From Slavery to Freedom: Three Centuries of a Black Family in Jamaica Plain
A Search for the Truth
In Jamaica Plain during the first half of the nineteenth century, in spidery handwriting, two ministers recorded the deaths of eight people identified as “negro” (1801-12), “black” (1818-35) and “colored” (1837) in the historical ledgers of First Church in Jamaica Plain, Unitarian Universalist. Many of the deceased shared the names of Bridgham/Brigham [1] and Giles.
Who were these people and what were their stories? In 2022, church members and members of Hidden Jamaica Plain set out to learn more. At first, we speculated that the people might have been enslaved by members of the First Church congregation in the 1700s since we knew of congregants who were enslavers. We also thought that perhaps there were two separate families, the Bridghams and the Giles.
Over years of research, a remarkable multi-generational story emerged of a single free Black family whose history spanned three centuries and intertwined with the history of Jamaica Plain as well as the Indigenous and Black communities of neighboring West Roxbury, Canton, Dedham, Milton and Boston.
Peter Bridgham started a family that endured through four generations. The entire family tree is in Appendix 2.
Peter Bridgham (1714 - 1801)
From his 1801 death record stating that Peter Bridgham died at age 87, we can surmise that Peter was born around 1714.[2] However, nothing concrete is known about the circumstances in which he was born. In the early 1700s, English colonists often enslaved Africans and Indigenous people to provide the labor to build their estates and operate their farms, households and businesses. In eighteenth-century Boston, one of every four households enslaved one or more people.[3] Boston had an active slave trade from 1638 throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.[4] It is unknown whether Peter was born in Massachusetts. It is possible he was kidnapped from Africa, survived the brutal enslavement voyage, and was purchased by a resident of Boston or Jamaica Plain (then part of Roxbury).[5]
However, by working backwards from historic records, it seems more likely that Peter might have been born in Jamaica Plain which was then known as Roxbury. Peter eventually came to own land on Centre Street in what is now a part of the Arnold Arboretum near Allandale Road across from Faulkner Hospital. Nearby, further along today’s Walter Street, was the estate of Colonel William Dudley. And Dudley’s papers reveal the first mention of Peter.
In 1743, Col. William Dudley died unexpectedly intestate and his estate was probated. At that time, an enslaved man listed as Peter was valued at 170 pounds.[6] Seven years later, he was sold to an unidentified buyer for 300 pounds in 1750.[7] Given the sparse population of the time, it is likely Peter was the man who came to be known as Peter Bridgham.
Col. William Dudley came from a family of enslavers. His father Joseph Dudley, a former Royal Governor of Massachusetts from 1702 to 1715, willed his “servants” (a “servant for life” meant an enslaved person who was property and could be bought and sold) to his wife upon his death in 1721.[8] Joseph Dudley also left his 150-acre farm in Roxbury to his son William.
Map of Lands in the Arnold Arboretum about 1770, “From Notes on the Early Uses of Land Now in the Arnold Arboretum” by Hugh M. Raup [9]
Son Col. William Dudley enslaved four people at the time of his own death in 1743: “a negro man named Peter, a negro man named Quam, a negro boy named Caesar, and an old negro woman named, Flora.”[10] In 2024, the City of Boston would rename a street near the Arnold Arboreum “Flora Way” in her honor. Is it possible that Flora was also Peter’s mother?
Another confounding issue is Peter’s last name. The first record including the Bridgham name was in 1744 when a daughter was born to Peter and his wife. When did Peter start using the last name of Bridgham and why? A White Bridgham family was among the original colonizers of Boston and they were also enslavers[11] but so far, no evidence has appeared to link Peter to them.
Peter’s Family: The Next Generation Begins
While he was still enslaved by Col. William Dudley, Peter married Betty [also known as Elizabeth] Crummel in 1741 when Peter would have been about 28 years old. Betty’s enslaver is not listed so perhaps she was a free woman.[12] When Peter and Betty baptized daughter Phebe “Bridgton” in 1744, the baptismal listing states “d. [daughter] of servant [referring to Peter] to Col. W[illia]m Dudley’s heirs.”[13] Note that it states “servant” in the singular, not plural. In the 1700s, children born to enslaved mothers were typically enslaved as well, but children of Indigenous mothers were usually free.
According to church records, Peter and Betty had three, possibly four, children: Phebe, born 1744, Peter born 1754,[14] and Simon, born 1759.[15] Son Peter may have died at an early age because there appear to be no records of him other than his birth. Another possible child is recorded in 1741, the year Peter and Betty married, as a Peter, “son of Peter,” with no last name.[16] Was he perhaps a first Peter who died in infancy and then the parents named their next son Peter as well? This was a common practice at the time.
Peter Buys Land in Jamaica Plain
Sometime between 1750 when Peter was sold to an unidentified buyer and 1772, Peter became a free man. In his will, he described himself as a laborer and apparently, he saved his money. In August 1772, Peter purchased a quarter acre of land from John Morey (1738-1800) on the Country Road to Dedham (also referred to as the Upper Road to Dedham, now Centre Street), a parcel that is currently part of the Arnold Arboretum. Peter paid six pounds, thirteen shillings, and four pence. The deed was finalized in 1774.[17] Peter’s ability to purchase land confirms that he was a free man by that time.
The Massachusetts & Maine 1798 tax records show that Peter also owned or worked 12 acres of land on the other side of Upper Road, land speculated to be adjacent to the Dudley property. According to 1798 tax records, Peter’s land was valued at $140 [18] and the 12 acres were valued at $338.58.[19]
In the 1790 Federal Census Peter was listed as “Head of Family” and five people were listed under the heading “All Other Free Persons.”[20] Most likely the five other people included some combination of Peter’s wife Betty, his son Simon and his daughter Phebe, her husband Boston, their daughter Zilpha (age 13) or son Simeon (age 10). In the 1800 Federal Census, three other people in addition to Peter were listed in the household. Given other evidence, it is fair to speculate that Betty and Boston died between the two censuses and that possibly Simon was no longer living in the household.
Peter Prepares His Legacy
"Dec. 1 [1801], Peter Bridgham – a negro aged 87. Old age." First Church in Jamaica Plain death records.
In 1799, Peter Bridgham created a will and signed it with an “X.”[21] It is likely that Betty had already died by that time because she is not mentioned in the will. Two years later in 1801, Peter died at 87 of “Old age.”[22] One of his 1801 probate documents indicated that there was a $20,000 bond on his estate.[23] Today that would be almost half a million dollars. Why was such an enormous bond required? Does a possible explanation lie within Peter’s will? Did his son Simon play a part?
Peter Bridgham’s 1799 Will
In the Name of God Amen I Peter Bridgham of Roxbury in the County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts Labourer being advanced in years but of sound disposing mind & memory blessed be Almighty God for the same do make and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament ------
First. I give to my Son Simon Bridgham the sum of fifty dollars ten dollars of it to be paid yearly until the whole shall be paid------
Secondly. All the residue and remainder of my Estate real and personal I give and devise to my Daughter Phebe Boston her heirs & assigns to her and their use forever: But I order that she and they permit the said Simon during his natural Life in his own proper Person to occupy one half of my mansion House in Roxbury but this shall not authorize him to permit any person or persons to occupy the same half as I mean it to be a personal privilege to himself but in case he should claim any debts against my Estate then I revoke all that I have bequeath’d to him except one dollar which I give him.
Lastly. I appoint the said Phebe sole Executrix of this my last will and do revoke all former Wills by me made In Witness whereof I the said Peter have hereto set my hand & Seal this twenty fourth Day of December A.D. seventeen hundred & ninety nine.
His
Peter X Bridgham
Mark
Signed seal’d Published & Declared by this afore- named Testator Peter Bridgham to be his last Will in presence of us who at his request in his presence & in presence of each other have hereto subscribed our names to Witnesses—
John Davis
Stephen Payson
James Hunting
Did Peter Work for Samuel Adams?
Peter Bridgham’s property appears on one of two Hales maps developed in 1832.
An early Jamaica Plain historian suggested in 1878 that an “Old Peter” worked for Samuel Adams, the Governor (1794 - 1797) of Massachusetts. In 1794, Adams purchased for his retirement the Peacock Tavern and 40 acres of land across the Upper Road from Peter Bridgham’s quarter acre. Adams was said to suffer from tremors, an indicator that Adams might have needed assistance of some kind. It is plausible that Peter Bridgham was “Old Peter.”[24]
Is the Arboretum’s Peters Hill Named for Peter Bridgham?
Another question this research raises is whether the Arnold Arboretum’s “Peters Hill” might have been named for Peter Bridgham. The twelve acres shown in the 1798 tax records that Peter owned or worked were located on the other side of Upper Road, land adjacent to the Dudley property. That property would have been near Walter Street and today’s Flora Way, not far from where the Arboretum’s “Peters Hill” is located.
There is some evidence from the 1800s pointing to the naming of the hill for Peter Bridgham. In 1854, the New England Historical and Genealogical Register published a complete list of burial inscriptions for West Roxbury’s “Central Burial Ground, ‘Peters’ Hill,” today known as the Walter Street Burying Ground.[25] Later, in 1885, the Boston Journal published an article “Where Peter’s Hill Lie” which comments on the location and ownership of the hill at that time. The article states, “The hill at one time was in the possession of a colored man named Peters, a slave, who supposed he had a title, but in a [law]suit he was dispossessed, and the property passed to Mr. Whitney and was subsequently conveyed to Mr. Benjamin Bussey, who left his entire estate to Harvard College which now holds it.”[26]
It is also possible that the hill was named for a Peters family that owned a large parcel of land nearby in what is today Roslindale.
Peter’s Son Simon Bridgham (1759 - 1837)
Simon Bridgham (colored man) aged 80 – Old age. Mr. Whitney [minister]." First Church in Jamaica Plain death records.
Peter Bridgham’s will makes clear that he was concerned about his son Simon’s actions after his death. Simon must have given him cause to write such restrictions.
No information has been found to date about Simon’s occupation or other activities. However, three marriages or marriage intentions were recorded for Simon. In 1784, a marriage record at North Church, an Anglican Church in Boston, appeared for Simon Bridgham and Sally Sheldon.[27] Unlike most church records at that time, these vital records did not indicate that Simon and Sally were Black or Negro. Simon would have been approximately 25 years old.
In 1797, when Simon would have been about 38, records show his intention to marry Judah Edey.[28] No records were found of an actual marriage. A David “Brigham” was born around 1799, based upon his death record at Third Parish of Roxbury, now the First Church in Jamaica Plain. He may have been the son of Judah and Simon. David died of cholera in 1832 at the age of 33.[29]
In 1804, three years after his father Peter Bridgham’s death, Simon at 45 years old announced his intention to marry Mrs. Hannah Roe (who was approximately 20 years old) which was included among the non-Black records of the Roxbury Vital Records.[30] Their actual marriage was recorded later in the “Negro” section as taking place on April 5, 1804.[31]
Simon Bridgham was listed in the 1810 [32] and 1830 [33] Federal censuses. He was listed as head of household for five and seven members, respectively. The seven residents listed in the 1830 census included:
One male between 55 and 100. In 1830, Simon would have been about 71 years old.
Two males between 36 and 54. These could have been sons from one of Simon’s previous marriages, or other relatives, or friends not related. David from Simon’s liaison with Judah Edey would have been 31 in 1830. Did he have his own household or was he accidentally included in the 36-54 age category by a careless census taker?
Two males under 10 years of age. Possibly grandchildren?
One female between 36 and 54. In 1830, Simon’s wife Hannah would have been 46.
One female between 24 and 35. Possibly David’s wife? Or Simon’s daughter from one of his previous marriages? Possibly the mother of the “Two males under 10 years of age”?
