46 47 Child of Richard and Anna Steere: I. ANNE, b. December 6, 1731; m., November 9, 1752, Daniel Aldrich. Children of Richard and Jane Steere : II. STEPHEN, b. November 10, 1736; m., October 28, 1764, Rispah Smith of Smithfield, f. III. THOMAS, b. November 7, 1738; d. October 31, 1743. 48 49 IV. JANE, b. July 24, 1739; d. March 7, 1747. 50 V. WILLIAM, b. November 30, 1745; d. September 2, 1752. 51 VI. MARY, b. April 11, 1747; d. August 28, 1752. 52 VII. PRISCILLA, b. September 6, 1750; d. September 2, 1752. 53 VIII. THANKFUL, b. December 3, 1756; m. Hon. Timothy Willmarth, one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas. He d. July 28, 1815, æ. 71 years, 7 months, and 14 days. 20. WILLIAM STEERE, son of William (8), and grandson of John Steere, Sen. (1). His father deeded to him, "for love and parental affection," February 19, 1733, forty-seven acres and a half, forty-five acres being the southerly part of William Senior's homestead farm, whereon he then dwelt, the remainder being at “Chepachit" River, and one half of the meadow formerly laid out to William Steere, Sen. He married Elizabeth He bought, May 14, 1741, from Maj. William Smith, for £64 35., twenty-five acres and two thirds lying in Smithfield, being the northwesterly part of Major Smith's homestead farm. He was a farmer and resided in Glocester, where he died January 7, 1764. In 1766 his widow deeded to Levi and Naomi Manton, for £100, one quarter of her land, with a small house thereon, in Glocester, a little west from the dwelling of William Coman.* In a partition of property made March 31, 1774, she speaks of herself as a tenant in common with her two sons Caleb and William in the lands in Glocester on which they lived. 54 Children: I. CALEB, b. about 1750; m., October 29, 1772, Anne Leach, ƒ. 55 II. WILLIAM. Under age in 1774, and was bound to his brother Caleb till he should reach full age. COMAN. 24. URANIA STEERE, daughter of Samuel (10), and granddaughter of John, Sen. (1), married William Coman of Glocester. He died June 8, 1772; she died *Glocester Records, vol. 7. April 5, 1785. Her will was made December 6, 1775, and proved May 30, 1785. Her brother Jonah was executor of her will. The inventory of her movable estate amounted to £81 os. 3d. Children: I. WILLIAM, b. May 10, 1735; m. Alice tember 28, 1822.* II. ZEPHANIAH. b. October, 1732, and d. June, 1772. He d. Sep 26. ANTHONY STEERE, son of Samuel (10), and grandson of John, Sen. (1), was born December 14, 1716. He was married, May 11, 1746, to Rachel Comstock, daughter of Hazadiah and Martha Comstock (sister of Thomas Steere's wife). She was born September 21, 1711, and died January 13, 1806, aged 94 years, 3 months, and 25 days. He died December 7, 1802, aged 85 years, 11 months, and 24 days. 56 57 Children: Anthony Steere I. PENELOPE, b. February 2, 174; m., October 26, 1769, Elisha Steere, son of Thomas and II. ENOCH, b. June 10, 1748; m., June 1, 1778, Zeruiah Mowry, dau. of Ananias Mowry. He d. 1826, f. 58 III. CATHERINE, b. January 30, 1749; m. Judge Daniel Mowry (his third wife). She d. April 4, 1827. JONAH STEERE, Esq., son of Samuel Steere (10), was born in Glocester, January, 1720. He married, December 10, 1741, Lydia, daughter of Job and Lydia (Harding) Whipple. She was born 1725, and died 1779. His brother, Anthony Steere of Glocester, who was probably the eldest son of Samuel and heir to his estate in larger portion, deeded, April 15, 1746, to Jonah Steere, a tract of land in Glocester, " a part of that farm whereon my late honored father Samuel Steere last dwelt, and it containeth by estimation about *This family is buried in the old graveyard by the Wilkinson, where the Nehemiah Steere family lies Waterman Reservoir, now (1886) owned by John at rest. seventy acres.' Enoch Place and Richard Steere were witnesses to the deed. His homestead, probably that occupied by his father before him, was afterwards the residence of his son Nehemiah. It is situated on the road from Greenville to Harmony, near the Waterman Reservoir, and is now the property of Mr. John Wilkinson. Jonah Steere was admitted freeman of the Colony at the meeting of the General Assembly held at Newport May 6, 1746. He was highly respected, was honored as a justice of the peace, and was a frequent member of the Town Council. With others he was appointed at the session of the General Assembly, March, 1762, to raise the sum of £4,000 by lottery for repairing the country road from Providence, through Glocester, to the line of the Connecticut Colony, which is spoken of as "so very rough and bad, that travellers and carriages are not able to pass without great difficulty." He was one of those appointed by the General Assembly in 1780, from the town of Glocester, to receive recruits. Jonah Steere died April 14, 1798, having made his will April 2d, which was proved June 18th of the same year. In this instrument he mentions his sons and daughters by name, bequeathing to them various sums of money, also his grandson Jonah, son of Asa Steere, and his grandson Jonah Smith, son of his daughter Drusilla, and appointing his sons Samuel and Simeon executors of his will. Jonah Stere He d. before April 2, 1798. II. SAMUEL, b. January 13, 174; m. January 1, 1775, Mary Smith, dau. of Thomas Smith of III. SIMEON, b. February 26, 174; m. Mary Walker, b. April 15, 1753, f. 63 64 65 66 67 IV. JOB, b. March 21, 1749; m., December 17, 1772, Desire Smith, dau. of Abraham Smith. VI. ANNE, b. January 21, 1753; m. Jeremiah Sayles. She d. July 16, 1835, æ. 82, f. 68 VII. DRUSILLA, b. October 10, 1754; m., December 3, 