Obadiah EDDY

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It is probable that Bennett, the wife of Obadiah was Bennett Ellis dau. of John Ellis and his wife Elizabeth Freeman, dau. of Edmund Freeman. the ellis family were of Sandwich where obadiah spent his youth. Bennett Ellis was b. Feb. 27, 1649, which is four years later than Obadiah was born and she had a brother Joel Ellis. Note that Obadiah named a son Joel. Obadiah during the rest of his life had many dealings with the Ellis family and a Joel ellis witnessed the codicil to his will.

Obadiah learned the trade of a shoemaker. It is likely that he was apprenticed to someone living in Sandwich, for the fist record found suggests that he was living in Sandwich at the time that he was fifteen or sixteen years of age.....

It is probable that as soon as Obadiah married, he settled on these lands which became incorporated into the town of Middleboro. His name first appears in town affairs as a member of the Grand Inquest in 1673, and in 1679, and in 1681 he again held this position. In 1675 and 2692, he was surveyor of highways and in 1679, 1681, 1683, 1689, he was constable. In 1690 and 1694 he was one of the Selectmen of Middleboro. Among the officers of the towns in the Old Colony, none were of more importance than the selectmen. They were given large discretion and until the Revolutionary War, had almost entire management of the civil affairs. These offices were filled by the most influential and able men.

When King Philip's War broke out in 1675, Obdaiah and his family were living in Middleboro. They took refuge in the fort. When this was abandoned, they went to Plymouth. A list of men in the fort was obtained from an old Eddy Note Book " quoted from Mercy Bennett, whose grandfather was on the list and she had the information from him." (Hist. of Middleboro, p. 34) They remained in Plymouth until the trouble was over. Obadiah was one of the first to return to Middleboro. His home, like all other houses in Middleboro prior to King Philip's Was, had been built of hewn logs. This had been burned by the Indians, but nothing daunted he set out to rebuild it, not far from the site of the original house. An araticle in the eddy Genealogy of 2881 thus describes the location: "He lived in that part of Middleboro, now Halifax, near Winnetuxet River. It was hard by two appletrees in the field back of Nathan fuller's house." The hearthstone of that old house was taken fro the cellar and is now part of the foundation of one of the houses in Eddyville, built by one of his descendants.

Obadiah was admitted a Freeman June 3, 1683, but did not take the oath until 1688. In 1683 he was one of those chosen to lay out a road from Middleboro, Bridgwater, and other places toward Boston and in 1687 he was one of twelve men chosen as a jury to decide cases arising from the laying out of highways. Since all records of previous times had been burnt in King Philip's War, questions of boundaries and ownership arose.....

In 1694 the First Church of Middleboro was organized. For several generations this was one of the largest and most influential in the colony. In the founding of this Obadiah had his part and was one of its staunch upholders as long as he lived. The church still stands and has recently received extensive repairs. Every summer on "Forefather's Sunday" a great audience fills the building to commemorate the families who were its founders....

Obadiah married Bennet ELLIS about 1668. Bennet (daughter of Lieut. John ELLIS and Elizabeth FREEMAN) was born on 27 Feb 1648/9. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. John EDDY was born on 22 Mar 1669 in Middleborough, Massachusetts; died between 1722 and 7 Feb 1731.
2. Hazadiah EDDY was born on 10 Apr 1672 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; died before 17 Dec 1726.
3. Benjamin EDDY was born about 1673 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; died on 24 Sep 1744 in Halifax, Massachusetts.
4. Mercy EDDY was born about 1674 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
5. Samuel EDDY was born in 1675 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts ; died on 28 Apr 1751 in Middleboro, Massachusetts.
6. Jabez EDDY was born about 1680 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
7. Joel EDDY was born about 1682 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
8. Elizabeth EDDY was born about 1684 in Middleboro, Massachusetts; died after 1755.
9. Mary EDDY was born about 1686 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
10. Bennet EDDY was born about 1688 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
11. Hannah EDDY was born about 1690 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
12. Zachariah EDDY was born about 1692 in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; died on 9 Dec 1711 in Hatfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts.

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Soon after Samuel's death the records state that Samuel Eddy's share in the 26 Men's Purchase was then in the hands of Obadiah Eddy. In 1695 when a new survey was made Samuel's share is called the 9th lot, which consisted of a little more than 8 acres near Ravin Brook.

So far as is known Samuel Eddy held no public office. This was due probably to his youth and inexperience with conditions in a colony which had been established for ten years when he joined it, and as time went on the care of his family occupied his entire attention.

Just how many children Samuel and Elizabeth had is not known. Three times in deeds Samuel is called Samuel Eddy, Sen'r (July 21, 1660, Mar. 24, 1662, and Dec 1681). In 1681, Both Zachariah and Caleb had small boys named Samuel, but at the time of the first two deeds so far as is known, there was no other Samuel Eddy in Plymouth. It is therefore possible to suppose that Samuel had another son, who was named Samuel Eddy and of such an age in 1660 that; it was considered necessary to distinguish the father as Samuel Eddy, Sen'r. Likewise Elizabeth also appears on a record as Elizabeth Eddy, Sen'r so it is possible to adda a daughter Elizabeth to the list of the children. But since neither Samuel nor Elizabeth left a will, no way has been found, up to the present, to prove the truth of falsity of these suppositions.

As both Samuel and Elizabeth were elderly people at the time of their deaths and they both died in Swansea, it seems likely that they were living with either their son Zachariah or their son Caleb, both of whom resided in swansea. It was the custom in early New England to bury the dead on the day following the death and in a plot near the house, so it would be natural for Samuel and Elizabeth to be buried near the home of one of these Swansea sons. It happens that in December of 1696, just nine years after the death of Samuel and seven years after the death of Elizabeth, Zachariah Eddy sold to his son, Zachariah Eddy, twenty acres in Swansea, lying in a place "Commonly known by the name of Matapoysett, bounded northerly with the highway, easterly with the fence and Spring Brook to the Salt Water, southerly to the land of Ralph Chapman and bounded westerly with the highway which leade to the land of Ralph Chapman....excepting and reserving the Burying Place on the premises which is to lye and remain as a burying place for and to the families of the said Eddys & for such of their neighbors as the said Eddys shall admit of forever." Thus it is known that preious to 1696 Zachariah had already buried some members of his family near his home. Since the only Eddys who died besides his wife Alice were his father and mother, it seems almost certain that Samuel and Elizabeth lie in the Eddy Cemetery in Swansea Village, perhaps in two of those graves whose locations are marked by stones which bear no inscriptions. This cemetery lies on a hill-top, overlooking the cove of salt water, just south of the main road through the village. It adjoins the estate of Mrs. Frank Stevens and is east of the Swansea Dye Works. This plot was used by the descendants of Zachariah as a burial place for over a hundred years.

Samuel married Elizabeth SAVERY. Elizabeth was born about 1607; died on 24 May 1689. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]