death: 07 DEC 1711 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA 1

Note:

   After the death of Amos Stickney, Sarah had a daughter, Mary, out of wedlock. "In early 1681, the court records of Essex County disclose that Sarah STICKNY, widow, was ordered to be whipped for fornication, unless she pay a fine..." In the first quarter of 1682, "...Sarah testified that John ATKINSON was the father of her child, and that she had previously concealed this because of his promise to maintain the child, which he failed to do...In this case, John ATKINSON asked to be tried by a jury. The jury found him guilty of fathering the child, and ordered him to pay 12 shillings for the jury, 8 pounds for the past maintenance of the child, and 2 shillings, 6 pence per week until further order of court...A little later in 1682, Sarah brought charges against John that he had struck her with his staff so that her child almost fell into the fire. William MORSE, age 67 (Sarah;'s uncle) and Joshua MORSE, age 27 (Sarah's youngest brother) testified that John ATKINSON had said he had struck Sarah. John was ordered to pay 26 shillings...In May of 1682, the following entry appears in the court's records: John ATKINSON of Newbury, being the reputed father of Sarah STICKNEY's last child, complained that he was hard put to it to pay all charges, and court ordered that half of his payments should be in money and the other half provisions or clothing for the said child at money price. In September of 1682, John ATKINSON again petitioned the court for relief...The court ordered that for the future John ATKINSON be freed from the weekly allowance provided he find some meet place for the child at his own cost, approved by one or more of the magistrates of the court, but in no case was he to keep the child at his own house. Should Sarah not deliver the child to the place he provided, he was to be discharged of one-half of the former allowance and she was to maintain the child at her own cost. John ATKINSON chose John Mihele of Newbury to raise the child, and the choice was approved by Robert Pike...A witness testified that on October 10, 1782, John demanded the child of Sarah, as per a writing under Major Pike's hand [presumably to be placed with John Mihele] but she refused. The court ruled that John was to pay by 15 pence per week from October 10, 1682 to April 10, 1683, and was to be wholly cleared from any further allowance toward the child's maintenance... Sarah married Stephen ACKERMAN on December 17, 1684. As Mary would name her first born son Ackerman, it is presumed that she was close to her step-father, who would also have acquired as many as eight other minor step-children as the result of his marriage to Sarah. There is also an indication that Sarah may have married a third time to Enoch Pierce."

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   After the death of her husband, Sarah (Morse) STICKNEY had one more child:

   Mary, born on Jan. 10, 1680, married Daniel PETTENGILL on Nov 13, 1699, had four children, died on Mar 7, 1706/7.

