Abishai Marchant (b. 1651) and His Wife Mary Taylor of Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Abishai Marchant was born 10 January 1650/51 in Yarmouth on Cape Cod. He was the son of John Marchant and unfortunately his mother’s name is not known. [Yarmouth Vital Records, p 842] His last name is sometimes seen as Merchant; his first name is spelled in a variety of ways including Abisha and Abijah.

Abishai was a bit of a rogue by 17th century Plymouth Colony standards. ”Abishi Marchant, for being found in bed with Mary the wife of Morgan Jones, was fined the sum of 40 shillings to the use of the colony.” [Plymouth Colony Records 1672-5, p 43, 5 July 1670]

About 1673 Abishai married Mary Taylor who was born about 1650, the daughter of Richard “The Tailor” Taylor and possibly Mary Whelden of Yarmouth (later Dennis). I wrote about Richard Taylor here. Mary and Abishai’s marriage was not without controversy. On 4 March 1672/73 "Abishi Marchant and Mary Taylor, for committing fornication with each other," each were fined five pounds. [Plymouth Colony Records 1672-3, p 112]

None of the birth’s of Mary and Abishai’s children were recorded and he did not leave a will, but these are their seven children according to historian Charles Banks; birth years are estimated:

1. Samuel born about 1673; buried 8 August 1676

2. Jabez born about 1675; buried 21 August 1676

3. Hannah born about 1677; living unmarried in Edgartown in 1710

4. John born about 1679; m Hepsibah Huxford and Elizabeth Daggett; moved to Edgartown; he’s the ancestor of Martha’s Vineyard Marchants

5. Elizabeth born about 1681; m. Thomas Whelden 

6. Samuel born about 1683; m. Joanna [Gage?] and died 1757 at Yarmouth; he’s the ancestor of Cape Cod Marchants

7. Ebenezer born about 1685; m Bethiah (Day) Willet

I’ve also seen a second son named Jabez attributed to the couple, born about 1687, who married Mary Babson, as well as a son William. 

I descend from Hannah who was a chip off the old block as she had two children out of wedlock by two men and she did not marry either of them. I wrote about Hannah and the father of her first child here.

Mary Taylor Marchant was named in the March 1674 probate records of her father simply as “Mary,” so perhaps she married after that date. In 1695, she is called Mary Marchant [Taylor written first and crossed out] in her sister Sarah Taylor’s probate record. Mary and her six siblings were to equally divide their sister’s estate, which totaled over 36 pounds. [Mayflower Descendant, 24:63-64]

In 1676 Abishai Marchant had Yarmouth taxable property of 1 pound, 15 shillings, 3 pence in a rate made towards charges of King Philip’s War. 

Abisha Marchant received 18 shares in the 1712 division of common land at Yarmouth. His son Samuel also received 18 shares and son Ebenezer 7 1/2 shares. The division was made by lot, and the drawings were completed and choice made during the summer of 1712.

On 14 July 1715 his property is mentioned in a description of land reserved for the Indians: A piece of land laid out in Yarmouth for our Indians to live upon, belonging to this town, beginneth at Bass River at the West end of Joseph Eldredge's land, leaving an open way from said river two rods wide, between said land and said Eldredge’s field to the way, and so over the way to a small oak tree marked, thence from said oak tree sets N.N.W. as trees are marked, 180 rods to the E. end of the Long Pond, thence sets by said pond on the S. Side 136 rods to maple tree marked, thence sets S.S.E. as trees are marked about 212 rods to the bank of the river to a pine tree marked, thence it sets Easterly by said river to the first mentioned way between said Eldridge’s land and said piece of land laid out to said Indians, only reserving a way along said river below the bank upon the flats, for the convenience of the inhabitants of said town, wholly open. Also reserving the way wholly open that leads from Abisha Merchants to Nathaniel Baker’s.” According to Charles Swift in 1883 this area was known as "Friends' Village" in South Yarmouth.

He was also at times from Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. Banks wrote he was there in 1693 when on 6 December he, as son of John Marchant, sold land to Lt. John Coffin. 

Mary died 01 Feb 1718 at Yarmouth. [Yarmouth VR 1:152] She was called the widow Mary Marchant. 

Abishai likely after July 1715, when his land is referenced in the Native American grant, and before 01 February 1718 when Mary is called a widow.

Sources Not Mentioned Above:

Charles Swift, History of Old Yarmouth Comprising the Present Towns of Yarmouth and Dennis, 1884

Jillaine S. Smith, NEHGS Register, “The Two Richard Taylor Families of Yarmouth,” 165:197 (2011)

Charles Edward Banks, The History of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County Massachusetts, Vol III 1966

Torrey’s New England Marriages to 1700, vol 2, p 1026