Josiah STAFFORD, (Branch 005)^[1]

1662 - 1743  (81 years)

• Name	Josiah STAFFORD
  Suffix	(Branch 005)
  Born	4 Jan 1662	Cape Neddick, York Co., Maine   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Will	Jun 1742	Bristol Co., Massachusetts
  Died	9 Apr 1743	Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island   [3]
  Will Proved	22 Jun 1743
  Name	Josiah Stover
  Occupation	Shipwright
  _UID	216C32950A0828479BB3CC9DAA845C283E3A
  Person ID	I25245	Branch 005 Josiah Stafford (Stover) 1662 ME
  Last Modified	12 Dec 2016

  
  

  Father	Sylvester STOVER,   b. Abt 1628, of Ipswich, Essex, England ,   d. Bef 1689, England (?)  (Age ~ 60 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth NORTON,   b. Abt 1631, York, York Co., Maine ,   d. Abt 1722, Scituate, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts  (Age ~ 91 years)
  Married	25 May 1652	York, York Co., Maine
  Family ID	F9378	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah LAKE,   b. 10 May 1678, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 10 May 1754, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island  (Age 76 years)
  Married	Abt 1698	Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island   [4]
  Children	1. Sarah STAFFORD,   b. 14 Feb 1698, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. Aft 30 Oct 1765, North Carolina (?)  (Age > 67 years)   2. Joseph STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1701, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 31 May 1773, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island  (Age ~ 72 years)   3. David STAFFORD,   b. 6 Feb 1705, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 5 Feb 1791, probably Tiverton, Rhode Island  (Age 85 years)   4. Abraham STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1711, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. Dec 1798, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island  (Age ~ 87 years)   5. Hannah STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1713, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 1 Dec 1785, Middletown, Newport Co., Rhode Island  (Age ~ 72 years)   6. Patience STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1715, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. Aft Apr 1770  (Age ~ 55 years)   7. Priscilla STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1717, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 2 Jul 1797  (Age ~ 80 years)   8. Bethiah STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1719, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 1785  (Age ~ 66 years)   9. Bersheba STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1722, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. 12 Mar 1787  (Age ~ 65 years)   10. Phebe STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1725, Tiverton, Newport Co., Rhode Island ,   d. Yes, date unknown   11. Elizabeth STAFFORD,   b. Abt 1727,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	13 Mar 2021
  Family ID	F9377	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Chronology of Josiah Stover-Stafford 21 Jul 1687 Josiah Stover named as son in will of Sylvester Stover (Sargent, Maine Wills, Pg 12) 2 Mar 1692 Neither the name of Josiah Stover nor that of Josiah Stafford occurs on the list of those present at the organization of the Town of Tiverton. 8 Sep 1697 Josiah Stafford sold the sloop Scanderbeg to Sarah Fowler of Boston (RI Land Evidence, quoted by Grace Stafford Durfee in the LDS film No. 802446) (Also abstract in RI Roots, Vol 13, No. 2, Pg 31, 1937) 14 Feb 1698 Sary/Sarah daughter of Josiah Stover born (Tiverton Town records, LDS film 913076. * *The birth of Sarah Stover was recorded by Arnold in Vol. 4, Newport Co., Tiverton Sect. on pg 109 and the birth of Sarah Stafford, of Josiah and Sarah, the same day, on pg 108. 11 Apr 1699 Sarah Lake, now the wife of Josiah Stafford, called before the Bristol Court. (The American Genealogist, Vol XII, pg 22) 17 Jul 1702 Josiah Stover of Tiverton, shipwright, sold lands in Tiverton to Joseph Wanton. George Stover, his brother, was a witness. (Bristol Co. MA, Book 4, pages 298-299). 24 Jun 1704 Josiah Stover and wife Sarah appeared and gave consent to the above sale. 19 Apr 1705 Josiah Stafford's ear mark entered (Tiverton Town records). 1709 Josiah Stover was of Tiverton RI (New Eng. Hist. & Gen. Reg. Vol XXXV, Pg 302, 1931( 1709 Josiah Stover was of Tiverton, RI when he quit claimed to his brother Independance (Noyes et al, Gen. Dict. ME & NH Pg 667). 25 Mar 1709/10 Josiah Stafford voted gran Jure man (Tiverton Town Rec) 27 Mar 1714 Sias Stafford, tithing man for year. (Ibid) 7 Dec 1714 Josiah Stover named in will of mother, Elizabeth Stover, Scituate, MA. 12 Mar 1721/22 Josiah Stafford, tithing man (Tiverton Town Rec.) 1722 Josiah Stover, living. (Noyes et al) 12 Apr 1722 Josiah Stafford was named in a deed recorded. (Bristol Co. MA, and records, Northern Dist. Book 14, pp 209-210) 12 Jun 1723 Tiverton Town meeting voted Thomas Jones, Schoolmaster, to keep a school at Joshua Dwellys or Josiah Stover's. 12 Mar 1723/24 Josiah Stafford constable. 11 Jan 1727/28 Josiah Stafford bought lands in Tiverton, RI from Peter Tallman (Tiverton land records Vol. 3, pg 257). All the above evidence point to the conclusion that Josiah Stover and Josiah Stafford were one and the same. No list of inhabitants of Tiverton, RI, has been found that contains the two names on the same day, other that that of the birth of Sarah. Information for the Stafford family bible, as published in the Durfee Genealogy, vol. 1, pg 293 also supports the conclusion that Josiah Stover and Josiah Stafford are one and the same. (See LDS film no. 839398) Charles Warner Stafford in his Index to the Stafford Families of New England has the same conclusion but does make the note that Josiah Stover was raised by Thomas Stafford Jr. As Thomas was a ship builder, this may explain why Josiah became a shipwright and changed his name. Also the difference in the pronouniation of Stover and Stafford was not great during this era. An unidentified source has Josiah as the son of Thomas Stafford Jr.and his first wife Jane Dodge (m. 20 Dec 1671) Thomas Jr. died 26 Jan 1723 in Warwick RI and did not name Josiah is his will. Born: Another source has his birth about 1674.

  
  

• Sources

  [S4663] Stafford Data Branch 14. [S4451] History of York, Maine, Volume II, page 22 (Reliability: 2). [S4452] Arnold, Vital Records of RI, Vol 4., Tiverton Section pg 108 (Reliability: 2). [S4453] American Genealogist, Vol 12, pg 22 (1935) (Reliability: 2).