The Choate - Harvey Connection (ENG-USA)

Generation 1

John Robert Choate* (son of Robert and Sarah Choate) born in 1624 in Groton, Boxford, Colchester, England, died December 4, 1695 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Essex Co., MA. 

AND

Anne Carramas born in 1637 in Groton, Suffolk, England, and died February 16, 1727 in Ipswich, MA USA.  They married in 1660.

*John Choate, son of Robert and Sarah Choate, was bapt. 6 June 1624, in Groton, Boxford, Colchester, England. Both of John's parents died in 1638 and are buried in the cemetery at the church in Groton. After his parents deaths, John removed to Kent to live with relatives, until he was of a suitable age to embark to America. As a young man of nineteen years, he came to this country in 1643 from Sudbury in the county of Suffolk, England, as an apprentice to Mr. Thomas Low. He came to this country with one of his brothers, but the brother returned to England, the following year.

       On arrival, he, soon found employment in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts and was considered one of the towns first settlers. In 1648, at the age of 24 years, his name appears in a list of one hundred and sixty-one persons who subscribed to a fund to pay Major Daniel Denison for giving military instruction. Hence he was called "a subscriber to the Denison allowance." Mr. Choate married in 1660, his wife being born in 1637 and died on 16 Feb. 1727. They settled upon a small farm which he had purchased, and which he paid for, as the record runs: "In cattle, not over eight years old: In grain English and Indian and partly in West India goods.". This farm stood near the borderline between Ipswich and Chebacco, located at the head of the creek. Mr. Choate's house stood a few rods northeast of the residence recently occupied by Mr. John Low. For many years it was well known as "The Choate Place," and was inherited successively by his son, Joseph Choate, and his grand-son, Daniel Choate. But in later years the old house was torn down, and the farm became merged in others adjacent to it, so that to-day the spot on which John Choate's house once stood is pointed out with some difficulty, even by the inhabitants of the neighborhood, for nothing remains to mark approximately the location except a well on the opposite side of the road.

Choate / Hog Island 1873

       As the years went on he added by purchase to his landed possessions, until he had become the proprietor of two or three farms adjacent to his own. As early as 1667, he commenced buying the shares of common lands which had been allotted to the proprietors of the town. These were located on an island, almost two miles away, in full view from where Mr. Choate lived. The island embraced about three hundred acres, constituting a swell of land, the form of which bore some resemblance to the back of a large hog lying asleep on the surrounding waters. These sea-girt land was wild, covered with trees and bushes. This island, either from its shape or because it was used as a common pasture for swine, or for some unknown reason, since as early as 1637 had been called "Hog Island". Mr. Choate, as opportunity offered, bought, one by one, these shares of the common lands until, in 1690, he was almost the sole owner of the island. The earliest deed of conveyance , now extant, was given in 1678, when he was almost the sole owner of the island and purchased the very spot on which stands the present Choate house , the birth place of the late Hon. Rufus Choate of Boston. Thus this early settler of Chebacco, by his industry, made his mark as a thrifty farmer, and as his sons came to manhood he was able to give to each a farm, excepting the youngest Benjamin, for whom he provided the means of a college education. Benjamin graduated from Harvard College in 1703 and went on to become a preacher at Kingston, leaving there before 1725. Mr. Choate for more than half a century lived among his neighbors a worthy example of industry and thrift.

(see: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/i/v/Don--Joan--Livingston/GENE1-0001.html)

John & Anne Choate’s Children:

Here Lyes Buried the body of
  Capt Thomas Choate
 Died March ye 31st 1745
 in ye 74th Year of His Age

