NEBRASKA AND MIDWEST GENEALOGICAL RECORD; VOLUME 10; PART 1; JAN., 1932 ARTICLE: SOME DESCENDANTS OF GEORGE SEXTON OF WESTFIELD, MASS. PAGES 3 -6 As transcribed by the submitters from the original publication. Submitted to the USGenWeb Nebraska Archives, February, 1998, by Ted and Carole Miller (susieque@pacbell.net). USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial researchers, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for presentation in any form by any other organization or individual. 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(a) At that time he bought of Thomas Cooper two parcels of meadow and upland at Waranoke [called Westfield since 1669]. He is supposed to have been born about 1618. The apparent ages of his sons would place his birth at not later than 1635. One theory as to the origin of George Sexton seems worthy of further investigation. The Sextons of Limerick, Ireland, were Protestants and undoubtedly of English ancestry. During the famous siege of Limerick by Ireton in 1651, some of the inhabitants fled to America, among them, it is said, Edmund Fanning and George Sexton. In the Irish probate records is the will of a "James Sexten, Lemerick, Burgess," lated December 14, 1669; sons, George, Symen, Patrick, Joseph, Stephen, and a daughter Joane, to whom are left certain legacies in case the estate be recovered. If George Sexton was an Irish refugee, it is easy to understand why the records of Windsor have so little to say concerning his presence there. Living in a community where lids neighbors were partisans of Cromwell and hence potential enemies, he would be content to live safe from further persecution. He would not be likely to become an adherent of the church organization that had been responsible for loss of property and kinsmen, a tyranny from which he had barely escaped with his life. Hence he could not become a freeman, or a citizen, and a real member of the community. No record has been discovered showing that he had his children baptized. It is possible too that on coming to America he moved from place to place and that his stay at Windsor was brief. Because George Sexton lived at Windsor for a time, it has been said that he was a brother of "Richard Saxston." This seems unlikely, for the two families did not use the same ------- (a) Deeds, Vol. I, p. 33, Hall of Records, Springfield, Mass. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 THE NEBRASKA AND MIDWEST baptismal names. It is more likely that he was a nephew or even a more distant relative. It is possible that the similarity of surnames was merely a coincidence. Between 1663 and 1666 George Sexton removed to Westfield, Massachusetts, (b) where he was one of the first three permanent settlers. His life at Westfield was not without its troubles. On September 24, 1678, George Sexton and his wife were called before the county court for "abusive words and actions to Samuel Root, constable." He became straightened in circumstances and at last was compelled to mortgage his lands and crops to pay his debts. On January 25, 1687/8, he sold his housing and lands at Westfield for £160 to his sons, Joseph and Benjamin, (c) and before October 30, 1690, he had died leaving an estate valued at £49, 10 shillings. (d) It seems probable that George Sexton was never reconciled to the church in New England, but Katherine, his wife, was admitted to the church at Westfield, July 13, 1682. She died September 19, 1689. The names of six sons are known, but the order of their birth is uncertain. There may have been other children not recorded. There has been considerable discussion as to the proper spelling of this surname. In the early records of George Sexton and his family, the name was almost always spelled as given here. After the family had scattered, many branches, either by accident or design, adopted the spelling "Saxton." Children of George and Katherine (--------) Sexton: i. George, b. about 1658, m. about 1679, (e) Hannah ---- ; living at Newton, Long Island, Oct. 30, 1690. (c) 2. ii. James. iii. Daniel, m. Dec. 28, 1680, (e) Sarah Bancroft; said to have removed to Long Island and died 1710. iv. Joseph, b. Feb. 3, 1666; d. May 3, 1742; m. Nov. 20, 1690, Hannah Wright; lived at Enfleld, Conn. (h) v. Benjamin, b. Dec. 10, 1667 at Westfield; d. Apr. 8, 1754, at Westfield; (b) m. Mrs. Mary ( Strong) Pixley. vi. John, b. May 26, 1673; probably d. young. 