History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 1 87
1705, 1707 and 1 710, and was several times moderator of town
meetings. He was chosen assessor in 1694 and grand juror in
1695, and his name is frequently mentioned on the records.
He lived at "Jamaco" and was opposed to building the meet-
ing-house at the parsonage in 1 715, probably because but One
house was to be built, and that too far off. Thomas and Jere-
miah offered to give a quarter acre of land to set the meeting-
house on at Jamaco in 1721, near Thomas Bettel's, on the
country road. The first mention of his name on the record is
in 1678, when he was chosen to define the bounds of highways.
He sued the town in 1679, anc^ Capt. Foot was chosen to de-
fend the suit; and he was constable in 1685. The exact time
when he settled in Amesbury is not known. He was born in
Wales and probably came over when a young man, and, it is
said, served seven years for his passage to America. He had
a brother Jeremiah living in x\mesbury, who probably came over
at the same time. In his will he mentioned his son, William,
and daughters, Jane Ford, Mary Colby,* Hannah Ring and Mar-
garet Challis.f He gave his son William forty acres of land
near Country pond, and mentioned his grandson, Thomas, son
of Jeremiah. He was a farmer, and said he was old, in his
will.
Sept. 3d. Bathsheba Foot, wife of Capt. John Foot, died.
On the ancient account book of David Blasdell is an account
of an earthquake on the 29th of October, at 10 p. m., which
he calls the " first Earquake."
Capt. Richard Kelley also mentions this earthquake in his
diary, as follows :
—
" In y e yeare 1727, October 29, about ten of y e clock, it being
Sabath day night, was the Grate earthquake which was extrode-
nery loud and hard as awaked many out of sleep, the housen
did shake & windows ratel and puter and dishes clater on y e
shelves & y e tops of many chimneys fell of & maney ware so
shatered as that people ware fain to take them down and new
build them again."
Married Isaac Colby, Sept. 23d, 1706.
fMarried William Challis previous to April 15, 1699.