Father: Daniel Sperry
Mother: Deborah Peck

Spouse-1: Miriam Hotchkiss
 m: 4/Jun/1730 - Wallingford, New Haven Co., CT

Child-1: Sarah - b: 21/Mar/1730(1731) - Wallingford, New Haven Co., CT
          2: Elizabeth - b: 24/Jun/1732 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
                               d: 17/Oct/1766 - North Haven, New Haven Co., CT
                              m: David Bradley - 27/May/1756 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
          3: William - b: 13/Feb/1734(1735) - d: 29/Jul/1738 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
          4: Joseph - b: 29/Apr/1737 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
                           d: 10/Oct/1801 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
          5: William - b: 21/Jan/1739(1740) - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
                            d: ~1789 - Wilkes Co., NC
          6: Miriam
          7: Abel, Jr. - b: 25/Jul/1745 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT - d: 1776
                              m: Milliscent Warner - 10/Feb/1773 - Waterford, New Haven Co., CT
          8: Lois
          9: Mary - b: 28/Jun/1752 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
                         d: 3/Dec/1783 - CT
         10: Thankful - b: 28/Jun/1752 - Cheshire, New Haven Co., CT
                               d: 30/Sep/1783 - CT
                              m: Solomon Sanford
         11: Chloe - b: ~1755 - Wallingford, New Haven Co., CT

Spouse-2: Rhoda *****

Biographical Details:

Some isolated details are known of the life of Abel Sperry beyond the barest facts.  He was the son of Daniel and Deborah Peck Sperry and was born November 15, 1700, in the vicinity of New Haven, Connecticut, probably on Sperry's farm.  It is further believed that he was a farmer throughout his lifetime.  Even so, it has been reported that Abel Sperry apprenticed to Jonathan Ford in 1714 to learn tannery.  However, the contract was cancelled on July 1, 1720, and it does not appear that he ever pursued this trade later in life.  On June 4, 1730, Abel Sperry and Miriam Hotchkiss were married in Wallingford Township in New Haven County.  Subsequently, according to Beach's History of Cheshire, they were admitted to membership in the Congregational Church at Cheshire, Connecticut, on January 30, 1731 (1732 N. S.).  Abel and Miriam were the parents of eleven known children.  Moreover, the names of all but the oldest and youngest daughters appear in baptismal records kept by Rev. Samuel Hall, who was the first minister of the Cheshire congregation.  Accordingly, it would seem likely that Abel and Miriam settled in Cheshire about a year after their marriage, i.e., 1731.  Similarly, they may have moved back to Wallingford after the birth of their twin daughters, Mary and Thankful, in 1752.  Apparently, Miriam Hotchkiss Sperry died sometime after 1755 and Abel remarried to a woman named, Rhoda, but neither her surname, nor any other details are known.

Abel Sperry died in Wallingford Township on March 24, 1776.  He had made his will the previous January 29th and in the will he confirmed the migration of three of his children, viz., daughters, Miriam and Lois, and son, William, to North Carolina against his wishes.¹  Accordingly, he left them only token legacies to emphasize his displeasure.  It is not known where he was buried, however, presumably it was in either Wallingford or Cheshire Township.

1. In the Name of God Amen This 29th day of Jany AD 1776 -- I Abel Sperry of Wallingford in the County of Newhaven being weak of body but of sound mind & memory, thanks be given to God for the same but calling to mind my own mortality and being apprehensive that my departure is near at hand by reason of my Advanced Age & my sd weakness of body & knowing it is appointed for man once to die, I do make this my last Will & Testamt, in the manner following,
      first all I do humbly recommend my Soul unto God who gave it hoping in his mercy thro the merits of Jesus Christ his dear and only Son both for pardon & accptance and my body I commit to the ground in Christian Burial at the discretion of my Ex'rs hereafter named nothing doubting but I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as I humbly hope for a glorious bodyly resurrection
      And touching my worldly Substance which I have been blessed with, after my just funeral expences and all other my just debts are paid I dispose of in manner & form as follows --
      first I give unto my true & loving Wife Rhoda Sperry so long as she remains my Widow the whole of my dwelling house and half of my barn and one Cow and one third part of all the rest of my estate both land and moveables.
      Whereas my Eldest Son & my Second Son and my two Eldest Daughters have already rec'd out of their portion I omit them for the present & come to my Third Son namely to my Son Abel Sperry and do give unto him the Sum of ten pounds out of Some part of my Estate at the appraisal of it
      And wher as my Second son namely Wm Sperry and two of my Daughters Namely Merriam Perkins the wife of Timothy Perkins & namely Lois Sperry has made a remove to North Carolina contrary to my desire I do give unto each of them if ever they return the sum of five shillings.
      And I do give unto the heirs of my Eldest daughter who was the Wife of David Bradley of North Haven who is dec'd the sum of five shillings to be divided amongst them
      And I do give unto my Daughter Mary the first born of my twins the Sum of two pounds out of my Estate at the Appraisement --
      And I do give unto my Daughter Thankfull the second born twin who is the wife of Solomon Sanford of Litchfield the sum of two pounds to be taken at the appraisal --
      And I do give unto my youngest Daughter Cloe Sperry one pied heiffer going two years old at the above date & three sheep & two pounds more out of my Estate to be taken at the appraisal --
      And all the remaining part of my Estate to be equally divided between my Eldest Son Joseph Sperry and Youngest Son namely Abel Sperry --
      And I do appoint My Wife & my Youngest Son as Exrs to this my last Will & Testament And in confirmation hereof I do hereunto sett my hand & seal this 29th day of Jan.y AD 1776, & in the 16th year of the reign of our Sovereign King George the Third
      /s/Abel Sperry
      In presence of Ambrose Hine, Nathan Ford, Simon Barnes.

The inventory of the estate of Abel Sperry was returned May 13, 1776, and was valued at £147 9/ 1d.  An additional inventory was filed by Rhoda Sperry his widow and executrix.  She was appointed guardian to Cloe Sperry.  The distribution of the estate was made in 1778 by Daniell Hotchkiss and Alhbel Porter.  (New Haven Probate Records, Bk. 12, pgs. 109, 159, & 270-1.  (cited by Steven Curtis Perkins, "Ancestry of Jabez Perkins", freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~scperkins/jabez.html, 1989-2001.))
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Additional Citations:

2. Joseph Perkins Beach, History of Cheshire, Connecticut from 1694 to 1840, Lady Fenwick Chapter D. A. R., Press of the Journal Pub. Co., Meriden, CT, 1912: pgs. 309-10, 323, 332, & 570.

3. Ancestral File: 2M7P-8C, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT, continuously updated.

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