Individual Details

All of the Avery databases give a birth for this Robert as 28 Nov 1681 in Greenland, Rockingham Co, NH. This makes him 44 years older than his nearest brother as shown in the databases. Also makes him age 43 at his marriage - there were 11 children born between his marriage in 1724 and 1749 by which time he would have been 68. Possible, but seems rather farfetched. I suspect the 1681 date to have possibly been the 1st Robert whose wife was Mary, not this man.

Robert is said to have purchased land in Townsend, MA in 13 Dec 1729, from his father-in-law.

Genealogical Dict. of ME & NH states that "Robert Avery of Greenland in 1726 and 1729 deeded his homestead in halves to his sons Robert (m. Sarah Pett 5 Nov 1724) and Edward. Both sons had childen." Edward is given a birth year of 1725 in the above mentioned databases which is obviously wrong in light of this gift of land. Additional research required - the gifts were likely given when the sons reached their majority or married, so likely both Edward and Robert were born between 1700-1709.

Robert Avery married Sarah Pett, 5 Nov 1724. Marriage performed by Rev. William Allen of Greenland, New Hampshire. NEHGS Journal 1911, Vol. 65, p.353
Rev. Allen performed other Avery marriages:
p.40 Michael Woren and Rebeckah Avery, Decem. 18 1718
p.41 Clemt. Steel and Johanna Avery Mar 7 1721/2 [possibly Robert's sister Jeane/Joan?]
p.44 Abraham Harris and Abigail Avery Jun 10 1728 [probably Robert's sister]


Greenland, N.H. - Early Ministerial Records.
Presumably Baptism records in 1729
Jonathan, son of Robt Avery Junr


http://www.usgennet.org/usa/vt/county/windham/1746_Petition.html
Petition for the Protection of Township #4. 31 Dec 1746
[Petition to seek protection from "repeted skirmages those Inhabitance have had with the Indian Enemy"]
From Townsend: Robert Avery

Administration of the estate of Robert Avery is in the probate records of Townsend in 1757 - #561 and #564.
Sarah Avery was the administratrix.

There is a Middlesex Co Deed, Book 80, p.365, 14 Jul 1778, involving five of the children of Robert Avery. Jonathan Avery of Temple, HY, Samuel Manning [husband of Abigail] of Townsend, Isaac Patch [husband of Elizabeth] of Westford, and John Willard [husband of Lucy], of Lancaster bought land in Townsend from Samuel Lawrence [husband of Mary].

From the Introduction to Townsend Vital Records:
"Townsend was originally the northern part of a plantation known as Turkey Hills (the southern portion becoming Lunenburg), and was incorporated as a town in 1732. During the decades in the early eighteenth century when Townsend was being settled, migrations in New England were moving generally in an east-to-west direction, so that most of the early settlers came from older established towns in Middlesex and Essex counties. Also, because Townsend bordered directly on New Hampshire, many marriages are seen in which one party was from Townsend and the other from a nearby New Hampshire town."
"Through most of the eighteenth century and into the nineteenth, the population of Townsend, as in so many New England towns, remained relatively stable, and the same mix of family names is seen from decade to decade. But by the middle of the nineteenth century some changes may be noted, with the beginnings of Irish immigration. Because the marriage intention records and cemetery inscriptions published in this volume go beyond 1850 (the usual stopping point in the vital records volumes published earlier in the century) we also see the beginnings of other changes in the ethnic composition of the town. In these later records appear some of the Finnish families who began to settle in Fitchburg, Ashby and Townsend in the last quarter of the nineteenth century."

Birth	Abt 1704
Marriage	5 Nov 1724	Rockingham County, New Hampshire - SARAH PETTS
Death	26 Sep 1756	Townsend, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Spouse	SARAH PETTS ( - )
Child	Sarah AVERY (1726 - )
Child	Jonathan AVERY (1728 - )
Child	Abigail AVERY (1731 - 1810)
Child	Robert AVERY Jr. (1733 - 1757)
Child	Mary AVERY (1735 - )
Child	DAVID AVERY (1737 - )
Child	Elisabeth AVERY (1739 - )
Child	Anna AVERY (1742 - )
Child	John AVERY (1743 - 1760)
Child	Rachel AVERY (1746 - 1815)
Child	Lucy AVERY (1749 - )

Father	ROBERT AVERY (1681 - )
Mother	Mary [Avery] ( - )
Sibling	Edward AVERY ( - )
Sibling	Benjamin AVERY ( - )
Sibling	Living
Sibling	Abigail AVERY ( - )