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523. Ebenezer Bush (Married (1) (Mary) Miriam Taylor (#524) July 1710; (2) Thankful Phelps on 30 November 1752) (The source of information in purple is from James Cox Brady and his ancestry, by Louis Effingham De Forest, New York: De Forest Publishing Co., 1933 Bush American Ancestry, p. 104-113.

Born: 24 July 1687 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts of Samuel Bush (#1045) and Mary [Goodenow] (#1046). He was Christened 25 September 1687 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Note: Goodenow is thought by Susan Snyder, webmaster, to be Mary's last name since as described below... a land deed refers to a grandfather of Ebenezer, Samuel, and Mary as being John Goodenow.]

Died: 10 November 1757 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. His will was made on 1 February 1756/7 and proved December 21, 1757.

 

[His siblings include

Samuel Bush: (Married: Mary Taylor on 26 April 1699); Born: March 22, 1677/8 at Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts ; Died: about 1725; His will was made at Westfield, Massachusetts on 25 March 1728 and proved there 23 April 1728;

Daniel Bush: Born: on 2 November 1679 at Suffield, Sudbury, Middlesex,Massachusetts ; Died: ?;

Mary Bush: (Married: ? Pierce of Enfield, Connecticut) Born: 19 July 1681 1682 in Suffield, Massachusetts (Connecticut) ; Died: ? Miscellaneous: She lived with her grandfather, John Goodenow, from the time she was three years old until she was fifteen

Abigail Bush: (Married: William Clark of Westfield); Born: 12 June, 1705 at Westfield, Massachusetts of Samuel (#1045) and his second wife Abigail Lee; Died: ?].

 

Miscellaneous Information:

Ebenezer's mother, Mary, died nine days after his birth. Nine months later (May 11, 1688), his father married Abigail Lee.

Pages 107-108: "His whole life seems to have been spent at Westfield and it was probably there that he married his first wife Miriam, whose family name is unknown. This marriage probably took place in 1710, or close to that year, as the first of the children of this couple was born in March, 1711. The name Miriam was a somewhat unusual one in early New England and it was hoped that Ebenezer Bush's wife could be identified. An examination of all the births in the town of Westfield disclosed that there was only one Miriam who was born before Ebenezer Bush married. She was a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Ashley) Ingersoll and was born June 4, 1697. She was only thirteen years old when Ebenezer Bush married, which made her an unlikely although possible bride. However, papers relating to the estate of Thomas Ingersoll, to be found in Springfield, Massachusetts, showed definitely that Miriam Ingersoll did not marry Ebenezer Bush. Miriam was the mother of all of Ebenezer Bush's children, and they lived together for over forty years. On September 5, 1750, Ebenezer Bush and Miriam his wife were among those 'Cited to appear before the Church, to give the Reasons of their Separating from the Church.' The requirements for admission to membership in the church had been modified and many of the stricter members, resenting any relaxation of the regulations, joined in what was known as a 'Separate' movement. When Miriam and Ebenezer Bush were thus called before the parent church for 'separating,' they gave as their reasons that 'persons that had not Grace were admitted into the Church' and that 'the Church denyed the power of Godliness.' On February 23, 1750, they were declared no longer members of the church, and Ebenezer Bush was among the founders of what became a Baptist Church in Westfield. Miriam died in Westfield on July 13, 1752, and in less than four months Ebenezer had decided to marry again. His second wife was Thankful Phelps, who survived him. Their marriage intention was published at Westfield on November 11, 1752, and the marriage took place there on November 30, 1752".

Page 108: "Ebenezer Bush does not seem to have been at all conspicuous in the small settlement of Westfield. However, he held a good deal of land. In 1714 land was laid out to Ebenezer Bush and Samuel Fowler, jointly, amounting to twenty acres. Subsequently Fowler gave up his one-half interest to Bush. Bush also had eight pieces of land recorded in 1734, one in 1748, one in 1750, and one in 1751, all in Westfield."

