Marblehead in 1700 - The Marblehead Museum and Historical Society

†Essex Registry of Deeds, book 2, leaf 60.
‡Essex Registry of Deeds, book 2, leaf 119.
§ Essex Registry of Deeds, book 2, leaf 127.
||Essex Registry of Deeds, book 13, leaf 264.
Essex Registry of Deeds, book 16, leaf 28.
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**Essex Registry of Deeds, book 17, leaf 44.
†† Essex Registry of Deeds, book 17, leaf 45.
‡‡Essex Registry of Deeds, book 39, leaf 191.
§§ Essex Registry of Deeds, book 94, leaf 117.
William Waters House. Upon this lot before 1695 stood the town pound ; and upon its site William
Waters of Marblehead built a house before Jan. 23, 1695-6, when the trustees of the commoners granted the
land to him.* Mr. Waters was a cordwainer and innholder. He died in the spring of 1703, his will, dated March
16, 1702-3, being proved April 12, 1703. His widow and executrix of his will, Mrs. Mary Waters, for one
hundred and twenty-five pounds, conveyed to James Hawkins of Marblehead, slaughterer and tailor, the land
and house which was then known as "Mr. Waters' new house," Jan. 29, 1710-l.† Mr. Hawkings, for one
hundred and twenty pounds, conveyed the estate to Col. John Legg of Marblehead, merchant, May 20, 1715.‡
John Legg, esq., of Marblehead, for a similar consideration, reconveyed the house and land to Mr. Hawkings
May 20, 1718.§ Mr. Hawkings still lived in the house, and these two conveyances probably constituted a
mortgage and release. Mr. Hawkings conveyed the estate to Edward Brattle, esq., of Marblehead, merchant,
May 21, 1718.§ Mr. Brattle died in the autumn of 1719, and his widow and executrix, Mrs. Mary Brattle,
reconveyed it to Mr. Hawkins April 18, 1720;|| and on the next day Mr. Hawkins conveyed the estate to
Mrs. Brattle.|| Mr. Hawkins died before July 18, 1727, when administration upon his estate was granted to his
widow Elizabeth Hawkins and Jacob Hawkins. The dwelling house, slaughter-house and land were then
appraised at three hundred and fifty pounds. The estate was insolvent, and Mrs. Hawkins, as widow and
administratrix of the deceased, Mrs. Brattle having probably released the estate to her, conveyed it to Nathan
Bowen of Marblehead, scrivener, May 4, 1732.* The estate then consisted of the dwelling house, in which
the grantee was then living, and the barn and slaughter-house. Captain Bowen had his office in that part of
the house next the street. He died, possessed of the house and land, Dec. 23, 1776, at the age of seventy-nine.
He devised his mansion house, barn and houseland to his widow Mary Bowen during her widowhood, and
then absolutely to his children, Edward, Ashley, Sarah, Abigail, Elizabeth and Anna. The mansion house,
barn, shop and land were then appraised at four hundred pounds. Nov. 19, 1791, the kitchen part of the
house and chamber and garret over it and a part of the land was set off on execution in a suit at law brought
against the estate by Anna Prince, daughter of Mr. Bowen and widow and executrix of the will of her husband,
Capt. John Prince of Marblehead.† She was in turn sued by Thomas Power of Marblehead, mariner, and to
satisfy the judgment which he recovered against her in the action the same portion of the estate was set off to
him June 15, 1795.‡ Mr. Power, for twenty-four pounds, conveyed this same portion of the house and land
to Edward Bowen, esq., of Marblehead, son of Nathan Bowen, the deceased, July 8, 1795.§ The remainder
of the estate of Nathan Bowen was divided March 9, 1793, when the southwestern end of "the mansion house"
and office and land under that part of the house was released to his son Edward Bowen, the lower part of
the northeastern part of the house and land at that end to his daughter Sarah Stiles, and the upper part of
the northeastern part of .the house and land at that end to his daughter Abigail Wight.|| Mrs. Stiles was a
widow and resident of Marblehead Oct. 12, 1795, when, for fifty dollars, she conveyed her part of the house
and land to her brother Edward Bowen. Mrs. Wight was a widow, also of Marblehead, and she conveyed
her part of the house and land to her daughter Abigail Pousland of Marblehead, widow, Feb. 14 1807.*
Mrs. Pousland conveyed it to Isaac Stone, mason, and Nathaniel Ramsdell, mariner, both of Marblehead, Jan. 5
1820 † Mr. Stone conveyed his interest in it to Mr. Ramsdell Oct. 19, 1835‡ and Mr. Ramsdell conveyed
his entire interest to Sarah, wife of Samuel Thompson of Marblehead fisherman, deceased, Nov. 12,1836.§
Capt. Edward Bowen died, possessed of his part of the estate, Oct. 5, 1796, having devised it to his sons
Nathan, William, James and Edward, and daughter Sarah. The west end of the mansion house and land
were then appraised at nine hundred and fifty dollars, and the easterly lower part of the house and the
land under it at three hundred dollars. The estate was divided March 24, 1803 and the western end of
the house and land, except the kitchen and land under it (which was assigned to his son William), was
assigned to his son Nathan Bowen, esq., and the rest of the house and land owned by the deceased to his
son William Bowen for his life and then to his children. Nathan Bowen, for three hundred dollars, conveyed
his part of the estate to Jacob Woodberry of Beverly mariner, June 23, 1821.|| and Mr. Woodberry, who
continued to live in Beverly, but had become a merchant, for six hundred and nine dollars, conveyed his