Holbrook line: Elisha Eddy 1710-1764

We come from a long line in the Eddy family.  Starting with Susan Eddy, we can trace back all the way to a John Eddy born in 1435, if printed information is correct.  However, for this post, we are interested in Elisha Eddy, who lived from 1710-1764 in Rhode Island. 

Elisha was the son of Zechariah (or Zachariah, or Zachary) and Anphillis Smith Eddy.  He was born in what was then Providence Plantation, Rhode Island.  Later Gloucester broke off from Providence, a peaceful event, and later still the town changed its name to Glocester, to avoid confusion with Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Elisha was born November 10, 1710 and he was one of at least four children.  Zechariah must have had some influence in the town because he was appointed town sergeant at its formation in 1731.   

Elisha, however, stayed pretty much under the radar.  We know he married Sarah Phetteplace, daughter of Walter and Joanna Mowry Phetteplace, on December 2, 1734 in Gloucester.  His father gave him 100 acres of land shortly before his death in 1737, and Elisha stayed there for several years, until he sold the land to his brother, Joseph, and purchased 200 acres from Richard Sayles.  (He left half of this land to his oldest son Enos in his will in 1764.)

Elisha and Sarah had at least four children, which was not a large family for the period, and for having been married nearly 27 years when Elisha died.  He describes himself in his will as a yeoman, and Enos as a husbandman, meaning both farmed land, but Elisha owned land and Enos was a tenant farmer at the time. 

His name is found on one Inman will as an executor, and as a witness on several deeds, but other than that he is not noted in town records that I'm aware of.  He would have served in the militia but we don't know whether, for instance, he was part of the French and Indian War, or any of the earlier wars that preceded it.  We don't know his religion, although based on the religion of others in the area he was likely "some kind" of Baptist. 

In his will, he set out an area 6 poles square (about 300 feet by 300 feet) for a burial location, where his father was already buried.  It seems to be listed as a historical cemetery, GL149, which has not been recorded but seems to be at or near the location of Elisha's home. 

Elisha died January 27, 1764.  Sarah was an executor of his will, and she lived until December 2, 1794.  (She saw the American Revolution.  Did she participate in some way, as in providing goods or services?)  Whether or not Elisha served in some capacity in the town, whether or not he served in the militia, and whether or not he was a Baptist or other religious persuasion, are really immaterial to this one fact:  He was our ancestor, and he helped give life to the next generation. 

The line of descent is:

Elisha Eddy-Sarah Phettiplace
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants