Josiah Stevens
Josiah Stevens
| Born | 1769-07-20 |
| Died | 1840-01-20 Billerica, MA |
| Spouses |
Betsey Frost Abigail Richardson |
Josiah Stevens (1769-1840) kept the tavern at the Corner in North Billerica and later farmed the old Patten place on the Boston road. He was born on July 20, 1769 and came to Billerica from Dunstable about 1801. On July 19, 1795 he had married Betsey Frost, who died on July 28, 1800, leaving three daughters. On November 15, 1801 he married Abigail Richardson, daughter of Thomas Richardson, who kept the Tavern at the Corner at the crossroads by the Concord River bridge, and Stevens later ran the tavern for his father-in-law. By 1835 Lyman Haynes had taken it over.
In April 1819, at the auction of the late Deacon Jeremiah Patten's place, thirty acres between the Boston road and the Concord River "with a dwelling house and barn thereon," he bought an undivided half; Porter, Stone and Co. bought the other. In 1826 he collected the rest: on an execution he had won against John P. Stone, a deputy sheriff sold him Stone's share at auction "at the house of Josiah Stevens," and Joseph S. Porter and Samuel S. Reynolds quitclaimed their half to him for $500. From then on he owned the whole "Patten place," the William Patten House. In 1829 he and his wife joined the other heirs of Thomas Richardson in dividing his estate, and in 1831 he and the blacksmith Josiah B. Richardson bought from Noah Harrod a quarter acre with buildings near the tavern.
In November 1838 he paid Benjamin F. Varnum of Dracut $650 for the house on the east side of the Concord River near the great bridge known as the Mann place, the Ephraim Kidder Jr. House, and in 1839 Samuel H. Mann's widow released her dower to him as "Inn Holder." He died there on January 20, 1840, without a will and deep in debt. His widow and his children John and Judith declined the administration, and Marshall Preston was appointed and licensed to sell real estate to pay $7,338.16 of debts. In May 1840 the widow bought at auction, for $40, the reversion of "the Mann Place and where the said deceased last dwelt" and sold it to her son-in-law Josiah B. French of Lowell; the Patten place went to George Holden and then to George Rice of Boston, who sold it in 1842 to the machinist who built the William D. Mason House. Abigail Stevens died on June 10, 1847.
His children by his first wife were Betsey (1796), who married Joseph Butterfield in 1814; Catherine (1797), who married Alpheus Richardson of Groton in 1831; and Sally (1799), who married William Adams of Tyngsborough in 1823. By Abigail he had Abigail (1804), who married John A. Savels of Boston; Mary Ann (1806), who married Josiah B. French in 1823; John (1808), who married Eliza Barnes and died in 1854; Harriet (1809), who died at sixteen; Hannah (1810), who married Charles Saunderson of Lowell; Josiah (1812), who died in infancy; Thomas Lawrence (1815); Fitz Henry (1817), who married Charlotte Kendall; and Judith Frances (1819), who married Grenville Remick in 1844.
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Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Property | Recorded |
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| June 14, 1819 | Guardian's Deed | Josiah Crosby Jr., guardian of Abigail, Julia Ann and Hannah Patten, minor heirs of Jeremiah Patten | Josiah Stevens (one half); Joseph S. Porter, John P. Stone and Samuel S. Reynolds, Porter, Stone and Co. (one half) | Buys an undivided half of the Patten place at the guardian's auction, 1819 | William Patten House Wendy's Food Basket Monarch Diner William D. Mason House 314 Boston Rd |
229/393 (South) |
Josiah Crosby Jr. of Billerica, Esquire, "guardian of Abigail Patten Julia Ann Patten and Hannah Patten minor heirs of Jeremiah Patten late of said Billerica yeoman deceased intestate," licensed by the Supreme Judicial Court at Concord in March 1819, sold at public vendue on April 24, 1819 "one undivided half of the following tract of land being part of the real estate of said deceased to Josiah Stevens of said Billerica gentleman and the other undivided half to Joseph S. Porter John P. Stone and Samuel S. Reynolds copartners in business under the firm of Porter Stone and Co.," for $1,400: "thirty acres of land be the same more or less situated in said Billerica bounded easterly on Boston road southerly on the widow Hannah Pattens dower westerly on Concord river and northerly on land of Samuel Bowers in part and partly on land of Rebecca Wier with a dwelling house and barn thereon." Dated April 25, 1819. Billerica town book 12, pages 155-157.
