Person Page - 44

       Abigail/2 Burt was born circa 1623 at Harberton, Devonshire, and sailed with her parents to New England in 1634. After a brief stay at Roxbury, they removed to Springfield, MA in 1640.¹
     "In one of the earliest cases in the [Springfield court records], [Magistrate William] Pynchon ordered, 11 Jan 1640/41, that John Hobell [Hubbell] be whipped by the constable for getting promises of marriage from Abigail Burt, despite her father's prohibition, and for offering and attempting fornication with her. Abigail was likewise ordered whipped. What crime she was regarded as having committed is not clear, unless it was participation in unchaste or unclean behavior."²
     Abigail married (1), 3 Oct 1644 at Springfield, Francis/1? Ball, with whom she had 2 children.³ He was fined for assault on an Indian woman, 4 May 1648.⁴ He drowned in the Connecticut River 3 October that same year.^5,6 She married (2), 12 Apr 1649 at Springfield, Benjamin/2? Munn of Hartford, who settled at Springfield, where they had 5 children.⁷ With her brother Jonathan, she was a witness in the witchcraft proceedings against Hugh/1 Parsons at Springfield, 1649-51. "In the ridiculous and senseless testimony in the case, the clear and unimpeachable testimony of Jonathan and his sister Abigail Munn, contrasts brightly with the statements of some of the other witnesses. They do not appear to be affected by the prevalent delusion, but confined themselves to facts."⁸
     Benjamin Munn died in Nov 1675.⁹ She married (3), as his 2d wife, 14 Dec 1676 at Springfield, Lt. Thomas/2 Stebbins, son of Rowland/1 Stebbins and Sarah/1 Whiting.^10,11 He died at Springfield 4 Sep 1683.¹²
     Daughter Abigaile was bequeathed a cloak, green apron, coat and shift in the will of her mother, Ulaliah Burt of Springfield, 27 May 1684.¹³ A 5th great-grandmother of President Grover Cleveland, she died [3?] Feb 1691/2 at Springfield, MA.^14,15

       Lt. Thomas/2 Stebbins was born in England circa 1620, perhaps at Bocking, Essex [Rod Stebbins: Ipswich, Suffolk].² At the age of 14 he sailed, Apr 1634, with his family to Massachusetts Bay. They lived briefly at Roxbury before removing to Springfield, where he was a tailor.^3,4 There he married (1), Nov 1645, Hannah/2 Wright, daughter of Dea. Samuel/1 Wright and Margaret Stratton, with whom he had 9 children.⁵ Witness to the Indian deed of Northampton, 1653.⁶ Took the freeman's oath at Springfield, 24 Apr 1654.⁷ With his father-in-law Samuel Wright Sr., Thomas Stebbins in 1654 posted a surety bond of £4 for the appearance of his brother-in-law Samuel Wright Jr. to be publicly whipped for fornication.⁸ His wife Hannah died at Springfield 16 Oct 1660.⁹
     In 1662 he was chosen first sergeant of the trainband.¹⁰ List of Springfield freemen, 8 May 1663.¹¹ Granted 8 acres at Fort Meadow, Westfield, 1667.¹² Serj: Stebbings is named as an officer of the court in an agreement, 20 Feb 1667, between certain neighboring proprietors that each will properly stake and maintain their fences henceforth.¹³ One of 16 petitioners for the establishment of a plantation at Stony River, now Suffield, CT, presented to the General Court of Massachusetts Bay, May 1670, and granted the following year. "Not one of the petitioners became a settler, but many of them labored faithfully for more than ten years to fill the complement of settlers, as required by the Grant."¹⁴ "Sergeant in Turner Falls fight [May 1676], later a lieutenant."¹⁵ He married (2), as her 3d husband, 14 Dec 1676 at Springfield, Abigail/2 Burt, daughter of Henry/1 Burt and Ulalia/1 Marche, and widow of Francis Ball and Benjamin Munn.^16,17 He died at Springfield 4 Sep 1683.¹⁸

       Hannah/2 Wright was born in Aug 1626 at Wrightsbridge, Essex, England.¹ She went with her parents to Springfield, MA, where she married, as his 1st wife, Nov 1645, Lt. Thomas/2 Stebbins, son of Rowland/1 Stebbins and Sarah/1 Whiting, with whom she had 9 children.² She died at Springfield 16 Oct 1660, 2 weeks after childbirth, at age 34.³

       Rowland/1 Stebbins was born in Oct 1592 at Bocking, Essex, England.¹ There he married, 30 Nov 1618 in St. Mary's Church, Sarah/1 Whiting, daughter of John/a Whiting and Sarah Isabel/a Smith.^2,1 Rowland Stebbins, 40, Mrs. Sarah Stebbins, 43, four children, and Mary Winch, 15, sailed for Massachusetts Bay in April 1634, aboard the Francis of Ipswich, John Cutting, master. They lived for a year at Roxbury.² They removed with the first settlement party to Springfield, MA, where he took the oath of fidelity 6 Feb 1648/49.³ His wife was buried at Springfield 4 Oct 1649.⁴ He had a seat in the first pew of the meeting house, 23 Dec 1659.⁵ He is presumed to have removed to Northampton, MA, where his death was recorded 14 Dec 1671 at age 79.^6,7 "By the records it appears that Lawrence Bliss came into possession of his home lot in Springfield."⁸