"Capt. Nath. Saltonstall, Esq., give in Hugh Stone of Andover fined for being drunk, 10s., to be paid in or as money, and John Page, of Haverhill 20s money for disorderly selling drink."
"Hugh Stone sentenced at Haverhill, April 6, 1683 to pay 12s. 6d. in money or com. Said Stone apprehending that upon a presentment witnesses would testify that he was drunk at Osburne on the day before the last public Thanksgiving in 1682, he came from Andover and confessed."
"Hugh Stone of Andover, Sept 24, who acknowledged that he was distempered with drink at his own house in April and seemed very pentitent, was fined."
Hugh Stone was married to my first cousin 12 times removed, Hannah Foster. They had 7 children and Hannah was pregnant with her eighth child in 1689. On April 20th, Hugh and Hannah argued about selling a piece of land. Hugh, as usual, was drunk. He "barbarously reachid a stroke at her throat, with a sharp knife; and by that one stroke fetchid away the soul of her who had made him a father of several children, and would have yet brought another to him if she had lived a few weeks longer in the world." (Cotton Mather)
Hugh was quickly apprehended and hanged in January 1690.
His statements after the murder include:
"It was Contention in my Family."
"I will tell you that I wish I never had had the opportunity to do such a muder. If you say when a Person has provoked you 'I will kill him,' 'tis a thousand to one but the next time you will do it..."
"When thou hast thy head full of drink, remembrance of God is out of thy heart. I have cause to cry out and be ashamed of it, that I am guilty of it because I gave way to that sin more than any other and then God did leave me to practice wickedness and to murder that dear woman whom I should have taken a great deal of commitment in; which if I had done, I should not have been here to suffer this Death."
Hannah Foster's mother was Ann Alcock, the sister of John Alcock.
According to the Stone Family Association, the children went to live with a Nathaniel Stone whose relationship to Hugh is unknown. However, the Nathaniel Stone who raised the orphaned children is my 9th great grandfather.
John Alcock & Elizabeth
Sarah Alcock & John Giddings
Elizabeth Giddings & Mark Haskell
Mark Haskell & Martha Tuttle
Martha Haskell & John Safford
Ruth Safford & Samuel Haskell
Martha Haskell & Moses Houghton
Sally Houghton & James Dunham
Florilla Dunham & Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Nina Ellingwood & George Gibbs
Annie Gibbs & Ray Everett Cotton
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother
Nathaniel Stone & Remember Corning
Nathaniel Stone & Mary Balch
Ruth Stone & Luke Morgan
Luke Morgan & Martha Pulcifer
Samuel Morgan & Judith Dennen
Martha Morgan & William Yates
Moses Yates & Martha Whittle
Gilbert Yates & Laura Emmons
Estes Yates & Eva Hayes
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother
Historical Sketches of Andover - accessed
http://archive.org/stream/historicalsketch00bail#page/78/mode/2up
Stone Family Association
http://www.stonefamilyassociation.org/index.php?pr=Hugh_Of_Andover_MA
It is wonderful that you have traced your ancestry so far back. I always find old newspapers fascinating in the titbits of information you can glean onlife at the time. You are so lucky to have found newspapers surviving from the 17th century.
ReplyDeleteHannah's mother, Ann Foster, was my 10th-gr-aunt and sister to my 10th-great-grandmother, both of whom were charged with witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. My 10th-gr-grandmother was released but Ann Foster died in jail awaiting her hanging. A sad and tragic piece of history. Gail Mewes
ReplyDeleteHello relatives! Hannah Foster and Hugh Stone were my 9th great grandparents and now, almost 400 years later, I live in the same area that they did! Imagine with all the children people had at that time, how many of us there are who are all related!
ReplyDeleteAny ideas as to who the parents of Hugh Stone were? Any help would be appreciated.
ReplyDelete