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| April 25, 1826 | Sheriff's Deed | Joseph Butterfield of Tyngsborough, deputy sheriff, on an execution against John P. Stone of Billerica, Esquire | Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman | Buys John P. Stone's share of the Patten place at a sheriff's sale, 1826 | Wendy's Food Basket Monarch Diner William D. Mason House 314 Boston Rd |
267/131 (South) |
On an execution in favor of Josiah Stevens against John P. Stone, the deputy sheriff took and sold at auction on February 28, 1826, "at the house of Josiah Stevens," for $225 to Stevens, the highest bidder, Stone's right in equity of redemption of "One undivided third part of one half of the Patten place so called bounded easterly on the Boston road southerly on the widow Hannah Pattens dower, westerly on Concord River and northerly on land of Samuel Bowers" and of the late Rebecca Wier, subject to the mortgage of April 25, 1819 by Stone, Joseph S. Porter and Samuel S. Reynolds to Josiah Crosby Jr. Signed February 28, acknowledged and recorded April 24-25, 1826. Billerica town book 13, pages 396-397.
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| 1826 | Quitclaim | Joseph S. Porter and Samuel S. Reynolds of Charlestown, traders (Anna Porter and Beulah Reynolds releasing dower) | Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman | Porter and Reynolds quitclaim their half of the Patten place, 1826 | Wendy's Food Basket Monarch Diner William D. Mason House 314 Boston Rd |
270/165 (South) |
For $500, "all our right title and interest in and to one undivided half of thirty acres of land" in Billerica "bounded easterly on Boston road southerly on the widow Hannah Pattens dower westerly on Concord river and northerly on land of Samuel Bowers in part and partly on land now or lately of Rebecca Wier, with a dwelling house and barn thereon, being the same mortgaged by us together with John P. Stone to Josiah Crosby" on April 25, 1819. Signed October 18, acknowledged October 19, 1826 before Marshall Preston. With this deed and the sheriff's sale of Stone's share, Stevens held the whole Patten place. Billerica town book 15, pages 438-439.
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| April 17, 1830 | Quitclaim (heirs' division) | Heirs of Thomas Richardson: John and Mary French, John and Ann Thompson, Josiah Stevens and Abigail Stevens, Sarah Kendall (widow), George W. H., Hannah H. F. and Judith E. Rogers | His daughters Lydia Rogers, wife of Artemas Rogers of Henniker, N.H., and Elizabeth Richardson of Boston | With his wife Abigail, joins the division of Thomas Richardson's estate, 1829 | Tavern at the Corner First Baptist Church |
296/237 (South) |
For $2,947.26 the other heirs release to Lydia Rogers and Elizabeth Richardson "a certain tract of land in said Billerica containing seventeen acres and thirty six poles with all the buildings thereon standing," beginning at the northeast corner on the west side of "the great road leading to Boston," running westerly by land of Josiah Crosby Esq. to Concord River, by the river "to the road near the great bridge," then northeasterly and southeasterly to the Boston road (excluding about a quarter acre owned by Noah Harrod and a small piece owned by the widow Frost), and northwesterly by the Boston road 57 rods to the start; "said place has been known by the name of Richardsons tavern." Dated March 7, 1829 (witnesses Joseph Locke and William Morton), acknowledged April 15, 1829; recorded April 17, 1830. Billerica town book 14, pages 281-282. The same day the heirs divided Richardson's Lewis place and White place among the others.
