My ancestor, Ammi Ayers (1687-1783) married Samuel Swasey (1682-1739), my 6 times great grandparents.
It is good that she wrote her will in 1783...the supposed date of her death at 96 years of age. She was at least half owner of the Samuel Swasey house, of which she left her half to her son Joseph Swasey. It is clearly a house with two homes in it by looking at the photo above. The two dwellings had belonged to Joseph and his brother Samuel following their father's death in 1739, but apparently their mother lived in Joseph's half. The older building on the right had belonged to another Joseph Swasey of the family, not her son.
Her will is available to be seen on Ancestry...but I don't seem to be able to copy it here. She just signed with her initials, and it was penned by a scribe who knew the language of wills.
She bequeathed to her granddaughter, Abigail (daughter of her youngest son Stephen) an oval black walnut table. Stephen had died in 1767.
Samuel, her husband, had been a shipwright who apparently bought properties in Boston as well as Salem MA. Samuel and Ammi were married in Boston, MA by Rev. Cotton Mather on Jan 16, 1711. Samuel died in 1739, leaving Ammi a widow who lived until she was 96.
They had 7 children, and Joseph and Elisabeth outlived their mother. Her will names both of these children. Samuel Swasey 1682-1739 and Ammi Ayers Swasey's children were:
Samuel Swasey 1713-1760
Joseph Swasey 1714-1801
Ammi Swasey Webb 1715-1746
Nathaniel Swasey 1717-1762 (a cooper)
Elisabeth Swasey 1726 d. in infancy
Elisabeth Swasey Herrick 1730-1829 (Yes, 99 years!)
Stephen Swasey 1735-1767
I just found the link to the Google book on line published in 1910, "Genealogy of the Swasey Family." It has been noted to have some errors, but I don't remember what they are. So I'm not going to change any details on my trees based on it. But I will enjoy reading about the generations.
And which of the children were my ancestors?
It was Joseph Swasey who married Mary Bowers Swasey (1719-1823), my 5 times great grandparents!
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