Individual Details

Avery databases give a birth year of about 1663 in Greenland, New Hampshire; wife's given name said to be Mary. Avery databases give a birth for his son Robert as 28 Nov 1681 in Greenland, Rockingham Co, NH. I think it's more likely this Robert is the one born in 1681. He seems to have been a grandson of Thomas & Joan Avery rather than a son.

The article, "The Avery Family of Greenland" makes a case for Robert & John to have been sons of Thomas [2nd Thomas] of Greenland, thereby adding a generation and solving some of the date problems noted in many databases. It's doubtful they were sons of the 2nd Thomas and his known wife, Abigail Coombs, but since she was a widow at their marriage in 1697 it's quite possible 2nd Thomas had been married previously. Certainly records of John [taxed in 1790] and Robert [taxed in 1712] occur in New Hampshire too early for them to have been sons of Abigail, born after her marriage to Avery in 1697.

New Hampshire was a part of Massachusetts until 1679. By 1653, Portsmouth had actually absorbed the village of Greenland. Greenland was once again incorporated as a distinct town in 1703.

From New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1874, Vol. 28, pp.251-254
Greenland had a population of 320 inhabitants in 1705. On 4 Jun 1705, Portsmouth town voted that the inhabitants of Greenland in consideration of their number, distance they had to travel, and danger of passing to public worship, be paid out of the town stock their proportion of 100 #'s a year, raised for the support of the minister, during their maintenance of an able miniter amongst them.
The first settled minister was Rev. William Allen who continued in the ministry until his deaath in 1760, at the age of 84 years, the 54th year of his ministry. From 1712 to 1753 there were 1092 baptisms, averaging 26 per year. Rev. Allen kept records. There were 29 souls in covenant before his ordination; those admitted since his settlement, after 1712, included the following:
In 1712, Elizabeth Avery wife to John Avery.
In 1728, Sarah Avery wife to Robt Avery, Junr.
and Mary Avery wife to Robert Avery, Senr.

List of Greenland, NH, Parish Taxes. 5 Feb 1711/12
Included both a Thomas Avery and a Robbard Avery.
Also for the year 1723, Robert Avery was listed

Vital Records of Greenland, NH
Compiled from the Town's Original Record Books: 1714 - 1820
Priscilla Hammond; Concord, NH 1938
Reprinted by Higginson Book Co 1997
Roll Containing an account of baptisms administered by the Rev. William Allen from 1712 to 1753 inclusive in all 1092.
Children baptized and some growne persons who ownd the Covenant - Greenland
1712
p.50 John Avery, son of John Avery
1716
p.54 Mary Avery owned the Covenant and was baptized
1725
p.66 Edward Avery owned ye Covenant &c
1727
p.70 Sarah, daughter of Robert Avery
1728
p.72 Jeane Avery owned ye Covenant &c
Abigaile Avery owned ye Covenant &c
1729
p.72 Arnel son of Michael Woren [A Rebecca Avery had married Woren]
Jonathan son of Robt Avery Junr
1729
p.73 Susannah daughter of Eadward Avery
Lydia Woren
Abigaile Woren
Penelope Woren, daughters of Michael Woren
1730
p.74 Daniel son of Edward Avery


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."
The deed was a deed of gift and stipulated that Robert Jr was not to dispose of his share during the lifetime of the father. This was apparently waived because the land was sold in 1729.
Edward is given a birthyear of 1725 in the above mentioned databases which is obviously wrong in light of this gift of land. Additional research required. It is much more likely that Robert & Edward were born between 1700-1720.

27 Jun 1729, Robert sold to his son Edward, his rights in the township of Epson, where he had been one of the grantees a few years past. Robert acknowledged this deed 22 Mar 1734 at court in Scarborough, Maine. [This appears to be the last known record of Robert.]


Most databases online have interpreted this Robert to be the son of Thomas & Joan. Reading the following information below, it's evident that William Manning who wrote "The Avery Family of Greenland, NH" believed that he was instead the son of the 2nd Thomas.


The AVERY Family According to "The Groton Avery Clan" (E. M. Avery & C. H. Avery-1912), Thomas AVERY, a blacksmith and the progenitor of the Portsmouth (NH) Branch of the AVERY Family, came to America in 1633 on the ship "Mary & John" which departed from Southampton, England. He is the only Avery listed on the passenger list and is noted as bound for Salem, MA. He subsequently moved on to Portsmouth, NH.
My Note: This Thomas was NOT the Thomas later found in Portsmouth - this was an erroneous assumption. And in fact the book 'Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol I, A-B' has an article on the Thomas Avery of Salem and states that he is "not the Thomas Avery of Portsmouth whose widow was named Joan, with whom Torrey has confused him." So the mix-up between the two Thomas Averys started very long ago.

According to "The AVERY Family of Greenland, NH" (William Manning of Ayer, MA-1904) which is part of the Essex Institute Historical Collections, Thomas AVERY (or Every) was a land owner in Portsmouth, NH in 1657 and his wife Joan verified his estate in 1681. In 1693 a 2nd Thomas AVERY (?-1744) had a seat in the meeting-house and there is a marriage recorded in Dover, NH in 1697 between Thomas and Abigail COOMBS. Robert AVERY1 of Greenland, NH (probably a son of 2nd Thomas) was a witness to a deed executed by Thomas and Abigail AVERY in 1710. [My note: If this couple married in 1697, they would not have had a son old enough to witness a deed in 1710]Robert1 and his wife Mary had the following children: Edward, Benjamin, Jeane, Abigail (who married Abraham HARRIS in 1728) and Robert2 (?-1756) who in 1724 married Sarah PETTS, the daughter of John (1681-1757) and Abigail HARRISON (1685-1735) PETTS , the former of whom was one of the earliest settlers on a tract of land which became incorporated as Townsend, MA in 1732. Sarah PETTS' siblings were John (1713-1767), Ebenezer (1717-?), David (1719-?), Mary (1721-?), Abigail (1725-?), Anna (1725-?) and Jonathan (1727-?).
It may be noted here that the first public library in Greenland, NH was built in 1898 by Caroline Avery Weeks, no doubt a descendant from these first Avery settlers.
Robert2 and Sarah PETTS AVERY appear to have lived in Greenland, NH until 1729 when they moved to Townsend, MA and purchased land from Sarah's father. Robert and Sarah had the following children: Sarah (1726-?) who married James BYAM; Abigail (1731-1810) who married Samuel MANNING; Robert3 (1733-1757); Mary (1735-?) who married Samuel LAWRENCE; David (1737-1790; Elizabeth (1739-?) who married Isaac PATCH; Anna (1742-?) who married Joshua JOHNSON; John1 (1743-1760); Rachel (1746-1815) who married Ebenezer ALBEE; Lucy (1749-?) who married John WILLARD; and Jonathan1 (1728/29-?).
In 1752 Jonathan1 AVERY married Mary (Molly) FARNSWORTH (1735-?) of Lunenburg, MA daughter of Isaac1 (1701-1744) and Sarah PAGE (1703-1746) FARNSWORTH who were married in 1723. Mary's siblings were: Esther (1737-?), William (1725-1806), Lydia (1730-?), Sarah (1727-?) and Isaac2 (1723-1812). Isaac FARNSWORTH1 was the son of Benjamin (1667-1733) and Mary (1674-1735) PRESCOTT FARNSWORTH of Groton, MA and the grandson of Matthias FARNSWORTH who was born in Lancashire ENGLAND in 1615, came to America prior to 1657 and died in Groton, MA in 1689. Mary PRESCOTT's lineage can be traced back to John PRESCOTT born in 1604 in England and departed 1661 in Lancaster, MA.

Birth	Maybe 1681
Marriage		Mary [Avery]

Spouse	Mary [Avery] ( - )
Child	Edward AVERY ( - )
Child	Benjamin AVERY ( - )
Child	Living
Child	Abigail AVERY ( - )
Child	ROBERT AVERY (1704 - 1756)

Father	Thomas AVERY ( - 1744)
Mother	Abigail Coombs ( - )
Sibling	John AVERY ( - 1731)