Sarah Tefft

"The first persons of the name in America were William and JohnTeffe, or Tefft,, the former of whom settled in Boston not later than 1635, and the latter in Portsmouth, R. I. It is probable that these brothers were accompanied by a sister Sara, for there stood until recent years on Cole's farm, near Cole's Station, Warwick, R. I., a memorial slab, with the follow- ing inscription: "Here lieth ye bodie of Sara Tefft, interred March 16, 1642." This stone is now in the possession of the Rhode Island Historical Society, and is the oldest monumental slab in the State."

"The Tefft ancestry, comprising many hitherto unpublished records of descendants of John Tefft of Portsmouth, Rhode Island;"

Other Sources:

"Early New England Gravestones", Rhode Island Historical Society Collections, Volume 12, No. 2, April 1919, Rhode Island Historical Society, p.40.

Descendants of John Tefft(Tifft)

John Tefft was born in England, and died 1674 in Pettaquamscott, Rhode Island. He married Mary.

John, his brother William and their sister Sara arrived in the Boston, Massachusetts area circa 1633. The early Tefft family was an intensely patriotic family participating in the Colonial, Revolutionary and 1812 wars. The Tefft/Tifft name is of Saxon origin meaning “the place where a house has stood.” The name appears in early Saxon annals.

William was a tailor and bought a dwelling in Boston in 1638. He was declared a freeman on 24 Dec 1648 and admitted to the Church on 02 Aug 1640. His will was probated 23 Nov 1672.

Sara and John moved to Portsmouth, Rhode Island. All that is known of Sara is she died 16 Mar 1642. Her headstone is the oldest in the state and is in the possession of the Rhode Island Historical Society.

John is listed as a freeman in Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 1655. He is listed again in 1671 residing in Pettaquamscott, Rhode Island. His will was proved 30 Nov 1674.

Sources:

http://stephentowngenealogy.com/johntefft.html

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Mar 3 2018, 21:40:39 UTC
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 19 2023, 21:13:24 UTC