Noah Gifford

Notes:

He may have been born in Sandwich or Dartmouth. We know that his father Peleg removed from Sandwich to Dartmouth by 1742 and returned to Sandwich sometime before 1767. No birth record exists for Noah that would resolve this. Daniels and McLean (citation details below) say "We do not know where this man was born or lived as a child, but he had returned to Sandwich before the date of his marriage as the publishment calls him 'of Sandwich.'"

According to this note, Noah Gifford apparently used the name Samuel Gifford when publishing his marriage intentions regarding Mary Bowerman. This is not quite accurate. The handwritten register of Falmouth marriage intentions viewable here on ancestry.com (requires login) quite unambiguously says "Noah Gifford of Sandwich & Mary Bowerman of Falmouth Published for marriage 5th June". A later hand appends "1784?" The year seems likely given that the entry is between entries both of which say "1784" in the original hand. However, a different handwritten list of actual Falmouth marriages shows Mary Bowerman of Falmouth marrying "Samuel Gifford of Sandwich" on 26 Jun 1784, by "Nathaniel [Shiverick? - not entirely legible], Justice." It is notable that this latter document appears to be a compilation from earlier records, rather than an ongoing ledger.

His death date is unknown to us. Many sites show him dying in Conway, Massachusetts in 1802, with no proof. The 1790 census of Conway shows him alive there at that time. The town records of Westport, Massachusetts show a Noah Gifford dying there in 1835 at the age of 77, which would be about right for this Noah, but according to Mayflower Births and Deaths this was a different Noah Gifford, the one that married Martha Hathaway.

Noah married Mary Bowerman after 5 Jun 1784 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts. Mary (daughter of Judah Bowerman and Mary Dillingham) was born on 10 Oct 1758 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts; died between 1834 and 1835. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Levi Gifford was born on 15 Aug 1789 in Conway, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died on 4 Mar 1860 in Moroni, Sanpete, Utah.

Peleg married Abigail Shepard on 27 Apr 1743 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts. Abigail (daughter of Daniel Shepherd and Mary Sherman) was born about 1725 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts; died on 24 Jan 1808 in Conway, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 24 Feb 1725, Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 14 May 1684

Jonathan married Lydia Abbott on 3 Aug 1708 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts. Lydia (daughter of John Abbott and Lydia Wing) was born about 1687 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts; died after 25 Jan 1772. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 29 Jan 1688, Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island

Notes:

First schoolmaster in Dartmouth.

Daniel married Mary Sherman. Mary (daughter of William Sherman and Martha Wilbor) was born in of Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 28 May 1694, Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 9 Apr 1687, Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts
• Alternate death: Bef 9 Mar 1688, Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts

Notes:

"He may have left Sandwich temporarily to escape heavy fines for refusing to take the Oath of Fidelity, the first being £5 on 2 Oct. 1658, due to his Quaker practices. In Oct. 1660 he was fined the huge sum of £57 for his continuing refusal to take the Oath of Fidelity and for attending Quaker Meeting. He owned land in Sandwich, Falmouth and Dartmouth, and was styled as a 'taylor" in deeds from 1670." [Ancestral Lines, citation details below]

William married Mary Mills on 16 Jul 1683 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts. Mary (daughter of John Mills and Sarah) was born about 1642; died after 1733. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 10 Feb 1734

John married Lydia Wing between Sep 1683 and 1685. Lydia (daughter of Daniel Wing and Hannah Swift) was born on 28 May 1647 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts; died between 11 Jun 1704 and 1714. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Daniel Wing, Senior, of Sandwich, had a daughter Lydia who was a most remarkable rebel against the conventional lifestyle in her family and town. [Following the death of her first husband, Thomas Hambleton,] she returned to Sandwich about 1677 at age 30 with two small sons born in Rhode Island, and lived with these boys in a primitive hovel previously used by Indian women tending to summer crops on open planting fields. This was unheard-of, and furthermore, the land had not been granted to her or to anyone. (This field where she settled is now the park around the Military Museum at Heritage Plantation of Sandwich.) Her living here was a matter of deep embarrassment to her father and to the Quaker community, who gave her gifts of shoes, com, wool and cash, and would have found her a proper house, but she refused to move. Her story continues to her death at about 57, a rebel to the end." [From Sandwich: A Cape Cod Town by R. A. Lovell, Jr. Sandwich, Massachusetts: Town of Sandwich, 2015. The reader will be excused for rolling their eyes at the racist language about "Indian women" and their "primitive hovel." As we now know, native Americans in New England were far more sophisticated agriculturalists than the immigrant Europeans realized.]

Notes:

"The Shepherds were not Friends, but living so near the Meeting-House they gradually became 'somewhat convinced of the truth' and later a famous Friend Minister was called to the home of Mary Bryce Shepherd who was gravely ill and died apparently in the faith. Later on, her husband and family all joined the sect which worshipped so near to them, and where they neighbors gathered on First and Fifth days." [Wing Family of America rootsweb tree]

"Daniel Shepherd was chosen the first school master in old Dartmouth. He was said to be a near relative of that 'sweete, gratious, heavenly-minded, soul-ravishing minister,' Mr. Thomas Shepherd, as he was ecstatically described." ["Five Johns of Old Dartmouth," by William A. Wing.]

Daniel married Mary BrycePortsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island. Mary was born about 1662. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Martha Wilbor on 12 May 1681 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island. Martha (daughter of William Wilbore and Martha) was born about 1662 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]