Jersey · Marblehead, Massachusetts · Westerly, Rhode Island

Philip Gavett: a Jersey deed and a letter to his son

A 1696 property sale bridges the Atlantic. A 1713 letter brings the same ancestor's family life into focus.

On 25 August 1696, Philip Gavett, then living in Marblehead, sold property in Jersey. The published genealogy quotes the deed identifying him as the son of Martin Gavey and Elisabeth. The deed was recorded on 10 September 1696 in Suffolk Registry of Deeds, volume 17, folio 290.

This is a specific documentary bridge between the Jersey and New England families. The genealogy calls his mother Elizabeth Macken. The deed establishes her given name and relationship; the maiden name comes from the accompanying genealogy. It does not validate every much earlier generation in a compiled tree.

On 7 December 1713, after Hannah's death, Philip wrote to his son Ezekiel asking for help moving his tools, bedding and household belongings. He considered a small sloop or horse-carts and hoped the trip could fit around planting time.

The same source describes a carpenter's plane stamped P.G. and a translation Philip made of a French religious work. Together, the records reveal a craftsman who could also undertake a substantial literary task.

Sources and further reading

• Some Prudence Island Allens — Gavey section, G3–G4