1775, by Jonathan Harris, justice of the peace, to James Smith, son of Major Rufus Smith, in Glocester, f. 69 VIII. Asa, b. September 28, 1757; m. Mary Irons, dau. of Samuel and Hannah (Waterman) Irons. He d. January 31, 1835; she d. August 21, 1840, æ. 77 years and 26 days, ƒ. IX. ABIGAIL, b. October 27, 1759; m. Duty Winsor, ƒ. 70 71 72 X. NICHOLAS, b. January 27, 1763; probably died young, as he is not mentioned in his father's will. XI. Nehemiah, b. April 17, 1765; m. Rachel Harris, dau. of Elisha and Mary Harris. He d. November 11, 1822; she d. March 8, 1852, f. *Glocester Records, vol. 2. WILL OF JONAH STEERE. In the Name of God. Amen. I Jonah Steere of Glocester in the County of Providence and State of Rhode Island, &c., Esq., being weak of body and somewhat advanced in years, but of sound mind and memory (Blessed be God therefor) do this second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight, and twenty-second year of American Independence, make and publish this my Last Will & Tetsament, in manner and form following, that is to say; Imprimis, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it and my body to the earth from whence it came for a decent burial; And as for that Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with I Give Demise and Dispose thereof, as follows: Imprimis I give and devise unto my well beloved son Nehemiah Steere all the residue and remaining part of my homestead farm that I have not heretofore given him by deed, conditionally that he my said son Nehemiah pays the legacies hereinafter mentioned for him to pay, after that to be and remain unto him, my said son Nehemiah, and to his heirs and assigns free and clear forever. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Simeon Steere, one hundred silver dollars to be paid him, my said son Simeon, by my executors hereafter named within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Samuel Steere, one hundred silver dollars, to be paid him, my said son Samuel, by my executors hereafter named within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Asa Steere two hundred and fifty silver dollars, to be paid him, my said son Asa, by my executors hereafter named within one year after my decease. I also give to my said son Asa all that he oweth me of what name kind or nature soever. Item, my will is and I hereby order that all three of the before-mentioned legacies be paid out of the real estate that I have hereinbefore given to my said. son Nehemiah Steere. Item, I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Job Steere ten silver dollars, to be paid him, my said son Job, by my executors hereafter named out of my moveable estate within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath unto my well beloved daughter Abigail the wife of Duty Winsor, twenty silver dollars to be paid her, my said daughter Abigail, out of my personal estate, by my executors hereafter named within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath unto my grandson Jonah Steere, the son of the aforesaid Asa Steere, one hundred silver dollars and my beaver hat,* to be paid the market value is noted as £40, and in 1779 £35. Potter and Rider's Bills of Credit, pp. 166, 171. *This was a valuable bequest, judging by the prices set upon this article in early times. In 1760 him, my said grandson Jonah Steere, by my executors hereafter named out of my moveable estate within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath unto my grandson Jonah Smith, the son of my daughter Drusilla, four silver dollars to be paid him by my executors hereafter named out of my moveable estate within one year after my decease. Item, I give my said son Nehemiah Steere my iron bar and all my chains. Item, all the residue and remainder of my estate, after the payment of my just debts and funeral charges, I give and bequeath unto all my children, namely, Samuel Steere, Simeon Steere, Job Steere, Asa Steere and Nehemiah Steere, Hannah Brown, widow of Obadiah Brown, Lydia Olney, widow of John Olney, Anne Sayles, wife of Jeremiah Sayles, and the heirs of my daughter Drusilla, and Abigail, wife of Duty Winsor, to be equally divided between them or their legal representatives. And I hereby name and appoint my two sons, Samuel Steere and Simeon Steere, sole executors of this my Last Will and Testament to see everything performed according to the true intent and meaning thereof, hereby revoking and making null and void all other or former wills by me at any time heretofore made, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I the said Jonah Steere have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year within written. Signed Sealed Published & Pronounced by the said Jonah Steere as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us, who, at his request, in his presence and in the presence of each other, subscribed our names as Witnesse hereto. ESEK BROWN, JOHN GREEN, RICHARD STEERE. JONAH STEERE. [Seal.] At a Town Council held at Glocester on the 18th day of June, A. D. 1798, this will, laid on the board by the executors for probate, and Esek Brown, John Green, and Richard Steere, the above witnesses, declared on solemn engagement that they saw the testator, Jonah Steere, Esq. sign, seal, publish, pronounce and declare this paper to be his last will and testament, and that they at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other subscribed their names hereto as witnesses; and that he the testator at that time appeared to be of a sound disposing mind and memory; Wherefore it is voted and resolved by this Council |