Josiah Bowers II
Josiah Bowers II
| Born | 1748-12-12 Billerica, MA |
| Died | 1824-11-17 Billerica, MA |
| Select Board | |
| In Office | 1786 - 1787 |
| Father | Josiah Bowers |
| Mother | Abigail Tompson |
Capt. Josiah Bowers was a Billerica farmer who for more than forty years owned the old Sheldon homestead on the Salem road, now Andover Road, a short walk east of the Common. He was born on December 12, 1748, the eldest son of Capt. Josiah Bowers and Abigail (Tompson) Bowers. On January 6, 1774 he married Hannah Richardson, daughter of Josiah Richardson. They had no children.
In March 1781 he bought from Sarah Center and her son John Sheldon Center "the Homestead of Sarah Center & John Shelden Center," about 36 acres in two pieces on either side of the highway "with all the Buildings," and half of the pew that had belonged to Samuel Sheldon, for 650 pounds in silver (see John Sheldon House). He lived there for the rest of his life. He was a selectman in 1786. In April 1793 he bought from Samuel Kidder a pasture of twenty-five acres on the road beyond, later called the Kidder pasture (see Rufus Kitteredge Underhill House), and at the sale of pews in the new meeting house in December 1797 he paid $161 for pew number 5. His farm also took in a share of the Nahum Baldwin land next to his homestead.
In old age he fell into debt. Three acres of his land on the Salem road were set off to Rebecca Warren of Chelmsford on an execution against him, and on February 27, 1822 his nephew Joseph Bowers, "a nephew, and also a creditor to a large amount," told the probate court that Josiah "by reason of age and infirmity has become non compos mentis, & altogether incapable to take care of himself." After an inquiry by the selectmen the court made his brother Andrew Bowers of Salisbury, New Hampshire his guardian in April 1822. His wife Hannah died on November 1, 1823, aged 71, and he died on November 17, 1824, aged 76. Both are recorded on gravestones in the Old South Cemetery.
He left no will. Andrew Bowers, as administrator, auctioned the personal estate in February 1825, and in November 1825 he sold the house lot, seven acres "with a dwelling house barn and cyder mill house and other out buildings," to Zaccheus Shed. The rest of the land was divided in 1826 among the brothers and sisters, his sister Sarah French receiving half of the Kidder pasture. Andrew bought out the other heirs, Shed conveyed the house lot back to him in 1830, and after Andrew's death his heirs sold "the homestead of Capt. Josiah Bowers" in 1834 to Jonathan Gates of Lowell, who resold it the same year to Ichabod G. Kimball.
References
- Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), Genealogical Register p. 15, BOWERS 3 (child list)
- Vital Records of Billerica to 1850, deaths p. 345 (Capt. Josiah, Nov. 17, 1824; wife Hannah, Nov. 1, 1823)
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Property | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 1786 | Warranty | Sarah Center, widow, and John Shelden Center, yeoman, and Phebe his wife, all of Billerica | Josiah Bowers Jr. of Billerica, gentleman | Details | John Sheldon House Oliver P. Greenwood House Jenkins House Gerrit H. Bennink House |
93/390 (South) |
Dated Mar. 19, 1781, acknowledged June 13, 1781, recorded Mar. 31, 1786 (Billerica town book 8, pages 55-57). For 650 pounds in silver, "Two pieces of Land ... being the Homestead of Sarah Center & John Shelden Center aforesaid containing about thirty six acres": the first bounded west by Capt. Solomon Pollard, north by Ebenezer French, east by French and Solomon Manning, and south-east and south by the highway; the second south and west by Oliver Abbot, north and north-west by the highway, and north-east and east by Jonathan Pool; "with all the Buildings," and half a pew in the meeting house "formerly the property of Samuel Sheldon." Witnesses Josiah Bowers and Solomon Manning. Sarah Center was Samuel Sheldon's daughter; John Sheldon Center (married 1778 to Phebe Tay of Woburn) his grandson.
