In his Macomber Genealogy, Everett S



In his Macomber Genealogy, Everett S. Stackpole is unable to connect Elisha Macomber to a common ancestor. All he is able to do is to state is that Elisha Macomber, son of John and Mary, was born in Dartmouth about 1775 and died in New Bedford in 1855. Elisha Macomber’s genealogy remains obscure.His descent through his daughter Almira (Macomber) Haskell is not unclear though. Almira Macomber (1810-1880) married Andrew Haskell (1807-1875, a Mayflower descendant). Their daughter Lucinda M. Haskell (1833-1864) married John Congdon Hart (1829-1883), the grandfather of our maternal grandmother, Annie Congdon Hart (1894-1972). Thus, Elisha Macomber is the great-great grandfather of our grandmother Annie, and we are descended from Elisha.Elisha Macomber may be descended from William Macomber of Marshfield, Mass. (ca. 1610-ca. 1670).Elisha Macomber married Mary (Polly) in Plymouth, Mass. on August 2, 1802. The record reads: “Aug. 2 ... Elisha Macumbr & Mary Gullifer both now residents in Plymo. married at Plymo. [Marriage solemnized by Ephraim Spooner Esq.]” Elisha was apparently living in Plymouth then, as the record states, but this seems odd in that most of his life was spent in Dartmouth, Mass., where he was born, and in New Bedford, which is adjacent to Dartmouth. Also, the last name of Elisha’s wife Mary (Polly) is a mystery. It is Gullifer in this marriage record, but other records give it variously as Galacar, Galaver, and Galliver. Polly’s parents were named Charles and Margaret.Where was Polly born? This is also a mystery. Her death record appears to indicate (it is very hard to read) that she was born in Philadelphia. The death records for two of Polly’s children -- her son Elisha Macomber, Jr. (d. 1873) and her daughter Almira (Macomber) Haskell (d. 1880) -- though, indicate that Polly was born in Provincetown.To return to Elisha Macomber. He was born in Dartmouth, Mass. in about 1775 (based on age at death and age given in the 1850 census), son of John and Mary (_______) Macomber.. He married Mary (Polly) “Gullifer” on August 2, 1802. He died on January 4 or 5, 1855 in New Bedford.Polly (“Gullifer”) Macomber was born in about 1783 (based on age at death and age given in the 1850 census). She died in September 6 or 7, 1857 in New Bedford.Elisha and Polly Macomber had four daughters (including daughter Almira, from whom we are descended) born in the period from about 1803 to 1810. They had a son, Elisha Macomber, Jr., born in about 1822 (based on age at death and census records). They may have had other children born between 1810 and 1822.Elisha Macomber does show up numerous times in contemporary records of land dealings:“Clark Ricketson and Laban Thacher both of Dartmouth Gentlemen in consideration of fifty dollars paid by Elisha Macomber of Dartmouth Laboror sell and convey to Macomber a certain lot of land in Ricketsons Neck” …. December 24, 1809 / signed by Clark Ricketson, Laban Thacher, Mary Ricketson, Sarah Thacher / "Then ye above named Clark Ricketson and Laban Thacher acknowledged ye above Instrument [etc.]” / Received June 13, 1809 and recorded by James Williams Register.“Henry Ricketson of Dartmouth yeoman in consideration of the sum of sixty dollars paid by Elisha Macomber of Dartmouth Yeoman,” sells land to Macomber / dated March [?] 1, 1812 / recorded June 15, 1813.“Laban Thacher of Dartmouth yeoman sells land to Elisha Macomber of Dartmouth yeoman in consideration of the sum of fourteen hundred dollars paid by said Macomber. … Bounded as following North and East by the highway South by Seth Davis land, westerly land of Caleb Sanford, containing sixty acres" / dated Nov 14, 1817 / recorded June 5, 1818.“Elisha Macomber of Dartmouth, yeoman … in consideration of fourteen hundred dollars to me paid by Laban Thatcher of Dartmouth …. yeoman,” sells a certain tract of land situated in Dartmouth to Thatcher containing sixty acres ... bounded on the North and East by the highway, on the South by Seth Davis land, and on the West by land belonging to Caleb Sanford / dated April, 2, 1821 / Mary Macomber, wife to said Elisha / signed by Elisha Macomber and Mary Macomber / recorded Sept 16 [?], 1821“Elisha Macomber of Dartmouth yeoman in consideration of six hundred dollars paid by Laban Thacher of Dartmouth yeoman” sells land in Dartmouth to Thacher ... bounded Westerly on the highway that leads to David Thacher, Esq., Northerly by the highway leads to Stephen Mosher, Easterly on land of Mary Ricketson, and Southerly on way laid out by Henry Ricketson ... sixty-four acres / Elisha Macomber / my wife Polly / signed by Elisha Macomber and Polly Macomber / dated April 14, 1815 / recorded Feb 10, 1829Note that the sums paid in the last three of these transactions were considerable for the time.The following advertisement from the New Bedford Mercury, March 12, 1819, is also of interest:FARM AT AUCTION.To be sold at Public Vendue, on the Premises, in Dartmouth, on TUESDAY, the 23d Inst. at 3 o’clock P. M.THE FARM lately occupied by Joseph Keen, situated on the main road leading from New-Bedford to Russell’s Mills; containing about sixty acres of excellent Land, well proportioned for mowing, tillage, pasturing and wood land, with a young Orchard of about 500 Apple trees, and is well watered - a large and commodious Dwelling-House, two Barns, Corn-house, and other necessary out buildings. Conditions made known at time and place of sale,ELISHA MACOMBERDartmouth, March 11, 1819The term “yeoman” in the above deeds would indicate that Elisha was a small landowner and farmer. In the 1850 census, the occupation of Elisha, then 75, is given as “laborer.” Elisha Macomber served as a private in the Massachusetts militia in the War of 1812. Elisha’s son, Elisha, Jr., become a cooper, by the way, and in that capacity served on whaling vessels.Bibliographic Note: Researching Elisha Macomber is very difficult, as this article would suggest. The source Deaths Recorded in the New Bedford Mercury, 1845-1874, only available at the New Bedford Free Public Library in typescript; was very helpful in establishing and corroborating basic source information about Elisha and his family. So were the death records for Elisha and Polly at the Massachusetts Archives (in microfilm) that give their parents’ names. Some information is available on Elisha and Polly’s children from other newspaper sources (related to their marriages) and from records at the Massachusetts Archives. From these records, information can be gleaned at times, indirectly, about Elisha and Polly and their family. I was able with some success to trace vital record information about the couple’s four daughters -- Mary (Macomber) Turner (ca. 1803-1837), Margaret (Macomber) Cornell (1805-1835), Clarissa (Macomber) Hamblet or Hamlet (b. between 1809-1811), and Almira (Macomber) Haskell (1810-1880) -- and their son, Elisha Macomber, Jr. (ca. 1822-1873). I was not able to find a gravestone for Elisha and Polly in Rural Cemetery, New Bedford.-- Roger W. Smith March 2011 ................
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