Frances Peabody, Tenth Great-Grandfather

July 18, 2018

The ship Planter, under Master Nicholas Trerice/Travice, sailed from London April 2 or 11, 1635, arriving at Boston June 7, 1635. My tenth great-grandfather was 21 years old when he sailed to America on that ship.

Lt. Francis Peabody, the ancestor of the American Peabodys, was born at St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, in 1614. He came to America in 1635 ; lived first in Lynn, and then in Ipswich, in then Massachusetts Bay colony. In 1639, he removed to Hampton, N.H., where he lived until 1657, when he came to Topsfield, Mass. He was useful in the new place, and was chosen to the office of selectman, as well as town clerk, both of which offices he held many years.

March 4, 1664, the town voted that Lt. Peabody have liberty ” to set up a grist mill and to flow so much of the town’s common as is needful for a mill so long as the mill does stand and grind for the town.”

The next year (1665), Mr. Peabody established the mill on Pyebrook. Who can estimate the joy of the inhabitants at that early period of having a grist mill to accommodate them in the grinding of their rye and corn! It marked a new era in the history of the Topsfield commoners.

March 7, 1671, the town voted that it was “willing that Lieut. Peabody shall set up a saw mill provided it does not do damage to any of the townsmen in their meadows.” The saw mill was built in 1672.

So far as the writer is able to learn, everything pertaining to these mills went along smoothly until 1691, when, the business having increased on account of the growth of the surrounding district, there was not a sufficient head of water during a part of the year to run the mills. Hewlett’s brook, a branch of Pye brook, left the latter stream and ran off to the northeastward, a short distance above the Peabody mills. As, at that time, there was no mill on Hewlett’s brook, Mr. Peabody was granted by the town the privilege of building a dam across this branch a few rods below its parting from the main stream, providing he pay satisfactory damages to the adjoining owners by reason of his flowing their meadows. The records speak of damages being received the following year by Thomas Dorman and sons, who had in 1690 erected a house within a few rods of the parting of the brook.* There was probably water power enough at the mills after the building of the dam as there are no papers showjng the want of it for more than fifty years afterwards.

During the year 1698 (?), after faithfully serving his day and generation, Lt. Francis Peabody passed away full of years and honors. By his will, dated Jan. 20, 1695, he gives his son Isaac Peabody the mills and mill-yard, the dwellinghouse by the mill, and other property.

Lieut Francis Peabody (1614 – 1697)
10th great-grandfather
Lydia Peabody (1640 – 1715)
daughter of Lieut Francis Peabody
Mary Howlett (1664 – 1727)
daughter of Lydia Peabody
John Hazen (1687 – 1772)
son of Mary Howlett
Caleb Hazen (1720 – 1777)
son of John Hazen
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Caleb Hazen
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
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

Frances Peabody’s signature