[14607]
All data from McDowell. According to the Smith genealogy, Ebenezerwas a participant in the first land allottment at East Hadley (nowAmherst, MA) and appears to have been living there in 1731. He was inSouth Hadley in 1733 where he was chosen moderator of the firstprecinct meeting in South Hadley, 12 mar 1733. Ebenezer Smith, adescendent of Rev. Harry Smith of Wethersfield was accidently killedat a house raising for this Ebenezer Moody in South Hadley in Jun1729. Ebenezer died at age 82 and Editha died at age 75.
All of these facts are collaborated and elaborated upon in the Moodygenealogy:
"CAPT. EBENEZER MOODY, son of Samuel Moodie of Hadley, Mass, b. 23 Oct1675 in Hadley, md. abt. 1702 to EDITHA KELLOGG 67.
"Ebenezer Moody remained on the homestead in Hadley, somewhat abovetwenty years after marriage or until the planting of the Colony on thesouth side of Holyoke, at a place then called the South Precinct ofHadley.
"He was proprietor of the first division of lands there in 1719-20also shared in the subsequent divisions.
"His land on the south side of Mount. Holyoke as appears from the`Proprietors Book' was assigned thus:
Homelot: 9 acres, 24 rods, 7 feet
Meadow: 4 acres 92 rods
1st choice in 5000 acre divis 22 acres 141 rods
2nd choice in 5000 acre divis 22 acres 141 rods
1st choice in 5000 acre divis 18 acres 47 rods
2nd choice in 4000 acre divis (Homelot)12 acres 76 rods allowing 120rods for a rood (Meadow) 5 acres- 134 rods
1st choice in 3000 acre divis (Homelot) 11acres 65 rods (Meadow) 2acres 52 rods
2nd choice in 3000 acre divis 13 acres 117 rods
1st choice in 2500 acre divis 11acres 70 rods laid out to his heirs
2nd choice in 2500 acre divis 11 acres 70 rods
Total = 143 acres 69 rods 7 feet
"By purchases made of the proprietors this amount was considerablyincreased.(The terms `Homelot', `Meadow', etc. must be understood asdesignating what fell to him as his share of a Homelot, etc. Many ofthe proprietors did not settle upon the land, thus named, butexchanged property with others. The country was then a wilderness, andthe divisions being made regularly, it not infrequently happened thatone's `Homelot' or `Meadow' would fall to him where a settlement wouldnot be practicable.)
"Though peculiarly exposed to attacks from the Indians in thatMountain with only a narrow pass where it abuts upon the ConnecticutRiver and a distance of a full seven miles separate them from theParent Colony, he left the uncomfortable estate he then occupied,which he soon after gave to his eldest son, and with a few othersbegan the settlement of what is now called South Hadley. His house washere built in June of 1729 and it is recorded on the Town Book inHadley that `Ebenezer Smith was accidentally killed at the raising.(This Ebenezer Smith was a brother of Chileab Smith who married SarahMoody, daughter of Captain Ebenezer Moody)
"He was the father and founder of the Hamlet in South Hadley, called`Moody - Corner' which name, the village still bears. (Being in thenorth-east corner of the then inhabited part of the town and settledentirely by his descendants with the exception of one family, it wasthus named. On account of it's proximity to a part since set off fromSouth Hadley and incorporated in the town of Granby many mistakes haveoccurred in print giving the Village a wrong position. (see NashFamily, etc.) It lies wholly in South Hadley.)
"His house stood a few feet from the fork of the roads at the foot ofthe hill and the South side; it was unfortunately burned about theyear 1744 as appears from the account book of Dr. Richard Crouch atthat time practicing physician in Hadley. Tradition affirms that afemale servant perished in the flames.
"He removed and lived with his son Daniel who together about the time,built a large dwelling, well deserving, the name Mansion, on the southside of Bachelders Brook. The house is yet standing being on the browof the hill south-west from the bridge. It is one of the largest, andexcepting the first meeting house which has since been converted intoa dwelling, one of the oldest houses in South Hadley. It is still ingood repair and in nothing changed from the ancient form exception ofa wing running west, the old lean to having been removed about 1826.
