NameGeorge BABCOCK156
Birth1673, Westerly, Kings Co., RI
Death1 May 1756, South Kingstown, Washington Co., Rhode Island
Burial1756, South Kingstown, Washington Co., Rhode Island
ReligionSeventh-day Baptist
FatherJohn BABCOCK (1644-1685)
MotherMary LAWTON (1644-1711)
Spouses
Birth1671, Westerly, Kings Co., RI
Death8 May 1762, South Kingstown, Washington Co., Rhode Island
BurialTucker Lot, South Kingstown, Kings Co., Rhode Island
ReligionSeventh-day Baptist
Marriage28 Nov 1694, Washington Co., Rhode Island
ChildrenMary (1695-~1745)
 George (1699-1767)
 David (1700-1783)
 Jonathan (1702-)
 Elizabeth (1705->1750)
 Abigail (1707-1776)
 Ruth (1709-)
 Eunice (1712-<1750)
 Hezekiah (1715-1798)
 Elisha (1718-1803)
Notes for George BABCOCK
Steven Babcock states in his "Babcock Genealogy:" George Babcock's mark for his cattle was recorded in Westerly, May,1696. In December of the same year he received from his mother a deed of a tract of land in Westerly. Dec. 31, 1706, he resided in Kingston and sold land to his brother James in Westerly.(W.T.R., book i.)
In June, 1707, he was baptized by Elder William Hiscox and united with the S.D.B. [Seventh Day Baptist] Church of Newport and Westerly, R.I., in which church for the rest of his life he was a prominent member, and by his will left a legacy of œ300for his church. A few weeks later, July 20, his wife joined the same church. (S.D.B. Memorial.) June 28, 1709, he with twenty-six others bought from the Colony of Rhode Island a large tract of land in Kingston and Westerly known as the "Shannock Purchase." His part of the purchase was laid out in Westerly on the south side of Shannock Hill and extended west to thePawcatuck River, in what was afterward Hopkinton and Richmond. His son Hezekiah settled on the part in Hopkinton, and had at least eight hundred acres. His son Elisha settled on the part that was afterward Richmond. In 1715 George Babcock and others assisted in circulating Rhode Island colonial money.
He served as Deputy to the Legislature in 1716 and 1721. He was for many years Justice of the Peace, and was often called upon to perform marriage ceremonies.
He and his wife were buried upon their own farm in a plot formerly known as the "Babcock Burying Ground." It is about five miles from the Kingston R.R. station, and is still used as a cemetery, is inclosed by a neat iron fence. The farm was sold in 1799 by Gideon Babcock, grandson of George and son of David, to Joshua Tucker, and the cemetery is now known as the "Tucker Burying Ground." Near by is a body of water formerly known as Babcock's Pond, now called Tucker's Pond. The place was visited in the summer of 1900 by the writer and his brother, Mr. Nathan Babcock, of Westerly. The graves of George Babcock and his wife were each covered with slate stone slabs about five and one half feet long by two and one half feet wide and five inches thick,lying horizontal, and on foundations so that they were about onefoot from the ground. The letters were much worn and over grownwith moss, but were finally read. The two graves are side byside, about three feet apart, and the stones differ only in their inscriptions. The writing upon the husband's stone consists of eleven lines, as follows:
In Memory
of MR. GEORGE BABCOCK,
who lived a professor with
the Seventh day Baptist Church,
and also his wife and eight of
their children were members
with him of the same church
boath in faith and practice.
He departed this life May
the 1st, A.D. 1756, in ye 83 year
of his age
A notice of the death of Mrs. Babcock, written from S. Kingston after her death, appeared in the Boston Evening Post two weeks after her death, May 24, 1762. Among other things it states that"She has left 8 children, 61 grandchildren; in all 140descendants, which whole number live in this colony except one granddaughter, and her children."
A tradition often repeated states that soon after the marriage of George and Elizabeth Hall Babcock he threw a long rope over his dwelling house; he remained at one end of the rope, while hiswife, Elizabeth, went as requested to the other side of the house and tried to pull the rope over, but without success.George called out, "Pull, Betty, pull harder!" Again she struggled, but with no better results than before. George thencalled for her to come to him; the two, taking hold of the same end of the rope, easily pulled it over the house. The lesson taught was that when husband and wife pull apart no satisfactory results can be reached, but when both pull together everything is easy.
The will of George Babcock, son of John and Mary Lawton Babcock,dated Nov. 13, 1750, probated May 10, 1756, is recorded in S.K.T.R. Pro. Book 5, pp. 44 to 49.
