Sarah PARTRIDGE

• General Notes
  • Town Clerk (1683-1702)
    Representative to General Court of Massachusetts in 1693
    
    1686 is listed as living on the easterly side of Satucket River near Jonathan's Plain (Cary) and down the river.
    1687 chosen commissioner of the town of Bridgewater for taking a list of males from 16 years of age upward and valuing estates.
    1689 chosen as an agent to go to Plymouth about settling the"Gournet".
    
    Samuel Allen(*) settled in the parish of East Bridgewater as early as 1660. He was one of the original landed proprietors of the town, and held many offices of trust and honor from the people. He was town clerk from 1683 to 1702, was a member of the Legislature in 1693, was in many of the battles with the Indians in those times, and once, while on a march to join Capt. Church with twenty of his neighbors, took seventeen prisoners after a desperate conflict. The records of the town still bear witness of his character for accuracy and research. He was a deacon of the church, and bore a good character to his death.
    
    From the Notes of Bill Erickson:
    
    The settlement [of East Bridgewater] began early. Samuel Allen, Jr., the first settler, is said to have been here by 1660. He built his house on the east side of the Matfield, near where the Bridgewater Branch Railroad crosses it to-day, on land of the late John Lane. (Benjamin W. Harris, The Bridgewater Book (Published by George H. Ellis, Boston, Ma., 1899))
    
    Samuel Allen, Jr., owned land extending north from Matfield River, including the eastern part of the present village, the old cemetery, and the Common. (Benjamin W. Harris, The Bridgewater Book (Published by George H. Ellis, Boston, Ma., 1899))
    
    Second Town Clerk of Bridgewater to whom we are much indebted for the fullness and perfection of the records (History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater...Nahum Mitchell, 1769-1853)
    
    Was in many of the battles with the Indians in those times, and once, while on a march to join Captain Church with twenty of his neighbors, took seventeen prisoners after a desperate conflict. (NEHG Register Vol. 10 July 1856, Page 225)
    
    There is a plaque in the East Bridgewater Library commemorating the original town proprietors of which Samuel Allen was one (Sighted by Emily Erickson, July 1999).
    
    More About SAMUEL ALLEN, SR.:
    Deed: June 28, 1703, East Bridgewater, MA (Source: William Latham, Epitaphs in Old Bridgewater, Massachusetts, (1882 (Reprinted by Heritage Books, Inc. 1986)), Page 184, "We, Samuel Allen, Sen., and Sarah, his wife of Bridgewater, do give, grant, and bequeath, after our decease, our whole tract of land adjoining to our new dwelling-house, excepting the half-moon meadow, the rest, being near 100 acres, unto our son, Nehemiah Allen, in Bridgewater, to the northerly side of John's river (Matfield); beginning at river, and running along by the top of the bank of said half-moon meadow, to the land of our son Samuel; then running northeasterly to a swamp white oak mark, and in same line to a small red oak and dead white oak, and on the same line to the highway on the plain; the southerlyeast side is butting on said John's river; running northeasterly, joining to the lands of Thomas Whitman, straight to causey and highway above Goodman Harris, his house; then by highway to a red oak; and then by a heap of stones and stake on the southerly side of the highway that comes from Poor meadow; then northwesterly to heap of stones and stake; then running southerly (leaving out the graves to ye west) to a small red oak sapling; then westerly by ye highway to our son Samuel's side line of his land, on the easterly side, and also our one-sixth undivided land." (Acknowledged December 11, 1704; recorded December 20, 1705 in book 6, pages 58 and 59).)
    
    Government Service: Bet. 1683 - 1702, Town Clerk, Bridgewater, MA (Source: New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 10 July 1856 Page 225.)
    Religion: Deacon of the Church (Source: Asa W. Allen, Genealogy of the Allen and Witter Families, (Printed by Luther W. Smith 1872), Page 96, (See also NEHG Register Vol. 10 July 1856 Page 225).)
    
    Residence: Bet. 1660 - 1703, East Bridgewater, MA (Source: New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 10 July 1856 Pages 225-227, Arrived about 1660 and was one of the original landed proprietors of the town.)
    
    Will: June 29, 1703, Proved December 21, 1705 (Source: Plymouth County Probate Records, Docket 322, Book 2, Page 73, Sarah Allen and Nehemiah Allen Executrix/Executor.)
    REFN: HWS11881
    Ancestral File Number:<AFN> 3792-PD
    
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    CHAN20 Mar 2001