| Notes |
- Sylvester received a grant of land on 13 July 1649 at Cape Neddick, ME. He built a fortified house on this land. From 1688 to 1712, the Indian Wars made life hazardous in this region. He was a fisherman in partnership with John Ball, Thomas Waye, and Michael Powell.
He was appointed a ferryman at Cape Neddick River in at a town meeting held December 8,1652.
"It is likewise ordered that Sylvester Stover shall keep a ferry at Cape Neddick river & shall provide canoos sufficient for that end. In which consideration the sd. Stover is to have two pence a person for every one he carries or fetches over, If he be a stranger; and a penny for every inhabitant of York, that he so carrieth or fetcheth, & four pence for every hors or beast that sd Stover swimmeth or causeth by his help to be sworm over the sd. river." (T.R. i, 17)
He apparently continued to act in this capacity until 1687 when he left town for England never to return. (History of York Maine Vol II pg 12)
In 1660, his mother-in-law, Margret Norton, lived at his house, causing Sylvester such trouble that the Court threatened to imprison her. In 1665, he and his wife were before the Court for "Complaining on one another on the Lord's Day in the morning - He for saying that his wife did abuse him and bid him go to Thomas Crockett's and carry some bread and cheese to his bastard".
With the exception of Ferryman, he held no public office. He did sign the following:
The Submission in 1652.
The petition to Cromwell in 1656
The Address to Massachusetts in 1662.
The English origin of Sylvester may trace to the County of Suffolk. In no other County in England is Stover to be found and its ancient spelling is Stopher, Stofer, and while the form now known does not appear until after 1600 in the Suffolk - the names are interchangeable in the English records. Stovers are found in the following parishes from 1524 to 1640: Ipswich, Walton, Felixstowe, Peasenhall, Badingham, Bruisyard, Parham and Framlingham. The last five being a group of adjoining parishes.
My STOVER HISTORY was compiled by Rev. Charles Sinnett of Bailey Island
(Harpswell), Maine, circa 1900., and I have just completed a retyping of the
information that I have, to update whatever applies to my family. Originally
I had notes of the STOVERS who settled in the Blue Hill, Maine, area, but
didn't keep them. (I may be able to find them if I need them.) In Rev.
Sinnett's notes, correspondence from various sources states that the name
Stover was taken by a small boy (Sylvester?) who was rescued from a
shipwreck; that the boy's name was really STAFFORD, but he took the name of
his rescuer, STOVER.
Louise M. Knight
1361 Harpswell Neck Road
Harpswell, ME 04079
The 25 marker Y-DNA test of a John Stover a descendant of Sylvester Stover matches 23 of 25 markers of tests done for Michael H. Stafford, a descendant of Gadius Stafford b. 1789 and Arthur Stafford, a descendant of Josiah Stafford (Stover) b. 1662, a probable son of Sylvester Stover. John, Michael and Arthur are eight generations removed from Sylvester, so a two marker difference can be expected. It can be said with some certainty that they have a common male ancester and evidence points to that person being Sylvester Stover.
Born:
- LDS source has his birth in 1634 and death on 14 Feb 1689 in York, York, ME.
Will:
- In 1687, having some occasion to visit England, he made his will in advance as a precautionary measure on account of the known perils of that voyage as well as his advancing years:
Sylvester Stover named his wife Elizabeth and his sons John, Dependence, Josiah, and George, and mentioned "the rest of my children." He bequeathed to his son Dependence Stover threescore and ten acres of land where his house was, up the river, in "Cape Nedick," to his son Josiah " the new pasture lying upon the right hand of the lane going from my house to York.... after the decease of my wife, and to his son son George " the houses and the rest of my land that is not deposed of ... and if my son John Stover please he shall have that Libertie for to change with my son George Stover for what land and house which he have at the cape neck for that which my son George Stover have here after the decease of my wife." The inventory, as presented by Elizabeth Stover, widow, 17 Feb 1689/90, showed that the estate was appraised at L731. 7s (Maine Wills, p. 12).
Died:
It is not in evidence whether he died in England or had returned. The natural inference would be that his death occurred while in England.
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Abt 1628 - Bef 1689 (~ 60 years)
