Abigail Sweet1
F, b. circa 1633
| Father | John Sweete b. b 1600, d. 1637 |
| Mother | Mary (?) d. b 31 Jul 1681 |
Abigail was born circa 1633 probably at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. Abigail married George Baldwin before 1650 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island. She and George were blessed with 3 known children. In 1651, George sold land in Warwick, that was adjacent to land of James Sweet, brother of his wife Abigail. On 1 March 1653, Christopher Unthank purchased a house of George. In 1656, George resided in Gravesend, New York, with his wife Abigail and their children. He was a merchant trader and away on the high seas for much of the time, leaving his wife to find such consolation as she could among the sandy dunes of the little settlement. Whatever the circumstances of her environment may have been, a love affair sprung up between Abigail and Enim Benham, who had recently come to Gravesend from Matapanient in Maryland. Benham, who had left Lord Calvert's colony with the reputation of a second-rate Don Juan, took no time in consoling Abigail during the long absences of her husband. Matters progressed, and in 1656 the little village was rocking with gossip concerning the matter in which George Baldwin was being cuckolded.
The result is still evident in the charred remains of the records of the divorce proceedings now on file at Albany, New York. This divorce is one of the earliest in the New Netherlands, and was granted by Peter Stuyvesant and his Council...
It was believed by the court that bigamy had been practiced and that the infant son was of Enim Benham. From his will, where much more is given to a step son than to George, it seems that he likely did not believe that the infant was his legitimate son. This also gives a rationale for George Jr. to use the alias before George Sr’s death and not after. There is evidence that after the death of the father, the Baldwin family began to treat George as a member of the family, but this in itself does not mean they believed him to be a son of George Sr.2,3,4 After the divorce proceedings and the banishment from Gravesend, Abigail returned to Warwick. It appears that Abigail was returning to her family home where she was still in the possession of land in her own right and under the name of Abigail Sweet. Apparently news of the events and the divorce preceeded her for soon after her arrival in Warwick Peter Buzicutt, a friend, a close associate, and a former neighbor of George Baldwin, was speaking of her and her divorce in "uncomplimentary terms." The Warwick Town Records show on 3 December 1657, an action of slander was filed by Thomas Bradley against Peter Buzicut, blacksmith. Abigail, likewise, under the name of "Abigail Sweete of Warwick", filed suit against him for trespassing and again, under the name of "Abigail Baldwin", filed another suit for slander. Peter Buzicutt (Busecut) was then sued by Ezekiel Holliman, Abigail's step father, for the money owed from the suits to both Abigail and Thomas Bradley. From other public records, it is evident that Peter Buzicutt agitated trouble and often was in the center of it. It appears Abigail had developed a close relationship with Thomas Bradley, married him and returned to live in England.5,6
The result is still evident in the charred remains of the records of the divorce proceedings now on file at Albany, New York. This divorce is one of the earliest in the New Netherlands, and was granted by Peter Stuyvesant and his Council...
It was believed by the court that bigamy had been practiced and that the infant son was of Enim Benham. From his will, where much more is given to a step son than to George, it seems that he likely did not believe that the infant was his legitimate son. This also gives a rationale for George Jr. to use the alias before George Sr’s death and not after. There is evidence that after the death of the father, the Baldwin family began to treat George as a member of the family, but this in itself does not mean they believed him to be a son of George Sr.2,3,4 After the divorce proceedings and the banishment from Gravesend, Abigail returned to Warwick. It appears that Abigail was returning to her family home where she was still in the possession of land in her own right and under the name of Abigail Sweet. Apparently news of the events and the divorce preceeded her for soon after her arrival in Warwick Peter Buzicutt, a friend, a close associate, and a former neighbor of George Baldwin, was speaking of her and her divorce in "uncomplimentary terms." The Warwick Town Records show on 3 December 1657, an action of slander was filed by Thomas Bradley against Peter Buzicut, blacksmith. Abigail, likewise, under the name of "Abigail Sweete of Warwick", filed suit against him for trespassing and again, under the name of "Abigail Baldwin", filed another suit for slander. Peter Buzicutt (Busecut) was then sued by Ezekiel Holliman, Abigail's step father, for the money owed from the suits to both Abigail and Thomas Bradley. From other public records, it is evident that Peter Buzicutt agitated trouble and often was in the center of it. It appears Abigail had developed a close relationship with Thomas Bradley, married him and returned to live in England.5,6
Family | George Baldwin b. b 1620, d. b 21 Dec 1681 |
| Children |
|
Citations
- [S119] Herbert Furman Seversmith, Colonial Families of Long Island, New York & Connecticut, Vol. I pp. 212 - 223.
