Close this window to return to the previous page

Samuel's first father-in-law, Sergeant Elijah Estabrooks II

Samuel Henry Alline Hartt married Mary Estabrooks.  Mary's father, Sergeant Elijah Estabrooks II, was born in 1728, in Enfield, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  He was buried in 1796 in Canning, Queens County, NB, in the Garrison Graveyard.  

Elijah spent his latter years with his son John at Swan Creek on the west side of the Saint John River near Upper Gagetown.  It is said there were two things he used to pray for; one was that he should never be sick and, the other, that he should die at his work.  He used to pound grain for the chickens in a mortar.  One summer afternoon, in 1796, after working for a while, he lay back in his chair and covered his face with his hat.  His grandchildren, who were playing nearby, thought he was asleep.  But, when they went to awaken him for supper, they found that he had died. 

In Captain Israel Herrick's Company, Colonel Jedediah Prebble's Regiment in 1758, Sergeant Elijah was stationed at Lake Champlain.  He fought at Ticonderoga, NY., and was discharged on November 7, 1758.  But, he re-enlisted on April 6, 1759, and was sent to Halifax, NS where he remained until November 25, 1760.  

Elijah's family remained in Boxford, Massachusetts.  After being discharged, he returned to Boxford on December 15, 1760.  He, then, moved his family to Halifax and on to Cornwallis, NS.  In 1763, he went up the St John River to find his lot.  On 18 Oct 1765, he was employed by Simonds, Hazen and White who operated a fur trading post and fishery at Portland Point, St John, NB.  

In 1773, he settled in Conway Township at the mouth of the river (St John now) on 250 acres of land. By August 1, 1775, he had cleared and improved seven acres and built a log house on lot 5 next to the ship building plant.  Lot 6 was owned by Zebedee Ring, his son in law.  He moved from St. John to Gagetown, in Queens County, during the American Revolution.  

Elijah joined the Cumberland party, led by Colonel Jonathan Eddy,  to help the American Revolution by trying to take Fort Cumberland.  On June 20, 1783, a survey party sent up the river recorded that he had a wife and eight children, a log house with two rooms, and twelve-acres cleared.  The family moved from Gagetown in 1787 across the river to Cambridge Parish in Queens County, near Jemseg, where he was granted lot 32 on the Jemseg River and  58 acres.  He was granted lot 25 with 61.5 acres on January 13, 1787. 

Close this window to return to the previous page