John Fenner

Notes:

John was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.

John — Ruth Potter. Ruth was born 18 May 1731. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I am making an assumption that the Richard Fenner who married Abigail Sheldon is the same individual as Richard Fenner, son of Thomas.

Richard's will, dated 8 Sept 1772, mentions his wife Abigail, and children Richard, Jeremiah, John, Arthur, & Lydia.

It is not known whether any of the children were by his second wife, also named Abigail.

Richard married Abigail Sheldon 11 Jan 1715/16. Abigail (daughter of Nicholas Sheldon, Sr. and Abigail Tillinghast) was born Abt 1694; died Between 8 Sep 1772 and 3 Aug 1774. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

In the will of her father Nicholas, Abigail is identified as the wife of Richard Fenner, Esq.

Abigail is mentioned as Abigail Fenner, dec'd. in the will of her sister Lydia (Sheldon) Arnold, dated 3 Aug 1774. Abigail's four sons are also mentioned in the will. Abigail is also mentioned in the will of her husband, Richard, dated 8 Sept 1772, but she is not mentioned as deceased. This is likely because he had a second wife of the same name.

Notes:

Richard & Abigail were married by Justice Richard Brown.

Notes:

Captain Arthur Fenner, father of Major Thomas Fenner, built Thomas a house around 1677 on the Cranston side of Plainfield Pike, on the hill near Thornton.

Roger Williams listed Thomas as one of those who stayed at home and protected his house and the town during the Indian hostilities in 1675. It is not known exactly where he lived at this time.

For a time, Thomas Fenner conducted a tavern and store in his home.

Thomas married Dinah Borden 26 Jul 1682, Providence, RI. Dinah was born Oct 1664; died 18 Dec 1761; was buried , Major Thomas Fenner Lot, Plainfield St., Thornton, Cranston, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Dinah, widow of Major Thomas Fenner, died in the 98th year of her life. According to her gravestone inscription, "she died a sincere Christian."

Notes:

Thomas & Dinah were married by Joseph Jenckes, Ass't.

Notes:

His will was proved in Jan 1747, with a notation that he died the previous November. However, at that time the year changed in March, so the will was proved in Jan 1747/48.

Nicholas married Abigail Tillinghast Abt 1692, Providence, RI. Abigail (daughter of Pardon Tillinghast and Lydia Taber) was born 30 Jun 1674, Providence, RI; died 1744, Providence, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Abigail's date of birth has been given variously as March 1674, 20 Jan 1674, and 30 June 1674.

Notes:

Arthur & Mehitable Fenner were among the earliest residents of Johnston, RI. They lived near Neutaconkanut Hill, on the Cranston side of Plainfield Road, and owned land in Providence, Cranston, and Johnston.

Around 1657, Capt. Arthur Fenner built a stone house which came to be known as "Fenner Castle." Sketches of it still exist. It is said that George Washington was entertained there.

It is believed that Arthur also built a house for his son Thomas, around 1677, on the Cranston side of Plainfield Pike.

According to "The Fenner Family," Arthur arrived in Providence, RI, on 27 Feb 1649. He received his lands from Indian Chief Massasoit, as did Roger Williams. He was Ass't. Governor of RI for 19 years, was treasurer for one year, and held other positions of public service.

The following is excerpted from "The Fenner Family" at fennerfamily.com:
"The derivation of the name Fenner is plainly from the Anglo-Saxon word 'fen' or 'fenn,' a marsh or moorland. Bardsley's dictionary speaks of Fen and Vanner as variations of the same name . . . Some contest that the Fenners from this tree came from the Celtic tribe of Fens, which was instrumental in helping William the Conqueror become King of England in 1066. The name Fenner is mentioned a few times in the history of William's conquest, and Fenners are known to have received land from William in return for their bravery.

"Another name has been instrumental in the development of this family: God. Most of the early Fenners in this genealogy were Christians, and a good portion still are. Anyone reading this genealogy would become slowly aware that the success of this family is deeply related to its ties to Christianity. The success is worth noting: there are two governors of Rhode Island, many high-ranking military officers, prize-winning authors, Justices of the Peace, educators, doctors, ministers, and many others who demonstrated a passion for being an honorable servant to society. This alone might not qualify the name for greatness, but the fact that there are [no] less than ten thousand Fenners in the United States should conjure up some idea of the magnitude of this line. Of all the Fenners that have been at war, only two have been killed. Richard L. Fenner, of Quincy, FL, sums things up nicely: 'It can be said that surely the Lord has kept his hand upon us, and for this we thank him.' "

Arthur married Mehitable Waterman Abt 1650. Mehitable (daughter of Richard WATERMAN and Bethia WAITE) was born 1626, Salem, MA; died 3 Dec 1683, Providence, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

According to the Sheldon Family Assocation, John is first found in the Providence records in 1654.

John married Joan Vincent 1660. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

From the website of the Sheldon Family Association: "Joan Vincent is the daughter of Nicholas Vincent and Fridgeswith Carpenter, of Amesbury, England. Joan is the niece of William Carpenter, an early founder in Providence Records. Fridgeswith inherited the home in England from her brother William."

Notes:

Name Origins, by Julie Helen Otto
"Correction: A few weeks ago in Name Origins I discussed the name Pardon as a virtue name. As far as we can tell, all men named Pardon in the colonial period were descendants of Pardon Tillinghast of Rhode Island. Researcher Donna Casey recently brought to my attention her research on Pardon Tillinghast

Pardon married Lydia Taber 16 Apr 1664, Providence, RI. Lydia (daughter of Philip Taber and Lydia Masters) was born 1640, Yarmouth, Barnstable, MA; died 1720. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The identity of Lydia's parents as Philip & Lydia was obtained from The Tillinghasts in America, the First Four Generations, by Wayne G. Tillinghast, p. 1 (pub 2006 by RI Genealogical Society).