Most of the genealogies of the STICKNEY and MORSE families ingnore Mary. Those that do include her provide her with a date of birth early enough to have been conceived prior to Amos STICKNEY's death. However, it would appear incontrovertible that Mary was not the daughter of Amos STICKNEY, but the identity of her actual father will probably never be known. The controversy surrounding the identity of her makes a most interesting story.
In early 1681, the court records of Essex County disclose that Sarah STICKNY, widow, was ordered to be whipped for fornication, unless she pay a fine. Elizabeth Brown and Sarah Hayes testified that she had a child born in January of the preceding year. Sarah Haynes and her husband Jonathan (who would be frequent witnesses against Sarah) testified in a subsequent hearing that after Sarah STICKNEY came from court at Salem where she was fined she said that court did not regard the sin so long as they could get the money.
The foregoing court hearing was just the beginning, however. In the first quarter of 1682, Sarah, now age 40, sued John ATKINSON for salnder and won. Shortly thereafter, however, John ATKINSON sued Sarah, also for slander, and he won!. The record of this latter case contains extracts of a great deal of testimony, both relevant and irrelevant to the issue. The following is a summary of the relevant testimony:
Sarah testified that John ATKINSON was the father of her child, and that she had previously concealed this because of his promise to maintain the child, which he failed to do.
A witness placed John at Sarah's home in October of 1681.
A witness testified that he, Samuel LOWELL and John ATKINSON Jr. were riding by Sarah's house in the autumn of 1681 when she said to Samuel LOWELL....."you rogue, yonder is your child under the tree, go take it up and see it." Samuel LOWELL replied that it was none of his.
Sarah's oldest son John testified that John ATKINSON came to his mother's house and asked her to let John get some wine for him. ATKINSON gave John some money and he went to Mrs. Ann White's and brough back a quart. They both drank freely, after which ATKINSON sent [John] to bed.
A witness testified that Jonathan HAYNES (a frequent witness against Sarah in these cases) said that the widow STICKNEY told him the child was not Samuel LOWELL's but another man's child in the town.
Two witnesses testified that Sarah came into Jonathan HAYNES house when John ATKINSON and his wife were there and asked said John if he was going to deny his child, whereupon John's wife called her an impudent baud. Then Sarah used such opprobrious, reproachful and reviling speeches that HAYNES told her to go out of the house but she would not depart. Then Goody ATKINSON stepped to Goody STICKNEY and clapt her hand in her face and said she would spit in the face of any such that would call her a baud: and spit at her.
Sarah said in a sworn statement that John ATKINSON called her out of her house, told her that the court was near and he was going to Boston. He gave her 30s in money and asked her to be true to him. Her son John confirmed that conversation and further testified that when ATKINSON came to their house, he asked John to put his horse out of sight. John also testified that after his mother's child was born ATKINSON came to see her, took the child in his arms and kiss it.
A witness testified that John ATKINSON's hired man plowed Sara's fields and sowed her rye.
A witness testified that she was with Sarah at the birth of her child and that [Sarah] told her that Samuel LOWELL was the father, and when he went away he said he would bring her whittles and clouts.
A witness testified that John ATKINSON paid him the money he owed him because he was afraid he would witness against him and as he said disgrace him and his family.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the court apparently found Sarah guilty of slander, after having previously found against John ATKINSON. But the two slander cases were not the end of the litigation concerning Sarah and John. In still another action in the first quarter of 1682, Sarah brought a paternity and maintenance suit against John. Whether there were fewer witness or if the court record does not repeat previous testimony and written statements is unclear. New relevant testimony in this case was:
A witness testified that Sarah told her that the child was Samuel LOWELL's and she would have had him marry her and carry her to the Providence, but he said he had no money. [Sarah] said she had money enough. He told her that he would be back from sea by the next Christmas and would then marry her.
Jonathan and Sarah Haynes deposed that Sarah never mentioned the name of John ATKINSON in connection with the child.
In this case, John ATKINSON asked to be tried by a jury. The jury found him guilty of fathering the child, and ordered him to pay 12 shillings for the jury, 8 pounds for the past maintenance of the child, and 2 shillings, 6 pence per week until further order of court.
However the litigious pair were far from finished. A little later in 1682, Sarah brought charges against John that he had struck her with his staff so that her child almost fell into the fire. William MORSE, age 67 (Sarah;'s uncle) and Joshua MORSE, age 27 (Sarah's youngest brother) testified that John ATKINSON had said he had struck Sarah. John was ordered to pay 26 shillings.
In May of 1682, the following entry appears in the court's records:

   John ATKINSON of Newbury, being the reputed father of Sarah

   STICKNEY's last child, complained that he was hard put to it to

   pay all charges, and court ordered that half of his payments should

   be in money and the other half provisions or clothing for the said

   child at money price.

In September of 1682, John ATKINSON again petitioned the court for relief. John's petition argued that two shillings, six pence per week was too much for him to pay?

   According to ye common valluation of yvissions in this time of ye

   great scarcity of money, we in ye Country account eight pounds

   in money, at sixteene in other pay, or at ye least twelve pounds.

   And ye 2s 6d at 5s in common pay, I cannot thinke it is ye mind

   of ye Court y ye whole maintenance of such such a child should

   bee put uppon a reputed father (it is euident it is hers, & therefore

   hath Just reason to bear halfe) whereby ye mainteance of such a

   child should arise to bee double w others pay.

John's petition further argued that Sarah had been in the same condition once before in widowhood and [she had] endeavored to accuse an innocent person, and that such an allowance might be a precedent to induce such persons to commit lewdness when by their accusation they can force on wealthy persons and get increased income, for such persons have little conscience; that he was innocent of the crime, and if he were obliged to pay the full amount he would have to go to prison, for he had a wife and nine children, and asked to be allowed to take the child away and not be kept a continual slave to her who hath injured me, and Impudently and scoffingly insulteth ouer me.
At this hearing, John was also allowed to present new testimony:

   James Myrick aged about thirty years, testified that he was in a neightor's house next to Goody STICKNEY's when she invited hm into her house. When he started to go away he said it was a dark lowry night and he asked if he might stay all night. She said he might and then went to bed. On account of some discourse she had with him then, he left the house. She also told him that Samuel LOWELL frewuently stayed there and LOWELL said that their improper relations were no more a sin than to smoke a pipe of Tobacco in the street, for that was a breach of the law.

