SECTION II -

THE NEW ENGLAND BRANCHES

NATHAN LOVEJOY⁴

25 - NATHAN⁴, son of Christopher³, b. 22 AUG 1726 in Andover; m. Apphia Hoyt of Concord, Massachusetts, see family (d), 25 AUG 1747 in Andover. Nathan must have had property in Hollis, New Hampshire, where he is recorded as having paid a tax of 14 pounds, six shillings in 1763. Nathan⁴ appears to have moved with his bride to Tewksbury (where he had lived since age nine with his step-father, Samuel Abbott), where the births of his first five children show his residence there until 1757. Births of later children indicate he lived in Pepperell, from 1757 to 1761. The family resided at the Hollis, New Hampshire property from about 1761 to 1766, where four children were born.

Nathan returned his family to Pepperell in 1767, where son Jesse was born, and Nathan enlisted in the Continental Amy (see later descriptions) from that town. The family evidently stayed there, after their father's death in 1783, as Apphia is shown as living there in the 1790 census, with three daughters. Apphia d. 23 MAR 1818 at age 89, in Pepperell. Only Mary⁵, Samuel ⁵, Jesse⁵, and perhaps Lois⁵, remained in Pepperell; the rest of Nathan's⁴ offspring settling New Hampshire and elsewhere in Massachusetts, as shown later.

A great deal of confusion exists in the documentation of the Revolutionary War records of Nathan⁴ and his son, Nathan⁵. I will try to clear it up here. I cite the records in the National Archives, the records of the National Society of The Sons of the American Revolution, and the collection Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution (page 994).

Nathan⁴ enlisted 26 SEP 1777 as a private in Captain Jams Hosley's army of volunteers in Col. Jonathan Reed's regt. He served twenty days to be discharged 14 OCT 1777. This army was raised in Townsend, Pepperell and Ashby; and marched to assist the army under Major General Gates.

His record also indicates the following: in a list of men raised in Middlesex Co. to reinforce the "Fifteen Battalions" of Continental troops "directed to be raised for the term of nine months from the time of their arrival at Fish Kill" (NY) [a temporary encampment] agreeable to a Resolve of General Court past 20 APR 1778; 11th Company, Col. Reed's Regiment; age 52 years, 5’19" tall, from Pepperell - arrived at Fishkill 27 JUN 1778.

Nathan is listed with men received of Jonathan Warner, Commissioner, by Brig. Gen. J. Glover, at Fort Arnold, 8 JUL 1778.

He is also in a list of men raised in Middlesex Co. as returned by Brig. Gen. Eleazar Brooks to Major Hosmer as Lincoln, Massachusetts, 18 AUG 1779; of Col. Reed's Regt., age 50 (also given as 53 years), 5'18", dark complexion, residence Pepperell, reported delivered to Lt. J. Grace.

He is included in a list of men raised in Middlesex Co., agreeable to resolve of 9 JUN 1779 as returned by Joseph Hosmer, Superintendent.

Nathan⁴ is listed in the records of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, as born in 1726, serving as a Private in the Massachusetts Militia. Their records show his wife as Apphia Hoyt, and that he was killed in action in 1783.

A receipt dated 22 AUG 1783, signed by Apphia Lovejoy for wages due said Nathan Lovejoy, deceased, for service to 17 APR 1783 on board the frigate "HAGUE", commanded by Capt. John Manley, confirms this.

A little light can be shed on Nathan's death aboard the "HAGUE" by digging into the facts surrounding the ship. In 1782, Commander John Manley took charge of the frigate "HAGUE". Nathan probably died from the injuries suffered during the last engagement of the ship in 1783. He is reported to have died at sea 15/17 MAR or APR 1783, aboard the ship as she returned from the Caribbean.

The "HAGUE" had been lying in a perilous position on a sand bank of Guadeloupe for three days, in the fall of 1782, exposed to the fire of four British ships, when Manley arranged her escape. This exploit closed the regular maritime operations of the United States, during the Revolutionary War.

Nathan⁴ probably was injured during this battle, died soon after, aboard ship on the way home, and was probably buried at sea according to customary practice. No stone has been found for this Nathan.

We shall show a distinct service record for Nathan's son, Nathan⁵, later on. Probate records for Nathan⁴ show that he left little to support his family. However, any land he may have owned could have been deeded to his wife and/or sons before he left for war. Also, there is the unspecified amount of Nathan's⁴ unpaid wages which Apphia received on 22 AUG 1783. Middlesex Co. records of deeds do not show any property changing hands between Nathan⁴ and Apphia.

On 30 JUL 1783 a bond of 10,000 pounds was put up, for the administration of Nathan⁴ Lovejoy's estate, by William Prescott, Jeremiah Eliot and Apphia Hoyt, all of Pepperell. Apphia was appointed administratrix. On that date there is also the statement "Commsn. in Insolvency". The inventory of the estate was taken by William Prescott and Jeremiah Eliot, and determined the value to be 20:7:0* Apphia asked for "the balance as necessary for the upholding of her life". A figure of 7:9:6 appears to be the amount she requested, with a remaining amount of 12:17:6. The inventory of his estate is below.

Claims against the estate were as follows:

*figures shown represent pounds, shillings and pence.

This accounts for the label of insolvency. The account was allowed and balanced, the reminder assigned to the administratrix, as shown below.

