An American Family History

Rebecca Estey Tucker Puffer was born on August 8 1709 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Isaac Estey, Jr. and Abigail Kimball.

She married Preserved (Preservit) Tucker on November 12, 1729 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Preserved was born in 1704 in Milton, Norfork County, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph Tucker and Judith Clapp.

Their children may have been Judith Tucker (1730), Uriah Tucker (1733), Joseph Tucker 1736), and Preservit Tucker (1739),

She married Matthias Puffer on April 7, 1743 in Stoughton, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He was born on February 5, 1715/16 in Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Eleazer Puffer and Elizabeth Talbot. 

Rebecca and Matthias' children may have been Matthias Puffer (1744), Mary Puffer, Rebecca Puffer (1745), Abigail Puffer, Isaac Puffer, and Benjamin Puffer (1750).

Deed of Preserved Tucker of Stoughton, yeoman, to John Peirce, Jr., of Watertown, weaver, dated March 4, 1731, Suffolk Registry of Deeds Book 45, folio 216, consideration £75.

"A certain piece or parcel of upland and swamp or meadow bottom in Stoughton aforesaid, containing by estimation twenty-seven acres more or less, beginning at an old stump and heap of stones on the north side of Marshapog brook below the bridge by Leonard's works so called, and from thence to a great rock, and then bounded westerly on Leonard's laud until it comes to a heap of stones which is the corner bound of said land on the northwest part, from thence easterly to a black oak tree marked with a heap of stones at the bottom, then running easterly to a heap of stones by a small walnut tree, then running easterly until it comes to a white oak tree with a heap of stones at the bottom, then turning southerly to a heap of stones on the rock mountaneous so called, then running southerly to a heap of stones on the north side of Modesley's land, till it comes to Mr. Danforth's land, and westerly on Mr. Danforth's land and Daniel Pettingill's land, until it comes to a great white oak tree marked by the Brickyard being the northerly bound of said Pettingill's land, thence bounded southerly on Pettingill's land till it comes to the bounds first mentioned, excepting two acres of land In the Clay Swamp a xxxxx sold Daniel Pettinglll on the southwesterly part thereof and one quarter of an acre to my honored father Joseph Tucker, as also the one-half of the remaining part of said swamp to myself and my heirs forever to be divided between said Tucker and Peirce."

History of the Town of Canton, Norfolk County, Massachusettsby Daniel Thomas Vose Huntoon

Joseph Tucker, the son of Joseph Tucker, one of the garrison at the fort in Ponkapoag in 1675, was born at Milton, Jan. 11, 1679. In 1703 he purchased land in the "Twelve Divisions," in what is now South Canton on Washington Street. He took from the Indians, on the northerly side, a lease of the land on the east side of Washington Street, extending from the Massapoag House to beyond the residence of Charles Endicott. He ran the old saw-mill, cultivated his farm, and kept an inn. As early as 1711 he was appointed surveyor of highways. With his first wife, Judith Clapp, to whom he was married May 27, 1701, he joined Mr. Morse's church, June 29, 1717. For his second wife he married, Nov. 3, 1730, Mary Jordan, who died Dec. 14, 1738, aged sixty-three. He was a prominent man in the affairs of church and town, holding at one time the office of deacon, and was the first town clerk of ancient Stoughton.

Deacon Tucker, like the rest of mankind, had his troubles. In 1742 the gossips declared that he had been "overcome and disguised with drink," and that this had happened in a very public manner, and that his associate and companion at the time was no less a person than Parson Dunbar. Of course, in those days such matters could only be settled by the church; and on the 10th of September Deacon Tucker made a speech to the church members in which he strongly denied the charge. He attributed his behavior, which he owned was like that of a drunken man, to an injury he received by the stumbling of his horse; but after the witnesses had given their testimony, he confessed that the last time he went to Boston he took many "drams," besides some "mixed drinks," and he might have taken more than he was aware of. The church continued him in communion, but deprived him of the office of deacon.

Sept. 20, 1742, he married for his third wife Susanna, daughter of Robert and Rebecca (Crehore) Pelton, who survived him, and married for her second husband Richard Stickney, who died May 24, 1769. This woman was a connecting link between the first settlers and the present century. In 1801 the Widow Stickney stated that she was ninety-five years of age. She was then living in a poor and leaky house on a site between the present Crane schoolhouse and the Vulcan engine-house. She only received annually ten bushels of corn and one ton of English hay, and had a right to get firewood out of her wood-lot, and apples out of her orchard for family use, the whole of which would not equal fifty dollars a year. She had maintained an excellent character for many years. Jonathan Leonard thought it was a disgrace to any civilized society that one so aged and helpless should be suffering from cold and hunger, and did all in his power to alleviate her sufferings. She died March 11, 1803, in the ninety-seventh year of her age, just one hundred and twenty-seven years after her first husband was born. Deacon Tucker passed from earth in due time. The following inscription on his gravestone in the old cemetery tytles him "Deacon," but Mr. Dunbar's records read, "once a deacon of this church."

Here lie the remains of
DEACON JOSEPH TUCKER,
Who died September, ye 25th 1745,
in ye 66th year of his age.

(8) Eleazer Puffer [son of Matthias who was son of George] married at Dorchester, 27 November, 1713, Elizabeth Talbot, and had:
Elizabeth,4 b. 24 August, 1714 ; m. 3 August, 1748, Samuel Rouson of Stoughton.
Mathias,4 b. 5 February, 1716 ; m. 7 April, 1743, Rebecca [Estey] Tucker of Stoughton.
Benjamin,4 b. in 1718, bapt. at Milton.
James,4 b. 26 February, 1723.
Dorothy,4 b. in 1726, bapt. at Milton.
Lazarus,4 b. 1 June, 1729.
He lived in that part of Dorchester, which in 1726 was incorporated as Stoughton, and the births of some of his children are there recorded. He died there 14 January, 1747, aged 64.