Family of John + GREENSLEET and Abigail + CURTIS

Husband: John + GREENSLEET

Wife: Abigail + CURTIS

Child 1: Anne + GREENSLEET

Note on Husband: John + GREENSLEET

In my previous email I mispoke on the number of children John Greenslit and Abigail Curtis had. I said she was a young widow left with 3 small children to raise in 1689. I meant to type 4 children. The names of their children are listed in Sidney Perley's "History of Salem" and elsewhere, but no one seems to know when John Greenslit married Abigail Curtis nor when their children were born. According to "History of Salem", Abigail Curtis was born in 1664. She was the daughter of William Curtis, a Salem blacksmith, and Alice Rumball. If someone can document a birthdate for any of them, please post it and your source.Without knowing birthdates, the birth order of these 4 children is a guess: 1. John Greenslit born "c. 1682" - a guesstimate. His father bought a house and lot in 1681, which might indicate he had married Abigail Curtis by 1681. As far as I know, when John Greenslit married Abigail Curtis is not known. I have not found a marriage record. Has anyone? This John Greenslit married Sarah Rix on May 9, 1710 in Preston, New London Co., CT. He is my ancestor. Sarah Rix was born in Salem. Her parents left Salem in 1703 and went to Preston, New London Co., CT. At a later time, I will post what I have on RIX. In 1709, this John Greenslit was in CT serving in a local militia against the Indians. I have no idea when he left Salem to go to New London Co., CT. If he was born c. 1682, he was 11 years old when his mother married Thomas Mason of Salem in Nov 1693. Thomas and Abigail Mason lived in Salem; they had 5 children (4 lived), so if he raised the 4 Greenslit children with their children, there were 8 children to be raised in the Mason household. If we assume that John Greenslit was raised in the Mason household until he was 18, he would be 18 years old c. 1700 and old enough to leave the Mason household. He would be 28 years old in 1710 when he married Sarah Rix in CT. I hate to state generalities, but it appears "many" Essex Co., MA, families left there not long after the witchcraft trials and migrated to the New London Co., CT, area between 1700-1710. These later generations from Essex Co., MA, intermarried with other familes who had come from Essex Co., MA. The witchcraft trials in Salem have been listed as one of the major reasons these families left and went to CT. 2. Abigail born "c. 1684" married Samuel Clements Oct 31, 1709. I have not researched this line. If she was born in 1684, she would be 25 when she married Clements. HAS ANYONE RESEARCHED Samuel Clements and Abigail Greenslit? 3. Anne/Anna born "c. 1686" married John Averill June 8, 1710 in Topsfield, Essex Co. The Avery-Averill genealogy book covers this line. They had 6 children; 5 lived to maturity and married. I think there might be someone on the Greenslit list who descends from this line. If Anne Greenslit was born in 1686, she was 23 when she married. John Averill/Avery died c. 1720 in Topsfield, leaving Anne with 6 children to raise (one was an infant). His widow Anne/Anna lived in Topsfield until about 1741. I have -0- further. Speculation by Avery/Averill researchers is that about 1741 she moved to Andover to live either with or near her second son Thomas Avery/Averill. Thomas had married Sarah Kneeland in Topsfield in 1739, then moved to live in Andover. 4. James born "c. 1688". As far as I know, nobody has researched him. My theory is ... he is the "right age" and could be the James Greenslit who married Rebecca Stearns in Salem on Sept 1, 1711. If he was the last born child and born c. 1688, he would be 23 in 1711. I HOPE SOMEONE WILL RESEARCH THIS COUPLE. The James Greenslit who married Rebecca Stearns in 1711 could be our connection to the James Greenslit who popped up in 1776 in Bennington, VT. Abigail (Curtis) Greenslit Mason married for a third time. She married a Thomas Horton on July 1, 1717. If she was born in 1664, she was 53 when she married Horton. I have -0- further on Abigail as I did not continue to research her after she married Horton. I do not have a date or place of death for her. I have not researched Thomas Horton. Helen Greenslit GravesGreenslit List Mom

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