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| July 14, 1831 | Quitclaim | Noah Harrod of Boston, trader | Josiah B. Richardson, blacksmith, and Josiah Stevens, yeoman, both of Billerica | With Josiah B. Richardson, buys the Harrod lot near the tavern, 1831 | Samuel Parker House | 306/150 (South) |
For $300, quitclaim of "a small tract of land containing about a quarter of an acre, more or less, with all the buildings thereon, situate in said Billerica near Thomas Richardson's Tavern, as the same is bounded and described in the deed of John Parker to Stephen Richardson dated the eleventh day of February A.D. 1806", "the same being the premises conveyed to me the said Harrod by a deed from one William Richardson dated June 19th A.D. 1816 and recorded ... Book 218 page 194", and "also being those mortgaged by me said Harrod to one Wm Shed", the mortgage excepted. Signed and acknowledged at Boston May 31, 1831, recorded July 14, 1831. Billerica town book 11, pages 575-576. Harrod, the cabinet maker of 1816, had moved to Boston and become a trader.
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| March 9, 1841 | Quitclaim | Benjamin F. Varnum of Dracut, Esquire (wife Caroline releasing dower) | Josiah Stevens of Billerica, gentleman | Buys the Mann place from Benjamin F. Varnum, 1838 | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House | 400/298 (South) |
For $650, quitclaim of the tract "on the east side of Concord River near the great Bridge so called," from the stake and stones near the hatter's shop formerly owned by Jonathan M. Dexter west to the river, north to the highway and back, "with the buildings thereon standing." Signed Nov. 10, 1838, acknowledged April 6, 1839, recorded March 9, 1841 (after Stevens's death). Billerica town book 17, pages 44-45.
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| October 7, 1841 | Quitclaim | Isabella Mann of Wayland, widow of Samuel H. Mann | Josiah Stevens of Billerica, innholder | Isabella Mann releases her dower in the Mann place, 1839 | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House | 408/303 (South) |
For $214, release of her right in the tract "on the east side of Concord river near the Great bridge (so called) now most commonly called the corner bridge," with the same bounds, "with the buildings thereon standing," "being the same premises conveyed to my late husband Samuel H. Mann Esquire deceased by Joseph Graham by deed dated the 12th day of October A.D. 1833." Signed June 20, 1839, recorded Oct. 7, 1841. Billerica town book 17, pages 210-211. This cleared the widow's dower; Stevens lived here until his death about January 1840.
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| 1840 | Administration | Estate of Josiah Stevens of Billerica, intestate | Marshall Preston, administrator; Abigail Stevens, widow, and the children | Administration of his estate, 1840 (Marshall Preston, administrator) | William Patten House Ephraim Kidder Jr. House Wendy's Food Basket Monarch Diner William D. Mason House 314 Boston Rd Barnard McCann House |
Probate #42319 |
Josiah Stevens died intestate about January 1840; his widow Abigail and children John and Judith F. declined, and Marshall Preston was appointed administrator Feb. 11, 1840, and licensed in April 1840 to sell real estate to pay $7,338.16 of debts. Papers read, pages 2-5.
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| June 3, 1840 | Administrator's Deed | Marshall Preston of Billerica, administrator of Josiah Stevens late of Billerica, gentleman | Abigail Stevens of Billerica, widow | His administrator sells the reversion of the Mann place to his widow, 1840 | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House | 394/56 (South) |
Under a Probate Court license of April 14, 1840 to raise $7,338.16, sold at public auction on May 18, 1840 to the widow, highest bidder, for $40: "the right in reversion of a certain tract of land with a dwelling house and wood shed thereon called the Mann Place and where the said deceased last dwelt, situate in said Billerica 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, and south by the highway back; subject to Abigail's life estate as her dower. Acknowledged May 23, recorded June 3, 1840. Billerica town book 16, pages 388-389.
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| June 3, 1840 | Quitclaim | Abigail Stevens of Billerica, widow of Josiah Stevens | Josiah B. French of Lowell, gentleman | His widow sells the Mann place to Josiah B. French, 1840 | Ephraim Kidder Jr. House | 394/58 (South) |
For $500, quitclaim of "a certain tract of land with a dwelling house thereon called the Mann Place and where the late Josiah Stevens last dwelt," on the east side of Concord River near the great bridge, with the same bounds (the stake near Jonathan M. Dexter's hatter's shop, the river and the highway), "being the same estate conveyed to me by Marshall Preston administrator of the estate of my late husband Josiah Stevens by his deed bearing date May 18 1840." Signed May 27, recorded June 3, 1840. Billerica town book 16, pages 389-391.
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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.