Simon’s wife Hannah (Roe) Bridgham died of “inflammation of the windpipe” in 1834 at the age of 50.[34] Simon died of “Old age” in 1837 with his age recorded as 80.[35] Both records are at the First Church in Jamaica Plain.
Peter’s Daughter Phebe Bridgham Boston/Giles (1744 - 1818)
Peter Bridgham’s daughter Phebe, born in 1744, married a man named Boston [Giles] in 1776 when she was about 32 years old. The marriage certificate indicates that both Phebe and Boston were free at that time. Phebe’s status as a free woman would be consistent with Peter’s purchase of land in 1772 as a free man.[36] There is evidence that Boston was a free man from a 1786 probate for a debt from a William Dudley (a different one from the Colonel) to a Boston Giles of 10 pounds, 10 shillings, 7 pence.[37]
After her marriage, Phebe may have used the name Boston as her last name, evidenced by the fact that her father Peter listed her in his 1799 will as “Phebe Boston.” In 1777, Phebe Bridgham and Boston (Giles) had a daughter named Zilpha Boston.[38] It appears that Phebe had taken Boston’s first name as her last name, and thus Zilpha was born with the last name Boston. Zilpha married Cuff Sumner on November 4, 1801 at age 24. She died at age 27 in Roxbury in 1804.[39]
In 1780, Phebe and Boston had a child named Simeon. Simeon used the last name “Giles” and was known as Simeon Giles. Based on the 1790 census of Peter Bridgham’s household, Phebe along with her husband and child may have lived with her parents.
Not much is known about Phebe except that she inherited the majority of her father’s estate and was appointed his executor. It was Phebe who had to deal with the $20,000 bond issued against Peter’s estate. She died in 1818 at age 71 of “Bilious Cholick,” a historical term used to describe a type of abdominal pain often associated with gallbladder issues. It refers to the pain of biliary colic, now commonly known as a gallstone attack.[40]
"1818, April 17. Phebe Giles (a black) aged 71 years. Bilious Cholick. Thos. Gray [minister]." First Church in Jamaica Plain death records.
Peter Bridgham’s Grandson: Simeon Giles (1780 - 1858)
Site of Peter Bridgham House in the Arnold Arboretum
Simeon Giles was born as a free Black person in 1780 to Phebe Bridgham Boston/Giles and Boston Giles. He was the grandson of Peter Bridgham. It is likely that he grew up on Peter’s Jamaica Plain property near Centre Street and Allandale Road because the 1790 census listed five other people living with Peter in his house. Peter died when Simeon was 21, so Simeon would have known his grandfather well. It is also likely that Simeon would have known his grandmother Betty who died likely prior to 1799.
placard for Simeon Giles Homestead Site
In addition, it is possible that Simeon might have engaged with his father Boston Giles’s relatives. There is circumstantial evidence that Dinah Giles, who died in 1801 at age 80, may have been Simeon’s grandmother. Her death record states that she died “at the work house.”[41] Dinah Giles, Phebe Giles, Simeon Giles and his son Joseph Giles are all included in the records of First Church in Jamaica Plan.
When Simeon’s mother, Phebe died in 1818, 38-year-old Simeon inherited the property that was originally deeded to Peter Bridgham by John Morey in 1772.[42] At that point, Simeon became a landowner and homeowner, in addition to already being a farmer and laborer who had spent much of his life in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury.
Simeon Starts a Family and Tragedies Decimate It
In 1821, at the age 41, Simeon married Hannah Robbins, age 20, at the First Parish Church in Dedham.[43] Hannah was the daughter of blacksmith Joseph Robbins and his wife Venice (or Venus) Thacher of Milton. Hannah, born in 1801, was the oldest of eight children.[44]
In 1822, Hannah gave birth to a son Joseph, likely named for her father. In 1832, Simeon and Hannah had a daughter, Phoebe Ann, probably named for Simeon’s mother. Joseph and Phoebe Ann were Peter Bridgham’s great grandchildren.
Less than a year later, tragedy struck the family. In February 1833, Hannah disappeared while walking from her parents’ house in Dedham to her home in Jamaica Plain. Her husband and her parents ran multiple advertisements, begging the public’s assistance in finding her. They described her clothing— “a small silk hood, check plaid cloak with small cape, a blue calico gown and a cashmere shawl”— and the fact that “she had previously shown symptoms of a deranged mind.”[45] It is possible that Hannah was experiencing post-partum depression. About one month later in March 1833, Hannah’s body was discovered, unclothed, in Roxbury’s Muddy Pond Woods, and it was supposed that she perished from cold and fatigue or possibly “paradoxical undressing” due to hypothermia. It is also possible that Hannah was abducted and murdered. Hannah was 31 years old when she died.[46]
Simeon and 11-year-old Joseph continued their lives in Jamaica Plain. It appears that throughout this time the infant Phoebe Ann was left in the loving care of her grandparents on East Street in Dedham. Sadly, two years later in 1835, the family experienced a second tragedy. Joseph died at age 13 of “Typhus Fever.” He was buried through the 3rd Parish of Roxbury (today First Church in JP), and Simeon’s name appears as Joseph’s father in the church records.[47]
"June 24 [1835]. Joseph, Son of Simeon Giles, aged 13 yrs (a black), Typhus fever – Buried 29th, Sunday afternoon. Geo. Whitney [minister]." First Church in Jamaica Plain death records.
Simeon and His Daughter Phoebe Ann Move on with Their Lives
In 1839, Simeon purchased two pieces of land from Robert Seaver “with the buildings thereon,” bound on two of its sides by Burroughs and Centre Street, near what is today’s Eliot Hall.[48] He paid $500.00 for it. What prompted this purchase? Perhaps Simeon intended to move closer to the center of Jamaica Plain or possibly it was a financial investment. In any event, Simeon’s plans must not have materialized or possibly he was unable to keep up with the mortgage payments because two years later in August 1841, Simeon sold mortgages on the land for $550.33 to John D. Weld.[49] In the 1850 Directory of Roxbury, Simeon Giles is listed as living at “Centre Street above Jamaica Plain,” probably referring to the land Simeon inherited from his grandfather Peter Bridgham.[50] His occupation is listed as “Laborer.”
