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Edward Stebbins

Edward Stebbins was born 14 April 1656 in Springfield, Massachusetts to Thomas Stebbins and Hannah Wright Stebbins. While many of the Stebbins families moved to settle nearby Westfield, Northampton and Deerfield, Edward remained to live out his life in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the Spring of 1676 Edward was abducted by the Indians with his sister Sarah's husband, Samuel Bliss. The Indians took them to the falls above Deerfield. Edward escaped with a young man named John Gilbert and reported the Indians whereabouts to the local authorities who made a raid on the camp and killed over 300 of them. This raid became known as the battle of Turner Falls. His father Thomas participated in the raid. Many of the Stebbins family were not so lucky to have escaped the Indian raids and abductions. In Deerfield and Northampton several of the Stebbins family were killed by Indians, had their homes burned to the ground and abducted by them and taken to Quebec.

Edward is mentioned in his father's will which gave him some land in Springfield.


Life in Springfield

The records of Springfield show Edward held several posts there during his lifetime. Thomas took the oath of allegiance on 31 December 1678. He was chosen constable of the town for a period of one year on 27 July 1687. 11 May 1691 he was chosen as a surveyor of the county highways. In March of 1695 he was chosen selectman to manage the affairs of the town for the next year and was again chosen selectman in 1700, 1702, 1703, 1707 and 1709. Other posts he held for Springfield included fence viewer and packer. In addition to receiving land from his father's estate, he was granted land on several occasions including 40 acres of land along the Chicopee River.

The Wives Of Edward Stebbins

Sarah Graves

Edward married Sarah Graves on 12 April 1679. Together they had 6 children. Sarah was the daughter of John Graves and Mary Smith Graves. Sarah was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut about 1659. Sarah died 4 years after the birth of her last child on 12 June 1700.

Mary Cooper Colton

18 October 1701 Thomas married Mary Cooper Colton in Longmeadow. Mary was the widow of Isaac Colton and the daughter of Thomas Cooper. She had no children with Thomas Stebbins. Mary survived Thomas and died on 30 August 1743.

Sources

The sources for the information on this page are listed below.




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