Ingersoll Family | Rocks Village in Haverhill, Massachusetts

The Ingersoll family in Rocks Village revolves around the first member known to have arrived in the village, Zebulon Ingersoll, who hailed from Gloucester.

In 1777 at the age of 20, Zebulon Ingersoll enlisted for three years in Captain Samuel Carr’s Company, Col. James Wesson’s Regiment. [60]

It is likely that Zebulon moved to Rocks Village in about 1782 because in that year he purchased the property at 21 River Rd. He had married the widow of Moses Pike, Ruth Moody Pike, the previous year. They had five daughters and one son. Zebulon was a merchant and a landowner. An extant account book for him shows many neighbors purchasing goods from him in the years 1793 – 1799. Many paid their accounts by items rather than cash.

Zebulon owned the brick store for awhile before selling it to Enoch Foot (see deeds, below). In 1803 he purchased the house at 1 Wharf Lane that his sister had bought from James White, although it is likely that he and Ruth were already living in the house. In 1813-14 he and his son John enlarged the house to its present twin chimney form to allow John and his new wife to live in the other half (next to the lane). But John died ‘at sea’ in 1815 and did not live to see his only son, John Gage Ingersoll.

The Ingersoll daughters all married local men and settled in the village.

Ruth Moody (1747/8 – 1813) is the daughter of Benjamin and Ann (Bradstreet) Moody, granddaughter of Dr. Humphrey and Sarah Pierce Bradstreet, great granddaughter of Moses and Elizabeth (Harris) Bradstreet, and great great granddaughter of Humphrey and Bridgett Bradstreet who came from Ipswich England and settled in Ipswich Mass May 6, 1635 through land grant. [29]

In the Moody side of her ancestry, Ruth is (Benjamin, Caleb II, Caleb I, Samuel, William). Her brother Moses Moody owned land on the south side of E. Main St. as well as the house at 34 E. Main St. in the 1790’s. Their grandfather Caleb married into the Morse family.

Zebulon and his first wife Ruth are buried at Greenwood Cemetery alongside their son-in-law Israel Harriman, who married their daughter Betsey and then died five years later. Betsey’s second husband was Samuel C. Foote. Nathaniel Ladd (b1786) and his wife Sally (Sarah) Ingersoll (b1783) (married July 14, 1811) are also buried in Greenwood Cemetery.

After Ruth died in 1813, Zebulon married Mary Quimby Emery. They had no children. Mary Emery was born Mary Quimby(Quimbe) and married Nathaniel Emery in Newbury in 1799. Mary was involved with her relatives in selling 23 E. Main St. in 1805. She and Nathaniel Emery had owned half of the house at 15 Wharf Lane for a few years. After Zebulon’s death in 1829 she married Dr. Woodbury of Barrington NH in 1833, but since he remarried the next year, we assume she died soon after that marriage.

Richard Ingersoll (1587 Edworth, Bedfordshire, England – 1644 Salem, MA) immigrated on the second Mayflower in 1629, and settled in Salem. He received considerable land grants in that town. His wife Ann Langley and most of their ten children accompanied him on the journey. His father was George Inkersall 1562-1644. Richard and Ann’s daughter Sarah Holten in 1692 gave testimony against Rebecca Towne Nurse which led to Rebecca’s death in the Salem Witch Trials. (Rebecca Nurse was born to William Towne as was her brother Edmund Towne, the grandfather of Abigail Perley who m(4) Samuel Morse (Anthony, Anthony). Samuel Morse and Abigail had Hannah Morse Campbell who m Lt. Abel Chase (Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Aquila)). Among Richard and Ann’s sons accompanying them was George Ingersoll b 1618 in England. George apparently relocated to Gloucester because his son Samuel was born there in 1654. Samuel was a shipwright at Eastern Point in Gloucester. Samuel’s son David Ingersoll b 1695 in Gloucester married Mary Sargent in 1718 and died “lost on the banks” in 1730. David and Mary had Maky, Rebecca, Sargent (1st lieutenant of the privateer Phoenix in Rev War), David b 1724 (m Sarah Sargent in 1747), and:

Medifer Ingersoll (1729 – 1759) marries Dorothy Lowe (b abt 1732 d of Nathaniel Low and Abigail Riggs) in 1752 in Gloucester. Medifer died at age 30 as a prisoner on a French ship.
1. Nathaniel (1753 – 1834) (Medifer, David, Samuel, George, Richard) marries Sally Haskell
  1. Charles Medifer
  2. Sarah
  3. Dorcas
  4. Nathaniel Lowe (1790 New Gloucester, ME – 1870 Danville, ME)
  5. Polly
  6. Zebulon (1800 – 1873 Houlton, ME
  7. George Washington (1803 – 1860)
  8. Alfred
2. Dorothy (Dolly)(1755 – 1816) married Enoch Greenleaf (1753 or 1757 – 1798) in 1789 (int). Dolly bought the house and one acre of land at 1 Wharf Lane from James White, the grandson of John Swett. Enoch kept a store and commanded a military unit. Children :
  1. George Greenleaf b 22 Jul 1790 Newburyport d 1892 Newburyport. Newburyport merchant. Married Mary Huse 1847, d of Daniel and Mary Stone.
  2. Betsey Greenleaf? b abt 1790 Kensington, NH d 17 Nov 1887 unmarried
  3. Dolly Greenleaf b 18 Jan 1792 Newburyport
  4. Caroline Greenleaf b 20 Jul 1795 Newburyport
3. Zebulon (1757 Gloucester, MA – 1829 Rocks Village) (Medifer, David, Samuel, George, Richard) married 1) Ruth Moody Pike (1746 West Newbury – 1813 Rocks Village) in 1781 (d. of Benjamin Moody and Ann Bradstreet), 2) Mary Emery in 1814. Zebulon and Ruth lived first at 21 River Rd, then bought 1 Wharf Lane from his sister Dolly. Zebulon also owned a plot of woodland on E Main St. as well as the brick store for a while. He was a trader who pickled fish in barrels to sell in Newburyport and rented boats to other people. Zebulon fell from a ladder while he and his son John were working on expanding the house in 1813-1814 so that John could live in the other half with his new wife Nancy Gage. Zebulon recovered from his injuries, but Ruth died in the house during that same period. Zebulon and Mary probably lived at 1 Wharf after they were married, although their half of the house had been seized in a financial dispute (see Deeds below). When Zebulon died in 1829 his wife Mary and Zebulon’s daughters inherited the older half of the house, and his son John’s widow Nancy and her son John Gage Ingersoll inherited the new side of the house that had belonged originally to John.
  1. Dolly (178 – 1844). married Enoch Foot in 8 Sept 1810
    1. Caroline Greenleaf Foot (Aug 2, 1811-July 19, 1900) married Warren Moody Ordway (son of David Ordway Jr. (Sept 19, 1778 – Oct 1847) and Mary Emery Ordway (Oct 18, 1783 – Oct 21, 1819) on July 3, 1834. See Ordway page for their children.
  2. Ruth (1782 – xxx) married John Johnson in 1798. They ran the Johnson tavern in Rocks Village for many years. They later bought the house at 1 Wharf Lane and lived there for many years. As an old man John moved to Maine to be with his granddaughters.
  3. Sarah Ingersoll (1783-1870) married (July 14, 1811) Nathaniel Ladd (b Sep 17 1786) (Son of Nathaniel Ladd (Oct 22, 1755 – Feb 17, 1837) and Sarah Noyes) (Sarah Noyes and Nathaniel married Jun 27, 1782)
  4. Betsy Ingersoll (1787 – xx) married 1) Israel Harriman (June 17, 1806), 2. Samuel C. Foot. A Samuel Foot owned property at the end of Wharf Lane.
  5. John Ingersoll (1788 – 1815) married Nancy Gage (1788-1845) on September 27, 1814 at her father’s house in Bradford. Nancy is daughter of Uriah Gage and Hannah Tinney. The couple moved into their new house at 1 Wharf Ln on October 12, 1814. John taught at the local school (November to March) for several years. He adjudicated local legal cases, drew up land deeds, attended local legislative meetings and meetings of the Merrimack Bridge company, and was a member of Capt. Pierce’s military company, serving as captain at one point. He read and wrote extensively and traveled abroad, teaching himself navigation. He also engaged in fishing, tending his garden, harvesting, hoeing, and hauling dung, working on bridge repairs and maneuvering ships. Nancy moved to Bradford with her son John Gage Ingersoll after her husband John died in Boston harbor of yellow fever in June of 1815 while preparing for a voyage to Savannah Georgia with a shipment of locally-made shoes and combs. (potential: Nancy dies on Dec 8, 1845 of consumption in Bradford at 57 years.) A diary kept by John survives.
    1. John Gage Ingersoll (1815 – 23 April 1899) married 1. Sarah Kimball Morse (d. of Isaac Morse and Lydia Dustin Chase) in 1840 and 2. Caroline Jackson (~1825 S. Gardiner Me – 22 Apr 1889) in 1864. (John died one day after or same day as Caroline at Hotel Hoffman in Boston)
      1. Arthur Ambrose Ingersoll (1842 – 1922) marries Jennie Wardsworth Libbey (1862-1937) on 23 Oct 1889. his occupation is listed as treasurer of academy of music in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts
  6. Rebecca (1792 – 1823) married 1) Simeon Jenner (Jenness) of Deerfield (Sept 27, 1809), 2) Deacon James Davis in 1817. James Davis married Lydia Morse in 1825. James and Lydia Davis’s daughter, Rebecca Ingersoll Davis, wrote Gleanings from Merrimack Valley in 1881.
4. Rebecca (1759 – 1820) married Capt. Joseph Foster(1764 -lost at sea 1816) in 1782 in Gloucester, see https://books.google.com/books?id=aohMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA263&lpg=PA263&dq=Medifer+Ingersoll&source=bl&ots=F5CqU1kUQ_&sig=ACfU3U3_Byrtkftr1XESC-usx83Tg-oyKA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfhpv3_-fmAhWFZd8KHXhOD48Q6AEwBXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Medifer%20Ingersoll&f=false