In 1849, at age 17, Phoebe Ann Giles married 28-year-old Thomas F. Bancroft,[51] a bootmaker and cordwainer, and a member of the Ponkapoag tribe in Canton. Since the 1600s, Africans and Indigenous people in Massachusetts had been intermarrying. The relationships between these communities began in early colonial Massachusetts when most enslaved Africans were men, and colonial wars had decimated Indigenous male populations. Indigenous women were legally free, meaning any children the couple produced would also be free.[52]
The 1850 Federal Census showed the couple living in Canton with Adam Wood: “Phebe” Bancroft (18), Thomas Bancroft (29) and Adam Wood (16).[53] Adam was likely a relative of Thomas, whose mother was Elizabeth Wood Bancroft. Ten years later, the 1860 Federal Census showed the couple living with three different men, all bootmakers.[54]
Phoebe Ann’s Marriage Brings Extended Family to Simeon Giles
The marriage seems to have brought the Giles and Bancroft families together in other ways as well. According to the 1850 Federal Census, Simeon Giles, then age 70, living at his inherited house on the hill on Centre Street, was the Head of Household and another family was living with him: John Bancroft, John’s wife Hannah Harrison Bancroft, and their three children (John Henry, Mary Elizabeth and Stephen).[55] John Bancroft was the uncle of Simeon’s son-in-law Thomas F. Bancroft. John had married Hannah Harrison in 1837.[56] The 1855 Census shows the Bancroft family was still living with 75-year-old Simeon Giles, but the only Bancroft child listed that year was their middle child, Mary Elizabeth.[57] Stephen most likely died in childhood because he is not in the 1855 census when he would have been 11 years old.[58]
Unfortunately, life was not calm in Simeon’s household. In 1856, White neighbor Henry Sweetzer walked in on a drunken John Bancroft beating his wife. In a rage at Sweetzer’s intervention, John grabbed an iron bar and inflicted a wound that resulted in Sweetzer’s death. Simeon Giles, his daughter Phoebe Ann Bancroft and John Bancroft’s son, John Henry Bancroft, all testified at the trial. John Bancroft was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in the Charlestown Prison.[59]
More on the John Bancroft family:
The oldest Bancroft child, John Henry Bancroft, served in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a Union Army regiment formed during the American Civil War, one of the first to be composed entirely of African American men and led by Robert Gould Shaw, a West Roxbury resident. John Henry fought at Fort Wagner, SC, and died a hero in 1863 at age 27.[60] This is the regiment featured in the film “Glory.”
Also in 1863, John Bancroft’s widow, Hannah Harrison Bancroft, married Jeremiah Bancroft, the nephew of her late husband and the brother of Phoebe Ann’s husband Thomas.[61] These four families—the Giles, Robbins, Harrisons and Bancrofts—were closely intertwined through their marriages.
Simeon Giles Prepares His Will
Perhaps as a result of the violence that took place in his home, Simeon prepared his will in 1856 and left everything to his daughter, Phoebe Ann.[62] The Executor of the will was James Longley. Simeon’s assets included land and a dwelling house worth $500, bank notes and $1,008.35. He made it very clear in his will that all of the assets were for the “sole use of Phoebe Ann, independent of her husband, Thomas F. Bancroft during her lifetime.” Paid in installments, Simeon’s money provided Phoebe Ann with a cushion of support that may have given her options if she decided she was trapped in an unhappy marriage. Also included in the will was a piece of property “about eleven and one half acres of land with buildings theron situated in Canton in said county of Norfolk on the northerly side of South Street.”[63] At a later date to benefit Phoebe Ann Bancroft, this property was sold for $300 because the “real estate is unproductive.”[64]
Simeon Giles died in 1858 at age 77. At the Arnold Arboretum, a marker at the site notes the location of the homestead of Simeon Giles. Most likely this is the land that Simeon inherited from his mother, Phebe Bridgham (Giles), originally purchased in 1772 by his grandfather Peter Bridgham.
Local historians have introduced some confusion into the chronology. Jamaica Plain author Harriet Manning Whitcomb suggested that Simeon Giles is buried next to “Old Peter” on “the little hill,” which could be the Walter Street Burying Ground.[65] She identified “Old Peter” as Simeon’s father. However, it seems more likely he would have been Simeon’s grandfather, Peter Bridgham. Whatever the case, no enduring headstones or burial markers for either man exist.
Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft (1832 - 1908)
Phoebe Ann continued to live with her husband Thomas in Canton for a time after her father’s 1858 death. As noted above, Phoebe Ann and Thomas lived in Canton until at least 1860 when the Federal Census recorded them there. Apparently, her father’s foresight in providing income to Phoebe Ann through his will enabled her to separate from Thomas and live on her own until her death.
In 1870, Phoebe A. Bancroft, age 39, was living in Canton with Clementina Butcher, age 29. Her vocation was listed as “keeping house.” From 1873 to 1878 Boston and Brookline city directories show Phoebe Ann living in “Rockland near Shawmut Ave” and “Rockland, Ward 23” in Boston. From 1882 until 1905, Phoebe Ann’s address appeared as “Rockland opp. Chapel” in Boston.[66]
After Phoebe Ann’s separation from Thomas, she worked as a housekeeper and as a seamstress. It is possible that she learned this trade from her aunt Lydia Robbins, the sister of her mother, Hannah Robbins Giles, who died when Phoebe Ann was an infant. At one time, Lydia had worked as a seamstress at the Quincy family home.[67] Lydia Robbins held the deed for 165 East Street in Dedham until her death in 1888, and Phoebe Ann was the Executor of her Aunt Lydia’s estate.[68]
In 1905 Phoebe Ann moved back to 165 East Street in Dedham, which was the Robbins’s family home. It is fair to speculate that Phoebe Ann spent much of her childhood at this address with her mother’s relatives. However, it is clear that she also maintained a relationship with her father, Simeon.