• John Choate, born June 15, 1661; died July 17, 1733. He married (1) Elizabeth Graves July 7, 1684. He married (2) Elizabeth Giddings May 19, 1690. He married (3) Mrs. Sarah Perkins July 27, 1723. He married (4) Mrs. Prudence Marshall June 17, 1729.
• Margaret Choate, born about 1662; died February 28, 1692. She married Abraham Fitts.
• Samuel Choate, born about 1664 in Chebacco, Ipswich, MA; died 1713. He married Mary Williams November 23, 1688.
• Mary Choate, born August 16, 1666; died before 1691.
• Thomas Choate, born 1671 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA; died March 31, 1745 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA.  Buried in the Old Burying Ground on Main St., Ipswich, Essex, MA.
• Sarah Choate, born about 1675; died June 1746. She married (1) John Burnham April 13, 1693, son of John Burnham and Elizabeth Wells. She also married (2) Isaac Webster.
• Joseph Choate, born 1678. He married Rebecca about 1702.
• Rev. Benjamin Choate, born 1680 Ipswich MA; died November 26, 1753. He married Abigail Burnham June 12, 1707.

Generation 2

Capt. Gov. Thomas Choate* (John, Robert) son of John Choate, was born 1671 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA, died March 31, 1745 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA.  He married (1) Mary Varney 1690, daughter of Thomas Varney and Abigail Proctor. He married (2) Mrs. Mary Calef September 24, 1734. He married (3) Hannah (Cogswell) Burnham November 9, 1743.

Thomas Choate, the third son of John Choate, the immigrant, has been characterized by one of his descendants as "a spruce young man." It has been already mentioned that by a gift from his father he became sole proprietor of the lands on "Hog Island."

       At the age of nineteen years; in 1690; he married a young lady, Mary Varney, whose mother is famous in history as a leader among those Chebacco women who were quite equal to the raising the first meeting house in the spring of 1679, from which their husbands had desisted by order of the General Court, when the sills were already laid. "like mother, like daughter," the young couple were the first white settlers on the island. Theirs was a pioneer life, having to grapple with many difficulties and hardships. His prominence was recognized by the people. He was their Representative to Colonial Legislature from 1723-1727. Mary was born in 1669 in Ipswich, Mass. and died on 19 Nov. 1733.

Salem Witch Trial 1692-1693

       Mr. Choate came to be popularly known as "Governor Choate." This for what reason we may not divine, save perhaps his sole proprietorship and supremacy over "Hog Island", unless it was because of these qualities of leadership and command which marked him as a man fitted for the chief magistry of a State.

       He was one of the thirty-one men who signed Rev. Wise's letter in behalf of John Proctor, who was condemned for witchcraft. Mr.Choate was one of the witnesses to the will of the unfortunate man, which was written in Salem jail while the manacles were on Proctor's wrists, only three days before his execution.

John Burnham House 1684

       Thomas lived on "The Island" for thirty-five years, he reared there a noble family. One of his daughters became the wife of a minister, one of his sons a ruling elder, and another was scarcely less distinguished in law and in state, for his day; than was a later descendant, the Hon. Rufus Choate, of Boston. In 1725, He removed to the main land, to what was known as the "John Burnham Place." Mr. Choate had become possessed of a large landed property. He owned two farms on the island, the Randall Andrews farm in Ipswich, a farm of four hundred acres in Rockport, on the coast near Thatcher's Island, a farm in the West Parish, one on Jeffrey's Neck, and a farm to which he had removed, making seven in all.

Thomas and Mary (Varney) Choate’s children:

Thomas Choate 1693-1774

Old Burying Ground, Essex, MA 

• Anna Choate, born May 22, 1691 in Chebacco, Ipswich, MA Bay Colony; died August 15, 1759. She married her cousin John Burnham son of John Burnham and Sarah Choate on October 21, 1710.  See: Thomas Choate Generation 3
• Thomas Choate, born June 7, 1693 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA; died August 22, 1774.
• Mary Choate, born March 18, 1695 in Choate Island, near Ipswich, MA; died March 6, 1767. She married Parker Dodge in December 1716.
• John Choate, born July 25, 1697; died December 17, 1765. He married Miriam Pool March 3, 1717.
• Abigail Choate, born October 20, 1699 in Choate Island, near Ipswich, MA. She married John Boardman November 27, 1720.
• Francis Choate, born September 13, 1701; died October 15, 1777. He married Hannah Perkins April 13, 1727.
• Rachel Choate, born November 8, 1703 in Choate Island, near Ipswich, MA; died March 15, 1783. She married (1) Joseph Rust. She married (2) Isaac Martin in March 1737.
• Ebenezer Choate, born March 10, 1706; died 1766. He married Elizabeth Greenleaf September 3. 1730.
• Sarah Choate, born July 24, 1708. She married Rev. Amos Cheever April 5, 1736.