2. James2 SEXTON (GEORGE1) was born about 1660, or perhaps earlier. He may have been older than his brother George. Early in life he removed with his parents to Westfield, Massachusetts, where he lived the remainder of his life. He married, first, April 29, 1680, Hannah Fowler, daughter ----------------------------------------------------------------- (b) "April 8, 1764, died Benjamin Sexton, aged 88, who was the first white person born in the town." Journal. of Rev. John Ballantine. New England Historical and Genealogical Record, Vol. VI, p. 265. If his son Joseph was born Feb. 3, 1666, and his son Benjamin was the first white child born at Westfield, the date of his removal would be 1666 or 1667. (c) Deed Book, Springfield, Mass., Vol. II, p. 73. (d) Hampden County, Mass., Probate Records, Book A. (e) Charles Sexton, apparently his oldest son, was born Sept. 9, 1680. Vital Records of Westfield, Mass. N. E. Hist. and Gen. Rec., Vol. VI, p. 268. (h) Tombstone Inscriptions, Enfield, Conn. N E. Hist. and Gen. Reg., Vol. LX, p. 307. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENEALOGICAL RECORD 5 of Ambrose and Jane (Alvord) Fowler. (j) She was born at Windsor, Connecticut, December 20, 1654; and died at Westfield, March 10, 1701. He married, secondly, January 22, 1702, at Springfield, Massachusetts, Anna Bancroft, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Wright) Bancroft (k) and widow of Thomas Gilbert. (l) She was born May 5, 1663, and died March 16, 1733. He married, thirdly, February 11, 1734, Mary Burbank, daughter of John and Susanna (Merrill) Burbank, (m) and widow of Lazarus Miller and William Mackranney. She was baptized at Rowley, June 24, 1666, and died at Westfield, December 16, 1740. James Sexton died at Westfield, December 12, 1741. (e) Children of James and Hannah (Fowler) Sexton: (e) i. John. ii. Hannah, b. Oct. 29, 1683; d. Dec. 25, 1757; m. June 22, 1710, John Harmon. iii. Phebe, b. Jan. 7 1686; d. Oct. 17, 1722, m. Nov. 3, 1711, as his second wife, John Pyncheon. iv. Elizabeth, b. Feb. 5, 1688; d. May 7, 1689. v. Mary [or Mercy], b. Dec. 26, 1695, d. June 22, 1746; m. [int. Nov. 6, 1726], James Burt. Children of James and Anna (Bancroft) Sexton: (p) 3. vi. James vii. Catherine [?], m. May 8, 1735, Samuel Loomis; removed to Sheffield, Mass., in 1745. 3. JAMES3 SEXTON (JAMES2 GEORGE1) was born at Westfield, Massachusetts, November 9, 1702. (e) He married, publishment June 8, 1728, Abilena Gilbert, daughter of Samuel and Mercy (Warner) Gilbert. (r) She was born at Lebanon, Connecticut, March 10, 1710/11, and died at Sheffield, Massachusetts, June 3, 1774, in her 66th year. Their seven oldest children were born at Westfield, where they lived until 1742. In that year, they removed to Sheffield, where the younger children were born. James Sexton's death is given as October 31, 1756, and also as June 12, 1783. Children of James and Abilena (Gilbert) Sexton: 4. i. James ii. Abigail, b. June 28 1731. iii. Anna, b. April 26, 1733. iv. Mercy, b. Sept. 24, 1736. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (j) Charles Edwin Booth - One Branch of the Booth Family, pp. 40, 177. (k) Ibid. pp. 40, 44. (l) The children of Thomas Gilbert and his first wife, Abilene Marshfield, were Thomas, Samuel, Sarah, Jonathan, John, and Ebenezer. The children of Thomas Gilbert and his second wife, Anna Buncroft, were John, Margaret, Sarah, and Anna. Donald Lines Jacobus. - Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. I, p. 223. (m) Charles Edwin Booth - One Branch of the Booth Family, pp. 40, 41, 42. (p) Northampton Probate Records, Estate of John Harmon. See also Springfield Registry of Deeds, Vol. XI, V. 569; Vol. XVI, p. 316. (r) Data supplied by Mr. Homer W. Brainard, Genealogist, Hartford, Conn., who has in preparation a genealogy of the Gilbert family. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 THE NEBRASKA AND MIDWEST v. William, b. Jan. 1, 1737, d. Dec. 1755. 5. vi. Jasper. vii. Asher, b. Mar. 6, 1741; d. Jan. 21, 1762. viii. Ebenezer, b. Aug. 3, 1743, d. June 12, 1745. ix. Desire, b. May 1, 1746 6. x. Frederick. xi. Rhoda, b. Aug. 10, 1751.