Thomas F. Bancroft, The Boston Globe, November 2, 1903
In the intervening years, Phoebe Ann’s husband Thomas Bancroft fought in the Civil War in Company G of the Massachusetts 5th Colored Volunteer Cavalry of the Union Army.[69] Thomas served as a Saddler’s Sergeant, a non-commissioned officer rank within the military, particularly in the cavalry. Specifically, Thomas would have been responsible for the maintenance and repair of saddlery, the leather goods used in horse equipment.[70]
Thomas joined the regiment when it was organized in early1864 at Camp Meigs, Readville, today a part of Hyde Park. He served from May 1864 until he returned in November 1865. The regiment fought in Virginia and Maryland. Then, in June 1865, Thomas’s regiment was sent to the Rio Grande in Texas as a show of U.S. military strength against French forces then in control of Mexico.[71] They mustered out of Federal service at Clarksville, Texas, on October 31, 1865, and immediately started for Massachusetts, making most of the trip by steamer. Arriving in Boston Harbor, the regiment landed at Gallop's Island where Thomas remained until November when he was paid and discharged.[72]
Thomas F. Bancroft lived for the rest of his life in Canton where he died in 1903 at age 85 and was buried at Maplewood Cemetery in Stoughton.[73] He was celebrated in Canton for his service in the Civil War as evidenced by his obituary and several newspaper articles. It is interesting to note that Phoebe Ann is not mentioned in his obituary or in any of the feature articles about his life.
Phoebe Ann Bancroft Applies for a Pension
In 1905 at age 72, Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft applied for a Civil War pension after the 1903 death of her husband, Thomas. In her deposition Phoebe Ann testified that they were married on June 11, 1849 in North Stoughton, MA. The marriage was verified by Walter Ames, the Town Clerk of Canton. Although Phoebe Ann and Thomas separated before the war and had lived separately for 40 years, they never divorced.
Phoebe Ann explained that she lived happily with her husband for about two years. However, she left him when he began drinking and abused her. At one point Phoebe Ann returned home when Thomas promised her that he would change. Thomas urgently requested that Phoebe Ann buy some property in Canton with money that was left to her by her father, Simeon Giles. She testified that she purchased some land that included a house and had a barn built on the land. For a time, they were happy. Phoebe Ann says, “We were nicely situated, a good farm, a good house and a new barn.”[74]
Unfortunately, their situation became unbearable when Thomas began drinking again and continued to abuse Phoebe Ann. She left him for good in 1863. Phoebe Ann states “In 1863, I was quite sick, and he would get no one to care for me, drinking and card playing were now going on almost every day and night. I was taken into a neighbor’s house where I stayed until I recovered and then I went out to work. I left him and never went back.”
After Phoebe Ann recovered, she moved to Boston to work. Thomas moved to Philadelphia for a few months to work as a brick layer, but he soon returned to Canton and lived there until his death.
Several witnesses submitted affidavits in support of Phoebe Ann, including Julia Conlon, Lydia Gerrish, Mary Croud, George Farrington and William Ratcliff. Julia Conlon stated that she had known Phoebe Ann for 38 years and says that she “is of excellent character and of good repute, I have always heard her well spoken by everybody. I didn’t know her husband, I have heard about him: that he abused her and she left him.” William Ratcliff, who was a manufacturer of cardigan jackets and was Phoebe Ann’s employer, wrote that he knew Phoebe Ann for 40 years. He remarks that “she has a good reputation as to character and for truth and veracity. She has been in poor health for the last two years and is a subject of charity.”[75]
The Special Examiner, Charles Fairbanks, says “This claimant sustains a very good reputation for veracity, and her character is above reproach.” He states that the only “biased” witness is Jeremiah Bancroft, the brother of Thomas F. Bancroft, because “he tried to get appointed administrator of the estate, and the claimant would not sign the necessary papers.” Phoebe Ann’s affidavit demonstrates that she advocated very clearly and strongly for herself. Phoebe Ann worked as a housekeeper and a seamstress in Boston for about 40 years and lived the final three years of her life as a boarder in her childhood home in Dedham. Her story is remarkable.
Phoebe Ann lived at 165 East Street from 1905 until her death at age 76 in 1908. Her “Return of a Death” document lists her as “Retired” and “Widowed” although she and Thomas had been living separately for many years.[76] Her occupation was recorded as “Seamstress.” Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft is buried in an unmarked grave on Eglantine Path in Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham.
There is no evidence that Phoebe Ann and Thomas Bancroft had any children. Members of First Church in JP and Hidden Jamaica Plain will continue to research the Bridgham, Giles, Bancroft and Robbins families in hope of discovering new threads that might lead to descendants of other branches. Open questions and suggestions for further research include:
Where was Peter Bridgham born?
Could Flora listed in Colonel Dudley’s estate have been Peter Bridgham’s mother?
How did Peter Bridgham gain his freedom?
How did Peter Bridgham get his last name?
Was Peter’s wife Betty Crummell Indigenous? The name Cromwell is used by a family of Mashpee Wampanoag people.
Who were the children, if any, of Peter Bridgham’s son Simon?
Why would a bond of $20,000 be put on Peter Bridgham’s estate in 1801?
Are there birth records for Boston (Giles?), Simeon Giles and his children Phoebe Ann and Joseph?
Where are they buried? Peter Bridgham, Betty (Elizabeth) Crummel, Phebe Bridgham, Boston Giles, Simeon Giles, Joseph Giles, Hannah Robbins Giles?
Are there living descendants of Simon Bridgham or Zilpha Boston (Giles?) Sumner?
Who were the parents of Nan Bridgham (baby)?
Can the Bridgham and Bancroft family trees be added to a public genealogy site so that descendants can find them?
The authors gratefully acknowledge Catherine Sasanov, Wayne Tucker and Riley Sutherland for their generous support and their contributions to our volunteer research efforts.
This article is based on materials available at the time of publication (March 2026). Information may change as research continues and more materials are uncovered.
