Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Third Generation

JOSHUA³ MAXFIELD (Joseph², John¹) was born at Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, on 20 September 1740^[1] a son of Joseph Maxfield and his wife Joanna Richardson. He died at Newport, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, on 21 September 1825.^[2] He married at Haverhill, Essex County, on 7 November 1764 SARAH CURRIER.^[3] She was born at Haverhill on 15 September 1741,[4] and died on 9 June 1813.^[5]

Joshua Maxfield was an early settler of Weare [later Hillsborough County], New Hampshire, and later moved to Bradford, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, as the following deeds indicate:

• 18 Nov 1762, Joshua Maxfield of Salisbury, yeoman, sold to Nathan Carr of Haverhill, yeoman (his brother-in-law) for 100 Spanish milled dollars, 100 acres in Hale's Town (so called) in New Hampshire, part of #70 lying on both sides of river called Squataguagg. (Hale's Town later named Weare)^[6]
• 21 Apr 1766, Joshua Maxfield of Weare, yeoman, sold to Nathan Carr of Weare, yeoman, for £ 15, land in Weare part of lot # 70 on Piscataquog River, east side of lot, 100 acres.^[7]
• 21 April 1766, Nathan Carr of Weare sold to Joshua Maxfield of Weare for £ 30, 100 acres in Weare.^[8]
• 7 Apr 1767, Joshua Maxfield of Weare, yeoman, sold to Nathan Carr of Weare, yeoman, for 20s, one acre adjoining each of our other land.^[9]
• 7 Dec 1773, Joshua Maxfield of Weare sold to Moses Clough of New Britain, 25 acres of a 50 acre tract in New Britain.^[10]
• 13 November 1779, Joshua Maxfield of Weare, yeoman, sold to Joseph Maxfield of Salisbury, Massachusetts, yeoman, for £ 500 "all my rights to land and saltmarsh left to me by my father Joseph Maxfield, deceased, lying in Salisbury, and South Hampton, New Hampshire."^[11]
• 29 July 1794, John Peirce of Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, merchant, sold to Joshua Maxfield of Fishersfield, Hillsborough County, husbandman, for £ 20, 110 acres in Fishersfield (on Bradford line).^[12]
• 2 April 1804, Joshua Maxfield, Jr., of Bradford, husbandman, sold to Joshua Maxfield of Bradford, husbandman, for $1500, land abutting Currier Maxfield, "the same land that said Joshua has this day deeded to me Joshua to hold land during his natural life as security for his support; it is then to revert back to Joshua Jr.^[13]
• 10 May 1808, Joshua Maxfield, Jr., and Currier Maxfield (sons of Joshua), both of Bradford, husbandmen, sold to Joshua Maxfield of Bradford, husbandman, for $2000, lot #2 in the part of Town of Bradford annexed from Fishersfield, "land heretofore deeded to us by Joshua Maxfield to be held through his life and life of his wife Sarah."^[14]
• 2 April 1814, Joshua Maxfield of Bradford, husbandman, sold to Joshua Maxfield, Jr., of Bradford, husbandman, for $1500, land in Bradford, abuts Currier Maxfield.^[15]

The History of Weare gave this description of Joshua Maxfield:

Joshua Maxfield, from Salisbury, Mass., built his cabin and made his home on lot seventy, range three. It was in the Piscataquog valley on the west side of the river, by the "way" from what is now Oil Mill to East Weare. His land was a high, gravelly river terrace, and as there was no brook or spring very near him, he tried to dig a well. He dug many a day in it; put in heavy timber curbings and at last got it down a vast depth, but found no water. He grew discouraged; his fears of danger from caving in got the better of him, and one day he devided he could hear the cocks crowing in China, the Celestials pounding salt and picking tea, and he gave it up. The curbing soon decayed, the gravel caved in, and he lugged his water as usual.^[16]

Joshua returned to Salisbury for the baptism of his first child, and at that time he was baptized and owned the covenant at Second Church (Congregational), Salisbury.^[17]