Deeds

21 River Road:

(141/101) 1782 : Phineas Nichols and Anne (Saunders) Nichols to Zebulon Ingersoll . 10R along River Road, Northerly 5R 10′, southerly on River 9R 6′, Southerly by Samuel Esterbrook SE land to Road 4R 3.5′, then southerly 14′, then westerly 25′ to road again. Except for land with Blacksmith shop.

1798: Zeb Ingersoll and Ruth (Ingersoll) to Enos Bartlett (164/6). 9R 3′ on River, 5R 10′ on north by Samuel Woodbury, and 10R on road. From River on SE land to Road 4R 3.5′, then southerly 14′, then westerly 25′ to road again.

1 Wharf Lane:

Deed 150/213 signed 9/23/1789 James White to Dolly Ingersoll singlewoman, house (where I now dwell) and barn on one acre beginning at a 2 1/2 rod way, e on a highway 8 rods to s&s then s by flats of river 18 rods to s&s , w on my land 10? rods 1/2 to s&s then n on my land 4 rods to s&s , then on a 2 rod way 4 rods then e half a rod to s&s, n 8 rods to s&s at start. Also acquit all the flats lying between the above land and the river.

Deed 173/67, signed 10/1/1803: Dolly Greenleaf a widow of Newburyport sells to Zebulon Ingersoll house with 1 acre of land, same that I bought of James White begin on 2 rod way run east on highway 8R, s by flats of river 19 R, w on Nathaniel Ladd land 10.5 R, n on Daniel Swan land 4 R, then on 2-rod way 4 R, e half a rod, n 8R to start.

207/151 1813 Zebulon sells to his son John the new half of the house to be built and use of the spring.

