Person · 1872
Harvey Crosby
Harvey Crosby
| Died | 1872-02-01 |
| Representative to the General Court | |
| In Office | 1847 - 1847 |
| Preceded by | Gardner Parker |
| Succeeded by | Reuben Chamberlain |
| Father | Seth Crosby |
| Spouses | Esther Melvin |
Harvey Crosby (about 1793 to 1872) was a farmer on the Boston road south-east of Billerica Centre and the town's Representative to the General Court in 1847.
He was a son of Seth Crosby. In 1816 he and Isaac Kendall, a housewright, bought at a sheriff's sale for $735 Stephen Richardson's equity in "a tract of land containing thirty acres more or less with the buildings thereon" on the north-east side of the road, and on December 17, 1818, after Kendall's death, Crosby bought Kendall's half, "with a dwelling house and barn thereon," at the administrator's auction for $528. The farm, whose house is known as the William Hamlet House, was his "Home Place" for the rest of his life.
He married Esther Melvin, a daughter of Josiah Melvin of Hudson, New Hampshire. The births of their children were recorded in Billerica under the spelling "Hervey": Clarissa Augusta (1820), Maria (1822), Hervey (1824), listed as Henry in the census of 1850, George (1828), William (1830), Edwin (1834) and Seth (1841). Esther died of typhus fever on November 13, 1846, aged 51, and is buried in the Fox Hill Cemetery.
Crosby added steadily to his land. He bought the nine and three-quarter acre Ditson Plain on the county road from John and Henry Baldwin in 1834, about fifteen acres of the old Tompson homestead from Bernard Tufts in 1845, and in 1840 the "Mann Place" at the bridge over the Concord River in the north of the town from Josiah B. French, together with an adjoining part of the late Josiah Stevens's "Parker Place" from George Holden. That property, the Ephraim Kidder Jr. House, was "three acres more or less with the buildings thereon" by 1847; he did not live there, and the 1853 map marks the building as a hotel. He also inherited a quarter share of his father's farm when Seth Crosby died in 1848.
Much of this was bought on credit. In June 1848 he mortgaged twenty-two parcels in Billerica and Chelmsford to the heirs of his brother Kendall Crosby, and on October 8, 1849 he conveyed all his land, eight pieces "with all the buildings thereon," to John S. Edgerly of Somerville and Henry Crosby of Billerica, traders, who paid off the mortgage in 1855. The census of 1850 still shows him as a farmer of 57 with real estate worth $8,000, living with Maria, Henry, George, William, Edwin and Seth. His second wife, Mary H. Crosby, bought a farm of twenty-seven acres on the Boston road in her own name in 1866. Harvey Crosby died on February 1, 1872. The year before, Edgerly had released the home farm to William Crosby of Cambridge, and it stayed in the Crosby family until 1943.
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Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Property | Recorded |
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| February 15, 1828 | Sheriff's Deed | Joseph Bradley, deputy sheriff (execution of Thomas Richardson against Stephen Richardson) | Isaac Kendall and Harvey Crosby | Details | William Hamlet House Billerica Professional Condominium Bear Hill Condominium Bear Hill Farm Ice Cream Stand 568 Boston Rd |
278/494 (South) |
By virtue of an execution in favor of Thomas Richardson of Billerica, gentleman, against Stephen Richardson of Billerica, yeoman, deputy sheriff Joseph Bradley had taken "the right in equity of redemption of the said Stephen Richardson in and to a tract of land containing thirty acres more or less with the buildings thereon," bounded northerly by Isaac Hurd, easterly by the heirs of John Patten and Walter Carr Jr., southerly by the heirs of Josiah Richardson and Benjamin Bowers, "and southwesterly by the County road," with about eight acres more by Benjamin Bowers, mortgaged to the Salem Bank, Oliver Pollard and John Stearns. After advertising it he sold it at auction on the premises on May 4, 1816 for $735 to Isaac Kendall and Harvey Crosby of Billerica, the highest bidders. Acknowledged May 8, 1816; recorded Feb. 15, 1828. Billerica town book 14, pages 9-11.
