"[L]iberty must at all hazards be supported.
We have a right to it, derived from our Maker.
But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us,
at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood."
-- John Adams, 1765
Various spellings of Estey
Easte, Este, Estee, Estes, Estey, Esty
The settlement of New Meadows was incorporated as the Town of Topsfield in 1650. The church "gathered" on November 4, 1663. The third Meeting House was built in 1703 with Rev. Joseph Capen as pastor.
He was a private in Captain Joseph Gould’s Company at Lexington. He enlisted on September 22, 1776 and was discharged on November 16, 1776. His service was two months, seven days including travel time.
He married Hannah Towne about 1765 when he was about 26 years old. She was the daughter of Richard (Thomas, Edmund, William) Towne and Hannah Bixby. She was born on December 8, 1739 in Topsfield.
Their children included:
Mary Estey (1766, never married),
Daniel Estey (1768),
Richard Estey (1771),
Enos Estey (1773, married Eunice Kenny),
Sarah Estey Peabody (1775, married Oliver Peabody),
Hannah Estey Gould (1778, married Elijah Gould),
Abigail Estey Homan (1780, married William Homan), and
John Estey (1785, married Sarah Peabody).
At the time of the 1800 census, they were living in Topsfield. Hannah died in 1802.
This farm for some one hundred and fifty years was known as the old "Estey Place," previous to the sale, Sept. 5,1821, to Hon. Benjamin W. Crowninshield of Salem, by Daniel Estey of Topsfield, who inherited the same, by will, from his father Aaron Estey.
Daniel died at the age of 91 of an accidental wound on July 22, 1830 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He is buried with his wife in South Side Cemetery in Topsfield.
In the memory of
Mr.
Daniel Estey
who died July 23, 1830
’t. 91 ys. & 2 ms.
And
Mrs. Hannah,
wife of Daniel Estey,
died Feb. 26,
1802,
’t. 62 ys.
Three daughters of William Towne and Joanna Blessing were wrongly accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem. Rebecca Towne Nurse, Mary Towne Estey, and Sarah Towne Bridges Cloyes were persecuted in 1692. The children of people in the line below are all descendants of Mary Estey.
Mister ( Mr.) was derived from master and Mrs. and Miss were derived from mistress. They indicated people of superior social status in colonial America.
The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the 13 colonies which became the newly formed United States.
from Bulletin of the Essex Institute, Volumes 16-20
Field Day At Topsfield, Wednesday, June 18, 1884.
Notwithstanding the extreme heat and dusty roads, a party numbering about sixty left Salem in carriages at 9 A. M. for a day in Topsfield. After a pleasant drive through Peabody and Danvers, the party arrived at the country residence of Col. T. W. Peirce, by whose kind invitation three hours were agreeably spent in rambling over the estate and visiting the greenhouses, conservatories, gardens and other places and objects of interest.
This farm for some one hundred and fifty years was known as the old "Estey Place," previous to the sale, Sept. 5,1821, to Hon. Benjamin W. Crowninshield of Salem, by Daniel Estey of Topsfield, who inherited the same, by will, from his father Aaron Estey.
