hingham house tour - thomas chubbuck jr house

In my last post, I wrote about the Hingham Historical Society's annual House Tour - and how two of the houses belonged at some point to my ancestors.  This post will show some deeds related to the Thomas Chubbuck, Jr. House.  

The Thomas Chubbuck Jr. House - 1778

Courtesy of Hingham Historical Society

Another house on the Hingham Historical House Tour that one of my ancestors lived in is the house of Thomas Chubbuck, Jr (b. 1757).  Thomas Chubbuck, Jr. is my 5th great grand-uncle, the brother of Sally (Chubbuck) French.  According to the Hingham Historical Society, Jeremiah Chubbuck, my sixth great grandfather, owned this land before his grandson Thomas Jr. built his house here.

The house description from the Hingham Historical website is as follows:

"Thomas Chubbuck, Jr. was a patriot and soldier of the Revolution, serving in the Battle of Bennington in 1777. He was descended from the first Thomas Chubbuck, a large landowner and early planter who arrived in Hingham in 1634. Upon his return from war in 1778, Thomas Jr. built this house atop a knoll in the Liberty Plain area on property owned by his father, Thomas, whose house at 1175 Main Street is also on the tour this year. This land was originally granted by the Town to Robert Peck. Subsequently, it was owned by the Thaxter family from 1641 to 1692 and was then purchased by Theophilus Cushing. It was part of the land that passed to the Chubbucks (detailed in 1175 Main Street history). In 1749, a portion of the land was mortgaged to Harvard University by Jeremiah Chubbuck to pay for his college tuition. Thomas deeded the land to Thomas Jr. who married Joanna Whiton, daughter of Captain Enoch Whiton and Joanna (Whiton), in 1787. Thomas Jr. died shortly after their marriage, and he and Joanna had no children, but Joanna lived here 60 more years until her death in 1850."

The land that this house is on is probably part of the 100 acres purchased from Seth Cushing by Thomas Chubbuck in 1742, recorded in the first deed I wrote about in the previous post, Suffolk County deed 73(164).  I have not found deeds which show how the land is transferred to the later generations of Chubbucks; I am assuming the land was handed down through wills or maybe part of some other deeds of land referenced above.  (see note 1)

I did find the Suffolk County deed 76(147), which records Jeremiah Chubbuck's first transaction with Harvard College.  The college treasurer pays to Jeremiah one hundred pounds for...

"a certain piece or parcel of land situate and being in Hingham aforesaid butted and bounded as follows, viz, eastwardly partly on the highway and partly on the land of Thomas Chubbuck, southerly on the land of Daniel Wyton, west on the river, and northward on Seth Cushing the whole containing by estimation about 40 acres be the same more or less now lying in partnership with my father Mr. Thomas Chubbuck, the land hereby intended to be granted is the one moiety or half part of the above described land and premises..."

dated March 1749

and another Suffolk deed 81(101) records the mortgage of Jeremiah's land to Harvard College; where the treasurer of the college pays fifty pounds for...

"one full moiety or half part of a certain piece of land with the fence thereon situate lying and being in Hingham aforesaid butted and bounded as follows viz southwardly on Accord Pond westwardly on the proprietor's land, and the land of Peter Ripley, northwardly on Seth Cushing's land, and eastwardly on the river, containing in the whole 45 acres..."

dated August 1748

I believe later in the deed it is stated that Jeremiah is expected to pay back the fifty pounds, with interest, and the deed will be void.  The language was a little difficult for me to understand while I was reading it quickly.
I am not sure that Jeremiah did pay the college back, as another deed records a division of land between Jeremiah Chubbuck and Harvard College, Suffolk County deed 87(66).

[Harvard College and Jeremiah Chubbuck] "do hold and enjoy in common and undivided a certain tract of land situate and lying at a place called the great plain in Hingham aforesaid containing in the whole sixty eight acres and thirty eight rods...and is bounded northerly with the land of Enoch Whitten easterly with the country road southerly with Daniel Whitten's land and westerly with the land of Peter Ripley and the said Enoch Whitten...that a partition and division of the same land be made between them...that the divisional line of said tract of land begin at a stake and heap of stones standing in or near the highway nine rods...from the northeast corner of said Chubbuck's dwelling house...college has northerly part containing about 30 acres...southerly part contains about 35 acres to be Jeremiah Chubbuck's... "

dated may 1755 

Eventually, the land that Jeremiah has left, the 35 acres, is probably handed down to his son Thomas, and Thomas' son Thomas, Jr. who builds the house pictured above.

notes:

1. There are some Suffolk County deeds which describe transactions between Seth Cushing and Jeremiah Chubbuck, it looks like Jeremiah and Seth exchange about 100 acres in Hingham back and forth.  It looks like Seth Cushing buys this land suffolk deed 67(236) and 67(237) back from Jeremiah Chubbuck in 1742.  These may be mortgages, as the end of the deed describes how Seth will pay Jeremiah.  Then also in 1742, suffolk deed 70(183), Jeremiah pays 600 pounds to Seth Cushing for part of this land, 100 acres.

nathaniel french (part 2 of 3)

family life

Nathaniel French married Sally Chubbuck on January 8, 1797, in  Hingham, MA.  The record is from the Vital Records of Hingham, from americanancestors.org.