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| 1818 | Administrator's Deed | Josiah Crosby Jr., administrator of Isaac Kendall | Harvey Crosby | Details | William Hamlet House Billerica Professional Condominium Bear Hill Condominium Bear Hill Farm Ice Cream Stand 568 Boston Rd |
278/496 (South) |
Josiah Crosby Jr. of Billerica, Esq., administrator of the estate of Isaac Kendall, late of Billerica, housewright, who died intestate, licensed by the Probate Court to raise $673.27 for his debts, sold at public vendue on Dec. 17, 1818 to Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman, the highest bidder at $528, "one moiety of a tract of land containing about thirty acres with a dwelling house and barn thereon," bounded northerly by Isaac Hurd and easterly by Zadock Allen, the half that Kendall had bought with Crosby at the 1816 sheriff's sale. This gave Harvey Crosby the whole farm. Billerica town book 14, page 11 and following (recorded with the 1816 deed in 1828).
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| October 9, 1849 | Deed | Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman (Esther his wife) | His father Seth Crosby of Billerica, yeoman | Details | Seth Crosby House | 567/295 (South) |
For $18, "one undivided half of the Nutting Pond Lots called", about twelve acres, beginning "at the road leading from said Seth's to Josiah Hill's" and bounded by Hill and by Seth's own land, "formerly belonging to the Estate of Jonathan Bowers Esq. deceased". Dated Sept. 2, 1833 (witnesses Marshall Preston, Clarissa Crosby), recorded Oct. 9, 1849. Billerica town book 20, page 329.
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| April 22, 1843 | Warranty Deed | John Baldwin and Henry Baldwin of Billerica, traders (Clarissa and Anne Baldwin releasing dower) | Harvey Crosby of Billerica | Details | 427/124 (South) | |
Billerica town book 17, page 464. Dated April 17, 1834, recorded April 22, 1843. "A certain piece of land situate in said Billerica containing nine acres three quarters and twenty perches more or less and known by the name of the Ditson Plain and bounded as follows viz. easterly on the County road leading from said Billerica to Boston southerly on land of Francis Carter westerly on land formerly of Benjamin Bowers and northerly on land formerly of the Farmer Heirs being the same conveyed to us by Abraham R. Thompson dated April 25 1828 ... Book 284 Page 362."
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| June 3, 1840 | Warranty Deed | Josiah B. French of Lowell, gentleman (wife Mary Ann releasing dower) | Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman | Details | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House Barnard McCann House |
394/59 (South) |
For $500, "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon called the Mann Place and where the late Josiah Stevens last dwelt," on the east side of Concord River "near the great bridge so called," beginning at a stake and stones near "the building formerly owned by Jonathan M. Dexter called the hatter's shop," west to the river, north by the river to the highway, south by the highway to the beginning; "being the same estate conveyed to me by Abigail Stevens by her deed bearing date May 27 A.D. 1840." Signed and acknowledged June 1, recorded June 3, 1840; witness George Holden. Billerica town book 16, pages 391-392.
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| June 3, 1840 | Warranty Deed | George Holden of Billerica, gentleman | Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman | Details | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House | 394/59 (South) |
For $1,450, "the Parker Place so called" in two tracts: the first beginning at the highway and "the Patten Place so called late the property of Josiah Stevens deceased," southwest by the Patten Place to Concord River, north by the river "to land of said deceased called his Mann Place," northeast by the Mann Place to the highway, and back by the highway, "with the buildings thereon standing"; the second, "with a small tenement thereon," across the highway at the fork of the highway and the Salem road, bounded by Rev. Jonathan E. Forbush, Timothy Davis, the Boston road and the Wier Place. Signed May 27, recorded June 3, 1840 (the town book gives the same registry page as the French deed). Billerica town book 16, pages 392-394. The first tract became the southern part of the house lot.
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| 1845 | Deed | Bernard Tufts | Harvey Crosby | Details | Jones Farmhouse | 499/338 (South) |
Deed dated June 27, 1845 of about fifteen acres of the 149 acre Tompson homestead. Every later deed of the farm excepts "the portion included in and conveyed by Barnard Tufts to Harvey Crosby," leaving the 134 acre "northerly and larger portion" with the house. Known from those recitals; the deed itself was not read.
