Seth Washburn was born in Plymouth on 17 April 1738, the son of John Washburn and Abigale Phillips.
Seth married first Fear Howard on 31 October 1765 in Plymouth. I haven’t found Fear’s birth record but she was born circa 1739 given her age at death, and she was of Kingston at the time of her marriage. Seth and Fear had five known children:
1. Fear, born 15 September 1766, married James Foster in 1792, died 26 January 1826.
2. Persis, married John Turner of Scituate on 17 Aug 1795.
3. Abigail, married Zenas Churchill on 28 May 1771 in Plympton.
4. Seth, born 28 October 1768, married Sarah Adams, died 3 June 1860.
5. Ichabod born ca 1770, m. Sylvia Bradford in 1793, died 4 Oct 1798. Interestingly, Ichabod's son of the same name became a wealthy businessman in Worcester, and Washburn University in Kansas is named after him because of a large donation he made to the school.
Seth Washburn was appointed one of Plymouth’s Constables in 1768. He worked as a miller, owning a grist mill in Plymouth.
 |
| Jenney Grist Mill, Plymouth, Mass. |
Fear died 9 April 1782, of consumption, aged 43 years. She is buried at the Old Burial Ground in Kingston.
Seth married second (Intentions last named spelled Warshburn), 15 December 1785, Anna Fullerton (spelled Fullinton in marriage record, Fullenton in intentions), daughter of John Fullerton and Rebecca Delano. She was born circa 1748. Seth and Anna had one child, Anna, born 20 January 1786.
Anna, the mother, died in her child bed of “mortification” on 25 January 1786. She is also buried at the Old Burial Ground in Kingston. Her daughter Anna died on 31 March 1786 at age two months 11 days and is buried next to her mother.
Seth Washburn of Kingston married third Deborah (Wright) Churchill of Plympton on 27 December 1792 at the First Church of Kingston Unitarian. Deborah was born 17 October 1749 in Plympton, the daughter of Joseph Wright and Sarah Brewster. She married first Nathaniel Churchill and they had at least three sons: Lewis, Levi and Nathaniel Churchill.