index of marriage record for Nathaniel French and Sally Chubbuck, Hingham, MA

The first census that Nathaniel and Sally are found in show that they are not living in the almshouse, like Nathaniel's father, George.  In fact, the Massachusetts and Maine direct tax census of 1798 shows that Nathaniel lives in the South Parish of Hingham, with 1/2 shop and 12 acres of land.  I do not know if Nathaniel purchased this land, or if he inherited it.  The next step would be to check Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, since Hingham is in Norfolk County from 1793-1803. (note 1)

The 1800 census shows Nathaniel's growing family:

1800 US Federal Census, Hingham, Nathaniel French

1800 census : 2 males under 10 (nathaniel and theodore); 1 male 26-44 (nathaniel); 1 male 45+ (?); 1 female 26-44 (sarah) 

There is one male over 45 years old who is unaccounted for in Nathaniel's household in 1800.  It may be Sarah's father, Thomas Chubbuck, since his wife died in 1797, and I was unable to find him listed separately in the census.  Thomas died in 1802 in Hingham, so most likely he was living in Hingham in 1800.  I checked to see if it could have been any of Sarah's or Nathaniel's brothers, but none of them would have been 45 or older in 1800.  It also was probably not likely to be Nathaniel's father as he is married in 1800 (to his third wife, Fanny).

The 1800 census shows who Nathaniel's neighbors probably were.  The listing under Nathaniel is Daniel Dill, which is Sarah's sister's, Mary, husband.  This would probably be her family, living next door to each other. 

1810 census...

1810 US Federal Census, Hingham, Nathaniel French

1810 census : 1 male under 10 (freeman); 2 male 11-15 (nathaniel and theodore); 1 male 26-44 (nathaniel); 2 female under 10 (sarah and mary); 1 female 26-44 (sarah); 1 female 45+ (?) 

By 1810, the older male living with Nathaniel and Sarah in 1800 is no longer in their household.  This would make sense if it were Thomas Chubbuck, as he dies in 1802.  There is; however, another older female living with them that is over the age of 45.  Both Nathaniel's and Sally's mothers had died before 1800 according to History of Hingham book.  Perhaps this woman is a sister of either Nathaniel or Sally.  Nathaniel does not have any living sisters in 1810.  Sally has two sisters age 45 and over.  Her sister Mary is married, but her other sister, Patience, never marries.  I am guessing it is more likely to be Patience, than Mary.  I did not find a separate entry for Patience in the 1810 census. 

It seems likely that the land Nathaniel and Sarah are living on in Hingham may have come from Sarah's family for a few reasons.  The 1800 census has Nathaniel and Sarah probably living with Sarah's father.  Maybe they lived in his house as he was older, taking care of Thomas if he needed it.  Also, the 1810 census has them most likely living with Sarah's sister, Patience.  Perhaps Thomas handed down his land and house to Sarah and she was to provide residence for her sister Patience.  Also, Sarah's other sister, Mary, is living next door to Nathaniel and Sarah in the 1800 Census.  Mary may have also been given land from her father Thomas.  The 1810 Census is alphabetized for the town of Hingham, so that does not show who Nathaniel and Sarah's neighbors may have been.  I am not sure if Thomas Chubbuck left a will or probate, but that would provide many clues as to where Nathaniel and Sarah were living in Hingham. (note 2)

(to be continued...)

notes:
1.  Hingham is in Norfolk County from 1793-1803; Plymouth County starting 1803; before 1793 in Suffolk County.    Norfolk County Registry of Deeds do have all their deed register books online.  I found a great guide to using the Norfolk Register of Deeds webpage here - from GeneaMusings blog.  If you are looking for deeds before 1900 you have to search through their scanned index.  There were no French's or Chubbuck's at all from Hingham listed.  In fact, I did not see any listings for Hingham, which makes me think that maybe Hingham was not included in these deeds.  Perhaps because it was in Norfolk County for such a short time, they are still indexed with either Suffolk or Plymouth County for these years.  Have to go to Plymouth Registry of Deeds to look at their index.

2.  I looked in Probate index, Norfolk County, Massachusetts ... 1793-1900, vol. 1, online through Internet Archive, and did not find an entry for Thomas Chubbuck, Sarah's father, who died in 1802 in Hingham, MA.  Again, there were no Chubbucks from Hingham listed.  Thomas is also not listed for the Plymouth County Probate files available online through familysearch.   I will have to look in the Suffolk County probate. 

to do:
1.  Check the Suffolk and Plymouth county deeds to find where Nathaniel got his land in Hingham, MA - around 1797 - year of his marriage.  Plymouth county deeds are online, but for this time period, need to know book number.  I did look at French surnames for 1910-1915, to see if maybe some deeds would link back through his descendants, but there were none that matched.  I also asked on the Plymouth County ancestry boards if anyone had access to the Plymouth county deed index.  The Plymouth County Deed index is available at Plymouth Registry of Deeds, and available from Family Center microfilm. I am not sure about process for Suffolk County Deeds yet. 
 
2.  Since Thomas Chubbuck is not in the Norfolk County Probate index and his probate record is not online for the Plymouth County Probate records, check Suffolk County probate for Sarah Chubbuck's father, Thomas Chubbuck, d. 1802 in Hingham, MA (Nathaniel's father George died in almshouse). 

3.  Also look at Sarah's brothers' probates - Plymouth county probably.  Sarah's brother Thomas has a son Henry Chubbuck who leaves land to Sarah Chubbuck and her children - including Freeman French.  Henry's will also mentions Sarah's sisters Mary Dill and Patience Chubbuck.  Strange to me that Henry left to his aunts and cousins, but maybe he had no children and maybe his father Thomas did not have many other children.