Robert ABBOTT of Latchindon, Essex

ABBOTT

m. 18 Jan. 1770 Mistley, Essex, ANN SAWYER (d. 15 Aug. 1799 Latchingdon, Essex (2))

St. Michael's Church- Latchingdon

An interesting Latchingdon story:

The ghostly bells of the River Crouch - The Hart Family of witches

The Hart family were the most notorious witches to reside in the area . As a witch Mistress Hart suffered from an allergy to Church Bells. She was especially annoyed by the bells at Latchingdon Church. One night she removed the bells from the church tower and took them to Burnham where she attempted to take them to the opposite side of the river. Instead of a boat she used a barrel and used a feather for an oar. Not suprisingly neither she or the bells made the crossing. Legend has it that on stormy nights the bells can be hear tolling from under the River Crouch

The last Hart witch is documented as living near Deadway Bridge, Latchingdon in the early 1900's. Rumour had it that legions of imps were hidden in her cottage. One night a man was riding past her cottage when he met a vast army of small animals with fiery red eyes. He lashed his horse and escaped although to his dying day he claimed that the creatures were Mistress Hart's imps on their way to cause mischief.

Issue- all children baptized in Latchingdon (2)

I. John- bpt. 9 May 1776

II. Robert- bpt. 16 Oct. 1778

III. Thomas- bpt. 16 Apr. 1783, m. Ann ______, bur. 11 July 1828 (2). In 1819 Thomas was a tenant of Stamfords Farm in Latchingdon having come from Purleigh. In that year he was granted a further 14 year lease, but by 1827/8 the agent was already writing to the owner that Abbott was in debt and had not paid his rent for some years and so Thomas had to leave. Thomas died shortly afterwards and his widow Ann Abbott and his sister Lavinia Trussell were going to sell their small thatched cottage which they had built north of Stamford's farm to the owner of Stamford's farm, but they declined to sell.(1) Thomas and Ann Abbott's Thatched Cottage- Stamford's Farm

IV. Ruth- bpt. 1 Mar. 1785, bur. 21 Mar. 1786 (2)

2V. LAVINIA- bpt. 1 Mar. 1789, m. before 1823 JAMES (11) TRUSSELL, d. 8 July 1849 Purleigh, Essex (3)

VI. Catherine- b.c. 1793, d.s.p. 16 June 1853 Purleigh, Essex (3)

VII. Annis?- m. 24 Sept. 1800 Charles Andrews

Ref:

(1) Personal records in the possession of Jeannne Robinson, Stamfords Farm. Latchingdon, Essex
(2) Parish Registers of Latchingdon, Essex
(3) Parish Registers of Purleigh, Essex

1. WALTER-

m. SARAH ______ (b.c. 1617, m.2. Henry Sherbourne)
will 16 May- 26 June 1667

Walter was a vintner and innholder in Portsmouth by 1645. His wife, Sarah, age 64, was running a tavern in Portsmouth in 1681.

Issue-

I. Peter- b. before 1639, drowned at the fort in Saco 8 Apr. 1695

II. Sarah- m. Thomas Wills

III. Thomas- b.1643, m. Elizabeth Green, d. 8 Mar. 1712/3 Berwick

IV. William

V. Walter- d. in Jamaica, adm. 29 June 1675

VI. John-b.c.1649, m. 1. ?, 2. 30 July 1718 Newington, NH, Mary Hepworth from Ireland, will 19 Mar- 5 May 1722 Portsmouth, NH

2VII. MARY- b.c.1652, m.1. THOMAS GUPTILL (b.c.1640, d. between 1686 & 1696 Portsmouth) , 2.c.1696 William Caverly

VIII. Elizabeth-m. Leonard Drown (b.c.1647, m.2. 4 Nov. 1707 Mary ______ (m.1. Robert Colley of Malden, MA, living 1736 Boston), d. 31July 1729 Boston), d. 5 May 1706

Ref:

Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire- pp. 57-8

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