John married Lydia GRAY on 7 Apr 1737 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. Lydia (daughter of Edward GRAY and Sarah OSGOOD) was born on 22 Aug 1716 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Deborah STEVENS was born on 21 Jun 1742 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts; and died.

Notes:

This is perhaps the most unusual partnership in my ancestry. AbielStevens and wife Deborah were first cousins, twice: Abiel's father wasthe brother of Deborah's mother, and Abiel's mother was the sister ofDeborah's father. (brother and sister Stevens married sister and brotherBarker).

Abiel married Deborah BARKER on 19 Mar 1708 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. Deborah (daughter of John BARKER and Mary STEVENS) was born on 7 Mar 1685 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Esther BARKER on 10 Aug 1676 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. Esther (daughter of Richard BARKER and Joanna UNKNOWN) was born about 1649 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts; died on 25 Jun 1713 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Mary STEVENS on 6 Jul 1670 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. Mary (daughter of John STEVENS and Elizabeth PARKER) was born on 6 Jul 1652 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts; died on 1 May 1703 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John Stevens (Stephens), arrived in July, 1638 on the Confidence fromSouthampton. He traveled with his wife Elizabeth, mother Alice, brotherWilliam, and two servants John and Grace Lougie. John is listed at age31, "of Caversham, county Oxford, husbandman", and bound forNewbury.Elizabeth's age is not given; nor is Alice's. William is listedat age 21 with the same origin.

He lived for a few years at Newbury, where he was admitted Freeman on May18, 1642, and in 1645 removed to Andover, Massachusetts, where he stayeduntil his death in 1662. Tradition says that their son Nathan, born about1645, was the first born of Andover.

John and his son were both proprietors of Andover, Mass. He was a man ofnote and substance. He died Apr 11, 1662, at 56 years old, leaving hiswidow, Elizabeth. On 24 June 1662, administration of the estate wasgranted to her. She died 1 May 1694 at 80 years old.

His gravestone has been enclosed in granite and placed near the old lotin the First Cemetery.

John married Elizabeth PARKER in Apr 1638 in Caversham, Oxfordshire, England. Elizabeth was born about 1613 in Caversham, Oxfordshire, England; died on 1 May 1694 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Richard Barker, Sr. was the first settler known in Andover in 1643. Thedetails of his arrival are not known. (See "Historical Sketches ofAndover" by S. L. Bailey, p. 90 and 7). On Oct 24, 1645 he founded theFirst Baptist Church of Andover. He is identified as Yeoman, and was aSurveyor in 1671/72. He was a member of the "Loyal Legion".

Richard lived near the house lot of John Osgood, on the north side ofCochichawicke. His descendants ultimately settled on their farm lands,and the several families of Barkers circled almost the entire shore ofthe Great Pond, on the north, east, and south, owning a total of 310acres there. Richard was a selectman of Andover until his death on Mar18, 1692/93.

Richard married Joanna UNKNOWNMethuen, Essex, Massachusetts. Joanna was born in 1623 in Suffolkshire, England; died on 11 Apr 1687 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]