Pages 111: "Through one interesting deed in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, it is possible to connect Ebenezer Bush with the Bushes of Sudbury, Massachusetts. This document shows that Samuel Bush and Ebenezer Bush, both of Westfield in the County of Hampshire, Husbandmen, for Eighty five Pounds sell to their Uncle John Goodenow of Sudbury in the County of Middlesex 'all the Right Title and Interest that doth of Right belong to us and our Sister Mary Peirce of Enfield in faid County in and unto all the Real and Perfonal Estate that was our Grandfathers John Goodenow (#2091) late of faid Sudbury Deed that might now be set to us or our faid Sister by the Settleing of Two Thirds of faid Efstate by the other third after our Grandmothers Decease or by an agreement with her in her Time...' The deed also mentions their 'Aunt Dorothy Peckham,' who was Dorothy (Goodenow) Peckham, wife of John Peckham, as appears in the account of the Goodenow family. This deed was dated January 12, 1724/5, and was signed by Samuel and Ebenezer Bush with seals. Nathan Goodenow and John Rice were witnesses. Ebenezer Blush acknowledged the deed on April 2, 1725, and the signature of Samuel Bush was sworn to on December 9, 1730. The deed was recorded January 28, 1730/1."

Page 111-112: "Ebenezer Bush died at Westfield, Massachusetts, on November 10, 1757. His will was made on February 1, 1756/7, and proved December 21, 1757. The will follows:

'In the name of God, Amen this first day of February in the year of our
Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred & fifty seven I Ebenezer Bush of West-
field in the County of Hampshire & province of the Mafsachusetts Bay in New
England Husbandman being infirm in body but of Sound mind & Memory Thanks
be given to God therefor & calling to mind the mortality of my body & know it is
appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last Will & Testa-
ment that is to say principally & first of all I give & recommend my Soul into
the hands of God that gave it & my body i recommend to the earth to be buried
in decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Christian Friends & Neighbours
& as touching such wordly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to blefs me
with in this life I give devise & dispose of in the following manner and form.

Imprimis I give & bequeath unto Thankfull my beloved wife the Sum of
Three pounds out of my moveable Estate in whate She shall choose at an
Indifferent apprizement.

Item I give unto my son Ebenezer Bush a lot of land in the new addition
containing Sixty four acres & half also a lot on the long Mountain So called in
the new addition containing Twenty one acres & half adjoining to his land as they
are butted & bounded in Westfield Proprietors book of record to him and his
Heirs and afsigns forever to have & to hold.

Item I give to my son David Bush a lot of land in the East Side of Symsbury
road containing fifty six acres that was laid out to me as it is butted & bounded
in Westfield Proprietors book of records to him & his Heirs and afsigns to have &
to hold forever and also the sum of Thirty eight pounds eight Shillings to be
paid him by my Executors within Twelve months after my Decease.

Item I give to my three Sons Ebenezer Bush Zechariah Bush & Aaron Bush
a log lot in the new addition so called & also the after Divisions in the old Town-
ship & the remainder of my lands not heretofore disposed of to be equally divided
between them to them & their Heirs & afsigns forever to have & to hold.

Item I give to my Daughter Huldah the wife of George Phelps the sum of
Five pounds Six Shillings & 8d out of my moveable Estate.

Item I give to my grandchildren Josiah Noble Eli Noble & John Noble the
children of my daughter Lydia the late wife of John Noble Deed the Sum of
Eight pounds to be equally divided between them & to be paid them by my
Executors when they Shall arrived to lawfull age with the Interest thereof within
one year after my Decease.

Item I give to my three Sons Ebenezer, Zechariah & Aaron Bush the
remainder of my Personal Estate let it more or lefs after my Just Debts &
Legacies are paid to be equally divided between them.

Item I do likewise appoint my three Sons Ebenezer Zachary (sic) & Aaron
Bush Executors of this my last Will & Testament and I do hereby disallow revoke
& disannul all & other former Wills & Testaments Legacies & bequests hereby
ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witnefs
whereof I the said Ebenezer Bush have hereunto Set my hand & Seal the day &
year before written.

EBENEZER BUSH (seal)

Witnesses-
Israel Ashley
David Dewey
Eli Dewey' "

Page 113: "The will was proved December 21, 1757, before Judge Timothy Dwight. The three sons, by a paper signed at Westfield on December 21, 1757, accepted appointment as executors."

Ebenezer and Miriam had seven children: Lydia (#262), Ebenezer, Huldah, Zachariah, David, Aaron, and Hannah. [Note: Ebenezer outlived two of his children: Lydia and Hannah.]

According to information posted at www.findagrave.com by Chris Hart, record added Aug 20, 2008, Find a Grave Memorial # 29198652, Ebeneser is buried at Old Burying Ground Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. His inscription: "Know then this truth Enough for man to Know virtue alone Is happiness below."

Photos of the cemetery and tombstone are shown below and were added to the Find A Grave site by Alvah Buckmore, Jr. and Dave Robison.

 

Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com