William Sabin (1609-1687) and (?)

{Garnsey Ancestors}

Research by Joyce Backstrom

Click here to go to a condensed version of this biography.

Line of Descent from William Sabin and His First Wife:

• William Sabin 1609(?) – 1687 and (?)

  • Robert Millard 1640 – 1699 and Elizabeth Sabin 1643 – 1717

    • Nathaniel Millard 1672 – 1740 and Suzanna Gladding 1668 – 1727

      • Seth Garnsey 1698 – 1750 and Hannah Millard 1704 – 1754

        • Seth Garnsey 1732 – 1754 and Bethiah Lee 1732 – 1814

          • Ezekiel Johnson 1751 – 1808 and Bethiah Garnzey 1754 – 1842

            • Ezekiel Johnson 1773 – 1848 and Julia Hills 1783 – 1853

 

William Sabin is one of Ezekiel's immigrant ancestors. He may have arrived in New England during the Great Puritan Migration of 1630-1640. (See Appendix B: William Sabin’s Immigration.) His name is #51 on the 1643 list of first purchasers in the new settlement at Seekonk, Massachusetts, later named "Rehoboth" by Pastor Samuel Newman, "because the Lord hath made room for us".

Rehoboth historian Leonard Bliss says, "Seacunck … was first granted to the people of Hingham; but they were soon joined by Mr. Newman and the majority of his church at Weymouth." The organizing meetings for the Seekonk settlement took place in Weymouth, Massachusetts. On the 3^rd of July 1644, William was one of 30 men, who signed the following compact as new inhabitants of Seekonk:

" We whose names are underwritten, being, by the providence of God, inhabitants of Seacunk, intending there to settle, do covenant and bind ourselves one to another to subject our persons [torn off], (according to law and equity) to nine persons, any five of the nine which shall be chosen by the major part of the inhabitants of this plantation, and we [torn off] to be subject to all wholesome [torn off] by them, and to assist them, according to our ability and estate, and to give timely notice unto them of any such thing as in our conscience may prove dangerous unto the plantation, and this combination to continue untill we shall subject ourselves jointly to some other government."

Leonard Bliss notes that "Though the proprietors purchased their land of the Plymouth Colony, yet it appears from the compact signed by them on becoming "inhabitants of Seacunk," that they considered themselves independent of any jurisdiction but their own, though they were afterwards claimed by both Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay. In 1645 they submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the Plymouth Court" and were incorporated as Rehoboth."

One of the nine men chosen by the inhabitants to order the affairs of the plantation was Capt. Richard Wright, the man with the largest "estate" in the group of settlers. In the meeting on the 10^th of December1643, Capt. Wright was chosen to build a corn-mill in the community. In 1654, William Sabin deeded to Anthony Perry a Rehoboth property which "I the said William Sabine bought with other lands of my father-in-law Richard Wright." At that time, the term "father-in-law" could have meant "the father of my wife" as it does now, or it could have meant "the husband of my mother," which we would term "step-father" today. Based on this document, many historians have reasoned that William Sabin’s wife was a daughter of Richard Wright. Whatever the relationship was, Early Rehobeth Families and Events, reports, "In 1643 we find Richard Wright and his three sons-in-law and families all settled in the new plantation of Seekonk. [Richard] had a 12-acre home lot in the northwest end of the "ring of the town" on the north side by the present Hoyt Avenue near Wannamoiset Golf Clubhouse in the Rumford section of the town of East Providence, R.I., which used to be part of Rehobeth, Mass. His three sons-in-law each had 8-acre home lots. Richard Wright’s lot adjoined Robert Sharpe’s on the east, William Sabin’s on the west and James Clarke’s adjoining William Sabin’s".

William Sabin and his wife may have been married in England before coming to New England (see Appendix C for research on William Sabin’s English origins), or they may have been married in Weymouth or some other part of New England before moving to Seekonk/Rehoboth with their first two children, Elizabeth and Samuel. The first child recorded in Rehobeth’s vital records was William Sabin’s second son Joseph, born 24 June1645. The birth records show William as the father, but do not give the name of the mother. Ten more children, all of record in Rehoboth, were born to William and his wife before she died in Rehobeth about 1660, sometime after the birth of their 12^th child. (See Appendix D – William Sabin’s Children and Grandchildren.)

On 22 Dec. 1663, William Sabin was married to Martha Allen in Medfield and they had eight children together. She was the daughter of the Rev. James Allen and Anna Guild. Later, two of the Allens’ sons married two of William Sabin’s daughters by his first wife.