Title from:
Title passed to:
Related:
|
||||||
| April 15, 1795 | Deed | Jacob French of Billerica; Elizabeth French | Jesse French of Billerica, blacksmith | Details | Ora E. Bohannon House Sears James Cook House |
118/310 (South) |
One parcel of ten acres "on the east side of the road leading to Benjamin Davis's," bounded west by the road about seventeen and a half poles, "on the North by the parsonage lott, on the East on Fox Hill about eleven poles, on the South by said Frenches own land," "also all the buildings set to me by the Judge of Probates with the land they now stand upon." Dated Dec. 26, 1785, acknowledged Jan. 6, 1786 before Edward Farmer, recorded April 15, 1795; witnesses Josiah Bowers Jr., David Abbot and Samuel Abbot 3d. Billerica town book 9, page 198.
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
| April 19, 1825 | Warranty Deed | Samuel Kidder of Billerica, yeoman (Abigail Kidder his wife releasing dower) | Josiah Bowers Jr. of Billerica, gentleman | Details | Rufus Kitteredge Underhill House 67 Andover Rd |
259/491 (South) |
Billerica town book 13, pages 332-333. Dated April 1, 1793, acknowledged April 9, 1793 before Edward Farmer, recorded only on April 19, 1825. For 128 pounds 6 pence, "a certain tract of land in Billerica aforesaid containing twenty five acres and ninety seven poles", beginning "at the wall at the northeast corner of Benjamin Baldwins dwelling house", by the road "in a curve line one hundred and twenty rods to land of Jonas French", then by French land and walls, northwesterly 20 poles by land of Nahum Baldwin and northerly 20 poles by Benjamin Baldwin to the first corner. No buildings. This is the "Kidder pasture" of the later deeds. Witnesses Peter Hill and John Kidder.
Title passed to:
Related:
|
||||||
| January 28, 1820 | Warranty | Josiah Bowers and Joseph Bowers of Billerica, gentlemen | Theophilus Manning of Billerica, yeoman | Details | Sabbath Day House | 232/158 (South) |
For $47, "a certain piece of land in said Billerica on the north side of Sheldon's lane so called containing about ten square rods," beginning "at the said lane at a stake and stones seventeen feet east of said Manning's house as it now stands," northerly about six rods by the Bowers land to a corner of Ichabod Everett's and the heirs of Asa Patten's land, southwesterly by the heirs' land to the lane and easterly by the lane to the beginning. Dated April 23, 1819, acknowledged Jan. 25, recorded Jan. 28, 1820. Billerica town book 13, pages 54-55 (Southern Registry Book 232 Page 158). The deed shows Manning's house standing on the north side of Sheldon's Lane by April 1819.
Related:
|
||||||
| October 19, 1822 | Quitclaim (land taken on execution) | Rebecca Warren of Chelmsford, widow | Andrew Bowers of Salisbury, N.H., Esquire | land taken on execution against him | John Sheldon House | 244/189 (South) |
Dated July 9, 1821, recorded Oct. 19, 1822 (Billerica town book 12, page 256). For $152.60, three acres "about a quarter of a mile easterly of the meeting house on the road to Salem," which had been set off to Mrs. Warren on an execution against Josiah Bowers, subject to his right of redemption. One of the debts that led to Josiah Bowers's guardianship; Andrew Bowers bought it back for the family.
Related:
|
||||||
| 1822 | Guardianship | Josiah Bowers of Billerica, gentleman, non compos mentis | Andrew Bowers of Salisbury, N.H., his brother, guardian | ward under guardianship | John Sheldon House Jenkins House |
Probate #2300 |
On Feb. 27, 1822 Joseph Bowers of Billerica, "a nephew, and also a creditor to a large amount of Josiah Bowers of said Billerica Gentleman," complained that Josiah "by reason of age and infirmity has become non compos mentis, & altogether incapable to take care of himself." The court ordered an inquisition by the selectmen and in April 1822 appointed a guardian of Salisbury in the State of New Hampshire (Andrew Bowers); letter in vol. 257, p. 163. The guardian's account of $488.32 was charged against the estate after Josiah's death.
