Individual Details

Abigail SHERMAN

(27 Jul 1721 - )

Abigail Sherman is a direct descendant of William Bradford. She was born in Rochester, Massachusetts and married Sylvanus Cottle, Sr.

Her precise date of birth is unknown. In the Vital Records of Rochester, the appropriate record is transcribed as "Sherman...Abigail, d. John and Sary,----[rec. between ch. b. July 27, 1721 and ch. b. Jan. 26, 1724]". (All brackets and italics are in the transcription.) [1] A compilation of birth dates on Family Search states the date as simply 1722. [2] Without further citation, the "Silver Book" for William Bradford states her date of birth as 27 July 1721. [3] (Presumably, this is the same source as [4], which appeared in the prior version of this profile).

She married Sylvanus Cottle, his second wife, in New Bedford, on 18 February 1745. [5] However, the marriage was also recorded in Chilmark [6] and Dartmouth, [7] [8] so the location is subject to some doubt. The previously cited Silver Book gives the location as Dartmouth.

According to the Silver Book, Sylvanus and Abigail had three children (in addition to the eight from his previous marriage to Martha Hatch):

Jabez, b. 22 Feb 1747
Sylvanus, Jr., b. 15 June 1750
Joseph, b. 28 July 1753

Some sources attribute a fourth child, Warren, to the marriage.

Sources

1. "Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850: Rochester (2 vols)," database index with images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, (AmericanAncestors.org: accessed 4 April 2016), vol 1., p 264, "SHERMAN...Abigail, d. John and Sary,____ [rec. between ch. b. July 27, 1721 and ch. b. Jan. 26, 1724"; citing transcription of "Vital Records of Rochester, Massachusetts to the Year 1850," NEHGS, Boston, 1914.
2. "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQ6Q-JR4 : 4 December 2014), Abigail Sherman, 1722; citing ROCHESTER,PLYMOUTH,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0873753 IT 1-2.
3. "Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880," online database, New England Historic Genealogical Society (AmericanAncestors.org : viewed 16 May 2019), William Bradford (Vol. 22), p. 420, https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2728/i/53433/420/0
4. Hall
5. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHCG-W9X : 13 July 2016), Silvanus Cottel and Abigail Sherman, 18 Feb 1745; citing Marriage Notice, New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 574,885.
6. "Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850: Chilmark," database of images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (AmericanAncestors.org: viewed 1 January 2015), vol 1, p 48, entry for [Cottle] Silvanus (C[o]ttle); and vol 1, p 71, entry for SHERMAN, Abigail; citing "Vital Records of Chilmark, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850," NEHGS, Boston, 1904.
7. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database index with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9979-CW2T: downloaded 17 September 2018), Bristol > Dartmouth > Births, marriages, deaths 1667-1844 > image 239 of 408, "Sherman [or] Shearman... Abigail of Dartmouth and Sylvanus Cottel of Chilmark, Feb 18 1745"; citing FHL film 775496, imaging a book titled, "Darthmouth [sic] Records, 1667-1844: Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans [sic], Marriages, Deaths." The book appears to be a handwritten transcription of older records.
8. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database index with images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHCG-W9X: downloaded 1 October 2016), image 71 of 231, for "Records of Dartmouth, New Bedford, marriages, deaths, town meetings, births, and intentions of marriages, 1667-1847," p 60, Silvanus Cottel and Abigail Sherman.

See also:

Hall, Ruth Gardiner. Descendants of Governor William Bradford, Through The First Seven Generations (n.p., 1951) Page 120

Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2

Events

Birth27 Jul 1721Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, British America
BirthBet 27 Jul 1721 and 26 Jan 1724Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, British America
Marriage18 Feb 1745New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay, British America - Sylvanus COTTLE Sr
Marriage Bann18 Feb 1745Dartmouth (or New Bedford), Bristol, Massachusetts Bay, British America - Sylvanus COTTLE Sr
Marriage18 Feb 1745Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay, British America - Sylvanus COTTLE Sr
Alt nameAbigail SHEARMAN

Families

SpouseSylvanus COTTLE Sr (1704 - 1790)
ChildJabez COTTLE (1747 - )
ChildSylvanus COTTLE Jr (1750 - )
ChildJoseph COTTLE (1753 - 1854)
ChildWarren COTTLE (1755 - )
FatherJohn SHERMAN ( - )
MotherSarah BAKER (1688 - )

Notes

Birth

https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2728/i/53433/420/0

Birth

I have no evidence to prove that this birth is the same person as the marriage to Sylvanus Cottle aside from an appropriate age for a second wife who immediately bears children.

Marriage

another record in "Massachusetts Marriages" gives the location as Darmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts

Endnotes

1. "Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850: Rochester (2 vols)," database index with images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (AmericanAncestors.org: accessed 4 April 2016), vol 1, p 264, "SHERMAN...Abigail, d. John and Sary,____ [rec. between ch. b. July 27, 1721 and ch. b. Jan. 26, 1724"; citing transcription of "Vital Records of Rochester, Massachusetts to the Year 1850," NEHGS, Boston, 1914.

2. Dr. Charles Banks, Martha's Vineyard Museum, Sketches of the Early Settlers of West Tisbury, from The History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol II, Annals of West Tisbury, pp 25-65 (http://history.vineyard.net/b2wtres.htm : viewed 14 October 2014 viewed), history.vineyard.net/cottle.htm.

3. "Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850: Dartmouth (3 vols)," database of images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (AmericanAncestors.org: viewed 1 January 2015), vol 2, p 134, entry for [Cottle] Sylvanus (Cottel); and vol 2, p 421, entry for [Shearman] Abigail (Sherman); citing "Vital Records of Dartmouth Massachusetts to the Year 1850," New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1930.

4. "Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850: Chilmark," database of images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (AmericanAncestors.org: viewed 1 January 2015), vol 1, p 48, entry for [Cottle] Silvanus (C[o]ttle); and vol 1, p 71, entry for SHERMAN, Abigail; citing "Vital Records of Chilmark, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850," NEHGS, Boston, 1904.

5. "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," database, Family Search (https://familysearch.org: accessed 17 October 2014), Silvanus Cottel and Abigail Sherman, Shearman, 18 Feb 1745; citing FHL microfilm 775496.

6. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database index with images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHCG-W9X: downloaded 1 October 2016), image 71 of 231, for "Records of Dartmouth, New Bedford, marriages, deaths, town meetings, births, and intentions of marriages, 1667-1847," p 60, Silvanus Cottel and Abigail Sherman.

7. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database index with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9979-CW2T: downloaded 17 September 2018), Bristol > Dartmouth > Births, marriages, deaths 1667-1844 > image 239 of 408, "Sherman [or] Shearman... Abigail of Dartmouth and Sylvanus Cottel of Chilmark, Feb 18 1745"; citing FHL film 775496, imaging a book titled, "Darthmouth [sic] Records, 1667-1844: Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans [sic], Marriages, Deaths." The book appears to be a handwritten transcription of older records.

8. "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," database, Family Search (https://familysearch.org: accessed 17 October 2014), Silvanus Cottel and Abigail Sherman, Shearman, 18 Feb 1745; citing FHL microfilm 775496.