Find A Grave reports that William Sabin, his first wife and Martha Allen Sabin are all buried in the Kickemuit Cemetery in Warren, Bristol County, Rhode Island. (William Sabin’s property was in the part of Rehoboth that is now East Providence, RI., but it is ten miles to Warren.) The Find A Grave memorials for the Sabins give the name of William’s first wife as Mary Elizabeth Wright Sabin, and her death date as 27 Sep. 1660. That is the date of birth of Sarah Sabin, her 12^th child. There are no photos of the gravestones and no references are cited. We have been unable to locate any other documentation for this name or death date or burial, and some of the other information in these memorials is speculative. It is more probable that the Sabins were buried in the Newman Historic Cemetery, which was established in 1643, and is very close to their property.

William Sabin was a miller. He operated a mill owned by his father-in-law, Richard Wright, who had been appointed by the town in 1643 to build a corn mill. In 1648 – 49, William was taken to court for "Not returning mens corn unto them by two quarts in a bushel" but he was cleared of the charges.  He eventually bought the mill. Some of his descendants followed in his footsteps. (See Appendix E.)

Some other events in the life of William Sabin:

• 28 May 1645, townsmen agreed that a levy should be made and gathered on each 100 pounds of estate, to be paid in butter or wampum. William Sabin and Robert Titus were assigned to collect this tax.

• In 1656 he was appointed town constable.

• June 3, 1657 he was made a freeman of Rehoboth.

• In 1657 and for several years following he was chosen to be a selectman.

• June 1675, William Sabin, a Plymouth grand juryman for many years, was foreman of the jury that convicted three natives for the murder of John Sausasmon, also a native, a Christian and the private secretary to Chief King Philip. They were hanged. King Philip’s War commenced sixteen days later as some of the native tribes ended 50 years of peaceful coexistence with the colonists in the last major attempt by Native American’s to push the colonists into the sea.  Thousands of colonists and members of the native tribes in the area died in this vicious war, including William Sabin’s son, Nehemiah, who left a wife and 3 small children.

Property damage was high and during the war William Sabin’s mill, which he had purchased from his father-in-law, Richard Wright, was burned to the ground. 

It appears that William continued throughout his life to be respected as a leader in the church, school and local government in the Rehoboth community. He seems to have been a man of culture and education. He contributed to establish a public school in Rehoboth. Apparently a good and kindly man, he was known to use his considerable resources to help the poor and needy, especially those who suffered during the Indian War.

The 1643 list of first purchasers of Seekonk shows William Sabin’s "estate" as only £53, but he acquired a considerable estate and land holdings by the time he died. He wrote his will on 4 June 1685 in Rehobeth two years before he died. (His entire will can be found at Find A Grave Memorial 29920669.) His will shows his love for his wife, his children and grandchildren. He prized his many books, among his other possessions, and willed those precious books to his wife and children. Find A Grave shows his death as 6 February 1687. His burial is recorded in the Rehobeth vital records, 9 February 1687. His will was probated in Suffolk County and is on file in Boston. (For a more complete timeline, see Appendix F)

William Sabin’s descendants also include Florence Rena Sabin (1871- 1953), medical scientist, teacher and citizen activist. She was the first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences and was twice voted to be one of the greatest living women in America. 

Appendix A: Sabin Name

"Sabin is an interesting and unusual surname, thought to be of Old French origin and introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname derives from the Old French masculine given name "Sabin" or the feminine "Sabine", from the Latin "Sabinus", "Sabina", member of the Sabine tribe, an ancient people of Italy whose name is of uncertain origin. The masculine name was borne by at least ten early saints, but the feminine form was more popular in England in the Middle Ages. St. Sabinus, a 4th Century Bishop of Spoleto, and St. Sabina, a Roman matron martyred under Hadrian, ensured the survival of the name". English variants of Sabin include Sabin, Saben, Sabon, Sabun, Saburn, Sabine, and Seaborne. "Seaborn" is the name of another Johnson ancestor, Hester Seaborn who married John Hunting.

Because of his French name, William Sabin is thought by some family historians to have been the son of Huguenots. These followers of the reformist John Calvin faced Catholic hostility in their native France for a period of over a hundred years, and many sought sanctuary England, Germany and Holland.

Mass Huguenot immigration to America took place after the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685 revoked their rights in France, although some French families came earlier. They settled principally in Oxford, Massachussetts, New Platz, New York, and in towns in Connecticut, Virginia and South Carolina. From my research it appears that they did their best to maintain their French identity by settling in groups and by giving their children French names. Because they were Protestants, however, they seemed to assimilate quickly into American society.

In checking the histories of the towns of the Huguenot settlements, I found no Sabin or Sabine surnames. There had been, however, Sabins in England for hundreds of years. For example, in the parish of Crick in the county of Northhampshire, England, there were 840 baptisms of infants with the surname Sabin, Saben, Sabon, Sabun, Sabine, and Seaborne between 1500 and 1750, all with very English type names. The Huguenot connection should likely remain a family myth until it is proven otherwise.