Generation 3

Choate House 1730
Choate Island

Lieu. Thomas Choate son of Thomas (Thomas, John, Robert) was born June 7, 1693 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA, died August 22, 1774. He married his cousin  (1) Elizabeth Burnham on November 6, 1714, daughter of John Burnham and Sarah Choate. He married (2) Mrs. Sarah Marshall October 1, 1738. He married (3) Rachel Riggs May 11, 1769, daughter of John Riggs and Ruth Wheeler.

Thomas & Elizabeth’s Children:

• Josiah Choate, born September 16, 1715; died August 26, 1798. He married Patience Roberts November 11, 1736.
• Thomas Choate, born October 8, 1718 in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA; died October 20, 1798 in NH.
• Humphrey Choate, born November 9, 1720 in MA; died August 25, 1795 in MA.  He married (1) Abigail Burnham November 24, 1743. He married (2) Ruth Lufkin July 9, 1752.
• Elizabeth Choate, born August 2, 1723; died October 4, 1800. She married Joseph Perkins January 25, 1744.
• Jeremiah Choate, born July 16, 1725 in MA; died Oct 1798 in MA. He married Eunice Giddings January 24, 1751.
• Stephen Choate, born November 1, 1727 in MA; died October 19, 1815 in MA. He married (1) Mary Low November 23, 1751. He married (2) Elizabeth Potter 7 June 7, 1770.
• Mary Choate, born June 20, 1731. She married (1) John Foster January 23, 1751. She married (2) Samuel Low December 25, 1766. She married (3) Enoch Haskell December 19, 1797.
• Abigail Choate, born July 18, 1734; died 1788. She married David Low December 28, 1752

Generation 4

Thomas Choate (Thomas, Thomas, John, Robert) born October 8 1718, in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, MA, and died October 20, 1798 in Boscawen, Merrimack, NH.  He married (1) Abigail Haskell 7 December 7, 1742 daughter of Jacob Haskell and Abigail Maxey.

AND

(2) Dorothy Proctor daughter of John Proctor and Anna Story born September 17, 1724 in Ipswich, MA and died June 4, 1808 in Enfield, NH.  They married October 22, 1745 in Ipswich, MA.

Their children:

• Jacob Choate I born October 11, 1746, in Chebacca, Ipswich MA, and died October 1828, in Glanford Twp. Wentworth Co., ON CAN
• Abigail Choate born August 21, 1748, died June 12, 1831.  She married Joseph Goodhue November 20. 1766.
• Thomas Choate born November 19, 1751 in MA. Died October 20, 1830 in MA.  He married (1) Mary Proctor September 1. 1774, (2) Dorothy Emerson January 31, 1830.
• Dorothy Choate born September 22, 1755.  She married Thomas Low October 2, 1777.
• Anner Choate born January 19, 1759, died in 1798. She married Ezra Abbott May 10. 1795.
• Solomon Choate born November 19, 1760, died March 28, 1831.  He married Dorothy Proctor April 7, 1785.
• Miriam Choate born June 29, 1763, died January 12, 1847.  She married David Choate February 24, 1783.
• Benjamin Choate born September 8, 1766, died April 7, 1859.  He married Mehitable Plummer November 20, 1793.
• Samuel Choate born March 18, 1769, died June 12, 1847.  He married (1) Betsey Kimball November 7, 1793, (2) Nancy Jackson April 26, 1795, (3) Mary Loomis September 19, 1810.

See:http:  //familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/i/v/Don--Joan--Livingston/GENE1-0001.html