picture of a cooper
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picture of a cooper
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Joshua Eddy
BORN: Feb. 21, 1680 at Swansea, Mass.
DIED: Nov. 13, 1768 at Glocester, R. I.,
MARRIED: Hannah Stevens on May 3, 1708 at Swansea
CHILDREN:
Benjamin Eddy
Jonathan Eddy
Daniel Eddy
Nathaniel Eddy
Hannah Eddy
Zachariah Eddy
Thomas Eddy
James Eddy
Peter Eddy
William Eddy
John Eddy
84 Joshua Eddy, b. Feb. 21, 1680, at Swansea, Mass. (Plymouth Rec.); d. at Glocester, R. I., Nov. 13, 1768; m. May 3, 1708, at Swansea, Hannah Stevens. She d. Oct. 22, 1757.
Joshua learned the cooper's trade (B.C.D., 8.507). Just before his marriage, he received from his father a large tract of land (B.C.D. 7.479). Zachariah Eddy of Swansea, yeoman, "for the great love which I bare to my son Joshua Eddy, cooper . . . land and meadow at Mattapoisett, . . . and also salt meadow which I purchased of Hugh Cole being about 2 acres." Dated Jan. 7, 1705/06.
(B. C. D., 8, 509). On Aug. 22, 1713 John Winslow of Swansea for £300 sold to Joshua Eddy of Swansea, cooper, a certain parcel of land lying in Shawomet Purchase in Swansea, aforesaid . . . about 67 acres, 116 rods . . . bounding northerly on a way and easterly on a way, south on John Winslow's land and west on the salt water or freeman's meadow. The deed was signed by John and Mary Winslow and witnessed by Sylvanus Soule and William Anthony.
(B. C. D., 8, 507) John Winslow, farmer, "bought of Joshua Eddy, Cooper, 67 acres . . . bounding northward on John Winslow's, easterly partly by John Eddy's and southerly partly by said John Eddy's and partly by the salt water . . . ." His wife Hannah Eddy signed this deed.
In Feb. of 1722/23, Joshua and William Anthony made partial exchanges of lands. (B. C. D., 15, 215) William Anthony of Shawomet, ffarmer, "for £940 sold to Joshua Eddy of Shawomet Purchase, ffarmer, a house and land in Shawomet Puchase, -about 91 acres- bounding easterly on Peleg Sherman's and partly on salt water and partly on salt meadow northerly partly on land of Peleg Sherman and partly on land of William Sleade; westerly, partly on William Slead and partly on Daniel Wilbor and southerly partly on the great meadow and partly on salt water. The Book of Records show a driftway thro' a part of said land." (B. C. D., 15, 437) Joshua Eddy of Shawomet Purchase, ffarmer, for £800 to William Anthony "sold my homestead, house and lands in Shawomet Purchase 69 acres . . . bounding north by a driftway, south by land of William Slade and westwardly by the salt water." Hannah Eddy signed this deed. Dated Feb. 23, 1722.
(B. C. D., 16, 103) Joshua purchased of Daniel Wilbour of Swansea, "for £40 . . . salt meadow in the freeman's privilege lying on Shawomet Neck, being ½ of the 9th lot of ffreeman's meadow, being the south west end of the 9th lot . . . and called by the name of Decross Meadows." Dated Dec. 24, 1724.
(B. C. D., 17, 374) Joshua Eddy for £45 sold to Stephen Borden of Freetown "½ moiety of a lott of salt meadow in Swansea at Shawomet Neck . . . being ½ of the 9th lott of ffreman's meadow."
(B. C. D., 19, 63). On Aug. 3, 1729 Joshua Eddy of Swansea sold to Peleg Sherman his house and land "being 91 acres . . . bounding east on Peleg Sherman, other bounds mention William Slade, Daniel Wilbour, great meadow salt water, etc."
This was the last holding which Joshua had in Swansea and this date probably marks the time of his removal to R. I. Hannah signed the deed. He was now nearly fifty years of age. His brother Zachariah had already been living in R. I. for twenty years and probably urged his brother to join him.
On Aug. 26, 1729 Joshua purchased of Peter Place "100 acres at Wayunkheague" which land was east of the 7 mile line and was his homestead; and three days later he purchased of Stephen Harding 150 acres east of the 7 mile line. This land was probably in the western paart of Smithfield not far from the Glocester border. In 1733 Joshua added to this by purchasing of Peter Place "land in Smithfield near where Joshua now dwells" and by purchasing from Stephen Harding "6 acres in Smithfield and adjacent to the easterly side of the farm which I sold to Joshua Eady at Wayankheague and adjacent to land of Resolved Waterman and is on the south side of the River that runs thro the farm on the original right of Daniel Brown and of the 40 acre division." Dated Dec. 11, 1733. In 1739 he added two more acres on the west. This land in Glocester and purchased from Hosanna Brown, "land now adjoining the westward part of the dwelling place of me and adjacent to the southward part of the dwelling place of Hosanna Brown, . . . a small brook runs through my homestead place."
