"The Old Homestead", Week 13 of the #52Ancestors Challenge
While I have researched many locations where my ancestors once lived, with some of the old homes still standing to this day, I will write about an early family in my genealogy, as I was working on these maps when this challenge was announced.
While I have researched many locations where my ancestors once lived, with some of the old homes still standing to this day, I will write about an early family in my genealogy, as I was working on these maps when this challenge was announced.
1838 Plan of Col John Sale land (West towards top of map)
The section of land in Chelsea, Massachusetts that would become Revere and Winthrop was known in the late 1600's as "Pullen Point", and was a part of Boston until 1739. James Penn, an early settler, owned this property by 1643. In his will, dated 29 Sept 1671, he left his land on Pullen Point (as well as other holdings) to PENN TOWNSEND, who was the son of Hannah (Penn) and William Townsend (my 9th Great-Grandparents), Hannah being James' sister.
Penn Townsend, in turn, would will this property (and other real estate) over in 1721 to his two daughters: Sarah, wife of Ebenezer Thayer, and Ann, the wife of JOHN SALE. They actually only had a "life interest" in this land, and a house on Tremont Street, as the land would pass to their children after their decease, according to Penn Townsend's will. This prevented them from selling the property, and there were several court cases involving this from 1739 to 1742, when they were finally allowed to sell the Tremont St house, the funds to be used in repairing the farm in Chelsea.
Penn Townsend, in turn, would will this property (and other real estate) over in 1721 to his two daughters: Sarah, wife of Ebenezer Thayer, and Ann, the wife of JOHN SALE. They actually only had a "life interest" in this land, and a house on Tremont Street, as the land would pass to their children after their decease, according to Penn Townsend's will. This prevented them from selling the property, and there were several court cases involving this from 1739 to 1742, when they were finally allowed to sell the Tremont St house, the funds to be used in repairing the farm in Chelsea.
 | John's wife Ann died by 1740, and he lived on the Chelsea farm (with 2nd wife Huldah) until his death in 1763. The land then passed onto his three children, John Sale, Sarah Hickling, and Rebecca Oliver. Son John had possession of the property in 1784, when he sold it to his son John. Later known as Col John Sale, he died in 1835. The map at the top of this posting, found in Suffolk County Deeds [Vol 443, pg 96], shows the 1838 division of his property, which contained 267 acres (half of it marsh land). The map, on left, is from "A Documentary History of Chelsea", and is found here: https://archive.org/stream/documentaryhisto04cham Much of the history of the properties of Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, including the above information, can be found in this volume. |
The land no longer being held by any of my direct ancestors, I haven't researched any deeds involving John Sale and his children, so I do not know for how long the former land of my 8th Great Grandfather Penn Townsend stayed in the family.
Below is a current map of the Revere, MA area, showing the approximate area (in red and blue) of the old PENN estate of 1643(?) to 1671, TOWNSEND estate of 1671-1721, and SALE estate of 1721-1830's. With so much of the wet lands now filled in, it is difficult to get an exact outline (and I can't draw curvy lines too well in Paint), but it is close.
Below is a current map of the Revere, MA area, showing the approximate area (in red and blue) of the old PENN estate of 1643(?) to 1671, TOWNSEND estate of 1671-1721, and SALE estate of 1721-1830's. With so much of the wet lands now filled in, it is difficult to get an exact outline (and I can't draw curvy lines too well in Paint), but it is close.
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