Eber Sherman, ,7th Great-Grandfather

August 8, 2016 — ancestors, Quakers, religious, Rhode Island

Sherman Coat of Arms

My 7th great-grandfather was born in Massachusetts, but moved with his parents to Rhode Island as baby.  His father was a judge and prominent Quaker in Rhode Island after being driven out of Salem for religious differences.  The family quit the Puritan Church and joined the Quaker Church. We have a copy of his will.

EBER SHERMAN WAS THE SON OF THE HON. PHILIP SHERMAN AND SARAH ODDINGS OF PORTSMOUTH, RHODES ISLAND, USA. HE MARRIED HIS FIRST WIFE MARY WILCOX, THE DAUGHTER OF EDWARD AND SUSANNA THOMPSON, AND SOPHIA A. BROWN HIS SECOND WIFE. HE WAS ADMITTED FREEMAN, TUESDAY, JUNE 08, 1658, IN PORTSMOUTH, RHODES ISLAND, HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SETTLERS IN THE NARRAGANSETT COUNTY, “DECB’R 05, 1679 AN ACCO’T OF LANDS LAID OUT & ALLWED TO MR. SAM’LL WILBORE & COMPA. TO JARED BULL, AND SEVERAL OTHERS”, SHOWS 500 ACRES TO EBER SHERMAN. (FONES RECORD-1894. PP36-7) ” HE WAS A PROMINENT AND INFLUENTIAL MAN, AND HELD MANY OF THE LOCAL OFFICES”. F.D. SHERMAN LISTS ABIGAIL AS A DAUGHTER WITH A QUESTION MARK, F.D.S. 602; A LETTER, MRS. THOMAS O. TREHARNE, TROY NY. HE SETTLED ON THE WEST SIDE OF
NARRAGANSETT BAY AT NORTH KINGSTON. “GOING TO PALMYRA; SHERMAN DEEDS” BY MARGARET SHERMAN, LUTZVICK, 1977.

Eber Sherman (1634 – 1706)
7th great-grandfather
Mary Sherman (1688 – 1751)
daughter of Eber Sherman
Thomas Sweet (1732 – 1813)
son of Mary Sherman
Thomas Sweet (1765 – 1844)
son of Thomas Sweet
Valentine Sweet (1791 – 1858)
son of Thomas Sweet
Sarah LaVina Sweet (1840 – 1923)
daughter of Valentine Sweet
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse

WILL OF EBER SHERMAN OF NORTH KINGSTON, RI.
GOD SO BLEST ME IN THIS LIFE I GIVE AND BEQUEATH THE SAME IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER AND FORM FIRST MY DEBTRS AND FUNERALL CHARGES BE PAID ( ) I GIVE TO MY BELOVED SON EBER SHERMAN ONE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND JOYNING TO THE HOUSE WHICH JO ( ) TO BE TO HIM AND TO HIS HEIRES LAWFULLY BEGOTTEN OF HIS OWN BODY  ITEM; I GIVE TO MY BELOVED SON SAMUEL SHERMAN  ACRES OF LAND JOYNING AND BOUNDING UPON MY SON EBER SHERMANS LANDD THAT IS ABOVE MENTIONED TO BE TO HIM AND TO HIS HEIRES LAWFULLY BEGOTTEN OF HIS OWN BODY. ITEM I GIVE TO MY BELOVED SON STEPEN SHERMAN ONE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND JOYNING AND BOUNDING UPON THE LAND GIVEN TO SAMUEL SHERMAN MY SONTHAT IS TO SAY TO HIM AND TO HIS HEIRES LAWFULLY BEGOTTEN OF HIS OWN BODY. I GIVE TO MY BELOVED SON ELISHA SHERMAN ONE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND JOYNING AND BOUNDING UPON THE LAND GIVEN TO SON STEPEN SHERMAN BEFORE MENTIONED TO BE TO HIM AND HIS LAQFULLY GEGOTTEN OF HIS OWN BODY. ITEM I GIVE TO MY BELOVED SON WILLIAM SHERMAN ONE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND ADJOYNING AND BOUNDING UPON THE LAND WHICH I HAVE GIVEN TO MY STO ELISHA SHERMAN TO BE TO HIM AND TO HIS HEIRES LAWFULLY BEGOTTEN OF HIS OWN BODY.ITEM. I GIVE TO MY BELOVED SON PELEG SHERMAN ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY & TWO ACRES OF LAND ( ) BOUNDED UPON JOHN SWEETS LAND NEAR ( ) TO BE TO HIM AND TO HIS HEIRES LAWFULLY BEGOTTEN OF HIS OWN BODY BUT IN CASE ANY OF THEM W ( ) ENTIONED SHAL DEPART THE ( ) I HEREBY UTTERLY DIALLOW AND REVOKE ALL OTHER TESTAMENTS AND WILLS BY ME FORERLY ANY WISE NAMED WRI( )ING AND CONFIRMING THIS & NOE OTHER TO MY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT; IN WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HERE UNTO SETT MY HAND AND SEALE THE DAY AND YEAR ABOVE WRITEN  SIGNED SEALED PUBLISHED AND DECLARED TO BE THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SUBSCRIBERS BY EBER SHERMAN. EBER ( HIS MARK) SHERMAN CAPTAIN JESSE ( HIS MARK) CHAMPLIN PELEG MUMFORD THEOPHILUS WHALE CAPT. JEFFERY CHAMPLIN AND PELED MUMFORD BOTH OF KINGSTOWNE IN THE COLONY OF RHOOD ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS DID BOTH APPEAR BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF KINGSTOWNE THE 14TH DAY OF ( ) DID DECLEAR THAT THEY DID SEE AND HEAR EBR SHERMAN OF KINSTOWNE (LATE DECEASED) SETT HIS MARK AND SEAL UPON THE ABOVE WRITEN INSTRUMENT AND DECLARED THE SAME TO ( ) HIS LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT AND THAT THEY SETT THEIR NAMES THERTO AS WITNESSES TO THE SAME. ENTERED UPON RECORD THE 13TH DAY NOVERMER 1706 SAMUEL FFONES CLARKE