"He built and tended a grist mill the same being the first mill of thekind on the south side of Mt. Holyoke in that Precinct. This he didcontrary to the opinion of some who at that time affirmed `there wouldnever be inhabitants enough in the Precinct to support a mill! (Unlikethe prediction was the result. Rebuilt twice afterwards by hisdescendants it was the mill for the inhabitants of the place in alarge circuit till 1848 when it was converted into a paper mill, whichhas since been destroyed by fire.)
"And it is worthy of note that his house which he carefully located ona north and south line had it's main front door opening towards themill it being the center of business while another door was built inthe end adjoining the road which might perhaps the better toaccommodate visitors.
"He was Moderator of the first Town Meeting, held in that Precinct(March 12, 1733) and was ever a prominent actor in matters pertainingto the town, especially to that precinct and parish. He held theoffice of Captain in the Militia, which in those perilous times wasresponsible trust, but the date of his commission has not been found.During the first years of residence there, he with others of thesettlers attended worship on the Sabbath in Hadley, a distant from 7to 9 miles. The journey was performed on horseback generally, thoughsometimes on foot. The family starting in their every day apparelwould stop at `Fort River Bridge' a little out from the center of thetown and having changed their dusty garments, would pass the shortdistance remaining clad in their best attire. As they were exposed toattacks from the Indians, the families went armed and marshaled underleaders. It was indeed the Church Militant.
"In 1733, a meeting house, without a steeple or bell, yet sufficientlycommodious for the inhabitants, who could then meet at the sound ofthe conch (The shell was blown a long while by John Lane who was paidfor his services, it being a part of his duties as Sexton to convenethe people. The same shell is yet preserved in the town as an ancientrelic) and who worshipped after the Puritan faith. Ebenezer Moody wasappointed to advise in regard to the bigness of the pews and Aug 10thof the same year he was appointed chairman of the committee who actedin the settlement of Rev. Grindal Rowson Oct 3, 1733. (Rev. GrindalRowson was a grandson of Edward Rowson, Secretary of Colony ofMassachusetts Bay from 1650 to 1686)
"It was one of the first acts of this committee to secure by vote ofthe precinct a grant of land for the use of the ministry on conditionthat a "good orthodox minister" should be settled among them; thisland was at time of his settlement assigned to Mr. Rowson.
"Years after when different persons had voted his removal, we find thename of Ebenezer Moody at the head of a protest with the names offourteen others among whom were his two Nephews John and Samuel Moody,his Nephew Joseph Kellogg, and his son in law, Nehemiah Dickinson andat their request it was inserted on record that they dissent from theabove vote concerning Mr. Rowson.
"Whatever, the dislike these measures it seems were more dissent thatof the men who to prevent his preaching forcibly ejected him from themeeting house.
"At the age of 72, Capt. Ebenezer Moody began to dispose of his largeestate. The farm in Hadley where he had formally lived, he made overto his son, Ebenezer. The deed is in my possession. It bears date,"Feb 3rd 1748" and conveys
all and singular, my housing, buildings, orchards and lands, bothmeadow lands, homelot lands, or woodlands, etc. that are lying orbeing situated within the bounds of the first Precinct of Hadleyexcepting only my meadow lands in Hoconumfield and one woodlot in thecommons before sold.
"A similar deed given the same day and year to his son Davidtransmitted in another branch of the family conveys
all and singular my right of lands on which I now live in the secondPrecinct of Hadley that layeth on the south side of Bachelders Riverwith the dwelling house thereon saving only to myself and wifesuitable & convenient house room & seller room during our lives, allso one third part of my Crank lot in sd precinct so called, allso onethird part of that parcel of land called the Great Meadow lot, allsothe whole of my first half in the four thousand acres division in sdprecinct and after my decd one third part of my grist mill & right tothe stream." (Hampshire SS. Springfield, Aug. 27, 1760. Received andrecorded in book No 2, page 356 & Examined per Edward Pynchon, Regr)
"Being now in the 82d year of his age, he disposed of the remainder ofhis property in form as follows.
"The 22d day of March 1757
In the name of God: Amen.
I Ebenezer Moodey of South Hadley in the County of Hampshire in theProvince of the Massachusetts Bay in New England being sick and weakin body out of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto Godtherefor, calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing thatit is appointed unto all men once to die to make and ordain this mylast Will & Testament.
