{Garnsey Ancestors}
Research by Josh Machovsky
Seth Garnsey was born 15 February 1697/98, in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts., the son of John and Elizabeth Garnzey2, who had moved from Dorchester to the Rehoboth area. John’s family may have had Anabaptist leanings, and they may have made the move for religious reasons. Seth was the youngest of twelve children. On 11 April 1714, when Seth was 16 years old, his mother died.3
The Rehoboth Vital Records show that "Seth Garnzey and Hannah Milard was married January ye 6: 1720[/21]."3 Seth was 23 years old, and Hannah was 17. Hannah Millard was the fifth child of Nathaniel and Susannah Gladding Millard. She was born 15 February 1704/04 in Rehoboth. Her father, Nathaniel Millard, was a large landowner if Rehoboth, and her family was well-to-do. Nathaniel’s estate was valued at £5438.01.09. Her oldest brother, the Rev. Nathaniel Millard, was a Baptist minister.
Two years after Seth and Hannah’s marriage, Seth’s father, John, died on 31 March 1722, and on 16 April 1722, Seth gave bond as administrator of his father’s estate. On 12 May 1722, the Estate was ordered to be divided.
The Garnzey family page in the Rehoboth Vital Records shows
Children of Seth Garnzy [and Hannah Millard Garnzey] registered (Rehoboth Vital Records?) as followeth
Christopher Garnzy Born the 27th of February 1724
Hannah Garnzy Born March ye 5th 1730
Seth Garnzy Born November the 20th 1732
Betty Garnzy Born Aprill ye 7th 1734
Susannah Garnzy Born June ye 24th 1737
In addition, they had two other children:
Nathaniel b. 24 June 17394
John Garnzey b. 27 Aug 17415
There are several land transactions involving Seth and Hannah Garnzey in the Rehoboth records:
6 April 1727, Seth and Hannah Garnsey of Rehoboth sold to John Millard Jr. 28 acres located on the east side of Palmer River in Rehoboth. (Bristol Co., Mass. Deeds, Vol. 21, p. 86)
22 November 1735 - Seth Garnzey sold to William Wood 1/6th part of grist-mill at Rocky River
15 June 1741 – Sold land nr. Rocky River.
31 October 1744 - Sold land to Daniel Vaughan. Red 26 Nov 1777
We know of no additional records for Seth after this time. We don’t have a death record for him, but on 23 October 1750, Hannah Millard Garnsey married Benjamin Mansfield, widower of Rehoboth. Benjamin had three daughters by his first marriage to Dorothy Carpenter Mansfield, who died 17 February 1741; and his youngest daughter would have been 18 at the time of his marriage to Hannah. Hannah’s youngest son, John, was eight at the time of her second marriage.
On 15 November 1753, Hannah’s son, Seth Garnzey, married Bethiah Lee (Int. Sept. 15, 1753). Bethiah was the daughter of Hannah’s cousin, Experience Millard Lee, and her husband, Richard Lee. One month after their marriage, on 12 January 1754, Seth, Jr., died intestate, leaving Bethiah a widow. This triggered a probate proceeding for the estate of Seth Garnzey, Sr., who had also died intestate, probably as a part of the probate proceeding for the estate of Seth, Jr. On 5 February 1754, Samuel Goff, Aron Kingsley, and John Allyn were appointed to take an inventory of the estate of Seth Garnsey, Sr., in Bristol County, Massachusetts.
"On 2 April 1754, Nathaniel Guarnsey, minor above the age of 14 son to Seth Guarnsey of Rehoboth requests that Thomas Allen be appointed as his permanent guardian until he is of age. The primary function of a guardian was to guard the interests of a minor child in the estate of his father. That same day, Thomas Allen, Thomas Allen Jr. and Noah Sabin post 2000 L bond for Thomas Allen as guardian of Nathaniel Guarnsey, and also his brother, John Guarnsey.
"Also on 2 April 1754, Bethiah was appointed administratrix for the estate of her husband. She needed to have Seth’s inheritance divided from his father’s estate for the support of their daughter, Bethiah Garnzey, who was born 12 Feb. 1754 in Rehoboth.
"2 June 1754 – Appraisal and division of estate of Seth Garnzey Sr. was submitted by Samuel Goff, Samuell Bullock, William Bullock and John Allyn. (note that Samuel and William Bullock have replaced Aaron Kingsley]
"Legatees include:
Hannah Mansfield – widow of Seth Garnzey – 1/3rd of estate (widow’s portion)
Seth Garnzey – receives a double share as oldest son.
Susannah Garnzey – daughter, one share
John Garnzey – son, one share
Nathaniel Garnzey – Son, one share
"About 21 acres and a hundred and twenty Rods of Land being part of the above mentioned lott and Bounded Easterly the widows thirds … " Also an itemized list of his share of the personal estate."
Three of Hannah’s children, Christopher, Hannah and Betty had apparently died by this time, as they are not included in the division, and Seth is listed as the oldest son. The estate division probably created some disruption in the Mansfield home, and there seems to have been some conflict between Hannah and Bethiah, because on 1 Aug 1758 – Hannah Mansfield appears in probate court to answer to a complaint against her "for Imbezzling … some part of the estate of my son, Seth Guarnsey late of Rehoboth, … late deceased … I do solomnley declare that I have not Imbeseled any of ye Estate which ye sd Seth Garnzey died seized of or had any just right to."
Sometime between 1771-1779, Hannah with her husband, Benjamin Mansfield and sons moved to Chatham district, Hartford County, Connecticut.6 Nathaniel was married there in 1771.
On 19 January 1779, Jonathan King, husbandman, and his wife Sethiar [granddaughter Bethiah Garnsey King], then living in Ashford, Connecticut, sold "about" 20 acres in Freetown, Massachusets, to Jonathan Drown for 100 L. This land, in the deed, is described as "all that tract of land that fell to said Sethiar by heirship from her honored father Seth Garnsey late of Rehoboth, deceased on otherwise butted and bounded according to ye original division of the tenth lot so called reference thereto being had together with all of ye rights that doth belong to ye said Sethiar as heir in ye thirds of land now in possession of her honored Grandmother Hannah Mansfield." This is without doubt the land divided to Seth, Jr., from his father’s estate.
On 1 February 1779, Hannah, son John, son Nathaniel, and daughter Susanna Goff entered into an agreement to sell their land in Rehoboth.6 While we do not have the complete record of that sale, it seems likely that the purchaser was the same Jonathan Drown or Brown who purchased Bethiah’s section of the property. The agreement was recorded 8 February 1779 with Hannah and John of Hartford, Nathaniel, and Susanna Goff of Colchester, CT.
We do not know the exact date of Hannah Millard Garnzey Mansfields death, or where she is buried.
The Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, Spring 1960 '96 Volume XXIII '96 Number 3 Pages 95 – 102, transcribed to Angelfire by Sharon Wick.
Massachusetts Vital Records 1620-1859 – Swansea
Rehoboth Vital Records
Find A Grave Memorial# 167036789
Vital Record of Rehoboth, 1642-1896. Marriages, Intentions, Births, Deaths, with Supplement containing the Record of 1896, Colonial Returns, Lists of the Early Settlers, Purchasers, Freemen, Inhabitants, the Soldiers serving in Philip's War and the Revolution.
The 2005 Garnsey Guernsey Gurnsey Genealogical Dictionary by Judith L. Young-Thayer
Bethia Garnsey and Ezekiel Johnson by Paddy Spillsbury 6-09