The TARBELL Family of Watertown, Groton and Charlestown

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First Generation

THOMAS TARBELL (d. 1678) of Watertown, Groton and Charlestown

Parents: Unknown

Thomas Tarbell died of small pox on 11 Jun 1678. [Ref] He married first Mary Unknown. She died on 29 Apr 1674 at age 54. [Ref] He married second Susanna, the widow of John Lawrence, on 15 Aug 1676. [Ref]

Thomas owned land in Watertown in 1647. [Ref] He and Mary sold his house and land there on 30 Mar 1663 and moved to Groton. [Ref]

Thomas was an original proprietor of Groton. [Ref, p. 26] In about 1665 the town of Groton offered Thomas and three others 20 acres upon which to erect a grist mill and freedom from taxes for 20 years. The men agreed to build a corn mill that would be ready for operation on 1 d. 11 m. 1666. But on 15 d. 6 m. 1665 they were released from the obligation. [Ref, p. 36]

Thomas moved to Charlestown when Groton was destroyed in King Philip's War. [Ref]

Administration on Thomas's estate was granted to his son John on 17 Aug 1678. [Ref]

Children of Thomas Tarbell and Mary Unknown:

1. Thomas Tarbell died on 27 Apr 1678, in the same small pox outbreak that killed his father. [Ref] He married Hannah (or Anna), the daughter of William and Joanna Longley of Groton, on 31 Jul 1666 in Groton. [Ref, 30 Jun][Ref] Administration on his estate was granted to his widow on 18 Dec 1678. [Ref] Hannah died on 29 Dec 1680 in Groton. [Ref] Thomas and Hannah had four children. [Ref]
   Thomas was, along with his father, an original proprietor of Groton. [Ref][Ref, p. 26] He, too, moved to Charlestown after the destruction of Groton. [Ref] In Groton, his family lived with the family of his wife's sister's husband Samuel Leman. [Ref] On 28 Aug 1677 Hannah was admitted as a member of the church in Charlestown. [Ref] Three of Thomas's grandchildren were taken into captivity by the Indians. One of them, Zachariah, married an Indian. [Ref]
   some descendants of Thomas Tarball
2. Mary Tarbell died after childbirth on 25 Apr 1676 in Watertown. [Ref] She married Jonathan Sawtell on 3 Jul 1665 in Groton. [Ref][Ref] Jonathan, the son of Richard and Elizabeth Sawtell, was born on 24 Aug 1639 in Watertown. [Ref] He was an original proprietor of Groton in 1661-2. [Ref]
3. Sarah Tarbell was born about 1648. [Ref: she was age 33 in Oct 1681.] She died in 1715 in Salem, a widow. [Ref] She married Cornelius Church on 14 Jun 1670 in Chelmsford. [Ref] Their intention was recorded on 4 Jun in Groton and Sarah's name was incorrectly recorded as "Mary". [Ref]
   Sarah mentions her sister's son James Bennett and Samuel Cutler, Jr. of Salem, who married her sister's daughter [Ref: Sarah Sawtell], in her will. [Ref]
4. Abigail Tarbell married Joshua Whitney.
5. Ens. John Tarbell was born about 1653. He died on 25 Mar 1715, age 62, in Salem Village (now Danvers). [Ref] He married Mary Nurse on 25 Oct 1678 in Salem. [Ref] Mary was the daughter of Francis Nurse and Rebecca Nurse, who was hanged for witchcraft in 1692. [Ref] Mary died on 28 Jun 1749, age 90. [Ref]John and Mary had six children. [Ref]
   John was on a 24 Aug 1676 list of soldiers in King Philip's War. [Ref] John and Mary lived in Salem Village, but as a consequence of the witchcraft persecutions they withdrew from the church there. [Ref]
   some descendants of John Tarbell
6. Elizabeth Tarbell was born on 5 Jan 1656/7. [Ref] She died on 25 Jul 1684. [Ref] She married James Bennett of Charlestown on 4 Feb 1680/1. [Ref]
7. William Tarbell was born on 26 Feb 1658/9. [Ref] "William Tarbell souldier at the Eastward" died in Jun 1693. [Ref, 157;21] He was living on 5 Apr 1681. [Ref] He
   William was on a 24 Aug 1676 list of soldiers in King Philip's War. [Ref]
8. Martha Tarbell married Thomas Mitchell on 18 May 1685 in Salem. [Ref][Ref] She disposed of part of her father's estate on 2 Mar 1682/3. [Ref]

Second Generation

ABIGAIL TARBELL

Parents: Thomas Tarbell and Mary Unknown

Abigail Tarbell married as his third wife Joshua Whitney on 30 Sep 1673. [Ref][Ref]

References

Bodge, George, "Soldiers in King Philip's War," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 41, 1887.

Butler, Caleb, History of the Town of Groton, Boston, T.R. Marvin 1848. Click here to read it on Google Books.

Kellogg, Dale C. and John B. Threfall, "Richard Sawtell of Watertown and some of his Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 126, 1972, 3-16.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

Search, Robert and Helen C. Search, "Garrett Church of Watertown, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 123, 1969, 184.

Wight, Charles Henry, "Thomas Tarbell and some of his Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 61, 1907, 70-75.

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