Tabatha Sargent Foss of Chester, NH

Tabatha Sargent was the daughter of Jacob Sargent and Judith Harvey. She was born around 1726 in Chester, NH.  She married John Foss, also of Chester.  The New Hampshire records say the marriage took place in 1745, but I think it was in 1743 as their only son David was born in 1744. Their marriage was short, John died 14 Nov 1745 at the young age of 23.  Judith was a widow at the age of 19.

widow
On 27 Nov. 1745 the probate court of Grafton County made Tabatha executor of her husband's estate. She would be entitled to only 1/3 of the land and buildings, her dower, that had belonged to her husband, and only for the duration of her life. On her death, the land would revert to her husband's heirs. Which in her case would be her son David. In 1746 she was given special permission by the probate court to sell 25 acres of the land. The deed of sale was witnessed by both her father and Isaac Foss, the father of her late husband. Women at that time could not own, buy or sell land on their own, they required permission from the court and a man, usually a male relative, to help with the transaction.

second marriage, second family
Tabatha eventually remarried but the date was not recorded.  Her second husband was Hezekiah Underhill; he was the son of Sampson and Elizabeth Ambrose Underhill.  He was born about 1727 in Salisbury, MA and moved with his parents to Chester, NH. Hezekiah's father died while he was just a small child, not unlike David Foss, Tabatha's son. Hezekiah was a cordwainer, or shoemaker, by trade. He bought land in 1754 and 1759.  I don't know where they lived, but as Tabatha already had a house to live in it is possible that they continued to live in the house that she and John Foss had shared.  

Tabatha and Hezekiah had at least 3 if not 4 children.  The only known birth year is that of their son Josiah who was born in 1758. Tabatha and Hezekiah  also had two daughters, Sarah and Hannah. According to Chase's History of Chester, they  had a son named Jonathan who was not named in Hezekiah's will, it is speculated that he died during the American Revolution.

Tabatha's children:
David Foss b. 12 Oct 1744 m. Anne Richardson, m. Elizabeth, d. 8 Dec. 1786
Josiah Underhill b. 1758 d. 1 May 1822
Sarah m. Samuel Underhill her cousin
Hannah

death of a son
In 1786 Tabatha's eldest child, David Foss, died. He was 42 years old.  He had at least nine children. He did not have a will. The probate court set out the dower of both Tabatha and her daughter in law Elizabeth on the same day. Tabatha got one third of the property, house and barn, and so did Elizabeth.  It must have been an interesting household.

rip
Hezekiah died in Chester on 18 March 1800. He wrote his will in 1786, leaving all his real estate to his son Josiah. His two daughters were given money, livestock and household goods. He left nothing to the children of David Foss. Tabatha died about three years later in August of 1803.

My Sargent Family Line with links:
William Sargent and Elizabeth Perkins
William Sargent and Mary Colby
Thomas Sargent and Rachel Barnes
Jacob Sargent and Judith Harvey

Sources:
Probate Records of New Hampshire
Rockingham County Deeds
Chase, History of Chester, NH