Joshua Maxfield fought in the Revolutionary War, leaving his first five children at home with their mother. He enlisted on 11 July 1775, in Captain John Parker's company. He answered a muster roll, was sworn and paid his first month's wages on 2 August. On 4 September he received 9 pence a day for five days billeting. Joshua was part of the force that, after taking Fort Ticonderoga, moved north to attack Fort Saint John, on the Richelieu River between Montreal and Lake Champlain. He was with a group reported deserted on 13 October 1775. The report stated "these men left without being regularly discharged, when they thought their term of service had expired." In 1776 he signed the "Association" in support of the Revolution.^[18]

Joshua Maxfield signed several petitions, most involving borders in the towns in which he lived. On 25 January 1786, he signed a petition requesting that a parish be established for the western part of the Town of Weare.^[19] On 20 May 1791 he petitioned to change the borders of Fishersfield. This was done and the Town of Goshen was created.^[20] On 21 November 1796 he petitioned to have part of Fishersfield transfered to Bradford.^[21] This also was done,

Joshua Maxfield was reported at Weare in the 1790 census, at Bradford in 1800 and 1810.

The 1790 census,^[22] whach called him "Joshua Maxwell," reported two males over 16, 2 males under 16, and 6 females. This could be explained as Joshua and son John the older males, sons Joshua and Currier the younger males, and females wife Sarah, daughters Joanna, Rachel, Sarah, Abigail, and one unidentified female.

The 1800 census^[23] and a possible explanation follows:

• male 26-45: 1 (Joshua, 39)
• female 26-45: 1 (Sarah, 38)
• male 16-25: 3 (Joshua 25, Currier 22, unidentified)
• female 16-25: 1 (unidentified)
• female 10-15: 1 (Abigail 14)
• male 0-9: 2 (unidentified)

The 1810 census^[24] reported a male and a female over 45, and a female 16-25. This can be explained as Joshua and Sarah and youngest daughter Abigail.

Joshua Maxfield and his wife Sarah Currier had the following children:

1. JOANNE⁴ MAXFIELD b. at Weare on 26 July 1765;^[25] m. at Sutton, Hillsborough Co., on 12 January 1792 JAMES BABB.^[26] Joanne was baptized at Second Church (Congregational) of Salisbury on 8 November 1767.^[27]
2. RACHEL⁴ MAXFIELD b. at Weare on 22 April 1768;^[28] m. at Henniker, Hillsborough Co., on 26 December 1796 NATHAN PRESBURY,^[29].
3. JOHN⁴ MAXFIELD b. Weare on 4 June 1770.
4. SARAH⁴ MAXFIELD "Sally" b. at Weare on 15 March 1773;^[30] d. at Newport, on 27 November 1826;^[31] m. at Newport on 31 August 1797 NATHAN HURD Jr.,^[32] b. on 9 September 1772,^[33] d. at Newport on 1814.^[34] He had previously m. SARAH BRADFORD.^[35]
5. JOSHUA⁴ MAXFIELD Jr b. at Weare on 28 February 1775.
6. CURRIER⁴ MAXFIELD b. at Weare abt. 1781/2.
7. ABIGAIL⁴ MAXFIELD "Nabby" b. at Bradford on 17 October 1795;^[36] m. at Bradford on 21 November 1811 SILAS DUFUR,^[37] b. at Marlboro, Cheshire Co., NH, on 12 September 1783.^[38]