Jonathan and Sarah Haynes testified that the widow STICKNEY told them that she had make Jams Myrick believe that she would lay her child to him, but he asked to be cleared and that afterward at Frances Thurley's she talked with James and several men's names were mentioned. They agreed to draw lots and James was the first to name his broth ATKINSON, whose name was drawn.
The court ordered that for the future John ATKINSON be freed from the weekly allowance provided he find some meet place for the child at his own cost, approved by one or more of the magistrates of the court, but in no case was he to keep the child at his own house, Should Sarah not deliver the child to the place he provided, he was to be discharged of one-half of the former allowance and she was to maintain the child at her own cost. John ATKINSON chose John Mihele of Newbury to raise the child, and the choice was approved by Robert Pike.
Also in the records of this hearing appears the statement that the child was born on January 10, 1680, and that her name was Mary. She had been entered into the town records as Mary ATKINSON. Later that year, however:

   Court being informed that the clerk of the writs of Newbery had entered

   the bastard child of Sarah STICKNEY of Newbery in the records of

   births as the child of John ATKENSON, upon whom she charged it,

   although he did not own it, it was declared to be a high irregularity,

   and the clerk was ordered to appear at the next Ipswich court unless

   he give satisfaction to said ATKENSON before that time. The clerk

   was ordered to erase the entry from the book of records and cause it,

   if it be returned to the county records, to be altered or erased from

   those records.

In the fourth quarter of 1683, John was back before the court, again seeking relief from the two shilling, six pence weekly stipend. Duyring this hearing a petition from John's wife Sarah was presented:

   [Sarah ATKINSON had] bin sorely troubled and perplexed by reason

   of the troubles falne upon my husband John ATKINSON wch have

   bin very chargeable & vexatious by reason of the imperious

   dealings of Sarah STICKNEY, who having gotten an advantage

   because of the unjust course of Law uses it with a great deale of

   rigor, threatening & scoffing, that mine & my childrens lives are

   wearisome to us, who cannot goe up and downe quietly, but meet

   with that wch is grievous to us.

A witness testified that on October 10, 1782, John demanded the child of Sarah, as per a writing under Major Pike's hand [presumably to be placed with John Mihele] but she refused.
The court ruled that John was to pay by 15 pence per week from October 10, 1682 to April 10, 1683, and was to be wholly cleared from any further allowance toward the child's maintenance. This case seems to have finall ended the court battles between John and Sarah
Sarah married Stephen ACKERMAN on December 17, 1684. As Mary would name her first born son Ackerman, it is presumed that she was close to her step-father, who would also have acquired as many as eight other minor step-children as the result of his marriage to Sarah. There is also an indication that Sarah may have married a third time to Enoch Pierce.
Sarah died December 7, 1711 in Newbury.
Since it is not known beyond a doubt who the father of Mary was she is listed as the last child of Sarah MORSE and Amos STICKNEY she will be listed with the surname of STICKNEY
Father: Anthony Morse b: 09 MAY 1606 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England Mother: Mary Waldro b: ABT 1620 in Prob England

Marriage 1 Amos Stickney b: 11 FEB 1635 in Cottingham, Yorkshire, England

   Married: 24 JUN 1663 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA 1 1

Children

   Has Children John Stickney b: 23 JUN 1666 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA

Has No Children Hannah Stickney b: 03 APR 1664 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Has No Children Andrew Stickney b: 09 DEC 1667 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Has No Children Amos Stickney b: 03 AUG 1669 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Has No Children Joseph Stickney b: 14 APR 1671 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Has No Children Benjamin Stickney b: 04 APR 1673 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Has No Children Sarah Stickney b: 31 MAR 1676 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Has No Children Moses Stickney b: 26 NOV 1677 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Marriage 2 Stephen Ackerman b: 1635 in Prob England

   Married: 17 DEC 1684 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA 1

Children

   Has No Children Mary Ackerman b: 10 JAN 1679 in Newbury, Massachusetts, USA

   Has No Children Benjamin Ackerman b: 1686 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA