Samuel Manning of Billerica, Massachusetts

Samuel Manning, buried in the Old South Burying Ground

Billerica, Massachusetts

HERE LYES THE

BODY OF ENS^N

SAMUEL MANNING

AGED 67 YEARS

WHO DEPARTED

THIS LIFE FEB^R

22^ND 1710.

I had a lot of difficulty getting a sharp image. The FindAGrave picture, shown as last photo below is razor sharp clear, so my problem must have been the lighting. The photo above is darker because I sprayed it with water, the original, without water is below.

Samuel was my 8th great-granduncle. I wrote about the house he built in 1696 (below) recently.

Descendant Register for the Manning Family.

My direct lines are in Italics.

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Generation No. 1

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1.	WILLIAM MANNING (<click link to see burial site)(WILLIAM MANNING1) was born 1614 in Essex, England, and died 14 MAR 1690/1 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He was buried in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married DOROTHY. She died 26 JUL 1692 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She was buried in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	Children of WILLIAM MANNING and DOROTHY were: + 2   i. HANNAH MANNING was born 21 JUN 1642 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 26 FEB 1723/4 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. + 3   ii. Samuel MANNING was born 21 JUL 1644 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 22 FEB 1710/1 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 4   iii. Sarah MANNING was born 28 JAN 1645/6 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She married Joseph BULL 11 APR 1671 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, son of Thomas BULL. He died 22 MAR 1711/2. 5   iv. Abigail MANNING was born 15 JAN 1647/8 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 10 MAY 1648. 6   v. John MANNING was born 31 MAR 1649 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 25 NOV 1678. 7   vi. Mary MANNING was born ABT 1651 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 24 JUN 1679. She married William ADAMS 15 OCT 1674?21 OCT 1674 in Dedham, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts. He was born 27 MAY 1650 in Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts, and died 17 AUG 1685. 8   vii. Timothy? MANNING died 8 NOV 1653 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

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Generation No. 2

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2.	HANNAH MANNING (WILLIAM MANNING2, WILLIAM MANNING1) was born 21 JUN 1642 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 26 FEB 1723/4 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She married SAMUEL STEARNS 1 FEB 1662/3 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, son of ISAAC STEARNS and MARY BARKER. He was born 24 APR 1638 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 31 AUG 1683 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. NOTE: HANNAH AND SAMUEL STEARNS WERE MY DIRECT ANCESTORS.
	Children of HANNAH MANNING and SAMUEL STEARNS were: 9   i. Samuel STEARNS was born 4 MAY 1664 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 7 JUN 1671. 10   ii. Hannah STEARNS was born 8 DEC 1666. She married Thomas BISCOE 26 DEC 1684. He died BEF 1699. She married Samuel GOOKIN 28 SEP 1708, son of Daniel GOOKIN. 11   iii. Nathaniel STEARNS was born 13 DEC 1668, and died 24 AUG 1716. He married Elizabeth DIX. He married Sarah NEVINSON. 12   iv. Sarah STEARNS was born 23 APR 1671, and died SEP 1726. She married Joseph WINSHIP, son of Edward WINSHIP. He was born 1661, and died 25 SEP 1725. 13   v. Samuel STEARNS was born 29 MAR 1673 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 16 AUG 1746. He married Mary HAWKINS 2 MAR 1697/8 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 14   vi. Isaac STEARNS was born 31 DEC 1674, and died 1737. He married Mary BEMIS. 15   vii. John STEARNS was born 24 JUN 1677, and died 1729. He married Abigail FISKE. + 16   viii. MARY STEARNS was born 5 APR 1679 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 1732. 17   ix. Abigail STEARNS was born 16 APR 1680, and died 11 JUL 1710. She married Benoni GARFIELD. 18   x. Joseph STEARNS was born 11 DEC 1682, and died 4 FEB 1683/4.

3.	Samuel MANNING (WILLIAM MANNING2, WILLIAM MANNING1) was born 21 JUL 1644 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 22 FEB 1710/1 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He was buried in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth STEARNS 13 APR 1664 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, daughter of ISAAC STEARNS and MARY BARKER. She was born BET 1640 AND 1644 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 24 JUN 1671 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Abiel WIGHT 6 MAY 1673 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts. She was born 1 JAN 1654 in Medfield, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 3 JUL 1713 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	Children of Samuel MANNING and Elizabeth STEARNS were: 19   i. Samuel MANNING was born ABT 1665 in Cambridge / Billerica, Massachusetts. He married Deborah SPALDING. She was born 12 SEP 1667 in Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 20   ii. John MANNING was born ABT 1666 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Sarah SPALDING. She was born ABT 1670 in Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Children of Samuel MANNING and Abiel WIGHT were: 21   i. Timothy MANNING was born 4 FEB 1673/4, and died 12 MAR 1673/4. 22   ii. Hannah MANNING was born 28 MAR 1675 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 23   iii. William MANNING was born 27 JUN 1677 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 24   iv. Mary MANNING was born 12 SEP 1679 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 25   v. Sarah MANNING was born 26 AUG 1681 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 26   vi. Dorothy MANNING was born 27 JUN 1683 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 27   vii. Isaac MANNING was born 15 APR 1685 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 28   viii. Ephraim MANNING was born 11 SEP 1686 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 29   ix. Elizabeth MANNING was born 14 MAR 1689/90 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 30   x. Timothy MANNING was born 4 MAR 1691/2 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 31   xi. Eliphalet MANNING was born 28 JUL 1693 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 32   xii. Abiel MANNING was born 16 DEC 1698 in Billerica / Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died AFT 1711.

