M. (1) 22 Jul 1709 in Providence, Rhode Island2
Husband: Thomas Hunt
M. (2) 6 Jan 1716 in Andover, Massachusetts3
Husband: Ephraim Abbott
M. (3) 1 Aug 1749 in (probably) Massachusetts4
Husband: John Dane
D. before 31 Dec 1760 in (probably) Andover, Massachusetts5
Sarah Crosby had a remarkable story for a girl in colonial New England: she married, had a child, and lost her husband all before her 16th birthday. Sarah was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on June 12, 1694 to Joseph Crosby and Sarah French, the second of their 12 children.1 The Crosby family wasn’t prominent in the community, and unlike many men, Sarah’s father never served on Billerica’s town council. By the time Sarah was 14, her family’s house was becoming crowded; nine children were under the roof, and as the oldest girl, she likely played a big role in looking after them.
It was at this time, a 20-year-old man named Thomas Hunt came into her life, and Sarah herself became pregnant. Was it a consensual relationship? This is unknown, but even if it was rape, Sarah was in trouble. In Massachusetts, unmarried women who gave birth could be dragged into court, exposing their situation to the community, and if convicted, they might be publicly whipped or imprisoned.
So it was decided that Sarah and Thomas would get married. Perhaps because of the scandalous nature of their engagement, the couple travelled far from home to exchange vows, and the ceremony took place in Providence, Rhode Island on July 22, 1709.2 It isn’t known if the bride and groom had any family in attendance, and Sarah’s mother certainly wasn’t there because she delivered a child the next day.6 The man presiding over the event was Joseph Jenckes, who held the office of “assistant,” a sort of colonial judge; a few years later, he became governor of Rhode Island.7
Joseph Jenckes, who performed Sarah's marriage to Thomas Hunt.
The newlyweds had only six weeks together, because for some unknown reason Thomas died on September 16th.8 Sarah had her baby on November 20th,9 and she presumably continued living in the home of her parents. It wasn’t until 1716 that she married again, this time to a man named Ephraim Abbott. The wedding was on January 6th in the town of Andover,3 and afterwards they made their home there. Sarah gave birth just two months after the wedding,10 suggesting that once again, she was pregnant before she got married. Between 1716 and 1737, Sarah had eleven more children, with only one child who died young.
Sarah’s second husband passed away on June 8, 1748,11 and with several children still underaged, she married a third time. Husband number three was a widower named John Dane, and their wedding was on August 1, 1749.4 This was the last record of Sarah; her death date isn’t known, but when her third husband wrote his will on December 31, 1760,5 she wasn’t mentioned and it can be presumed that she had died before then.
Child by Thomas Hunt:
1. Sarah Hunt — B. 20 Nov 1709, Billerica, Massachusetts;9 D. 18 Nov 1745, Tewksbury, Massachusetts;12 M. John Whiting (1699-1775), 9 Mar 172713
Children by Ephraim Abbott:
1. Sarah Abbott — B. 8 Mar 1716, Andover, Massachusetts;10 D. 5 Mar 1814, Andover, Massachusetts;10 M. Samuel Gray (1711-1813), 8 Sep 1736, Andover, Massachusetts10
2. Ephraim Abbott — B. 22 Jul 1718, Andover, Massachusetts;14 D. after 1 Jan 1764, (probably) Amherst, New Hampshire;15 M. (1) Mary Abbott (1724-1744), 3 Nov 1740, Andover Massachusetts;16 (2) Mary Nealand (1721-1767), 1 Feb 174517
3. Mary Abbott — B. 9 Jul 1720, Andover, Massachusetts;18 M. Robert Read (1720-1803), 11 May 1743, Andover, Massachusetts10
4. Joshua Abbott — B. 1 Oct 1722, Andover, Massachusetts;19 D. 11 Feb 1772, Amherst, New Hampshire;20 M. Phebe Ingalls (1730-?), 27 Feb 1749, Andover, Massachusetts21
5. Daniel Abbott — B. 14 Sep 1724, Andover, Massachusetts;10 M. Lydia Henfield (1726-?), 21 May 1752, Andover, Massachusetts22
6. Elizabeth Abbott — B. 29 Jun 1726, Andover, Massachusetts;23 D. 18 Dec 1819;23 M. Asa Abbott (1721-1797), 20 Sep 1744, Andover, Massachusetts24
7. Josiah Abbott — B. 26 Sep 1728, Andover, Massachusetts;25 D. Dec 1777, Hillsborough, New Hampshire;10 M. Hannah Hobbs (1729-?), about 1752, Amherst, New Hampshire10
8. Ebenezer Abbott — B. 20 Feb 1731, Andover, Massachusetts;26 D. 19 Dec 1771;10 M. Lydia Farrington (1735-1777), 1 Jan 1752, Andover, Massachusetts27
9. Martha Abbott — B. 31 Mar 1733, Andover, Massachusetts;28 D. 24 Apr 1733, Andover, Massachusetts29
10. Peter Abbott — B. 8 May 1734, Andover, Massachusetts;30 D. 18 Apr 1774, Kingston, New Hampshire;31 M. Elizabeth Holt (~1733-1822), 22 Sep 1757, Andover, Massachusetts32
11. Martha Abbott — B. 13 Jul 1737, Andover, Massachusetts;33 D. 13 Aug 1773, Amherset, New Hampshire;33 M. Archelaus Towne (1734-1779), 1757, Milford, New Hampshire10
Sources:
1 Birth record of Sarah Crosby, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2 The Early Records of the Town of Providence, Vol. 5, 1894
3 Marriage record of Ephraim Abbott and Sarah Hunt, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
4 Marriage record of John Dane and Sarah Abbott, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
5 Essex County, Massachusetts, probate records and indexes 1638-1916, FamilySearch.org
6 Birth record of Deborah Crosby, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
7 Joseph Jenckes (governor) (Wikipedia article)
8 Death record of Thomas Hunt, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
9 Birth record of Sarah Hunt, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
10 The Essex Antiquarian, Vol. 1. No. 3, 1897
11 A genealogical register of the descendants of George Abbot of Andover, Abiel Abbott and Ephraim Abbott, 1847
12 Death record of Sarah Whiting, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
13 Marriage record of John Whiting and Sarah Hunt, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
14 DAR website entry for Ephraim Abbott
15 Birth record of Daniel Abbott (Ephraim’s son), New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900, FamilySearch.org
16 Marriage record of Ephraim Abbott and Mary Abbott, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
17 Marriage record of Ephraim Abbott and Mary Nealand, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
18 Birth record of Mary Abbott, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
19 Birth record of Joshua Abbott, Massachusetts Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, FamilySearch.org
20 Death record of Joshua Abbott, N.H.B.R.
21 Marriage record of Joshua Abbott and Phebe Ingalls, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
22 Marriage record of Daniel Abbott and Lydia Henfield, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
23 Find-A-Grave listing for Elizabeth Abbott
24 Marriage record of Asa Abbott and Elizabeth Abbott, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
25 Birth record of Josiah Abbott, M.T. & V.R.
26 Birth record of Ebenezer Abbott, M.T. & V.R.
27 Marriage record of Ebenezer Abbott and Lydia Farrington, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
28 Birth record of Martha Abbott, M.T. & V.R.
29 Death record of Martha Abbott, Massachusetts, Town Death Records, FamilySearch.org
30 Birth record of Peter Abbott, M.T. & V.R.
31 Death record of Peter Abbott, New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947, FamilySearch.org
32 Marriage record of Peter Abbott and Elizabeth Damon, Mass., T. C. V. & T. R.
33 Find-A-Grave listing for Martha (Abbott) Towne
