We know that Paul and Rebecca (Hudson) Shackford had a daughter Deborah who was born on May 24, 1731 in Newbury and was listed as Paul’s heir as Deborah Currier in his January 1787 probate record.
We can’t find a marriage record for Deborah Shackford but with the help of Bonnie, another Shackford researcher, we’ve both come to the belief that the Deborah Currier whose will dated 7 Sep 1799 and is found in probate records dated 23 April 1801 is most likely the same person. We believe she first married Theodore Libbey who died in 1759, then married Caleb Currier in 1768. She outlived her second husband and left this will leaving her estate to children of both husbands.
Deborah is listed in her father’s estate as Deborah Currier and this death notification was published in the United States Oracle of the Day on April 18, 1801: In this town, … Mrs. Deborah Currier, widow, aged 68.
Also this theory aligns with Samuel Burnham Shackford’s Shackford Genealogy.
From Deborah’s will we learn, that :
- Deborah was married to Caleb Currier who is deceased (probably the same Caleb wrote a will dated March 22, 1784 and died on April 3, 1784 leaving his estate to his wife Deborah and mentions three sons William, Caleb, and Thomas, from a previous marriage).
- Deborah’s husband Caleb Currier had a son named William and a grandson named Caleb.
- Deborah was first married to a Mr Libbey and had a son named John Libbey who moved to Newburyport and a daughter Mary who married a John Mushaway. [he was her second husband as she had married Samuel Lamson in 1774]
- Deborah had four grandchildren living at the time the will was written: Catherine [Lamson] Currier and Rebecca Mushaway daughters of her daughter Mary and Hannah Libbey, and Rebecca Libbey, daughters of John Libbey.
- Deborah knew Nathaniel Folsom to whom she loaned money and Jeremiah Libbey, Margery, Ward, and William Walker who signed her will.
We’ll keep looking for source information that helps support this theory that Deborah Shackford first married Mr Libbey then Caleb Currier.
Deborah (Shackford) (Libbey) Currier’s Will
I Deborah Currier of Portsmouth in the County of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, Widow Do make this my last Will & Testament viz
I give unto William Currier (son of my late husband William Currier deceased) one feather bed – I also give unto Caleb Currier grandson of my said husband Caleb one
Desk. The said bed & desk being formerly my said husband Caleb Currier’s Property.
I give devise & bequeath unto my son Jno Libbey now of Newburyport two thirds of the Money due or which may be due to me from Mr Nathaniel Folsom on his note of hand or of any other money due to me or which may be due at the time of my decease. I also give unto my said son John Libbey one feather bed being the
one I purchased anew tick or covering for; & also six birch Chairs
I give devise & bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Massurey (wife of Mr John Massurey) [believe this is actually Mushaway based on a review of the rest of the probate records, jsp] of Portsmouth the other third part of the money due or which will be due me from Mr Nathl Folsom for the note aforesaid at the time of my decease
I also give unto my said Daughter Mary one feather bed – I give devise & bequeath unto Hannah Libbey Daughter of my son John Libbey my silk gown – I also give devise & bequeath unto Deborah Libbey Daughter to my said John my gold necklace I also will & direct that all my wearing apparel not before disposed of be equally divided among or between or between my four granddaughtes viz Catherine Currier & Rebecca Massurey children of my before named daughter Mary Massurey and Hannah Libbey & Deborah Libbey children of my said son John Libbey & my said Daughter Mary Massurey & to their heirs & assigns they equally paying my funeral charges & expenses of setting the business of my estate And I hereby appoint my said son John Libbey sole Executor of this my last will & testament. I witness whereof I hereunto after my mark & seal the seventh day of September 1799 Deborah her mark Currier seal
The Mark made & sealed & declared by
Deborah Currier to be her will in presence of us who signed in each others presence
Jeremiah Libbey Margery G Ward Wm Walker Recorded truly WW
All posts on this website are a work in progress. We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared. Also we’d love it if you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!
SOURCES:
“DIED,” The United States Oracle of the Day (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 18 April 1801, Deborah Currier; digital images, America’s Historical Newspapers (infoweb.newsbank.com : accessed 6 April 2024), America’s Historical Newspapers.
Massachusetts “Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915,” database, FamilySearch(http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 8 July 2014), Deborah Shackford
New Hampshire, County Probate Estate Files, Deborah Currier Case 6812; “New Hampshire, County Probate Estate Files, 1769-1936,” digital images, Family Search(http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 20 January 2016); >Rockingham>Case no 6749-6845 1800-1801>Image 779-790 of 1230
“New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982,” digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 January 2016), Deborah Currier.
“Shackford Genealogy Manuscript,” 13 October 1925; SG SGA 5; Shackford collection by Samuel Burnham Shackford; New England Historical and Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. (56) William Shackford, Shackford Genealogy Manuscript #44 Deborah Shackford.
Copyright 2024 Joanne Shackford Parkes (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not just copy this material and paste it elsewhere)
SHACKFORD Family History 