- [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, page 396 - Christopher Unthank bought of George Baldwin a house on 1 March 1653.
- [S119] Herbert Furman Seversmith, Colonial Families of Long Island, New York & Connecticut, page 210-216 - ...The Testimony of Hanah Braddish this daye Testifies yt I heard Enom Benam perswad George Baldons wife for to forsake her husband and to goe to Virginia and the said Enam w….. sell all that he had and followe her and shee should be his wife thar and ye fore said Enom called her wife and sweetthart all….when Balden was from hom ffarthermore ye said Enam said y thee would faine have …..Child by her, and then what was his should be as and all should be at her Comand. Likewise Charged George Baldens boy yt hee should say nothing to his father of what hee saw or heard. Likewise I doo afirme yt I saw them both in bed together in one bed and so it has ben Comonly. January 1656-57.
The following evidence, without specific identification, remains now only in part: Abigail Baldwin being examined concearning the charge declareth that ye said Enom desired to marry her but was not the father of her Child, and yt thar was an agreement for consummating marriage between them, yt thay would have to wait until she could be freed from her husband George Baden and then Enom and shee means to live together as man and wife, and in wettnes of this thay brake a pece of silver between them.
Enom being Examined declareth yt the pece …..silver was cutt upson ye request of Abigail to see whether it waere silver ore base and standeth in ye deniall of all ye Rest yt is charged against him.
January 16, 1657
The Court satt againe about ye for …. Mattere and having Received farther …. Testimony do give forth this sentence against Enom yt hee shall pay two hundred gilders to ye towards ye feeing of ye Child And fifty gilders to ye court and to be paied befor his estat yt was under Arest be sett at liberty – All so ye Court having taken ue premises conscarning Abegil Balden into consideration do give forth this sintenc against her – to be baneshed out of ye Jurisdiction of Gravesend within ten days ore else to pay four hundred gilders in Curant pay within ye said Time, And this is giving in charg to ye Schout to se ye Execution of it –
This is a true copie of ye preccadent of ye Cort - Testified by me Edward Brown
The divorce record proper is in Dutch, and a translation of the proceedings is given below:
Gravesend….
Baldwin…
Sadness in … of his wife, with … as appears from attached…certification by the Magistrate of Gravesend unbearable bigamy, has to be legally divorced from her, the more as he has never given her any cause for dissatisfaction, for which reason the supplicant directs himself very humbly to your Honors, reverently petitioning that it may please your honors to give to him the Supplicant, act of divorce, as your Honors according to proofs and the given sentence after customary law may find to be befitting, doing this etc.
The mark of George Baldwin placed with his own hand
How that…
The shameful…..
Abigail Baldwin by commit………………………………………………………………..
Person of Enim Benim, whereof confession and several attestations from Gravesend has been banished from the jurisdiction of Gravesend as appears from the sentence of date 1657…month pronounced by the abovementioned Magistrates, requesting on ground of the aforesaid unbearable violation - to be legally divorced from the said Abigail Baldwin – and liberated the more as he has never given her any cause for dissatisfaction…the Director General and Council of New Netherland having examined the request and the said sentence and also the attests and proofs Whereupon the aforesaid sentence is founded and what further might serve materially, the Dircetor General and Council abovementioned, find that George Baldwin according to Divine and human law, cannot be denied his request and therefore grant him herewith this act of divorce, and declare him free from the abovesaid Abigail Baldwin, as we declare him free herewith.