To his son George he gave a farm of two hundred and fifty acres in South Kingston, besides two tracts of land previously given him, and also gave him "one thousand pounds in bills of credit of old tenor." Item. "I give & devise unto my son David Babcockall my homestead farm together with ye land I bought of Mr. Ward with all houses & building thereon & orchards and all other privileges to ye same belonging, and a negro man named Bristoand a negro woman named Geney." . . .
To his son Hezekiah he gave four tracts of land, viz.: A farm of one hundred and forty acres, "the Island I bought of JamesPerry," the farm on which Hezekiah was then living, and a certain thirty acre lot. To his son Elisha he gave four certain farms containing by estimate total, six hundred and twentyacres. Item. "I give and devise to my three sons George, David and Elisha, ye Sedge Island and all ye marsh and sedge lying between ye pond and sea." . . He gave one hundred and fortypounds to be divided equally among the following children, of his deceased daughter Mary Potter, Jonathan Potter, GeorgePotter, Stephen Potter, Susanna, Mary Eilizabeth and Martha;"this is besides the land I gave to her son Thomas Potter ye land he now liveth on which containeth one hundred and seventy nine acres which I gave by her desire in lewe of her portion."He gave to his daughter Elizabeth Sanders, "six hundred pounds in bills of credit old tenor besides what I have given her in time past." He gave to his daughter Abigail Hall, "five hundred pounds in bills of credit old tenor, besides what I have given her already." He provides that the children of his daughterEunice Greenman shall be paid one hundred pounds apiece as they become of age. Item. "I give three hundred pounds to ye church & society to
which I belong to in Westerly and places adjacent, keeping and observing ye Seventh day of ye week for a Sabbath, to be let out for ye benefit of ye church above mentioned." After the specific legacies are paid, "my will is that all my estate that is moveable shall be equally divided amongst all my childrensons and daughters now living or to their successors namely George, David, Hezekiah, and Elisha, Elizabeth, Abigail, Ruth & Eunice." . . .Lastly I do hereby constitute make and ordain myloving son David Babcock to be my executor of this my last will and testament.
Notes for Elizabeth (Spouse 1)
She and her husband George "were buried on their own farm near the highway and his dwelling house, long since known as theTucker place, and their graves are covered with large freestone tablets fully inscribed." Elizabeth's obituary appeared in The Boston Evening Post on Monday, 24 May, 1762. It reads as follows:
"South Kingston, May 10, 1762. On the 8th Instant died here Mrs. Elizabeth Babcock, Widow and Relick of Mr. George Babcock,late of said Town, in the 91st Year of her Age: She was a Woman of great Piety and unblemished Character; has left behind her 8Children, 61 Grand Children, and 76 Great Grand Children, in all 145, which whole Number lives in this Colony, except one GrandDaughter and her Children; she has also left four Sisters, one of which is older than herself."
Wheeler in his "History of Stonington" and Babcock in his"Babcock Genealogy" state that Elizabeth's father was Henry Halland her mother's given name was Content. Babcock states that they were of Kingston. Arnold in "The Narragansett Historical Register" states that her mother's name was Constant, notContent. "The History of Rhode Island" does not list the parents of Elizabeth, which is unusual, since it customarily does so.This appears to be inaccurate. Arnold's Henry and Constant did have a daughter Elizabeth, but her married name was Britten atthe time of her father's death in 1705. Further, Elizabeth's date of birth is about 1672. Henry and Constant were not married until about 1680, and their Elizabeth was not born until about 1695. Rev. David Hall states, in his "Halls of New England: "Henry Hall, Jr., m. Constant. He made his will Nov.1, 1716, in which he mentioned sons William, Elisha, Henry,James, John, Edward, and daughters Susanna, Lydia, Elizabeth Butler, Cherry Cottrel and Mary and Martha not of age. Elizabeth Butler is the interesting entry. Is it possible that the "Butler" is really "Babcock?" Elizabeth (Hall) Babcock's obituary (reproduced later) states that she was survived bythree sisters, one of whom was older than she. This could fit the above circumstances. There is another Elizabeth Hall, the sister of this Henry, who would be of an appropriate age, since she was born about 1676. However, she married Edward Larkin. It appears that Elizabeth's parents were not the Henry andConstant described by Arnold. Therefore the clouded links of Elizabeth to an appropriate Hall family remain to be clarified. However, it is probable that Elizabeth is of the Hall family of Rhode Island.
Last Modified 31 Aug 2002Created 17 Jan 2012 using Reunion for Macintosh