Samuel Connable, 7th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Samuel Connable was born January 16, 1689 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were John and Sarah Cloyes Connable. John Connable came from England, sources state all early American Connable’s descend from this guy. Samuel had 2 brothers and 7 sisters. This Samuel is the only son to carry on the Connable name.

Samuel’s first wife was Abigail Treadway they married June 17, 1710. Abigail and their 2 young children died by 1713. Samuel married Mary Wilson 2nd on July 23, 1713 in Boston, she was also a widow. Samuel and Mary had 11 kids.

Mary’s dad William Wilson was a chair maker in Boston and most likely sold Samuel his carpentry shop on January 14, 1714. To Samuel Connable, “housewright, for L45 the west end of their dwelling house and land bounded easterly by their other tenement through the middle of the stack of chimneys which divide the two tenements 17 feet”. The homestead … running from Back Street down to the Mill Pond … had a carpenter shop on Back Street now Salem Street and Cross Street.

In 1715 Samuel with his brother in law Daniel Bell bought more land near Bowker Street, called “Distil House Square”, in a neighborhood of distilleries.

In 1996, there was an archaeological dig about 2 blocks south of Salem and Cross Streets with no specifics on Samuel Connable but some details on the area. “The heyday of artisans on these properties was between 1715 and 1780 when the properties belonged to a joiner, a pewterer, and a goldsmith”. On the map, from the dig, Cross Street is north south, Back Street also Salem Street is east west. Samuel’s shop was a block or 2 from the excavation site, marked by an arrow, image 18 of 260.

John, Samuel’s dad, was probably famous for the carpentry skills he brought from London, he left all his tools to Samuel. John’s will of 1724, “my said Son Samuel Cunnabel shall have all my working tools over and above his equal sixth part of my Estate as foresaid and that they be accordingly delivered to him Immediately after my Decease”.

Samuel died in 1746, age 57, without a will, Mary and children made an agreement to settle the estate. When Mary died in 1759 her and Samuel’s inventory was written up. It included: a small cast brass kettle, a table, a stool and a looking glass, a small picture and hand brush, a number of old books, 4 old swords, 3 silver spoons and “Real Estate consisting of a Tenement or dwelling house & Land in Cross Street near the Mill Pond”. The agreement between the Connable kids was signed, “it was agreed by all the Children that the Estate should be equally [ divided ] among them – that the Widow should have the Income & Improvement of the whole during her Life.

Sources

• U.S., Craftperson Files, 1600-1995 at Ancestry
• A report of the record commissioners of the city of Boston at HathiTrust
• Genealogical memoir of the Cunnabell, Conable or Connable family at HathiTrust
• The crooked and narrow streets of Boston 1630-1822 at HathiTrust
• Archaeological Data Recover The Paddy’s Alley and Cross Street Back Lots, 1996, image 18 of 260