Done at Amsterdam in New Netherlands on the above date.
Who was the father of George Baldwin alias Benham? It is apparent to us that George Baldwin senior did not know, for, while he gave the child his name and brought him up in his family, he cut him off in his will with no real property and only a few nominal personal items. He gave his step-son Samuel Embree much more. We know this from the receipt signed by George Baldwin alias Benham, and from the codicil to George Baldwin senior ‘s will. The will, which undoubtedly referred to George Baldwin alias Benham in no unequivocal terms, is missing from New York and Connecticut records, a circumstance which is quite understandable.
We are certain that Enim Benham denied the paternity of the child. Afterward he removed to Newtown, married and had issue, but we do not find that he ever had anything to do with Abigail’s child. The statement made in one of the affidavits “yt hee would faine have ……..Child by her” was made after the child was born and to us the sense of it is that he desired to father a child by Abigail just as George had fathered the infant in the crib. Another indication which favors the legitimacy of George Baldwin alias Benham’s birth is that, after the death of his legal father, the Baldwin family accepted him unreservedly and one of his daughters married her first cousin, a known grandson of George Baldwin Senior…. - [S506] Note: (Gravesend is pronounced "GRAVES end", not "grave SEND") is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bordered by Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, and Coney Island. Gravesend was one of the original towns in the Dutch colony of New Netherland and became one of the six original towns of Kings County in colonial New York. It was the only English chartered town in what became Kings County and was designated the "Shire Town" when the English assumed control, as it was the only one where records could be kept in English. Courts were removed to Flatbush in 1685.
- [S119] Herbert Furman Seversmith, Colonial Families of Long Island, New York & Connecticut, page 221 - In the Warwick, Rhode Island Town. Records as printed, the following entries appear on page 8:
1657, December 3. Action of slander (erased) entered by Thomas Bradley against Peter Buzicut, blacksmith.
Abigail Sweete of Warwicke vs Peter Buzicut, blacksmith, trespass.
An action of slander entered by Abigail Baldwin of Warwick vs Peter Buzicut.
Therefore; when Abigail, the divorced wife of George Baldwin was banished from Gravesend after her affair with Enim Benham, she returned to Warwick, Rhode Island. Her appearance in the locality that George Baldwin had left indicates that she probably had relatives there; this is borne out by investigation. The late Evelyn B. Baldwin held the opinion that Abigail was a member of the Sweet family of Providence and Warwick, and that after her return she probably married Thomas Bradley and returned to England. The interpretation of the, foregoing entries in the Warwick Town Records seems to be that Peter Buzicott had discussed Abigail's divorce in 'uncomplimentary terms. Buzicott had been a neighbor of George Baldwin when the latter was in Warwick, and had bought his house and land. Both Bradley and Abigail brought suit for slander, and Abigail under her maiden name of Sweet sued Buzicott for trespass on property which she held of her own right. There is no other Abigail Sweet in the records.
We agree with Captain Baldwin's interpretation of this situation, although there is no positive proof. Abigail may have been, therefore, the daughter of John and Mary Sweet of Providence, step-daughter of Ezekiel Holliman. In the earliest records of Rhode Island we, find that Thomas Baldwin, John and James Sweet and Ezekiel Holliman are frequently closely associated, and later Ezekiel Holliman was obviously known to George Baldwin. This may explain where Ezekiel Baldwin, eldest son of George Baldwin alias Benham, obtained his given name. There may have been, as well, an association of Abigail's maiden name with the term of endearment reported used by Enim Benham in Hannah Bradish's affidavit----4Enom called her wife and sweetthart 5--- although this probably more of an amusing speculation than any thing else. - [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, page 34 - 1657. He was sued by Ezekiel Holliman, for debt, by Thomas Bradley, for slander, and by Abigail Sweet, for tresspass and slander,and he brought suit against Thomas Bradley, forboth debt and slander.