Derby Genealogy Letter/Bible

I acquired this piece at auction. It is a letter from Sarah
F. Bryant of Lynnfield, Mass to a Mr. Damon. It addresses
an inquiry he made to her father regarding family genealogy.
It also contains a transcript of an old Bible of the Derby
family.

This letter was transcribed by and is in the
possession of Tracy St. Claire, . tracy@stclaire.org

SURNAMES:
DERBY
BRYANT
DAMON
WELLMAN
NORWOOD
HAWKS
SIMPSON
CLAY
MOULTON


----------TRANSCRIPT STARTS HERE--------------------

From Sarah F. Bryant
Lynnfield, Mafs

Lynnfield Center, Dec. 10, 1862

Mr. Damon,

Dear Sir, As I have written down all that I could ascertain concerning
the Bryant Family and am better acquainted with such matters than my
father, he wished me to obtain as much information concerning your
grandmother's family as I could and send it to you.

I cannot find the month and day of your grandmother's birth. Mr. Thomas
Wellman has a Bible, which formerly belonged to the Derby's, but it
contains the year of her birth only. It also contains the births of her
children, and I think that the list you sent was copied from this Bible
by your mother. Neither can I ascertain the date of her marriage with
Mr. Derby. The Records of Marriages and Deaths were kept by the
ministers, and at the time she was married, which was between the year
1775 and 1779, there was no settled minister.

I cannot go back farther than Mrs. Derby's father. His name was Thomas
Norwood, and he was a native of Lynn. He married Eve Hawks of
Lynnfield. He was a steelyard maker and lived in South Lynnfield.

They had six children.
David born --- died ---.
John " 1748 " Nov. 28, 1801
Sarah " 1750 " June 30, 1829
Jonathan " 1752 " Oct. 8 1771
William " 1757. " Feb. 3. 1776
Mary " --- " ---.
I found in the records that Mary was baptized Sept. 7, 1760. Mr. Norwood
died previous to his son Jonathan, who died in 1771, but I could not
ascertain the date.

Sarah Norwood was married to Jonathan Bryant Dec 4 1770. Their children
were
John born Lynnfield died Sept 11, 1827
Anna " " 1773 " Mar. 17, 1797
Sarah " " --- " ---
Jonathan Bryant died April 4, 1775 at the age of twenty eight.

Mrs. Bryant married John Derby of Harvard, Mass. for her second husband.
I. John Derby was born Oct. 18. 1779. He married Sarah Simpson
of Boston July 7, 1803 and died May 25, 1819. His wife died Feb. 15, 1820.
They both died of consumption and were buried in the new burial yard in
Lynnfield Center.
II. William was born Aug. 7 1781. He was married three times and
now lives in So. Reading in his eighty second year. He has four children.
[New Handwriting] He died March 28-1863 see his son John Derby's to me
of that date giving notice of death and appointed time of the funeral. Wm. Derby died
at South Reading aged 81 years 7 months 21 days. [End New Handwriting]
III. Sarah born Nov. 9 1783. married Jan. 12, 1809 to Batholomew
Wellman. She had three sons of whom only one, Thomas, is still living. She died
Jan. 8, 1844, aged 60.
IV. Mary born Sept. 27, 1785. Married Dec. 16, 1810 to Nehemiah
Clay. She had twelve children eight of whom survived her. The family now reside
in Wrentham.
V. Rebecca born Aug. 9 1787. Married Oct. 16, 1815 to Rev. D.
Damon.
VI. Betsy born Aug. 25, 1789 and died May 29, 1838.
VII. Lydia born June 7, 1792. died Oct. 9, 1794.

John born Oct. 18, 1779 died May 25, 1819
William " Aug. 7, 1781 [NH] died March 28 - 1863 [ENH]
Sarah " Nov. 9 1783 died Jan. 8 1844
Mary " Sept. 27, 1785 "
Rebecca " Aug. 9, 1787 " [NH] May 21 - 1852 [ENH]
Betsy " Aug. 25, 1789 " May 29, 1838
Lydia " June 7, 1792 " Oct. 9, 1794.

Sarah Simpson born in Boston Dec. 10, 1779 died Feb. 15, 1820.

John Norwood, your grandmother's brother, married Deborah Moulton
of Lynn, Sept. 26, 1771. Their children were
Lydia born Lynnfield Mar. 1, 1772
Deborah " " May 2, 1773
Sally " " Mar. 15, 1775
William " " Dec. 27, 1776 died Sept. 11, 1777
Polly " " Jan. 7, 1779
Betsy " " July 26, 1780
John " " Mar. 6, 1782
William 2nd " " Nov. 6, 1784
Thomas " " July 15, 1785
James " " June 15, 1787
Jonathan " " Dec. 29, 1790
Hannah " " June 6, 1792

Of David and Mary Norwood, I could not find anything in the Records
except the baptism of Mary.

The oldest Town Records have been destroyed, so that I could not trace
the family as far back as I should have liked. I hope, however, that this
will be of some use and wish that I could have done better. Perhaps you
could obtain some information from Mr. William Derby of So. Reading.

Respectfully Yours,
Sarah F. Bryant

[The following attachment is not in Sarah's handwriting. I assume it is
the transcript of the Derby Bible copied by Mr. Damon's mother that
Sarah mentioned in her letter. She must have returned it.]

Sarah Norwood born in Lynnfield 1750

John Derby born in Lynnfield Oct. 18. 1779
William Derby born " " Aug. 7 1781
Sarah Derby " " " Nov. 9 1783
Mary Derby " " " Sept. 27 1785
Rebekah Derby " " " Aug 9 1787
Betsey Derby " " " Aug 25 1789
Lydia Derby " " " June 7 1792

Lydia Derby died Oct. 9 - 1794 aged 2 years

Sarah Simpson born in Boston Dec. 10 1779
John Derby and Sarah Simpson married July 7 - 1803
John Derby died May 25 - 1819 in the 40th year of his age
Sarah Derby died Feb 15 1820 (relict of John Derby) aged 40

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