217/184 1818 Zebulon sells to James Kimball as ward for John Gage Ingersoll, plots of land up hill, one near Amos Chase, Phin Nichols, Obadiah Ayer, Henry Morse, 24 A purchased from Joseph Kelly Jr. Other piece near heirs of Amos Davis, Cap Richard Stewart, Wm Chase, 12 A. Also a note from Zeb to Kimball that if he (Zeb) pays Kimball same amount plus interest in a year then both note and this deed are void. Seems to be a way for Zeb to buy back the land ie a loan.

Deed 298/35, (1836) Jesse Kimball, James’ son, sold the old half of the house to John G. Ingersoll, Nancy’s son, for $100. (The buyer is first named as John G. Ingalls but further along in the deed the name changes to John G. Ingersoll) John was by then about 22 years old. Since Nancy and John already owned the new half, that allowed them to sell the entire house and some land toward the river to John Johnson (612/270) for $400.Deposition No. 4/224?: In 1821 from James Kimball saying that Zebulon Ingersoll should be thrown in “gaol” unless he pays him over $900. The committee found real estate holdings of Zeb’s including the old half of One Wharf to use to pay off Kimball. It is unclear at this point where Zebulon and Mary would have lived but they may have rented the half house from Kimball.

4-8 Wharf Lane, The land behind One Wharf, was often referred to as the land that Zebulon Ingersoll died ‘seized of’, and it seems to have passed on to Zebulon’s female heirs and their husbands. Thereafter it changed hands many times, and a house was built there (no longer standing. See 4-8 Wharf Lane page.

15 Wharf Lane:

Deed 256/41, 1829, Dec 12: Mary Ingersoll to Benjamin Chase South by Joseph Poyen , 4R16L, the running northerly 2 1/3 R by land of Jaques, Then northerly by land of Jaques 4R 16L, and easterly 2 1/3 R on Road. Being the southwesterly part of a dwelling house. This is a small piece of land nestled below 258/12 and on Wharf Lane. Mary was previously an Emery.

49 E. Main St.: Brick Store:

1797, June 26: William Little to Zebulon Ingersoll (161/245). Land with Brick Building bounded by Cutler’s Distillery. 2 rods along “landing” (east Main), 2 rods along a 2-rod way, 3 rods on south, 2 rods on west by Cutler. (32 x 32 x 48 x 32).

1815 – June 7 – “Mr. Foot has moved his goods into the shop which he bought of my father at $400.” (from John Ingersoll’s day book)

1815, May 30: Zebulon Ingersoll to Enoch Foot (207/166) bounded as follows. Beginning at corner of store and running westerly by landing about 2 rods to the land formerly of Moses Moody esq. but now of Ephraim B. Horne. Then running southerly about 2 rods to land of Foot. Easterly by Foot’s land to a private way, then Northerly by private way about 2 rods to beginning.

Nancy Ingersoll, wife of John Ingersoll was an artist. Some of her works.

[auct2.jpg]

Two Maidens Weeping Before a Marble Monument (Mourning Picture), (painting)

Painter:

Ingersoll, Nancy Gage 1787-1845

Medium:

Watercolor

Type:

Paintings

Owner/Location:

Sotheby Parke Bernet New York New York

Notes:

Sotheby Sale Cat., No. 5282, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 1985, Lot #407.

Topic:

Primitive–Mourning

Control number:

IAP 63007658

Data Source:

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

John Gage Ingersoll (s. of John and Nancy) was a amateur artist. Some of his works.

John Gage Ingersoll (Massachusetts 19th c.), ink and watercolor folk art drawing with a cornucopia and Biblical verse, dated 1820, 4 1/2” x 6 1/2”. Provenance: The Estate of Louis G. and Shirley F. Hecht, Baltimore, MD.

References

Descendants of Richard Ingersoll.

misc

Nathaniel Ladd, (the father) (1755-1837), served several enlistments and was wounded at Stillwater. He was placed on the pension roll of Essex Co., Mass., 1809, for service as private in the Massachusetts militia. It was raised in 1822 on account of increased disability. He was born in Methuen; died in East Haverhill, Mass(10)

Sally, w. Nathaniel, Nov. 9, 1822, a. 62 y- this must be Sarah Noyes.

The line continues back to Daniel Ladd – see arches site.