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Husband: Matthias 'Farnworth' FARNSWORTH [I03782]
Born: 20 JUL 1615 in (Chr.) Eccles, Lancashire, England 1 2
Married: before 1655 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Died: after 15 JAN 1689 in Groton, or Charlestown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts 3
Father: Richard FARNSWORTH
Mother: Elizabethe MARSHE
Spouses: UNKNOWN
Wife: Mary FARR [I03813]
Born: about 1637 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts 4
Died: after 05 DEC 1716 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts 5
Father: George FARR
Mother: Elizabeth STOWERS
Spouses:
Children
01 (M): Benjamin FARNSWORTH [I12104] 6 7
Born: about 1655 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts 8
Died: 15 AUG 1733 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
Spouses: Mary PRESCOTT
02 (M): Joseph FARNSWORTH [I11225]
Born: 06 NOV 1657 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts 9
Died: 20 FEB 1687 10
Spouses:
03 (F): Mary FARNSWORTH [I11224] 11
Born: 11 OCT 1660 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts
Died: 16 AUG 1725 in Watertown, Massachusetts 12
Spouses: Samuel THATCHER
04 (F): Sarah FARNSWORTH [I11222] 13
Born: between 1663 AND 1664 in prob. Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts 14
Died: 16 SEP 1731 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts 15
Spouses: Simon STONE
05 (M): Samuel FARNSWORTH [I11216] 16 17
Born: 08 OCT 1669 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts 18
Died: between 1726 AND 1727 19
Spouses: Mary WHITCOMB
06 (F): Abigail FARNSWORTH [I11873]
Born: 17 JAN 1672 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts 20
Died: UNKNOWN
Spouses: John HUTCHINS
07 (M): Jonathan FARNSWORTH [I11260] 21
Born: 01 JUN 1675 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
Died: 16 JUN 1748
Spouses: Ruth SHATTUCK
08 (M): Joseph FARNSWORTH [I12826]
Born: 1677 in Massachusetts
Died: 20 FEB 1687 22
Spouses:
Additional Information

Matthias 'Farnworth' FARNSWORTH:

Notes:

England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch
NameMatthias Farnworth
GenderMale
Christening Date20 Aug 1615
Christening Date (Original)20 AUG 1615
Christening PlaceECCLES,LANCASHIRE,ENGLAND
Father's NameRichard Farnworth
--
Matthias, in his will written January 12, 1688-9, gives his age as 'about 77 yers'. From calculation he would have been born about 1611 and christened in 1615.
-----
Groton, Massachusetts Vital Records
MATTHIAS FARNSWORTH and MARY.
1 Matthins, born --.
2 John, " --
3 Benjamin, "
4 Samuel, " Oct. 8, 1669.
5 Abigail, " Jan. 17, 1671.
6 Jonathan, " 1 d. 4 m. 1875. (error in abstracting data. Should be 1675)
7 Joseph, "died Feb.20,1686-7.
II. (I.1)
-----
Farnsworth Memorial II Second Edition of the Farnsworth Memorial
Author: Moses F. Farnsworth
Call Number: CS71.F237

So far as we can learn from the records, we have the name of only one wife, Mary Farr, who was the daughter of George Farr of Lynn. Matthias died 21 Jan 1689, leaving a will dated 15 Jan 1688-9, wherein he calls himself "about 77 years of age." His wife survived him many years, dying in 1717, and was probably much younger than he was. For as his daughter Elizabeth, who married James Robinson of Groton, was born in 1647, and his last child, Joseph, was born in 1678, if Mary Farr was the mother of all his children, she must have borne them during A PERIOD EXTENDING OVER THIRTY-ONE YEARS; THIS IS POSSIBLE BUT HARDLY PROBABLE. The probabilities are that he had married and lost one wife before he married Mary Farr.
Possibly the reference in his will to some chance of difficulty which his eldest son, Matthias, Jr., might have with some of the rest of the family, may have had its origin in the jealousy of children by different mothers. George Farr, the father of his wife, Mary Farr, is named in the letter of instructions sent from the company in London to the officials at Salem, as a shipwright sent out by them in that business in 1629. He appears, however, to have given up shipbuilding very early, and to have engaged as a land owner in farming in Lynn, near the place where Matthias Farnsworth had land. He had several children who survived him, one of whom married Nicholas Hutchins, then of Lynn, but who, soon after the settlement of Groton, moved there, and purchased land adjoining to that owned by Matthias Farnsworth, and lived upon it.