Later in this same year he sold to his son Daniel Eddy of Smithfield, husbandman, 100 acres in Smithfield, "being the southerly part of my homestead farm where I now dwell . . . a river runs through said farm." Dated Aug. 24, 1739. This was just before Daniel's marriage to Lydia Olney.
On July 15, 1741 he purchased a large tract of land in Salisbury, Conn. (Vol. I, p. 76 of Salisbury Land Records) "James Beebe of Canaan, Conn. to Joshua Eddy of Smithfield, R. I., one share or allotmnet of the 25 into which the town was divided exclusive of the college grants of the General Assembly" etc.
Again in 1742 he purchased 75 acres more in Salisbury, and in 1744, 255 acres more; and finally in 1746 he purchased 150 acres. At various times he gave this land to three of his sons, Zachariah, James and Peter.
(Vol. I, p. 356, Salisbury Land Records.) Joshua Eddy of Providence, R. I. sold to "well-beloved son, Zachariah Eddy of Salisbury" . . . 200 acres . . . laid out in Salisbury on the Sharon bounds. Sept. 23, 1745.
(Vol. II, p. 42, Salisbury Rec.) Joshua Eddy of Glocester, R. I. to Zachariah Eddy of Salisbury, Husbandman, about 100 acres in a place called the Great Hollow . . . on the Sharon Boundary. . . . Sept. 24, 1746.
(Vol. II, p. 126, Salisbury Rec.) Joshua Eddy . . . "to my loving son Zachariah Eddy" 1/3 of his right in the undivided land of the propriety of Salisbury.
(Vol. III, p. 46, Salisbury Rec.) Joshua Eddy of Glocester, R. I., yeoman, to my loving son, Peter Eddy, carpenter, four parcels of land, . . . about 245 acres in all. May 4, 1750.
On the 4th of November 1743 Joshua Eddy, yeoman of Smithfield sold to Benjamin Wilkinson of Scituate, R. I. "a farm at wayunkheague, where I dwell on the south side of the river - being 200 acres in all except the highway that leads to Killingly. He must have moved to his other purchased in the northern part of Scituate for in the next year on Mar. 14, 1743 the Scituate town records have the following:
"The ear mark wherewith Joshua Eddy marks his cattle is a slash cut in the top of the left ear" (Scituate Records). The following year on May 1, 1744, Joshua was made a freeman in the town of Scituate.
According to te records Joshua of Scituate sold for £3500 to William Rhoads land in Scituate and in the part called Westconaid - being the farm where I now dwell. Hannah Eddy wife, signed the deed May 21, 1745.
On Nov. 20, 1745 Joshua Eddy of Scituate, yeoman, bought anoter farm in Glocester. It was 250 acres in extent and had been the homestead farm of Elisha Knowlton (Glocester Deeds 2, 124). It is likely that he spent the rest of his life on this farm, which in his will he states he has deeded to his son, John. He was made a freeman in Glocester in 1752. All the later land transactions gave his residence as Glocester. In 1759 (Glocester Deeds, 6, 474) he sold to James Eddy, his son, "the northerly part of the farm where I now dwell" and on Jan. 26, 1760 he sold 20 A. the south east portion of his farm to son John Eddy. Although a man of means, he does not seem to have taken any part in the political life of his town. His name appears only once in the records of Smithfield (Bk. 3, p. 24) when he was chosen to lay out a highway. His life was spent in cultivating his farm and in bringing up his large family of boys. There were ten of them. They all grew up and married. The descendants of Joshua Eddy of Glocester, R. I. number more than those of any other Eddy of his generation.
Joshua's will states that he has already given to William and Nathaniel their portions, but as yet no record of such gift has been found. On the same day as he made his will he deeded a second piece to son James Eddy (Glocester Deeds 7, 129).
His will mentions the follwoing children except Hannah and speaks of Nathaniel as deceased.
Children, b. in Swansea:
+194 Benjamin Eddy, b. Mar. 5, 1709/10.
+195 Jonathan Eddy, b. Jan. 20, 1711/12.
+196 Daniel Eddy, b. Nov. 7, 1713.
+197 Nathaniel Eddy, b. Apr. 14, 1716.
198 Hannah Eddy, b. June 21, 1718, probably d. young; not in will of her father.
+199 Zachariah Eddy, b. July 23, 1720.
+200 Thomas Eddy, b. Aug. 14, 1723.
+201 James Eddy, b. June 21, 1725.
+202 Peter Eddy, b. Aug. 4, 1727.
+203 William Eddy, b. Mar. 6, 1729.
+204 John Eddy, b. Dec. 25, 1731.