August 18, 2007
SHERBURNE, Mary
I am in Australia and seeking information on Mary Sherburne, her issue and her ancestors. My husband descends from her son Joseph Waldo Rice but other than names, I do not any information on the other children or her heritage. What I have to date is: Mary Sherburne b. August 1797, d. February 1887. According to her gravestone at Arbvitae (Triangle) Cemetery, Lincoln, MA. m 20 May 1820, Littleton, Henry Rice.
The death entry fro Mary lists her father as Samuel and his birthplace as Pelham. In the 1850 Census of Lincoln, MA there is a Joanna Sherburne living with them and at her death of 1880 states her father as Samuel and his place of birth as Gloucester. This assumes that Mary and Joanna were sisters, or that both had a father called Samuel. In 1850 Mary was aged 53 and Joanna 46.
We are looking at the possibility that the parents for Mary were Samuel Sherburne b. 1768 Gloucester, MA and Sarah / sally Read. 24 June 1794 Middlesex, MA
If anyone is able to assist me I would be most grateful.
Carol Russell
August 22, 2007
Gardner, Benjamin
I am seeking the identity/ancestry of Benjamin Gardner of Salem. There are too many Gardner's, especially Benjamin Gardner's to sift through!
He is mentioned repeatedly in The Diary of William Bentley, D.D.: Pastor of the East Church, Salem, Massachusetts By William Bentley. Apparently he was a great friend of Rev, Bentley, who wrote of him often in his diary, but did not elaborate on his ancestry, but did mention his children and wives. He was a rope maker in partnership with Josiah Gaines. Bentley said he was of Boston, yet moved to Marblehead when the war started, and then to Salem fro twenty years.
My Benjamin Gardner/Gardiner was born about 1720 probably in Boston. He died 07 Jun 1797 in Salem, listed in the Salem Vital records. He was apparently married twice, first to Sarah Randall (possibly Kendall) b. 16 Oct 1729 in Boston to Stephen Randall and Sarah Cannon, married on 10 Oct 1751 at the West Church, Boston. she died in 1781 in Salem according to Bentley's diary. they had at least three children, Mary, Benjamin and Sarah. I am descended of Mary, who married Abijah Hitchings.
His second wife was Mary Briers of Marblehead. they were married on 02 Nov 1782 in Salem. She died 06 Apr 1787 in Salem. She was previously married to a Fergusson and a Bassett according to the VRs (but I don't know who they were)
Thank you,
Heather Wilkinson Rojo