Mary FARR:

Notes:

Source: Farnsworth Memorial II Second Edition of the Farnsworth Memorial
Author: Moses F. Farnsworth
Call Number: CS71.F237

Mary (Farr) Farnsworth
His wife survived him many years. She appears to have been a householder in 1692, when the garrisons were formed for the common defence. Probably she continued to keep house for many years at the old homestead. In the latter part of her life she seems to have made her home with her son Samuel, who perhaps took charge of the homestead before he moved to Lunenburg. She made her will, which is dated 5 Dec 1716, and was proved 7 Mar 1717, so that she must have died between those dates, but the exact time is not known. Her will is as follows:

In the name of God Amen the fifth Day of December 1716: MARY FARNWORTH widow of MATHIAS FARNWORTH of Groaten in the Countey of middlsix in the provence of the masachusets bay in New England Deceased Beeing very sick and week in boddy but of Parfit mind and memory Thanks be given unto God for it: therefore calling unto minde the mortality of my bodey and knowing that is Appointed for all men once to Dye: Do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say, principally, and first of all i Give and Recomend my soul into the hands of God that gave it: and my body I Recomend to the Earth to be buried in Decent Condition buiriall at the Discretion of my Executor nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall Reseaume the same again by the mighty pouer of God. And as touching such worldly Estate wheare with it hast plesed God to bless me in this life I give Demise and Dispose of the same in the following maner--And form: Imprimis: I give to my well beeloved son BENJAMIN FFARNWORTH sixteen pounds payd for him to Justinian holdin for land in the year 1688. And the year folowing one years bord which is ten pounds. And one acre of medow leying in the South medow which shall lie ajoyning to the six acors willed to him by his father Mathyas ffarnworth Deceased. Item I Give to my well Beloved son SAMUEL FFARNWORTH whom I create constitute mak and ordain my sole Executor of this my last will and testament all and singular my Great Bible to gather with my household goods, Debts and moveable efects by him freely to bee posesed and injoyed. And I doe hear By uterly Disalow Revoke and Disanull all and Every other testaments wills legases and beequests And Executors by mee in aney ways beefore named written and Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and now other to bee my last will and testement in witnes whereof I have here unto set my hand and seale the day and year Above written.
By the said Mary ffarnworth as her last will and testem ent in the presents of us the subscribers.
MARY FARNWORTH. (Seal

Her mark.
EPHRAIM SAWTELL
SAMUELL THATCHER
DANIEL FFARNWORTH

The will is apparently in the handwriting of Daniel Farnsworth, and the signature is the writing of Ephraim Sawtell. This will seems to have been made after consultation with the family. Deacon Daniel Farnsworth, son of John, and her grandson, was one of the witnesses, and Samuel Thatcher, husband of her daughter Mary, was another. He had probably come up from Watertown to visit her in her last sickness. Her mention of her "Great Bible," which she gives to her son Samuel, with whom she lived, as her last blessing, gives a view of her simple faith that should be appreciated by her descendants.

Footnotes
  1. Moses Franklin Farnsworth, Farnsworth Memorial II [1805] (1897).
  2. England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database FamilySearch [1400].
  3. Will made [2359].
  4. New England Historic Genealogical Society, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633 [1855] (Boston, MA, 1995).
  5. Will made [2359].
  6. Named in Father's Will [1819].
  7. Named in Mother's Will [1829].
  8. Moses Franklin Farnsworth, Farnsworth Memorial II [1805] (1897).
  9. Ibid.
  10. (Original Data) Caleb Butler, Groton, Massachusetts Vital Records [5] (Boston, MA; T. R. Marvin, 1848).
  11. Named in Father's Will [1819].
  12. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620 - 1988 [1720].
  13. Named in Father's Will [1819].
  14. Moses Franklin Farnsworth, Farnsworth Memorial II [1805] (1897).
  15. Samuel A. Green, Epitaphs of the Old Burial Ground in Groton, Massachusetts [2078] (Little, Brown & Co., Boston, MA, 1992).
  16. Named in Father's Will [1819].
  17. Named in Mother's Will [1829].
  18. (Original Data) Caleb Butler, Groton, Massachusetts Vital Records [5] (Boston, MA; T. R. Marvin, 1848).
  19. Moses Franklin Farnsworth, Farnsworth Memorial II [1805] (1897).
  20. Samuel A. Green, Groton Historical Series [2079] (1887, Publisher Unknown).
  21. Named in Father's Will [1819].
  22. Moses Franklin Farnsworth, Farnsworth Memorial II [1805] (1897).
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