INVENTORY OF EBER SHERMANS ESTATE LATE DECEASED BY US JUSTICE CHAMPLIN, JONATHAN SHERMA; OXEN FIVE COWS TWO THREE YEAR OLDS ONE CALF- – NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. PROBATE RECORDS V. 1-5, PP. 81-82 F.D.S. 603,604

THE ABOVE WILL CAN BE FOUND IN “SOME OF THE DESCENDANTS OF PHILIP SHERMAN, THE FIRST SECRETARY OF RHODE ISLAND” BY ROY V. SHERMAN, PP. 26-28—

Child of PHILIP SHERMAN and SARAH ODDING is:
5. i. EBER5 SHERMAN, b. December 1634, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., MA; d. 1706, North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI.

Generation No. 5

1. EBER5 SHERMAN (PHILIP4, SAMUEL3, HENRY “THE ELDER”2, HENRY (SR.)1) was born December 1634 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., MA4, and died 1706 in North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI4. He married SOPHIA A. BROWN4,5.

Notes for EBER SHERMAN:
Will of EBER SHERMAN of North Kingston, RI

(Margins destroyed by fire, Dec. 1870)
God so blest me in this life I give and bequeath the same in the following manner and form
first my debts and funerall charges be paid ( )
I give to my beloved Son Eber Sherman one hundred acres of land joyning to the house which jo ( )
to be to him and to his heires lawfully begotten of his own body ( )

Item: I give to my beloved son Samuel Sherman ( ) acres of land joyning and bounding upon my son Eber Shermans land that is above mentioned to be to him and to his heires lawfully begotten of his own body. Item I give to my beloved son Stephen Sherman one hundred acres of land joyning and bounding upon the land given to Samuel Sherman my son that is to say to him and to his heires lawfully begotten of his own body.

Item: I give to my beloved son Elisha Sherman one hundred acres of land joyning and bounding upon the land given to son Stephen Sherman before mentioned to be to him and his lawfully begotten of his own body. Item. I give to my beloved son William Sherman one hundred acres of land adjoyning and bounding upon the land which I have given to my son Elisha Sherman to be to him and to his heires lawfully begotten of his own body. Item. I give to my beloved son Peleg Sherman one hundred and eighty & two acres of land ( ) bounded upon John Sweets land near ( ) to be to him and to his heires lawfully begotten of his own body but in case any of them w( ) entioned shal depart th ( ) I hereby utterly disallow and revoke all other testaments and wills by me formerly any wise named wri( ) ing and confirming this & noe other to be my last will and testament; In witness whereof I have here unto sett my hand and seale the day and year above writen ( ) signed sealed published and declared to be the last will and testament in the presence of the subscribers by Eber Sherman.

Eber (his mark) Sherman
Captain Jesse ( his mark) Champlin
Peleg Mumford
Theophilus Whale
Capt. Jeffery Champlin and Peled Mumford both of Kingstowne in the colony of Rhood Island and Providence Plantations did both appear before the Council of Kingstowne the 14th day of ( ) did declear that they did see and hear Eber Sherman of Kingstowne (late deceased) sett his mark and seal upon the the above writen instrument and declared the same to ( ) his last will and testament and that they sett their names thereto as witnesses to the same.
Entered upon record the 13th day
November 1706

Samuel ffones Clerke

Inventory Follows
Kingstown October the 11th day 1706

Inventory of Eber Shermans Estate late deceased
By us Justice Champlin, Jonathan Sherman:

Oxen five cows two three year old
olds one calf–
North Kingstown, R.I. Probate Records V. 1-5, pp. 81-82
F.D.S. 603, 604

Eber was the son of the immigrant Philip Sherman and his wife, Sarah Odding. Secondary sources say Eber was born in Roxbury, Mass. December 1634; however, a “Heber Sherman” cosigned a deed in Portsmouth, RI on 1 March 1649 [/50?], and if that was this individual, then Eber would have been born no later than 1629. He d. N. Kingstown, RI 1706, and married late in life. c. 1677 Mary, b. c. 1650, living in Oct 1719 when named in the will of Eber’s brother, Peleg Sherman. Mary, in many sources, has been called the daughter of Edward Wilcox, but that Mary was born about 1639, and would be too old to be the mother of Eber’s younger children.

In his 1968 genealogy of the Sherman family, Roy V. Sherman asserts that Eber had another wife named Sophia Brown. If this is the case, then Sophia would have been a first wife, since Mary was the widow of Eber in 1719.

Though Eber grew up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island where his father settled, by 1670 he was living across the Narragansett Bay in Pettaquamscutt (now S. Kingstown), where he and four others were appointed to set a tax rate. In 1687 he was taxed in Kingstowne (which was spilt between North and South in 1722).

Eber’s will was proved in (North) Kingstown on 13 Nov 1706. Alden Beaman provided a good rendition of this family in his Rhode Island Genealogical Register, vol. 9, pages 1-12. However, I take exception to the son Stephen being placed as one of the older children, because he was the last of the children to marry. I have therefore re-arranged the children slightly from Beaman’s account. Children:

• Eber, b. c. 1678, d. N. Kingstown 1758 (year his will was proved), and m. c. 1706 Martha REMINGTON, b. c. 1683, living in 1744 when named in her mother’s will, the daughter of John Remington and Abigail Richmond. On 13 Dec 1718, Eber and Martha sold land to Henry Gardiner (the second husband of Martha’s mother). Eber witnessed a will in S. Kingstown, RI 24 July 1725 (RIGR 6:83). Eber and Martha had seven known children born 1707 to 1724. Beer’s will, dated 1757, was proved in 1758, naming children John, Henry, William, and probably others whose names were lost. The burial location for Eber and Martha has not been determined, but they may be buried in the ancient Sherman Lot in N. Kingstown, Hist Cem #133. This is where Eber’s brother William is buried, and where the second wife of his brother Stephen is likely buried. Find-a-grave memorials have been created for Eber and Martha without a cemetery.
• Samuel, b. c. 1680; administration of his estate was given to his brother Eber on 14 Sep 1742, so without wife or children he probably did not marry, or once had a wife but no surviving children.
• Peleg, b. c. 1682, d. 1752, married c. 1714, and had five children born in N. Kingstown, but wife’s name was lost from burning of records. Peleg’s will was proved in Exeter, RI 6 May 1752. He had five children born 1715 to 1725.
• Elisha, b. c. 1685, d. N.Kingstown 1750, and m. c. 1715 Mary SWEET, b. N. Kingstown 8 Dec 1696, d. there 1775, daughter of Benoni Sweet and Elizabeth Manchester. They had nine known children born 1716 to 1735.
• Mary, b. 26 June 1688, m. c. 1714 James SWEET, b. 28 May 1687, d. 19 July 1751, son of Benoni Sweet and Elizabeth (Manchester?). They had nine children born 1715 to 1729.
• William, b. c. 1690, living 20 Sep 1757 when he deeded land in N. Kingstown, m. c. 1716 Abigail PALMER, b. 1796, living in 1757 when she cosigned a deed with her husband, the daughter of Edward Palmer. Abigail was baptized, late in life, on 9 July 1752, in her 57th year at St. Paul’s Church of Narraganset, by immersion in Pettasquamscutt Pond. William and Abigail had eleven children born 1717 to 1737. William and Abigail are said to be buried in the Sherman Lot, Hist Cem NK #133, where several of their descendants are buried.
• Stephen, b. c. 1693, d. 1773, m. (1) c. 1721 Sarah Freeman. b. say 1700, d. c. 1728; (2) at his home in N. Kingstown 18 Oct 1730 Margaret Hackstone, b. say 1695, d. 17 Nov 1748 and buried in Sherman Burial Yard on 18 Nov (per St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Records as abstracted in the Gen Dict RI, v. 10); (3) Exeter 15 July 1749 Giffie Sweet. b. c. 1705, living in 1772 when mentioned in her husband’s will. Stephen’s will, dated 29 Feb 1772, was proved at N. Kingstown 3 Sep 1773. Stephen had four children with his first wife, born 1722 to 1727 and five more with his second wife, born 1731 to c. 1739.
• Abigail, b. c. 1695, named as one of the children by John Austin in his Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, but I find no record of her.