Marblehead in 1700 - The Marblehead Museum and Historical Society

John Legg Lot. This lot was owned by John Legg of Marblehead at the time of his death, in 1674. In
his will he devised his real estate, after the decease of his widow Elizabeth, to his three sons, Samuel, John
and Daniel. Daniel died without issue before March 16, 1690, when the surviving sons, Capt. Samuel Legg
of Boston, mariner, and John Legg of Marblehead, merchant, divided the real estate. This lot was assigned to
John, who continued to own it for many years after 1700.
Estate, of Francis Collins Lot. Francis Collins owned this lot in 1657, and died, possessed of it, in 1689,
when it was valued at sixty pounds. It belonged to his estate in 1700.
Thomas Pitman House. Richard Hide of Salem, carpenter, conveyed this lot, with the house and barn thereon,
to Thomas Pitman of Marblehead, fisherman, Nov. 4, 1657.† Mr. Pitman died in the summer of 1694, having,
in his will, devised this lot of land and the housing to his son Thomas Pitman. This estate was then appraised
at one hundred and twenty pounds. Thomas Pitman, jr., died in June, 1736, at the age of ninety-four, having,
in his will devised this estate to his daughter Sarah, wife of John Ingalls. How long the house was standing
after this time is unknown.
†Essex Registry of Deeds, book 4, leaf 4.
William Beale Lot. That part of this lot of land which lies westerly of the western dashes was granted by
the town of Salem to Henry Harwood of Salem, who sold it, for eighteen pounds, to William Stratton (who was
"mafter of ship of Briftow yt then vfed this contry"* in 1674) July 10, 1649.† Mr. Stratton sold it to William
Payne and Richard Russell; and they immediately erected at the brook in the cove a gristmill, the first in the
town of Marblehead, which had just been incorporated as a town. Robert Knight testified in Salem court, 29: 9:
1674, that the mill at Frogmorton's cove was built twenty-four or twenty-five years before.‡
William Beale of Marblehead hired the mill while it was owned by Messrs. Payne and Russell, until they
sold out to Joseph Jewett of Rowley, merchant, and also after Mr. Jewett had acquired the title to it. Mr. Jewett
conveyed the lot of land and corn mill with the buildings, ponds, dams, stones, utensils, implements, etc., to
John Bradstreet of Marblehead June 28, 1658.§ Mr. Bradstreet died in 1660, a young man, and his real estate
descended to his brother Moses Bradstreet of Ipswich and sisters Hannah, wife of Nicholas Holt of Andover,
Martha, wife of William Beale of Marblehead, Mary, wife of John Kimball of Ipswich, wheelwright, Sarah, wife of
Nicholas Wallis of Ipswich, and Rebecca, wife of George Bonfield of Marblehead. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Wallis
conveyed her seventh part to George Bonfield; and Moses conveyed his seventh to Mr. Bonfield. Mr. and Mrs.
Bonfield (he was then a fisherman) conveyed the two-sevenths that he had bought and the one-seventh she
inherited from her brother John Bradstrteet to William Beale of Marblehead, the deceased's brother-in-law,
Dec. 8, 1674.|| The mill was then gone, "ye old mill place" being mentioned in the deed.
That part of the lot lying between the dashes was granted by the town of Salem to Thomas Tuck of Salem,
smith, before July 5, 1658, when, for three pounds and ten shillings, he conveyed it to William Beale.
That part of the lot lying easterly of the eastern dashes belonged to Mr. Beale in 1658. Mr. Beale died,
possessed of the entire lot, in the spring of 1694, having devised it in his will to his eight children, Samuel (the
eldest), William, John, Aaron, Ebenezer, Martha, Elizabeth and Thomas. The daughter Elizabeth Beale
conveyed her interest in the land to her brother William Beale of Marblehead, Dec. 13, 1699,* and the other
heirs probably released their interest to him at about the same time. He owned the estate until the summer of
1711, when he died.
*Salem Quarterly Court Files, volume 24, leaf 8.
†Essex Registry of Deeds, book 1, leaf 7.
‡Salem Quarterly Court Files, volume 24, leaf 8.
§Essex Registry of Deeds, book 2, leaf 31.
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||Essex Registry of Deeds, book 7, leaf 80.
Essex Registry of Deeds, book 2, leaf 82.
*Essex Registry of Deeds, book 30, leaf 197.
Jane Flinder Lot. This lot of land was conveyed by William Dixey of Salem to Henry Harwood of Salem,
April 20, 1640.† Mr. Harwood died in the spring of 1664, having in a nuncupative will expressed, on the afternoon
of the day he died, his wish that his estate should be for the use of his wife as long as she lived and then be
divided between his niece Jane, wife of Richard Flinder, and his wife's daughter Elizabeth, wife of Matthew
Nixon. This became the property of Mrs. Flinder, and she owned it in 1700.
†Essex Registry of Deeds, book 6, leaf 39.
William Beale Lot. This lot belonged to Richard Hollingworth in 1650; and he died possessed of it in 1654.
John Gedney of Salem, vintner, and his wife Katherine, for five pounds, conveyed it to Adam Westgate of