William Sabin (1609-1687) and (?)

{Garnsey Ancestors}

by Joyce Backstrom

Because his name is not shown on any ship’s passenger list, we don’t know exactly when William Sabin arrived in New England, but 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 3 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."

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 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 "the husband of my mother," which we would term "step-father" today. Based on this document, many researchers have reasoned that William Sabin’s unnamed first 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 or they may have married in Hingham or 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 their second son Joseph, born 24 June 1645. The birth record shows William as the father, but does 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 December 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., which is ten miles from 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 September 1660. That is the date of birth of Sarah Sabin, her 12^th child. There are no photos of the Sabin gravestones and no references are cited. We have been unable to locate any other documentation for this name or death date.

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 other events in the life of William Sabin:

• In 1656 he was appointed town constable.

• On 3 June 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 Sausamon, also a native, a Christian and the private secretary to Chief King Philip. 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, the mill, which William had purchased from his father-in-law, Richard Wright, was burned to the ground. 

• 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.)

• Find A Grave shows his death as 6 February 1687. His burial is recorded in the Rehobeth vital records, 9 February 1687.

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: 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. Lillian Swihart, a subscriber to the Sabin /Sabine /Sabean Genealogical Newsletter offers the point of view that the first couple might be the correct parents, since the first two children of William and his first wife were named Samuel and Elizabeth".

Appendix B: William Sabin’s children

Some of this information come 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:

1. 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.

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