SARAH FAIRFIELD NEEDHAM ABBE 1655 - 1742

Sarah grew up in Massachusetts just before the Salem witch trials.  At least one of her descendants researched the court records in Essex County, MA and found references to her and her father.  The Fairfields had been active members of the community since Sarah's grandfather had come to America from England.  Her mother's father, William Skepper, was a college graduate (in 1614!) and was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Company.

An unknown Needham was Sarah's first husband who apparently met an early death as she is referred to as "widow" in the record of her second marriage in 1683.  In the court records,

"June 1679 Sarah Needham and Philip Parsons, for fornication

November 1679  Sarah Needham, daughter of Walter, suspected of fornication.  Walter bound for her appearance at the next Ipswich Court.

March 1680  Walter Fayerfield, being bound to bring Sarah Needham into court and not appearing.

June 1681  Sarah presented for fornication, found to have borne a child, and fined (warrant dated June 29, 1681)."

In 1683, Sarah and Thomas Abbe were married and apparently moved to Enfield, CT where he was an early settler.  He also was in King Philip's War, was a selectman for six years and assessor.  He was one of a group who were ordered to pay a fine if they didn't cut brush "that they should have done last August."  Sarah and Thomas had 6 children.  I haven't found out what happened to the child born in 1681.

Sarah lived a long life and died in Enfield in 1742 when she was 87 years old.



sue<hilda casey lynch<ulric casey<lemira mcclure casey<dexter mcclure<orilla warner mcclure<moses warner<john warner<tabitha abbe warner<sarah fairfield abbe