22 SEP 1784
"I accept this return and order it to be filed as at present there is no estate which any part of the debts can be paid, except ... the rates and commissioner charges amounting to 8 pounds, 2 shillings, 2 pence.
Oliver Prescott" (Judge of Probate)

Apphia received twelve pounds, four shillings and ten pence from her husband's estate. She maintained her own residence in Pepperell, with her daughters, as seen in the Census of 1790, and shown in the following pages. (She had bought three acres in Pepperell on 3 JUN 1778 from Sam Gilson). No record of probate can be found for Apphia.

At the Middlesex County Courthouse in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the following land transactions for Apphia Lovejoy can be found.

On 3 JUN 1778, Simon Gilson, "Gentleman", of Pepperell sold three acres of land, in Pepperell, to Apphia Lovejoy, "wife of Nathan Lovejoy of said Pepperell", for twenty pounds. The written transaction was signed by Simon Gilson on the above date. "Signed, Sealed and Delivered in presence of Abijah Mosher, Mary Lovejoy, Middlesex Co., August 9, 1779." Gilson appeared before the court to acknowledge the sale to Justice of the Peace, Oliver Prescott, on 22 AUG 1783.

The land is described as, "A Certain Piece of Land Being in said Pepperell, and Contains three acres, be the same more or less, and is Bounded thus beginning at a stake and Stones, which is the Southwesterly Corner of said Land, from thence Runs by land, of William Green, Northerly to a Stake and Stones, thence Easterly by said Green’s land to a Stake and Stones by the Road that leads from said Gilson's Mills, to said Green’s House, from thence runs Southerly and Westerly By said Road to the Bounds first mentioned. "

The second transaction is the sale of probably the same piece of land, about eighteen years after purchasing it. The buyer could well have been one of Simon Gilson's sons. In this sale, Apphia is acknowledged as a widow, of "Pepperell", and received one hundred dollars from "David Gilson of Hoosick in the county of Ranslier and State of New York Cooper", for the three acres. The land is described in this account as, "being in Pepperell aforesaid containing three acres lying on the road that leads from Lt. Joseph Farrars to the public meeting house and on the road that leads from Capt. Saml. Wrights to Isaac Williams and adjoining Oliver Newhalls on the west and North side of said premises...". She signed the transaction on 16 JAN 1797, in the presence of "Lem. Parker, Daniel H. Lawrence, Lesubbabel Kemp". Apphia appeared before Joseph Helds, Justice of the Peace, Middlesex Court, Cambridge, to acknowledge the deed.

Children
(some confusion as to actual birth places but all are also recorded in Pepperell Vital Records)

28 - MARY⁵, b. 25 MAR 1747 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts; m. Joseph Flagg of Hollis, New Hampshire, before 1769; (m. int. Richard Stevens 13 JAN 1779); Mary and had one son.

29 - NATHAN⁵, b. 20 NOV 1749 in Tewksbury, MA; m. Mary (Mollie) Boynton 6 MAY 1773 at South Church, bans published in Andover April 1773; (Mary was a member of South Church 13 OCT 1776); Nathan d. 20 MAR 1813 in Claremont NH. (After his son, Nathan⁶ migrated to Claremont.

30 - GRACE⁵, b. 23 OCT 1751 in Tewksbury, MA; m. Simeon Lovejoy⁵, (son of Jonathan⁴ Lovejoy and Mary Austin) of Hollis, NH, 22 JUN 1772. Simeon d. 1796 in Hebron, NH.

31 - SAMUEL⁵, b. 27 MAY 1753 in Tewksbury, MA; died young on 1 NOV 1753.

32 - APPHIA⁵, b. 29 OCT 1755, in Tewksbury, MA; d. 18 NOV 1814.

33 - SAMUEL⁵, b. 24 AUG 1757, at Pepperell, MA; m. Elizabeth Eliot 18 MAY 1779; had one child, Steven Holt Lovejoy, b. 17 NOV 1779 at Pepperell. Samuel appears in the census of 1790 in Methuen, MA, with two females; was a blacksmith at Pepperell in 1824; and may have been the Samuel who appears in Townsend, MA in the census of 1810. Samuel d. 26 NOV 1841 in Milford, NH.

34 - PHILLIP⁵, b. 7 JUN 1759; served as a private under Sullivan, in RI; with Capt. John Shattuck's Co. in 1776; under Capt. Nathan Lakin in RI in 1777; and under Capt. John Nutting, Col. William McIntosh’s regiment, Gen. Lowell's Brigade. His service records describe him as age 21, 5’ 6" tall, with a dark complexion.

35 - ABNER⁵, b. 11 MAR 1761 in Pepperell; m. Hannah ? about 1758; enlisted MAR 1779 from Pepperell as a private in the continental army for the duration of the war. He was granted a pension claim in 1818 at age 57, residing at Bergen, Genesee Co., NY.

36 - ZURIAH⁵, b. 26 NOV 1762 in Pepperell, MA.

37 - RUTH⁵, b. 5 APR 1764, probably at Hollis, NH.

38 - PRESTON⁵, b. 11 AUG 1765, probably at Hollis NH; served in the continental army from Andover, MA, a three year term in Capt. Benjamin Heywood's Co., 6th Mass. Regiment. A private on 18 MAR 1782. Described as a resident of Andover, age 17, 5' 1 1/2” tall, with a dark complexion, a yeoman.

39 - JESSE⁵, b. 9 JUL 1767 at Pepperell, MA; m. Sarah Shattuck about 1790; had a son, Wilder Lovejoy, b. at Pepperell 27 JAN 1790. Jesse appears in the census of 1810, living in Pepperell, MA.

40 - THEODORE⁵, b. 15 JUN 1769, probably at Hollis, NH.

41 - LOIS⁵, b. 29 MAR 1772; m. Noah Weyman on 13 MAR 1793 at Pepperell.

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