Generation Four: Ebenezer Niles Jr.

Born: March 4, 1709/10 in South Kingstown, R.I.
Died: Probably before February, 1746.
Married: Sarah Kenyon, March 25, 1730.

Children of Ebenezer Niles Jr. and Sarah Kenyon are:¹

• Caleb, born 1732/33, probably in South Kingstown, R.I.; married Abigail Curtis, May 21, 1754, at the First Congregational Church, Stonington, Conn..
• Elizabeth, married Caleb Barber, January 26, 1755 in Richmond R.I.
• Hannah, born South Kingstown, RI, married William Kenyon, March 9, 1755 at Richmond RI, resided at Argyle, Washington Co., NY.²
• Abigail, married Moses Barber, December 27, 1759, in Richmond R.I.
• George, born ca. 1745, Richmond, RI, married Phebe Moore October 5, 1767 at Richmond RI,³ resided in Richmond and Exeter R.I.
• Robert, born ca. 1741, Richmond, RI, married Marcy___, removed from Richmond to Scituate, ca. 1772; removed from Scituate, RI to Topsham, ME where he died ca. 1781. ³ His widow, Mrs. Mercy Niles, made marriage intentions August 14, 1783 with David Jenkins of Wales, ME⁴
• Sarah, born May 18, 1743, married Jeremiah Hoxsie, June 11, 1764 in Richmond R.I.

From Allen D. Niles:

Ebenezer & wife Sarah (Kenyon) Niles, lived at Richmond RI. (Richmond was established from Charlestown ca. 1743). Ebenezer was in an out of court quite a lot, at one point suing his own father Ebenezer Sr.. He was a suicide sometime between the Aug 1745 & Feb 1746 court sessions, setting his house on fire & cutting his throat. He's buried in a meadow north of the Lewis Family Cemetery at Richmond, near the present I-95/Route 138 Interchange. The field stone that marked his grave is lost. He was placed some distance from the other graves as was the practice then for burying people who died by their own hand. His house was not destroyed by the fire and was used as an inn until about 1811. He left a number of young children who were raised by his widow Sarah who never remarried.

The Richmond, Washington Co., RI town records show Sarah boarding out two of her younger children, Sarah & Robert, temporarily, soon after Ebenezer's death. Doubtless she did this to care for infant George. The eldest children were still at home and old enough to help out.

Sarah (Kenyon) did not remarry and eventually the estate was settled. Sarah rented out about 600 acres for income. She was in court years later to sue for rent owed her by the farmers who leased the land. Her son George took over control of the land and the lawsuits. George was a schoolmaster at Exeter & Richmond, Washington Co., RI. Sarah died at Richmond in 1803 and George died ca. 1804 or before (George's father-in-law, David Moore, made his will in 1804; it mentions Phebe Niles, widow, so George was deceased before 1804, but I have not found out when exactly.

The Estate of Ebenezer Niles Jr.

Sources:

¹ From notes of Gerald J. Parsons, Fellow of American Society of Genealogists, supplied to my grandmother in 1958.
² As researched by Allen D. Niles
³ Lewiston Me (Topsham records), Film 311, Maine State Archivesas - provided Allen D. Niles
⁴ Topsham, Marriages, p.183 - provided by Allen D. Niles.