Abby Family of New England

Original content abstracted from “A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England by James Savage”. Any changes and/or additions that have been made are copyrighted by AccessGenealogy.

Variants: ABBY, ABBEY, ABBEE, or ABEY

John Abby, Salem

An early settler of New England, born about 1613, if age at death is any indication, died late in life, 1689-90. Probably arrived in 1635 aboard the bonaventure. In Salem in 1637, when grant of land was made to him, of Reading later, and freeman 1685, then called senior.

John Abby, Wenham

Born about 1636, probably in Salem, son of the John preceding; died suddenly in 1700, leaving widow Hannah, and child Richard, b. 9 Feb. 1683; prob. others. Moved from Wenham about 1696 to Windham, Connecticut, where he was admitted freeman, and called senior. He and wife, Hannah, were members of the first church in Windham at it’s organization on 10 December 1700. John died the day following. Hannah is perhaps the widow of Richard Goldsmith of Wenham. She married 3rd, Jonathan Jennings, Sr. of Windham and died 24 Mar 1724. John married 1st ________ ________. Isaac Goodale called John Abbe his Uncle.

Children by first wife:

1. John Abbe, b. 5 May 1665; d. 15 May 1665.
2. John Abbe, b. 15 Dec 1666; probably died young.
3. Thomas Abbe, b. 1667; probably died young.
4. Joseph Abbe, b. Aug 1673; m. Abigail Severence.
5. Obadiah Abbe, b. abt 1675; m. Elizabeth Wilkinson.
6. Abigail Abbe, b. abt 1677; m. 18 Mar 1701, Daniel Sabin of Windham, Connecticut.

Children by second wife:

1. Richard Abbe, b. 9 Feb 1682-3; m. Mary Jennings.
2. Mary Abbe, b. 16 Sep 1684; m. James Pease.
3. Mercy Abbe, b. 5 Mar 1689; d. 5 Dec 1771; m. in Windham, 11 Dec 1734, as his third wife, Nathaniel Flint of Windham.
4. John Abbe, b. 20 Apr 1691; m. (1) Mary Bingham; m. (2) Mary Palmer; m. (3) Abigail (Cary) Ripley; m. (4) Mrs. Sarah Dodge.
5. Hannah Abbe, b. 13 Aug 1693; m. Thomas Welch.
6. Lydia Abbe, b. 21 May, 1696; m. Benjamin Bidlack.
7. Sarah Abbe, b. 11 Mar 1699 in Windham; m. 11 Apr 1729, John Welch of Windham. They moved to Plainfield, Connecticut.

Matthew Abby, Boston

Came in the Abigail, 1635, from London, was a fisherman; by wife Tabitha, daughter of Robert Reynolds of Boston who d. 1661, had Mary, b. 24 May 1648; and Tabitha, 24 Nov. 1652; beside Matthew, named in the will of his grandfather Robert. He next m. 24 May 1662, Alice Cox, perhaps daughter of Moses of Hampton. His son followed the same trade, was so poor, that the petty bequests in his will are hardly to be thought unfairly caricatured in the humorous poem by Rev. John Seccombe, with the title of Father Abby’s will, of which in the admired book, Cyclopedia of Amer. Literature, by Duyckincks, Vol. I. 126, is extract.

Obadiah Abby, Enfield

1682, m. Sarah, widow of Joseph Warriner, to whom she was second wife had no children to be named in his will, 1752, the year he died.

Samuel Abby, Wenham

Perhaps brother of John of the same location, d. 1698, leaving widow Mary, and children Mary, aged 25; Samuel, 23; Thomas, 20; Eleazer, 18; Ebenezer, 16; Mercy, 14; Sarah, 13; Hepzibah, 10; Abigail, 8; John, 7; Benjamin, 6; and Jonathan, 2. His widow m. Abraham Mitchell. He was of Salem village now Danvers, when admitted freeman 1690. Only the youngest child was born at Wenham and some discrepancies from the probate record as to the ages of most of the children is furnished me (by Mr. Felt) in the record of birth as that Ebenezer was b. 31 July 1683 ; Mary, 1 Mar. 1685 ; Sarah, 6 July 1686; Hepzibah, 14 Feb. 1689; Abigail, 19 Nov. 1690; John, 4 June 1692; and Benjamin, 4 June 1694.

Thomas Abby, Enfield

Perhaps brother of Obadiah, had Sarah, b. 31 Mar. 1684; Thomas, 1686; Mary, 3 Feb. 1689, who died before her father and John 1692; beside Tabitha. He d. 1728, leaving wife Sarah, and in his will of Dec. 1720, she and the two sons are named as also two daughters, called Sarah Geer and Abigail Warner. His son Thomas had son Obadiah, and Thomas; and John had John, Thomas, Daniel, and Richard; but probably no grandchildren ought here to be insert.