Ancestors

Abigail Wells

Abigail Wells was the eldest daughter of John Wells and his wife Abigail, of Goshen in Orange County, New York. Charles Wells Hayes, who wrote up the Southold Wells family in 1878, says she was born at Goshen about 1742 and died there in 1812. Find a Grave gives her the dates 1747 to 16 March 1829. The two accounts have not been reconciled.

Her brothers were Israel and Joshua and her sister was Mary, who married a Carpenter. Her father died on 4 July 1776.

She married David Swezy of Goshen, whom Hayes describes as "a Captain of N. Y. Troops in the army of the Revolution." Their son David was born at Southold on 20 March 1773. Her husband's father, David Swezy, made his will at Goshen in July 1778 and left his son David his mare, saddle and tools. Her mother's will names three Sweezy granddaughters, Abigal, Dorothy and July, who were probably Abigail's own daughters.

Her mother made her will on 9 March 1781. To "my daughter, Abigal Swezy" she left "two small silver table spoons, two tea spoons, and the equal one half of my furniture and wearing cloathes." The granddaughter Abigal Swezy was to have a bed and its sheets, the best suit of clothes, the trunk and 26 pounds in silver and gold at eighteen. Dorothy and July had twelve pounds each.

Her father's family had been on Long Island since 1640. Hayes traces her father through two John Wellses and William Wells the second to William Wells, who came out of Norwich in Norfolk, was at Lynn and New Haven, and by 1640 was a founder of Southold and the first sheriff of Yorkshire, as Long Island was then called.

If Abigail Wells is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "Abigail Wells (1747-1829)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/abigail-wells-1747-1829-2274dd.