Joseph held offices of town clerk, selectman, assessor, treasurer and clerk of the proprietors. He put up a hovel at the meadow bordering Stevens brook, five miles from his house, he went there daily to feed his cattle. On August 14, 1723, after family devotions and breakfast he and his four sons, Samuel, Joseph, Phineas, and Isaac went to meeting and was ambushed by five hostile Indians. While the older Joseph escaped in the bushes his two sons Joseph and Samuel were killed and scalped. The other two, Phineas and Isaac were taken as prisoners to Canada. Phineas carried his younger brother Isaac on his back when he was exhausted, saved him from being killed or left in the woods. It was more then a year before the boys was redeemed. The father made two trips to Canada and returned finally with Isaac on August, 19, 1725. Issac did not want to leave his foster Indian mother. The cost of ransom and other misfortune improvished him and he died in want.
Joseph and his wife Prudence Rice Stevens had nine children.
Joseph, Samuel, Phineas, Isaac, Azubah, Mindwell, Dorothy, my ancestor Lucy and Joseph (He was one month old when his older brother Joseph was killed by Indians. At that time a child was not named until the parents thought the child would survive. It was possible the Joesph did not have a name until after his brother Joseph died. He was probably named after him)
Joseph held offices of town clerk, selectman, assessor, treasurer and clerk of the proprietors. He put up a hovel at the meadow bordering Stevens brook, five miles from his house, he went there daily to feed his cattle. On August 14, 1723, after family devotions and breakfast he and his four sons, Samuel, Joseph, Phineas, and Isaac went to meeting and was ambushed by five hostile Indians. While the older Joseph escaped in the bushes his two sons Joseph and Samuel were killed and scalped. The other two, Phineas and Isaac were taken as prisoners to Canada. Phineas carried his younger brother Isaac on his back when he was exhausted, saved him from being killed or left in the woods. It was more then a year before the boys was redeemed. The father made two trips to Canada and returned finally with Isaac on August, 19, 1725. Issac did not want to leave his foster Indian mother. The cost of ransom and other misfortune improvished him and he died in want.
Joseph and his wife Prudence Rice Stevens had nine children.
Joseph, Samuel, Phineas, Isaac, Azubah, Mindwell, Dorothy, my ancestor Lucy and Joseph (He was one month old when his older brother Joseph was killed by Indians. At that time a child was not named until the parents thought the child would survive. It was possible the Joesph did not have a name until after his brother Joseph died. He was probably named after him)