¹Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Topsfield, MA: Topsfield Historical Society, 1915), 152.
²"Deaths," Independent Statesman, 22 October 1825; 19th Century U.S. Newspapers (infotrac.galegroup.com : accessed 2012); accessed through american ancestors.org; Burial Hill, Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 2011) .
³"Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850," database, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org: accessed 10 September 2012), Vital Records of Haverhill, MA 2:217
⁴Carolyn Strohecker, "[transcription of DAR lineages]," e-mail message to Charles A. Maxfield, 27 July 2011.
⁵"Burial Hill, Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH," database
⁶Deeds, 69:145-46; digital images, Rockingham County Registry of Deeds (nhdeeds/rockingham : accessed 28 August 2012).
⁷Ibid.,.100:465-66
⁸Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds, 1:394; FHL microfilm .
⁹Ibid., 1:394; Deeds, digital images, Rockingham County Registry of Deeds. 90:323-24.
¹⁰Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds, : 50:524.
¹¹Essex County, Massachusetts, Land Records, 138:50-51, accessed 3 July 2013; Essex County Courthouse, Salem, MA (familysearch.org).
¹²Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds, : 100:556-56.
¹³Ibid., 100:557-59.
¹⁴Ibid., 99:58-59.
¹⁵Ibid., 110:470-71.
¹⁶William Little, The History of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888 (Lowell, MA: by the Town, 1888), 107.
¹⁷David W. Hoyt, The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982), 449.
¹⁸Nathaniel Bouton et al, editors, Documents and Records Relating to New Hampshire, 1623-1800, 40 (Concord, Manchester, Nashua and Bristol, NH: n.p., 1867), 14:175-77. [New Hampshire Papers]
¹⁹ Ibid., 13:641
²⁰Ibid., 12:668.
²¹Ibid., 12:669
²²First Census of the United States: 1790, population, Weare, Hillsboro Co., NH, 5:334; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
²³Second Census of the United States: 1800, population, Bradford, Hillsboro Co., NH, 20:484; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
²⁴Third Census of the United States: 1810, population, Bradford, Hillsboro Co., NH, 24:523; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
²⁵Little, History of Weare, 937.
²⁶French, Harry Dana. Descendants of John Maxfield of Salisbury, Mass., New Hampshire Historical Society Library, Concord, NH, about 1952.
²⁷Hoyt, Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, 449.
²⁸Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH, Index of Births to 1900.
²⁹Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH, Vital Records: Bride's Index, 1640-1900
³⁰Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH, Index of Births to 1900.
³¹Daughters of the American Revolution, "DAR Genealogical Reserch System: Descendant Database Search," database, Daughters of the American Revolution (dar.org, accessed ), No. 734989.
³²Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH. Vital Records: Bride's Index, 1640-1900.
³³Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, No. 734989.
³⁴Ibid.
³⁵Elizabeth Wright, "John Maxfield of Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1652, and Some of His Descendants," The Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record (1928–1930): 8:16.
³⁶Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH. Index of Births to 1900.
³⁷Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH. Vital Records: Bride's Index, 1640-1900.
³⁸"RootsWeb's World Connect Project", database, Roots Web (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com : accessed 2012), Beadle, Cole, Eaton, Heydrick, Irwin, Stevens, Winters, Delacruz (de la Cruz, De La Cruz), Ramirez; undocumented and unnamed family tree submitted 16 April 2009 by Chris de la Cruz.

Bouton, Nathaniel et al, editors. Documents and Records Relating to New Hampshire, 1623-1800. 40. Concord, Manchester, Nashua and Bristol, NH: n.p., 1867.

Burial Hill, Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2011.

Daughters of the American Revolution. "DAR Genealogical Reserch System: Descendant Database Search." Database. Daughters of the American Revolution dar.org.

French, Harry Dana. Descendants of John Maxfield of Salisbury, Mass. New Hampshire Historical Society Library, Concord, NH, about 1952.

Goss, Mrs. Charles Carpenter, comp. Colonial Graveside Inscriptions in the State of New Hampshire. Dover, NH: Clearfield Co., 1942.

Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds. Land Records. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA. FHL microfilm, . Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982.

Little, William. The History of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888. Lowell, MA: by the Town, 1888.

Massachusetts. Essex County. Land Records. Essex County Courthouse, Salem, MA (familysearch.org).

"Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850." Database. New England Historic Genealogical Society. American Ancestors. americanancestors.org: 2012.

New Hampshire. Concord. State of New Hampshire. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Index of Births to 1900. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

New Hampshire. Concord. State of New Hampshire. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Vital Records: Bride's Index, 1640-1900. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

New Hampshire. Concord. Independent Statesman. 22 October 1825.

Rockingham County Registry of Deeds. "Land Records." Digital images. Rockingham County Registry of Deeds. nhdeeds/rockingham : 2012.

"RootsWeb's World Connect Project." Database. Roots Web. wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com : 2012.

Strohecker, Carolyn. "[transcription of DAR lineages]." E-mail message 27 July 2011.

United States, Department of the Census. First Census of the United States: 1790, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

United States Department of the Census. Second Census of the United States: 1800, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

United States Department of the Census. Third Census of the United States: 1810, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. Topsfield, MA: Topsfield Historical Society, 1915.

Wright, Elizabeth. "John Maxfield of Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1652, and Some of His Descendants." The Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record (1928–1930): 6:52-56; 7:20-24, 42-47, 61-71, 87-96; 8:15-22.