Abigail NEWTON

Abigail NEWTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Abigail NEWTON

Abigail NEWTON, second wife of Ebenezer HYDE, Sr. like many women of her day, married a man whose wife died and left him with small children. (photographed by William Dunbar) Close-up of her name on the stone.

Unlike the record of his first marriage, which I can't find, are TWO "records" of marriage for Ebenezer and Abigail. This might be because the NEWTON family was a prominent family in this area.

Marriage Banns, although common, are not something I have consistently found as I search vital records. This one looks like this:

HYDE: (see Hide), Ebenezer and Abigail Newton of Southborough, int. May 4, 1794. Town Page Detail: Sutton Marriage Sutton, MA

Since Ruth ONTHANK, his first wife died at age 28 on 8 Sept, 1793, this intention to marry the following May in 1794, may seem hasty. But, Ebenezer had Ebenezer (age 9), Ruth (age 8), and little William (age 5) who needed a mother. I always feel sympathetic toward these previously maiden women who took on an established household. Such in life in the 1700s in New England.

Abigail married Ebenezer the following July as evidenced by the vital record of their marriage:


NEWTON: Abigail and Ebenezer Hide of Sutton, July 13, 1794. Town Page Detail: Southborough Marriage Southborough, MA

They had five more children. How did New England women manage this many children?


Ebenezer's gravestone and his second wife Abigail have matching gravestones obviously carved by the same stone cutter.

Abigail was born 20 June 1762 in Southborough , a daughter of David NEWTON and his wife Abigail. She died at the age of 66 in 1828, as a widow and is buried in Dodge Cemetery  in Sutton.

Dazzling Sunlight

Row of Newton, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Old Southborough Burying Ground, Southborough, Worcester, MA

Last Sunday, we went to visit the Southborough Historical Society to gain information about my husband's ancestors who lived in that area.

I finally met Molly who has been a great help by assisting me with his HYDE ancestors. Guess what? She loves a good cemetery. Well, of course. Who wouldn't?

We wandered out into the parking lot and I was struck by the warmth of the day. The leaves are changing here but the temperature is summer warm. As we gazed out into the cemetery, I was delighted to see the sun at just the right angle to take the photo without the need for the mirror or the reflector. All I had was my camera.

The ancestors are calling! After all it was Heritage weekend. What could be more fitting than taking a few photos?

I took over 75 clear, readable shots. It was blissful. This is the row of Newton gravestones that I have blogged about before. They are descendants of Richard NEWTON.

Wait until you see the photos!

Tombstone Tuesday: Newton

Newton, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I took this photo of a Newton monument to remind me to pull out the folder of my hubby's Newton family to work on. Have I done it yet? No time like the present, I say. After all, that's what Tombstone Tuesday is for....

By Their Side: Patience BENT

Patience BENT, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Patience BENT, daughter of Peter BENT and his wife Mary, was a widow with six children when she married Capt. Seth NEWTON. She had been the wife of John Harvey of Marlborough. Patience was born 13 Feb 1740-41.

She married Seth at Southborough on 6 Feb 1783. (The Newton genealogy said he had a first wife but lists no name. If he did she is probably buried with her parents.) As you can see by this gravestone, she died 23 Jan 1837 at nearly 96. She had to live with one son and then another as she began to outlive them!

Capt. Seth NEWTON

Capt. Seth NEWTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Photograph of this gravestone of Capt. Seth NEWTON was taken in the 

Old Southborough Burial Ground in Southborough, Worcester, Massachusetts on 21 June 2011.

In Memory of

SETH NEWTON

who died

Feb. 12, 1807

aged 71

Seth4 (Isaac3, Daniel2, Richard1) NEWTON, was a third generation American, with English ancestors, who fought in the American Revolution. He was born 10 Sept 1732 in Southborough and died 12 Feb 1807 in Southborough. He was the son of Isaac NEWTON, Sr. and his wife Sarah BELKNAP. I love his gravestone. Note the square on the upper left. In this cemetery, there are black stickers that read VETERAN. They are probably there so they know where to place the flags. It detracts from the beauty of the gravestones. 

The NEWTON genealogy is available for free at Archive.org in PDF. It's a light read at 900 pages!

Seth was my husband's 2nd cousin, 7 times removed.  He is a recognized patriot by both the DAR and the SAR.


This is what the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors has to say about Seth. [Vol 2 p. 404]