Joseph Dennis

Notes:

According to Eli Wodell, Joseph "went up country and I think married there."

Notes:

In the 1850 Federal Census, John & Roby Dennis are living at Tiverton, Newport Co., RI. His age is given as 70, and hers is 65. He is a laborer. This census was taken at Tiverton on 20 Sept 1850. Obviously she was older than that, since her first son was born in 1800. Probably both of their ages have been estimated; she is more like 70 and perhaps he is 70 or older.

Please note that John's parentage as shown on this family tree has not yet been proven. More research is needed to confirm the data.

He is very possibly the son named John Dennis who was born to Obediah & Ruth (Fish, d/o Ebenezer) Dennis on 18 Aug 1775 at Tiverton, RI. (Obadiah, who married second to Phebe, was a son of Tabitha, who was a daughter of Robert & Susannah [Briggs] Dennis.) However, there was another John Dennis born at Tiverton 16 Apr 1767 to Robert & Joanna. This needs more research.

I tend to think that John was the son of Obediah & Ruth (Fish) Dennis, of Tabitha Dennis, of Robert & Susannah (Briggs) Dennis, of Robert & Sarah (Howland) Dennis.

If he is the older John, then he is son of Robert & Joanna (Hilliard) Dennis, of John & Hannah (Wilbor) Dennis, of Robert & Susannah (Briggs) Dennis, of Robert & Sarah (Howland) Dennis. If he is this particular John Dennis, then his age should be 83 in the 1850 census. For this reason I lean toward his being the son of Obediah.

I obtained the names of some of John & Roby's children from "Genealogy of a Part of the Wodell Family" by Eli Wodell p 67 (Google Books).

John married Robena "Roby" SOULE 29 Dec 1799, Westport, MA. Robena (daughter of Nathaniel SOULE and Rebecca GIFFORD) was born Abt 1780, Westport, MA; died Aft 1 Jun 1860, Tiverton, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Her name is given as both Roby and Roba in marriage and death records of her children. The Mayflower Descendants book gives it as Rube or Rhoda. However, it is Roby (possibly short for Robena, as her granddaughter's name is given in one place). Her granddaughter is named Roby S. Dennis, clearly named after Roby Soule.

In the 1850 Federal Census, Roby Dennis is age 65, living at Tiverton with her husband, John Dennis, age 70 (these ages are most likely not precise). They are living next to John & Hannah (Manchester) Remington and family, on one side, and next to John & Mary Manchester and family on the other side.

The 1860 Tiverton Census shows a Rhoda (or Rhoba?) Dennis at age 80, living with (her son) Bradford Dennis 39, next to households of Joseph Rounds 31 and Holder Dennis 44. From this I have estimated her year of birth as c1780, although she may have been born a year or two later than that.

I had her estimated birth year as 1780, but Soule Kindred email dated 1 June 2020 stated it should be 1774. I don't know how they arrived at that. Based on the censuses, she was born 1780-1785; the ages given could be incorrect.

According to the death record of her son Bradford, Roby Sowle was born in Westport, MA.

Notes:

1799 DENNIS, John of Tiverton, RI, and Roba Sowle, 29 Dec 1799, Marriage Westport (NEHGS website, Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 database)

Notes:

In the Federal Census of 1790, Obediah Dennis is listed as a head of household in Tiverton, RI; 1 free white male >16, 2 free white males <16, 5 free white females; no other free persons in household; no slaves. He is listed next to Robert Dennis, probably his son.

The will of Obadiah (or Obediah) Dennis, of Tiverton, yeoman, is dated 29 Oct 1793, proved 10 Jan 1794. It mentions his wife Phebe; sons Thomas, Robert, Joseph, & John; and dtrs Susannah (w/o David Lake), Mary Hathaway, Hannah (w/o John Lamunyon), Sarah, Deborah, Phebe, & Ruth Dennis, last three under age 18.

Baptist minister Rev. Peleg Burrough's journal tells how he preached at the home of Obediah Dennis: "After which I travelled on foot to the house of Obadiah Dennis and preached with much freedom, 2 brethren gave a word of exhortation and after meeting was concluded (as we thought) Sister S.S. seemed constrained by the power of the spirit of God to fall on her knees and pray . . . "

Obediah married Ruth FISH Abt 1756. Ruth (daughter of Ebenezer FISH and Hannah GIFFORD) was born Abt 1735, Dartmouth, MA; died Between 1775 and 1782. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Ruth is mentioned as a daughter, and wife of Obediah Dennis, in the will of her father, Ebenezer Fish, dated 27 Nov 1773.

Notes:

"Nathaniel Sowl was a sailor engaged in whaling, and at the time of the Revolution his vessel narrowly escaped capture by a British man-of-war. He abandoned the sea, and with his family removed to Providence [in Saratoga County, New York] in 1787, coming from Dartmouth, Massachusetts. For several years he lived on rented lands; but finally, in 1806, he bought a small farm a mile north of Barkersville, and lived there till his death, which occurred January 7, 1837. David Sowl, of Hagedorn's Mills, and Rebecca Allen, of Amsterdam, are the only ones of his family of eight children that are now living. David Sowl has four children living in town, one daughter in Kansas, and another in Washington. One of his sons, Joseph B. Sowl, in partnership with Mosher Chase, runs the saw-mill at Hagedorn's Mills, and deals quite extensively in lumber." (HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK by NATHANIEL BARTLETT SYLVESTER 1878 HISTORY OF THE VILLAGES AND TOWNS OF SARATOGA COUNTY)

Nathaniel died at age 84 in Saratoga County, NY.

See "Genealogy of a Part of the Wodell Family" by Eli Wodell (Google Books) p 67 where the author mentions visiting Nathaniel there.

Nathaniel married Rebecca GIFFORD 19 Aug 1773, Tiverton, RI. Rebecca (daughter of Recompense GIFFORD and Susannah TABOR) was born Abt 1753, Tiverton, RI; died Bef 1793. [Group Sheet]

Unknown — Tabitha DENNIS. Tabitha (daughter of Robert DENNIS and Susanna BRIGGS) was born 3 Sep 1712. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Ebenezer's will, dated 27 Nov 1773 at Tiverton, RI, mentions his (probably 2nd) wife Sarah; sons Daniel, Robert (wife Mary), Benjamin (wife Phebe), & John; daughters Lydia Sawdey (dec'd), Sarah (wife of Job King), Ruth (wife of Obediah Dennis); and several grandchildren, children of Lydia; and friend Constant Hart.

Ebenezer married Hannah GIFFORD Abt 1725. Hannah (daughter of Benjamin GIFFORD and Sarah TOMPKINS) was born 8 May 1710, Dartmouth, Bristol Co., MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Hannah is mentioned as a daughter and also as wife of Ebenezer Fish in the will of her father Benjamin Gifford dated 6 Mar 1754.

William married Keziah GIFFORD Abt 1738. Keziah (daughter of Stephen GIFFORD and Mary Unknown) was born 27 Feb 1719/20, Dartmouth, MA; died Sep 1768, Tiverton, RI. [Group Sheet]

Recompense married Susannah TABOR abr 1752. Susannah died Bef 27 Feb 1803. [Group Sheet]