Note on the Authors: Hidden Jamaica Plain
Note on Terminology
Appendix 1
The ministers of Third Parish of Roxbury, today known as First Church in Jamaica Plan, Unitarian Universalist, recorded the deaths of eight Black people (as transcribed from original records):
Died, Dec. 1, 1801, Peter Bridgham, a negro aged 87 of "Old age." The Rev. Thomas Gray
Died, July 10, 1812, Othello Cutler, a negro aged 45 of Dropsy. Thomas. Gray
Died, April 17, 1818, Phebe Giles, (a black) aged 71 of Bilious Cholick. Thomas. Gray
Died, October 22, 1832, David Brigham, a black man, aged 33 years of Cholera morbus. Thomas Gray
Died, June 13, 1834, Hannah Brigham, a black, aged 50 years, of Inflammation of the windpipe. Thomas Gray
Buried on Sunday, the 15th,
Died, May 14, 1835, Hannah Thomas, (a black) aged 22 years of Lung Fever.
Buried Saturday afternoon, the 16th. Rev. George Whitney
Died, June 24, 1835, Joseph, Son of Simeon Giles, aged 13 yr. (a black) of Typhus fever.
Buried Sunday afternoon the 28th. George Whitney
Died, Dec. 3, 1837, Simon Bridgham, a (colored man) aged 80 of Old age. George Whitney
Appendix 2
The two family trees below connect through the marriage of Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft and Thomas F. Bancroft.
Peter Bridgham Family
Thomas F. Bancroft Family
End Notes
[1] Bridgham and Brigham were two different spellings of the same name. Eighteenth century documents often show variations of the same name depending on who was doing the recording.
[2] Death of Peter Bridgham: Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, v. 1, p. 680
[5] “Jamaica” was the name used for the western part of Roxbury up to the Dedham line from the 1600s to early 1800s
[6] Wm. Dudley probate inventory— Suffolk County Probate Records, vol. 42. p. 333. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YT-Q15
[7] Wm Dudley probate file, p. 28—sale of Peter for 300 pounds Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017-2019. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2735/rd/48705/7943-co28/1416817444
[8] Will of Joseph Dudley—p. 2 of will; gives “servants” to wife (and 150 acre farm in Roxbury to son William Dudley. Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017-2019. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2735/t/48704/4308-co2/1416787072
[9] Notes on the Early Uses of Land Now in the Arnold Arboretum by Hugh M. Raup, Bulletin of Popular Information (Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University), series 4, Vol. 3, No. 9/12 (December 23, 1935) pp. 41-74
[10] Wm. Dudley probate inventory— Suffolk County Probate Records, vol. 42. p. 333. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YT-Q15
[11] Joseph Bridgham—Probate inventory, 1709—two Negros valued at 60 pounds; case 3201, page 6 Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017-2019. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org)
[12] Marriage of Peter Bridgham and Betty Crummell Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850, p. 449 https://archive.org/details/vitalrecordsofroroxb_0
[13] Birth of Phebe Brigham (Bridgton) Bridgton, Phebe, d. of servant to Col. W[illia]m Dudley’s heirs, Nov. 1744. Given the clarity in the church baptism records on who the parents were, it is likely that the minister or church clerk misspelled the Bridgham name as Bridgton. Name misspellings were common during this period., Vital Records of Roxbury, MA to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1, p 397
[14] Birth of Peter Bridgham Peter, s. Peter and Betty, bp. July 14, 1754. c. R. 2. , Vital Records of Roxbury, MA to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1, p. 398
[15] Birth of Simon Bridgham, Vital Records of Roxbury, MA to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1, p. 398
[16] Birth of Peter (no surname) Peter, s, Peter, bp. Oct.\11, 1741;.c. r. 2. , Vital Records of Roxbury, MA to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1, p. 398
[17] Land transfer for Morey to Bridgham 1772, 1774 images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Z3-98VY?cc=2106411&wc=MCB5-2Z9%3A361613401%2C362200001 : 22 May 2014), Suffolk > Deeds 1773-1775 vol 124-126 > image 379 of 874; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
[18] Peter’s land tax for dwelling and ¼ acre—1798 Massachusetts and Maine: Direct Tax, 1798. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003.) Original manuscript: Direct tax list of 1798 for Massachusetts and Maine, 1798. R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA. (Vol. 8, p. 4) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB183/rd/13109/4/235275305
[19] Peter’s land tax for 12 acres—1798 Massachusetts and Maine: Direct Tax, 1798. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003.) Original manuscript: Direct tax list of 1798 for Massachusetts and Maine, 1798. R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA. (V.8, page 86) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB183/rd/13109/86/235276288
[20] Peter Bridgham on 1790 census "Massachusetts, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYG-9MXK?view=index : Feb 6, 2025), image 559 of 771; United States. National Archives and Records Administration.
[21] Peter Bridgham’s will Norfolk County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1793-1877. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2019. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2739/t/51352/2510-co4/1421047490
[22] Death of Peter Bridgham Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, v. 1, p. 680
[23] Peter Bridgham probate--$20,000 bond Norfolk County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1793-1877. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2019. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2739/t/51352/2510-co8/1421047494
[24] Samuel Adams purchase of Peacock Tavern Within the tenth chapter of "The Town of Roxbury, Massachusetts: Its Memorable Persons and Places, Its History and Antiquities With Numerous Illustrations of Its Old Landmarks and Noted Personages" by Francis S. Drake. Published October, 1878.
[25] New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 8, 1854, page 243
[26] “Where Peter’s Hill Lie,” Boston Journal (Boston, Massachusetts) LII, no. 17209, September 2, 1885: Readex: America’s historical Newspapers
[27] Marriage of Simon Bridgham and Sally Sheldon—3 sources
a. Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927 "Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927", FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCQT-SQZ : Thu May 23 01:48:49 UTC 2024), Entry for Simon Bridgham and Sally Sheldon, 3 Oct 1784.
b. Boston, MA: Marriages, 1700-1809. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006), Originally published as: Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, Containing the Boston Marriages from 1700 to 1751 (Vol. 28), Boston, Municipal Printing office, 1898. Records Relating to the Early History of Boston, Containing Boston Marriages from 1752 to 1809 (vol. 30), Boston, Municipal Printing Office, 1903.
https://www.americanancestors.org/DB174/rd/7455/453/248685205
c. Marriage of Simon Bridgham and Sally Sheldon Boston Marriage, 1752-1809, of the Boston Record Commissioners https://tinyurl.com/2z3hfj5b
Note: Christ Church is the official name of the church most people refer to as the Old North Church.
