Abigail Shepard

Other Events and Attributes:

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

Abigail married Peleg Gifford on 27 Apr 1743 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts. Peleg (son of Jonathan Gifford and Lydia Abbott) was born on 14 Aug 1711 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts; died in Jul 1802 in Conway, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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]

Notes:

Baptized into the Mormon church in 1831. He baptized Eleazar Miller, who in turn baptized Brigham Young. His brother Alpheus Gifford baptized Heber C. Kimball.

He was a participant in Zion's Camp, 1834.

In 1835, he was ordained a Seventy and called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy, thus becoming one of the earliest General Authorities of the church.

More about him here.

Levi married Deborah Wing in 1816 in Tioga, Pennsylvania. Deborah (daughter of Prince Wing and Deborah Chase) was born on 5 Apr 1796; died on 15 Mar 1877 in Weston, Franklin, Idaho; was buried in Weston City Cemetery, Weston, Franklin, Idaho. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Covington, Tioga, Pennsylvania is now called Sullivan.

Priscilla married Warner Hoopes on 29 Jul 1840 in Brown, Illinois. Warner (son of Jonathan Hoopes and Rebecca Watts) was born on 29 Oct 1817 in Lewisburg, York, Pennsylvania; died on 13 Feb 1891 in Weston, Franklin, Idaho. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]