Notes |
- John Stevens sailed in April 1638, from Southhampton, England for New England on the ship 'Confidence' with his wife, Elizabeth, his widowed mother, Alice Stevens, his brother William Stevens, and two servants. The number of passengers on this voyage was 110. The names of the two servants who came in the ship 'Confidence' with John & William Stevens
were: John Lowgie & Grace Lowgie. The master of the ship 'Confidence' was John Jobson.
They settled first at Newbury, where Widow Stevens, John & William were proprietors and were allowed pasturing on the ox and cow common, and where John and William were admitted freemen, May 18, 1642.
Newbury was first settled near the Parker river but there was another settlement at Newbury, laid out as early as 1645, nearer the Merrimack
river, where Widow Stevens, John & William received lots of land in exchange for land previously granted at Parker river. Perhaps Widow Alice Stevens was identical with Widow Anne Stevens who was buried at Newbury, July 17, 1650.
William Stevens married & stayed at Newbury, but soon after 1642, John Stevens was one of the Newbury men who accompanied the Rev. Mr.
Woodbridge to Cochichawicke, later called Andover. On an old list of Andover "householders", he was listed as 5th "in order as they came to town". They settled in what is now North Andover Centre. John Stevens'
home seems to have been near the old burying ground which is southeast of the old Bradstreet house, that is still standing. He was one of the
'proprietors' of Andover. He was called 'husbandman' and 'yeoman'. His name appears in the records of the General Court for 1654 as follows:
"John Stevens of Andover, Henry Short of Newbury, and Joseph Jewett of Rowley, a committee chosen to examine into the grounds of a dispute between Haverhill & Salisbury in regards to lands, and to return their apprehensions thereof to this Court".
On the 19th of October, they made an elaborate and minute report of their action in the matter, detailing their surveying, etc. in its full
particulars, and stating their conclusions that former surveyors had made a mistake, by which the land was cut off from Haverhill, to their great prejudice. Their report was accepted.
John Stevens was listed as Sergeant on one of the first records found of a military organization at Andover. This paper bears no date but was placed with papers dating from 1658 to 1659, in the County Court Records.
An idea of the house, estate, and style of living of John Stevens may be obtained from the inventory of his estate taken April 28, 1662.
It listed:-
Imp. - His wearing apparel.
It. - In the hall, two beds with their furniture.
It. - One chest, and foure boxes.
It. - Eight payre of sheets, foure Bolster cases, and three payre of
pillow-bearers.
It. - Three table cloaths, 1 dozen napkins with other sleight things.
It. - One brasse Pott, foure small Kettles, one Skillett, a Scummer,
and warming pan.
It. - One Iron Pott, an iron posnett, two payre of pott hookes, two
trammels, a spitt, a payre of tongs & fire-pan, a payre of
cob-irons with a smoothing iron and a trevett.
It. - Six pewter platters, two brazers, two porringers, foure
drinken cuppes, a salt cellar, a chamber pott, a dozen & a half of
spoones, a latten-pan.
It. - A table board & foure chayres, two cushens, two dozen of
trenchers, half a dozen of dishes.
It. - A muskett, corselett & headpiece, a sword, cutlass, and
halberd.
It. - A Bible with other books.
It. - In the Leanto--Barrels, wheeles, with other lumber.
It. - In the chamber -- bedding.
It. - Wheate, twenty Bushels, Indian corn, ten Bushells.
It. - A bridle & sadle & pommel.
It. - Two flitchers of Bacon.
It. - Baggs. It. - Flax & yarne.
It. - Saws, Axes, prongs with other working tooles.
It. - Eight oxen, It. - Six cows It. - A heifer & two yearlings.
It. - Three calves. It. - Swine It. - A
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