That is to say: Principally and first of all I give and recommend mysoul to the hands of God that gave it and my body, I recommend to theEarth to be buried in a decent and Christian burial at the discressionof my Executor not doubting that at the Resurrection I shall receiveit, the same again by the mighty Power of God.
And as touching my worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God tobless me in this world, I give, demise & dispose of the same in thefollowing manner & form.
My just debts and funeral charges to be first paid, I give andbequeath unto Editha my well beloved wife one third part of mypersonal Estate to be at her dispose forever, and the use andimprovement of one third part of my Real Estate during the term of hernatural life; two drafts or parcels of land thereinafter given to mysons Joseph and Josiah and a piece of land to Daniel, my son & myright in undivided lands only excepted & of which my wife is to haveno part.
I give and bequeath to my son Ebenezer, twelve shillings, which withwhat he hath already received is his part.
I give to my sons Joseph, Daniel & Josiah all my right in common orundivided lands lying in South Hadley to be equally divided amongthem: and furthermore, I give to my said sons all my personal estateexcept what I have already given to my wife as aforesaid and themovables or utensils belonging to the house and cash or security formoney & also I give to my sons Joseph & Josiah the two drafts orparcels of land which I laid out in the 3000 acre division to beequally divided between them two & also, I give to my son Daniel a lotor parcel of land which I bought of Moses White.
I give to my daughters Mary & Sarah each of them four pounds, I giveto my daughters Editha & Miriam - each of them two pounds thirteenshillings & sixpence.
The rest of my estate both money and movables, I give to my childrenJoseph, Daniel, Mary, Sarah, Editha, and Miriam to be equally dividedamong them and I do Will and appoint my sons Joseph and DanielExecutors of this my last Will & Testament and I do hereby utterlydisallow all other Testaments or Wills by me in any ways before maderatifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will andTestament.
In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal the day and datebefore written.
Signed, sealed, published, pronounced & declared by the sd EbenezerMoodey to be his last Will and Testament in presence of us subscriberswho also subscribed in his presence.
James Patrick Ebenezer Morgan Daniel Nash."
"The above Will was proved Feb 14, 1758, and is recorded in theProbate Records for Hampshire County at Northampton, Mass.
"CAPT. EBENEZER MOODY, d. 11 Nov 1757, aged 82.
"MRS. EDITHA MOODY, d. 19 Aug 1757, aged 74.
"His wife for whom he had made provision in the above Will, it appearsdid not survive him. They were buried in the grave yard at SouthHadley, a short distance, west of the gate where slabs of re-sand-stone are erected to their memory, inscriptions plainly legible.This is the oldest grave of the descendants of Mr. John Moodie andexcepting of his wife, and of the wife of his brother Samuel, it isthe oldest grave of the name, I have found with memento of the place.
"The births of their children are on the Hadley Records ending withDaniel. As he removed to the South Precinct, the dates of the restwere not recorded, but from inscriptions on grave stones where therest were buried, I have been able to restore the years of theirbirths respectively."
Sources: THE MOODY FAMILY or Records of the DESCENDANTS OF MR. JOHNMOODY OF HARTFORD, CONN 1636 Collected and Compiled By Rev. PliniusMoody, AM 1856 Organized And Recorded By Theodore L. Moody And MaxineBull Moody Nov 1991; Lieutenant Samuel Smith by James William Hook;LDS Ancestral File
[4988] All data from Kinney.
[10310] All data from Hoyt's Issue 1985.
[15178] All data from McDowell.
[17649] Data from Tuccinardi's file. Death certificate from IL.- According tothe death cert., she was a housewife at the time of death (1906-1912)but was a school teacher prior to that (1902-1906). She died ofsarcoma of the liver and pancreas (tumors). She was being treated by adoctor from Dec 25 1911 to Jan 23 1912 when the doctor saw her last.She had been ill for 10-12 months prior to that. She and Grandpa Youngwere living at 9729 Howard Ct. for 3 yrs. Her usual place of residencesays Iowa. It also stated she had lived in Chicago all her life.
[10345] All data from Hoyt's Issue 1985.