If you would like to locate a burial site for somebody in Billerica, please see my post, Billerica Public Library, Billerica, Massachusetts (History and Genealogy Collection).

Manning of Cambridge, Massachusetts

It was a dark overcast day this past July 4th in the Boston area, but I was quite confident my husband and I could locate three cemetery stones in the Old Burying Ground at Harvard Square, Cambridge. Even with an image from the 1902 book "The Manning Families of New England." and FindAGrave photos, it took us over 30 minutes to locate the two stones. Based on the 1902 photo, you could see a church, but there are two churches adjacent to the cemetery and all the trees were full with new leaves. We couldn't figure out which church to use as a guide. Many stones were hard to read, and the book photo didn't show the walkway, as shown below. At last, the two stones were found, shown below, are in the center, and other Manning stones on both sides of the walkway, at the foreground. Since it was so dark, I had to lighten the individual photos quite a bit.

I just found out about William and Dorothy Manning, my 9th great-grandparents, in late June. Below, you'll see the difference between the old cemetery photo and my current one, both taken near the same spot.

HERE LIES Ye BODY

OF WILLIAM

MANNING AGED

76 YEARS

DECEASED Ye 14

OF MARCH

1690

HERE LIES Ye BODY

OF DOROTHY

MANNING WIFE OF

WILLIAM MANNING

AGED 80 YEARS

DIED JULY 26

1692

See Page 136
Additional Information about this Cemetery.

The Book and the Old House, What A Find!

In April, I discovered two new lines, that of Stearns and Manning. While at the Chelmsford Library in Massachusetts, a big orange book looked down on me. It was called, "The Manning Families of New England." Was it worth a look, you bet. The book is like a family Bible with all kinds of sources and photos, including a ca 1901 picture of where several were buried, cemetery inscriptions, a full genealogy, plus family photos.

When I realized the family once lived just a few miles away, I drove over to check it out, although now a pub and restaurant (it isn't on a road I would normally travel). Several employees were outside, waiting for it to open to the public, told me that the Manning family was just there for their annual reunion. Goodness, I had to check into that bit of information, so I used Google quite a  bit that afternoon. That night, I took my husband to show him the house/restaurant, and I was thrilled to see the area lit up in lights. Below, are some photos taken that evening and a copy from the 1902 book.

Above photo (page 63) taken ca 1902 of the Billerica, Massachusetts homestead, (originally built in ca 1696) just miles from where I live.

In the past, this house and addition were used for restaurants. One being the long standing, The Manning Manse. Other restaurants came and went. The current restaurant is Jon Ryan's Pub (and Restaurant). The Manning Association owns this property, see below about the Association. Samuel Manning, my 8th great granduncle was the owner and builder of the original house. The president of the Association helped me in finding somebody who could tell me exactly where Samuel was buried, and yes, I found the tombstone. Photos of his parents will be posted tomorrow.

This information was exciting to me because, although not directly related to Samuel, I can claim his father, William, as a direct ancestor. I first ate in this house/building many years ago, so  approximately 50 years later I am here again. My husband and I ate in the restaurant section recently (both pub and restaurant had been updated). The waitress was a delight, and I told her of my relationship to the family. I couldn't tell if this  20 yr. old woman knew what I was talking about, because, after all, it was genealogy chatter. Minutes later she asked if I wanted to see the old rooms! What old rooms, I had no idea. Of course I did, silly question. Below is a combination of those taken at night, and the ones that I took a week later in the daylight. The owner's son brought me in and let me roam, and ask questions...I had a good 10 minutes there. There are four rooms, but I'm just showing three, because the 4th was set up for a future buffet. They rent out these rooms, I was informed. Three lovely period rooms.

Above shows half of the table.

Above and two photos below show the three fireplaces.

The stairs to the second floor, closed off...how I wanted to go up.

Link to the Manning Association, for information, history and photos.