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| 1847 | Mortgage | Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman | Blaney Abbot of Billerica, Esquire | Details | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House | 508/132 (South) |
For $450, mortgage of "a certain tract of land situate in said Billerica near the Corner Bridge so called containing three acres more or less with the buildings thereon standing," from its southeast corner at "the road leading from the house of Dea. Wm. D. Mason to said Corner Bridge," north by the road to the bridge and Concord River, southeast up the river to Mason's land and east by Mason to the road; void on payment in one year with interest. Signed and acknowledged May 4, 1847 before Marshall Preston. Billerica town book 18, pages 333-334. The Mann Place and the adjoining Parker Place tract together; the mortgage was still on them in 1849 and 1855. Recorded 1847.
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| 1848 | Guardianship and Administration | Estate of Seth Crosby of Billerica, yeoman (died intestate 1848, leaving no widow) | His heirs: Augustus Crosby, Harvey Crosby, Betsey Winship and the children of Kendall Crosby; Henry Crosby, administrator | Details | Seth Crosby House | Probate #29996 |
In April 1848 his son Augustus had the court declare Seth Crosby "a non compos mentis person", and Jeremiah Crosby was made his guardian (May 16, 1848). He died within months; on Sept. 5, 1848 Henry Crosby of Billerica was appointed administrator at the request of the heirs. The inventory of Sept. 20, 1848 (John Baldwin, Josiah Rogers, Benjamin L. Judkins) lists the "Homestead farm about 100 acres" at $3,600, a swamp lot of about 30 acres, the five-acre Willoughby lot and eight acres of Shawsheen meadow (real estate $4,180), $3,630 in notes, and the furniture of a house with southwest, southeast, northwest and northeast rooms and chambers, a hall room and "Cranberries in Garret", with a yoke of oxen, five cows and a horse. The real estate was not divided by the court: the heirs sold the farm by deed in November 1849.
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| October 9, 1849 | Quitclaim | Harvey Crosby of Billerica, yeoman | John S. Edgerly of Somerville, trader, and Henry Crosby of Billerica, trader | Details | William Hamlet House Ephraim Kidder Jr. House Seth Crosby House Billerica Professional Condominium Bear Hill Condominium Bear Hill Farm Ice Cream Stand 568 Boston Rd |
567/298 (South) |
Dated Oct. 8, 1849. For one dollar and other consideration, eight pieces "with all the buildings thereon standing," among them "a certain farm situated about one mile south of the Unitarian Meeting house ... known by the name of the Hill Farm containing thirty three acres" (bought of Joseph Bowers) and "a certain tract of land containing thirty acres more or less bounded by the lands now or late of Isaac Hurd, of Zadock Allen, of Walter Carr Jr., of Benjamin Bowers and by the County road and a certain piece of land containing eight acres ... bounded by land now or late of Benjamin Bowers and by the County Road, the last two named being the premises to me conveyed by Josiah Crosby Jr. administrator of Isaac Kendall ... and by Joseph Bradley Deputy Sheriff"; with the Valley Orchard, a sheep pasture, 16 acres from Bernard Tufts, 10 acres from Sereno Fiske and the northerly half of the Bowers Foster Place, "said eight pieces ... being parts of the Home Place so called," and lots in Chelmsford, on the Concord and Shawsheen rivers and on Gibson's Hill, and his quarter of the estate of Seth Crosby. Subject to mortgages to Betsey Crosby, to the heirs of Kendall Crosby ($5,300), to Blaney Abbott and to Rhodes G. Lockwood. In effect a transfer of all of Harvey Crosby's real estate to a trustee for his creditors and a family member; Harvey went on living on the farm. Billerica town book 20, pages 331-339.
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| April 28, 1866 | Deed | E. W. Wilson of Swampscott, Essex County | Mary H. Crosby of Billerica (wife of Harvey Crosby), to her sole and separate use | Details | Frank A. Fitzgerald House Harlow Colby House Blaney Abbott House 478 Boston Rd Wayside Farm |
48/339 |
For $2,100 (reading of "Twenty one hundred" uncertain), "a certain lot of land and buildings thereon" in Billerica "containing twenty seven acres two roods sixteen perches be it more or less as the fence now stands": "Westerly by the highway, then running Southerly by land of Mr. Eastman, Fuller, Colby and Tufts, easterly by land of Mr. Richardson, Northerly by land of Mr. Ordway and Lund to the first mentioned bound, as per plan." No title recital. Dated March 31, 1866, acknowledged in Essex County the same day. This is the farm later cut into Lots A and B of Land Court Plan 3956-A; the 1866 abutters Colby and Fuller are the H. Colby and Fuller places to the south.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.