Related:
|
||||||
| 1824 | Administration | Estate of Capt. Josiah Bowers of Billerica, gentleman, intestate | Andrew Bowers of Salisbury, N.H., administrator; his brothers and sisters, heirs | Details | John Sheldon House Oliver P. Greenwood House Thomas Shedd House Jenkins House Rufus Kitteredge Underhill House 67 Andover Rd Watts House Spaulding House Richardson Cottage |
Probate #2301 |
Josiah Bowers died intestate on Nov. 17, 1824, leaving no widow. His heirs (James Bowers, Luther French, Amos Muzzy, Jacob Norton by his attorney Joseph Locke, and others) asked that "Andrew Bowers Esq. of Salisbury" be administrator, and he was appointed Nov. 23, 1824. The personal estate was auctioned Feb. 16-17, 1825; the account allowed Apr. 25, 1826 shows personal estate of $310.42 and "proceeds of sale of Real Estate sold by order of the Judge" of $1220, with the guardian's account of $488.32 among the debts.
Title from:
Title passed to:
Related:
|
||||||
| October 31, 1826 | Administrator's Deed | Andrew Bowers of Salisbury, N.H., administrator of Josiah Bowers | Zaccheus Shed of Billerica, yeoman | administrator's sale of his house lot | John Sheldon House | 270/222 (South) |
Dated Oct. 24, 1826, recorded Oct. 31, 1826 (Billerica town book 12, pages 504-507). Licensed by the Probate Court, Andrew Bowers sold at public vendue on the premises on Nov. 3, 1825 to Zaccheus Shed, the highest bidder at $1085, "seven acres more or less with a dwelling house barn and cyder mill house and other out buildings thereon standing," beginning at the south-east corner on the Salem road at the heirs of Nahum Baldwin, north by the Baldwin heirs to Luther French, west by French to Ichabod Everett, south by Everett to land of Andrew Bowers, east by Andrew's land "as the wall stands," and south again "as the old wall stood to west end of the house, thence by said house and wall to the said Salem road." The same day Shed and his wife Caroline mortgaged it back to Andrew for $1085 (Middlesex South Book 270, Page 223).
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
| May 31, 1834 | Heirs Quitclaim | Heirs of Andrew Bowers late of Salisbury, N.H., Esquire: Jacob and Hannah Norton; James Bowers of Fulton, Ohio (by Norton, attorney); William and Anna Muzzy of Lexington; Joseph and Ann B. Richardson of Hingham; Abraham and Frances B. True of Salem; Edward | Jonathan Gates of Lowell, machinist | his former homestead | John Sheldon House Oliver P. Greenwood House Thomas Shedd House Jenkins House Gerrit H. Bennink House Watts House Spaulding House Richardson Cottage |
331/506 (South) |
Dated Apr. 2, 1834, recorded May 31, 1834 (Billerica town book 13, pages 552-555). For $2,500, a quitclaim of the lands "of which Andrew Bowers ... died seized": "the homestead of Capt. Josiah Bowers" of about eleven acres "with the buildings thereon" on the north side of the Salem road and Sheldon's lane, its south-west corner at the lane and Theophilus Manning, north by Manning and Ichabod Everett to the former Luther French farm, east by the French farm and the Nahum Baldwin lot; about 30 acres on the east side of the road opposite (John and Henry Baldwin, Fitch Tufts, the Nahum Baldwin pasture); a quarter of the Baldwin pasture; and six acres of wood on Fox Hill by the old Fox Hill road. Andrew Bowers died in New Hampshire, where his estate was settled.
Title from:
Title passed to:
Related:
|
||||||
| July 16, 1846 | Warranty Deed | Sarah French of Lowell, widow, sister of Capt. Josiah Bowers | Edward Wright of Billerica | share of his estate (Kidder pasture) | Rufus Kitteredge Underhill House 67 Andover Rd |
489/356 (South) |
Billerica town book 18, pages 190-191. Dated April 27, 1846, acknowledged June 1, 1846 before Josiah B. French. For $700, "a certain tract of land situated in Billerica aforesaid lying on the road leading from Billerica Meetinghouse to Andover South Parish containing thirteen acres and one hundred poles", bounded south by Henry Baldwin's land "formerly owned by the heirs of Nahum Baldwin", east by James Tyler, and running to the road 38 rods east of the northwest corner and back by other land of Wright. "Meaning and intending to convey the estate as set off to me by Samuel Whiting, Blany Abbott and Ichabod Everett commissioners appointed by the Judge of Probate to divide the Estate of my late brother Josiah Bowers as that part of said division as set to me in the Kidder Pasture so called." Indexed as "Kidder Pasture".
Title from:
Title passed to:
|
||||||
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.