[28] Marriage intention of Simon Bridgham and Judah Edey p. 469 Boston, MA: Inhabitants and Estates of the Town of Boston, 1630-1822 (Thwing Collection). Inhabitants and Estates of the Town of Boston, 1630–1800 and The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston, 1630–1822. CD-ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB530/rd/14226/3783/260086594
[29] Death of David Brigham , Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850, v.1, p. 681 (C.R .3)
[30] Marriage intention of Simon Bridgham and Mrs. Hannah Roe, p.46 Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). https://www.americanancestors.org/DB190/rd/7788/46/141322864
[31] Marriage of Simon Bridgham and Mrs. Hannah Roe, p. 449 Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016). https://www.americanancestors.org/DB190/rd/7788/449/141333258
[32] Simon Bridgham (Brigham) on 1810 census for Norfolk County , "Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBD-96XX?view=index), image 467 of 541; United States. National Archives and Records Administration.
[33] Simon Bridgham (Simion Bidgeim) on 1830 Federal census for Norfolk County (2 pages)
"Massachusetts, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YTT-93K4?view=index : Feb 6, 2025), image 458 of 1042; United States. National Archives and Records Administration.
And
"Massachusetts, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYTT-93L1?view=index : Feb 6, 2025), image 459 of 1042; United States. National Archives and Records Administration.
[34] Death of Hannah (Roe) Bridgham , Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850, v.1, p. 681 (C.R .3)
[35] Death of Simon Bridgham, p. 68 “Boston, MA: Church Records, 1630-1895” The Records of the Churches of Boston. CD_ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008 https://www.americanancestors.org/DB31/rd/12391/68/138453562
[36] Phebe’s 1776 marriage to a man named “Boston”, Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850, Vol. 2, pg. 449: Roxbury Marriage Boston and Phebe, both free, July 28, 1776
A second record of the marriage is listed on the same volume. In that, Phebe is listed first. “PHEBE, and Boston, both free, July 28, 1776”, Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1850, Vol. 2, pg. 451
[37] Boston Giles (named in Willam Dudley Probate), William Dudley 1786 Probate: Suffolk County Probate File #18787:16
[38] Birth & Marriage of Zilpha Boston, Zilpha Boston's marriage is listed under the marriage record of her parents, Phebe and Boston, Vital Records of Roxbury, Vol. 2, pg. 449 "BOSTON, Zilpha, and Cuff Sumner, Nov. 4, 1801" Her birth date of 1777 is calculated by the date of her death in 1804 at the age of 27 (documented in #39)
[39] Death of Zilpha Boston Sumner, Hyde Park Birth & Death Record Indexes, image 516,: "The wife of Cuff Sumner (black) " died on the 25th of Nov., 1804 at age 27
[40] Death of Phebe Giles, Vital records of Roxbury, Vol. 2, pg. 681: Phebe bilious colic, Apr. 17, 1818, at 71 y., Buried by Roxbury 3rd Parish (CR3)
[41] Death of Dinah Giles, Vital Records of Roxbury, Vol. 2, pg. 681: Dinah Giles at the workhouse, Dec. 15, 1801, at 80 y., Buried by Roxbury 3rd Parish (CR3)
[42] Deed noting that Simeon Giles was the grandson of Peter Bridgham, Norfolk County Deeds, Vol. 271, 1858, pg. 231 Noted that land was passed from Peter Bridgham to his daughter, Phebe Brigham and then to her son, Simeon Giles
[43] Marriage of Simeon Giles and Hannah Robbins, Vital Records of Dedham, Vol. 1 & 2, pg. 215, Married at First Parish of Dedham by Rev. A. Lamson on 12/6.1821, Vital Records of Roxbury, Vol. 2, pg. 450, Int. on 3/11/1821, Robbins, Hannah of Needham and Simeon Giles, Dedham Church Records, pg. 121
[44] Birth of Hannah Robbins (Giles), Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, Birth Records 1635-1853, pg. 176, Hannah, Daughter of Joseph & Venice Robbins, born Dec. 27, 1801, Dedham Town Records, Vital Records, Image 640, pg. 145, Hannah, Daughter of Joseph & Venice Robbins, born Dec. 27, 1801
[45] Advertisements of Hannah’s disappearance, Dedham Patriot, 3/7/1833 & 3/21/1833, pg. 4, Norfolk Advertiser, 3/9/1833 & 3/16, 1833, pg. 3, Records of the Town of Dedham, Vol. 2, pg. 98 (Dedham Church Records)
[46] Death of Hannah Robbins Giles, Hannah was found dead at age 31 after being reported missing on 2/28/1833. Dedham Patriot Newspaper, 3/7 & 3/21, 1833, pg. 4, Norfolk Advertiser, 3/9 & 3/16, pg. 3, 1833, Boston Weekly Messenger, 4/4/1833, pg. 4, Records of the Town of Dedham, Vol. II, pg. 98
[47] Death of Joseph Giles, Vital Records of Roxbury, Vol. 2, pg. 681 Joseph, s. Of Simeon, typhus fever, June 24, 1835 @ 13 y. (CR3)
[48] Simeon’s Purchase of Property, Norfolk /city Deed Books, Land Records, 1839-1841, Vol. 126, Folio 113
[49] Simeon’s Sale of Property Norfolk City Deed Books, Land Records, 1840-1841, Vol. 131, Folio 104
[50] 1850 Residence of Simeon Giles Roxbury, Massachusetts City Directory 1850, City directories 1822-1995 of Roxbury, Massachusetts
[51] Marriage of Phoebe Ann Giles to Thomas F. Bancroft MyHeritage.com
[52] Jared Ross Hardesty, “A Generational Calculation? Black-Indian Intermarriage and Slavery in Colonial Massachusetts,” 2016
[53] Phoebe Ann and Thomas F. Bancroft lived in Canton in 1850 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Canton, Norfolk, Massachusetts, MyHeritage.com
[54] Phoebe Ann and Thomas F. Bancroft lived in Canton in 1860 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Canton, MA, Thomas F. Bancroft (38), Phoebe Ann Bancroft (28), John Talbot (32), John Leonard (28) & Edward Dewert (18), Dwelling #1871, PO South
[55] Simeon Giles Household in 1850 1850 Census Roxbury, MA, Simeon Giles is Head of Household with 5 members of the John Bancroft family. & Roxbury City Directory 1822-1995 (lists Simeon Giles at Centre above JP)
[56] Marriage of John Bancroft and Hannah Harrison, Vital Records of Roxbury, Vol. 2, pg. 449, Roxbury Marriages CR3, Married on 6/18/1837
[57] Simeon Giles Household in 1855 1855 Census Roxbury, Simeon Giles is Head of Household with 4 members of the Bancroft family.