Joyce Beckstrom

 

Appendix B: William Sabin’s Immigration

The ships that left England for the new world were required to have permission from the King to sail, and some of those ships kept passenger lists. Other ships’ records include the number of passengers but not the actual names. Their captains may have failed to keep a record of their passengers or else the records have been lost. William Sabin’s name does not appear on any of the extant passenger lists for the Great Migration, so we cannot date his arrival in New England with any precision.

Many researchers have worked to compile lists of immigrants who came to New England during the Great Migration, using other records to reconstruct arrival dates when no passenger list is available. Topigraphical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620 – 1650 by Banks lists a William Sabin from the Parish of Tichfield, Hampshire, England, who settled in Rehobeth, Massachusetts. This is presumably our William Sabin as I have been unable to find any other William Sabins in the Colony records, but some of the information may not be accurate.

 

Anderson’s Great Migration entry for William Sabin refers to the most extensive of these projects: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, by William Filby and Mary K. Meyer. Various editions of this work show William’s arrival as 1620-1650, 1640, and 1643.

But these, and every other record I have found that shows William Sabin’s immigration, refer to Immigrant Ancestors: a List of 2500 Immigrants to America before 1750, edited by Frederick A. Virkus. He was the president of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and editor of their journals. Since there were no actual passenger lists, 1640 and 1643 may have been the best dates for William Sabin’s immigration that the NEHGS researchers could arrive at.

There is a passenger list of the ship "Hopeful" that left England bound for New England in 1637 which includes a William Saie, age 17 years old, a common age for many of the male immigrants. Could this be our William Sabin, recorded incorrectly because of a blur on the page?

Appendix C: William Sabin’s English Origins

There is a record of the infant baptism of a William Sabin at St. Peter’s parish Church in Tichfield, Hampshire, England, 11^th of October 1609. The names of his parents were not recorded. While we have no proof that this was our William Sabin, the date makes it possible.

 

Couples in the parish who could have been the parents of baby William include Samuel and Elizabeth Sabin, and Richard & Mary Bushe Sabin. However, there are no documents to prove it either way. Lillian Swihart, a subscriber to the Sabin /Sabine /Sabean Genealogical Newsletter offers the point of view that this (former) couple might be the correct parents, since the first two children of William and his first wife were named Samuel and Elizabeth".

The William Saie listed on the passenger list of the Hopeful (as mentioned in Appendix B) was born in about 1620, and if he were actually our William Sabin, then this birth record does not match.

 

Appendix D: William Sabin’s children and grandchildren

Some of this information comes from the First Church in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, which was founded in 1643. In 1812 the part of Rehoboth in which the church was located was incorporated as the Town of Seekonk. Fifty years later in 1862 the land the church stood on was ceded to Rhode Island and the church became part of East Providence. The church is today known as Newman Congregational Church.

(Rehoboth, Massachusetts First Church Collection History)

To William and his first wife were born:

Elizabeth, born about 1642, place unknown, married in Rehobeth, 24 December 1662 to Robert Millard (1640 – 1699), died in Rehobeth 7 February 1717. They are the Johnson family ancestors.

David, 1674 – 1675

Daniel. 1676 - 1755

 

To William and Martha, his second wife, were born:

Appendix E: Sabin's Mill, Location: Pond Street, Rehoboth.

Rehoboth’s Historic Sites brochure says:

"History: The Sabin family purchased this property and built an earth damned mill here in the 1690's. The Sabins were well-established mill owners in early Rehoboth. They were among the earliest settlers in this area. Nearby Sabins’ Pond, also known as Devil's Pond, was named for this family. This mill did not operate for very long, probably owing to a lack of water in the brook, which is known in early deeds as Rico's Run."
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• About the same time, Richard Wright, his three son-in-laws, and their families all settled on adjoining lots in Seekonk/Rehobeth.  Richard had a 12-acre lot and each of the son-in-laws including William, had 8-acre lots. 
• 31 June 1644 - At a Rehobeth Town meeting, "lots were drawn for a division of the woodland, between the plain and the town". William Sabin’s was the 44^th share to be drawn.
• 3 July 1644 - William Sabin, along with 29 others, signed the Rehoboth Compact and subjected themselves according to law and equity, to nine elected persons, to assist them, and to give timely notice to them of things which may prove dangerous to the plantation.
• 1645 On the Seacunk/Rehobeth register which shows the list of names appearing as owning land in the town, William Sabin’s name is included, along with Richard Wright, Robert Sharp and James Clarke.
• 28 May 1645, townsmen agreed that a levy should be made and gathered on each 100 pounds of estate, to be paid in butter or wampum. William Sabin and Robert Titus were assigned to collect this tax.
• 4 June 1645, the town was incorporated, although it had a Royal charter and had no real need to be incorporated. 
• 9 June 1645. Seven men were chosen to order the prudential affairs of the town for half a year. One of those men was Richard Wright. "The same day lots were drawn for the great plain, beginning upon the west side; and he that is first upon the west side shall be last upon the east." The 15^th lot was drawn by William Sabin.
• 9 February 1646, "It was agreed that Edward Sale, John Dogget, William Sabin, John Peran and William Thayer shall set up a weier (for catching fish) upon the cove of the Pawtucket river, under terms set by the townsmen.
• Lots were again drawn on 18 February 1646, this time "for the new meadow and to be divided according to person and estate, only those that were under 150 pounds estate to be made up 150" and William drew lot 24.
• 18 February 1646, the townsmen agreed to another land division, this time for the "new meadow, and to be divided according to person and estate, only those that were under 150 pounds of estate." William and his two brothers-in-law were also listed. William drew lot 24.
• In 1648 – 49, William was taken to court for "Not returning mens corn unto them by two quarts in a bushel, allowing their toule." He was cleared of the charges.  He eventually bought the mill. 
• 1654. William sold property to Anthony Perry and named Richard Wright as his father-in-law from whom he originally purchased the land. The deed follows:

A Deed of William Sabin to Anthony Perry: "To all people to whom this present writing shall come, William Sabin of Rehoboth within the Collonie of New Plymouth in New England husbandman sendeth greeting; Whereas I the said William Sabin by my deed of bargain and sale bearing date the eighteenth day of September in the year of our lord one thousand six hundred fifty and foure for the consideration therein mentioned did seek and absolutely bargain sell and enfeof and confirm unton Anthony Perrey of Rehoboth aforesaid husbandman; and to his heirs and assigns forever one moyety or half she of sixteen acres of salt meddow or marsh in Rehoboth aforesaid at a place called and knowne by the name of the hundred acres tongue, be the same more or less which said moyety I the said William Sabine bought with other lands of my father-in-law Richard Wright; and is bounded on the east by the medow of Phillip Walker, as it is possessed by the said Anthony Perrey, and his assigns, and one moyety or half she of such acres of fresh meddoe be it more or less in Rehoboth aforesaid at a place commonly called bushy meadow, scituate lying wand being between the meddoe of the chilren of Allexander Wichester, deceased, on the south and the meddow of Phillip and names north and of the place commonly called the Great Plaine in Rehoboth aforesaid consisting of thiry acres be it more or less and moyety or half she of the secdivision lott belonging formerly to the said Wright consisting of fourscore acres be it more or less and as the same is now by the free and full consent and agreement of me the said William Sabine possessed by the said Anthony Perrey and his assignes it is bounded on the west by the land of John Titus and of me the said William Sabin and of Esther Hall widdow and on the south by the pound estated of Commonage, in the township of Rebobeth aforesaid with the privileges right s and emunities whatsoever thereunto belonging all aforementioned premises I the said William Sabine bought of my said father-in-law Richard Wright to have and to hold, etc. signed; William Sabine Witness: Daniel Smith, Richard Leonard, Nathanial Paine, & Nicholas Peck".

• In 1654, May 16, William Sabin and three other members of the community were commissioned by the town to negotiate with Captain Miles Standish regarding a land dispute between two Indian chiefs. (We have not been able to document this.)
• In 1656 he was appointed town constable.
• 1657 and for several years following he was appointed a selectman.
• 18 February 1658, the town agreed to draw lots for the new meadow. William was one of the 150 whose estate was under 150 pounds and qualified. He drew lot 24.
• 1658, June 22, 1658, William Sabin was one of the people who drew lots for the meadows on the north side of town. His was the 31^st lot drawn and this is the last land division in Rehobeth where he is mentioned.
• 1658, William Sabin’s name is on the list of Freemen in Rehobeth.
• William Sabin’s first wife died sometime between 1660 when her last child was born, and 1663 when William married again.
• On 22 Dec. 1663, William Sabin was married in Medfield to Martha Allen, who was the daughter of the Rev. James Allen and Anna Guild.
• June 1675, William Sabin, a Plymouth grand juryman for many years, was foreman of the jury that convicted three natives for the murder of John Sausasmon, also native. They were hanged. King Philip’s War commenced sixteen days later. Thousands of colonists and members of the native tribes in the area died. Property damage was high and during the war William Sabin’s mill, which he had purchased from his father-in-law, Richard Wright, was burned to the ground.
• 4 June 1685, William Sabin wrote his will.
• 9 Feb. 1687, William Sabin was buried in Rehoboth.