Record 1188/1708 |
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Description
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| A study of the house at 42 Washington Street, Marblehead known as the Thomas Sowden House. With it is a letter from the author, F. A. Macdonald of Huntington W. VA. The letter is addressed to Mrs. Helen L. Doane, 5 Edgeware Rd., Marblehead. This report gives the history of the house where it is known mostly from deeds and it covers: 1) The Architecture 2) The age of the House 3) The History of the Title (this is followed by 35 "Items" describing the various owners from Item 1) A Charter granted on November 3, 1620 to a company for all the land from Philadelphia to Newfoundland Item 2) A patent issued January 1, 1624 (the Sheffield patent) to the Plymouth Company. Item 3) A patent issued March 28, 1628 for land from 3 miles north of the Merrimac River to a point three miles south of the Charles River. Item 4) A charter issued by the Privy Council and Charles I, March 4, 1629 to the Massachusetts Bay Company Item 5) The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony granted to the Town of Marblehead incorporation as a separate town from Salem. The town in turn granted lots to the citizens and new settlers. Each lot owner had the right to pasture a cow on the common land. After 1660 this right was raised to one and a half cows for citizens before 1660 and one cow to those after 1660. Item 6) In a deed dated September 9, 1684 the town formerly purchased the land in the town claimed by the members of the Naumkeg tribe of Indians. Item 7) This describes the "possession" of a "lott" by John Stacey, Sr. and his place in the town as a deacon and that of his son John Stacey, Jr. Item 7 A) A deed dated December 26, 1663 conveying land from both John Staceys to Robert Hooper which indicated there was a house belonging to Thomas Soutons (sic) on the adjoining lot at this time. This Hooper lot eventually became the house where Elbridge Gerry was born. Item 8) A deed dated January 25, 1670 conveys one quarter acre of land from both John Staceys to John Legg but several notes indicate that Thomas Sowden had purchased it in 1663. Item 9) A deed dated November 16, 1680 which was used to indicate the location of Sowden's house and lot (see item 7A.) It also comments on the uses and meanings of various words used in the deed. Item 10) A deed also dated November 16, 1680 used to indicate the location of the Sowden House. Item 11) A will by Thomas Sowden, dated December 1, 1706 and probated March 3, 1707 bequeathing the house and lot to Suzana Davis the daughter of Thomas Sowden and wife of Thomas Davis. Item 12) An account of the estate of Susannah Davis by Philip Thrasher, (Sr.?) the Administrator. It was filed March 30, 1739 and the final accounting was dated December 24, 1739. It contains "The mansion house and barn and land adjoining 140pounds" Item 13) In a deed dated April 28, 1767 Philip Thrasher, (Sr?) as Administrator of the estate of Sussanh (sic) Davis sells the house to Philip Thrasher, Jr. Item 14) A deed also dated April 28, 1767 Philip Thrasher, Jr. sells a part of the land next to the house to his father. Item 15) A deed dated March 2, 1787 used as a reference to the house at 42 Washington Street. Item 16) A deed dated Oct. 16, 1792 Philip Thrasher the son of Philip Thrasher, Jr. conveys all of his interest in the property to the Sarah Thrasher the Administrator of the Estate of Philip Thrasher, Jr. Item 17) A mortage was given by Sarah Thrasher to John Appleton dated Jan. 7, 1795 and another one to Benjamin F. Reed on 12-18-1798, both were paid off and discharged. Item 18) A deed by Sarah Thrasher to Jeremiah Smith for part of the house and land dated November 3, 1801. Item 19) A deed also dated November 3, 1801 in which other parts of the property were sold to Sarah Furnice by Sarah Thrasher. Item 20) A deed also dated November 3, 1801from Jeremiah Smith to Sarah Thrasher. Item 21) A deed dated September 6, 1821 from Sarah Thrasher to Nathaniel Gardner for the part of the house and land that she owns. Item 22) A deed dated December 14, 1825 from Talutha Gardner, Administrator of the estate of Nathaniel Gardner to Elizabeth Osborne the part of the house and land that he owned. Item 23) through Item 35) list the various owners to all or part of this property from 1825 until the purchase by Frederic A. and Kathryn G. Macdonald from Ethel Morehouse on October 2, 1966. They are: Elizabeth Osborne Elizabeth Russell John H. and William O. Russell Sarah Furnice Lucinda O. Graves Maria G Harris and Harriet L. Graves Russell Bowden Mary Bowden Mary E. Montgomery Mary Hourihan Michael Sullivan Ethel M. and Perry Morehouse Frederic A. and Kathryn G. Macdonald A page of Bibliography A addendum which describes additional information from Helen L. Doane Six handwritten notes from Mrs. Doane |
The Thomas Sowden House, A Study of 42 Washington Street, Marblehead, Mass.
-Topic: People and Organizations
-This image is the property of the Marblehead Historical Commission
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ~ This image is the property of the Marblehead Historical Commission and may not be used in any form without prior permission. When using this image with permission, the credit information should be in the following format: Image courtesy of the Marblehead Historical Commission, Marblehead, MA.
| 42 Washington Street |
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ~ This image is the property of the Marblehead Historical Commission and may not be used in any form without prior permission. When using this image with permission, the credit information should be in the following format: Image courtesy of the Marblehead Historical Commission, Marblehead, MA.