[58] 1855 Census for Simeon Giles and Bancroft Family, U.S. Federal Census, West Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, Vol. 29, Norfolk-Sharon-Wenham, Page 135, AmericanAncestors.com
[59] John Bancroft’s Trial and Death Boston Traveler Newspaper, 9/4/1856, Boston Traveler Newspaper, 2/14/1856, The New York Daily Times, 9/2/1856
Norfolk County Court Judicial Court Record Index, 1855-1856, Vol. 16, 10/1856, Pg. 147-149, Commonwealth vs. John Bancroft Trial Transcript 9/23 & 9/24, 1856
John Bancroft (1836-1859) d. 3/5/1859, Charlestown MA at State Prison
[60] Death of John Henry Bancroft, National Park Service database of men who served in the 54th Afro-American civilwar,org/soldier/massachusetts-bancroft-john-age26 years-54th Massachusetts-infantry-adams-bell/
[61] Marriage of Hannah Harrison Bancroft and Jeremiah Bancroft #2, Vital Records of Canton, Vol. ?, pg.? Married on 1/29/1863
[62] Simeon Giles Will, U.S. Wills & Probate Records, 1635-1991, West Roxbury Case #7948, Vol. 100, pg. 137, Microfilm 102724578, Norfolk Country, MA Probate File Records 1793-1900, Probate 1858
[63] Deed for Land in Canton Owned by Simeon Giles Norfolk Deeds, Book 281, Folio 281
[64] Sale of Simeon’s Canton Land Sale of 11 and 1/2 acres in Canton for the benefit of Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft, "An offer has been made for $300. See Norfolk Deeds, libro 281, folio 281 (Film #102724578)", Norfolk City Deed Books, Land Records, 1839-1841, Vol. 131, Folio 113, See Norfolk Deeds, libro 281, folio 1840-1841, Vol. 131, pg.104, Film #102724578
[65] Harriet Manning Whitcomb Recollection of Simeon Harriet Manning Whitcomb (1839-1941) Annals and Reminiscences of Jamaica Plain (1897)
[66] Phoebe Ann Bancroft’s Residences, 1870 to 1905
U.S. Federal Census, Canton, Norfolk, Massachusetts, 1870, MyHeritage.com
Brookline, Massachusetts City Directory (1873, 1878)
Boston, Massachusetts City Directory (1877, 1882)
Dedham, Massachusetts City Directory, “bds At 165 East, Dedham” (1905, 1907)
[67] Lydia Robbins Worked for the Quincy Family “Lydia was in the service of the Quincy family for more than a quarter of a century.” From an article titled “Pen-Pictures of Old Times” about Joseph Robbins (Lydia’s and Hannah’s father) in the Dedham Historical Register, Vol. 1, 1890, pg. 101. The article included the following families: Robbins, Garrish, Johnson, Freeman, Harrison and Nichols.
[68] Phoebe Ann Bancroft as Executor of Lydia Robbins Estate in Dedham 1888 Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Probate #26206, AmericanAncestors.com
[69] Thomas F. Bancroft in Civil War Card records for Headstones provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, Enlisted in 5th MA Cavalry, Served as Saddler’s Sgt.
[71] https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/5th-massachusetts-cavalry-regiment-1864-1865/
[72] https://web.archive.org/web/20100713230825/http://www.lwfaam.net/cw/usct/5th_mass.htm
[73] Death of Thomas F. Bancroft An obituary in The Boston Globe w/photo, "One of Ponkapoag Tribe", The Boston Globe, Wed., March 11, 1903, page 2, Newspaper in The Boston Globe w/photo, "Only Two of the Tribe Left", The Boston Globe, Sat., February 11, 1899, Findagrave.com, Memorial ID 70492184, photo added by David Allen Lambert, U.S. MA Death Index, 1840-1910, Canton (Norfolk, MA), Vol. 14, pg. 552
[74] Land Deed for Land in Canton, MA , Purchased by Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft, Thomas F. Bancroft, and Jeremiah Bancroft, Norfolk Deeds 1859, Land Records 1859, image 297, pgs. Pgs. 2280, 281, Family Search
[75] Phoebe Ann’s Application for Pension Pension Application of Thomas Bancroft, File No. 775008, RG15, National Archives, Pension Application of Phoebe Bancroft, File No. 798123, RG15, National Archives, Phoebe Ann’s quotes: General Affidavit “798123”, pages 91, 92, Julia Conlon’s quotes: pages 99,100, Wm. Ratcliff’s quotes: pages 97, 98, Charles Fairbanks quote about Jeremiah Bancroft: page 71
[76] Death of Phoebe Ann Giles Bancroft, Return of a Death, Dedham, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MyHeritage.com, Probate docket books and record books (1793-1916), Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Vol. 226, No. 43069 Died at age 76 in Dedham