eac. Joseph4 Landers (Joseph3,
Thomas2, Thomas1),
born 8 Aug. 1723, died in Sharon, Conn., 31 Aug. 1801 "ae 79"
(g.s. Burying Ground, Sharon, Conn. (1903) by Lawrence
Van Alstyne, p.72; also Connecticut Vital Records - 619 Cem. 4, p.84
in Connecticut State Library, Hartford).
He married 4 Nov 1742 Sarah Lovell (Wareham 1st Church Records). She was probably the daughter of Joshua4 Lovell (John3, John2, Robert1) and Sarah (Isham) Lovell, born in Barnstable 13 Oct. 1719 and baptized there 4 Aug. 1722. The Sharon cemetery records (op. cit.) state that she died 19 Jan. 1800 ae 80.
In 1748, Joseph Landers with his wife and children, parents and other relatives, moved to Sharon, Conn. (Charles F. Sedgwick, History of Sharon, Litchfield County, Conn. (1903)). The Wareham 1st Church records confirm this, stating that the family was dismissed to the Church of Christ in Sharon 16 June 1749. Sedgwick (op. cit.) says that this "Joseph Landers, Jr. lived with his father on the 8th lot" there.
The will of the uncle, Benjamin3 Landers of Sharon, dated 5 May 1760, designates "cousin Joseph Landers" his executor. But for some reason Joseph refused to serve, and administration of Benjamin’s estate was turned over to another "cousin", Thomas4 Landers. We note that a Joseph Landers appears briefly upon the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, records about this time; it may be this Joseph. If so, he soon returned to Sharon.
Joseph Landers served in the Revolution, as we find an order of the Connecticut Assembly dated October 1777 by which the officers of a company of volunteers in the town of Sharon were appointed, among them as Ensign, Joseph Landers (Charles L. Hoadley, The Public Records of Connecticut (1894), p.431). Sedgwick (op. cit.) tells us that Joseph Landers was appointed Deacon of the Sharon Church in 1781, and that he served in that office until his death. He was the representative from Sharon in 1782 to the Connecticut General Assembly.
The will of Joseph Landers of Sharon dated 13 March 1798 was proved 21 Sept. 1801. He gives:
"To my beloved wife Sarah, sufficient provision for her honourable support and maintenance during her life already been made for her... To my daughter Sarah, wife of David Hollister, I have already given her her full portion of my estate. To the heirs of my son Seth Landers, deceased, viz: Deborah, Zilpha, Remember and Sarah, I give one half of all my obligations due to me or shall be due to me at my decease, to be equally divided among them, together with all my indoor moveables, after my decease and the decease of my wife. To the heirs of my daughter Remember, the wife of John Orton, deceased, I give the other half of my obligations due to me... To my grand son John Hollister I give all my live stock that shall belong to me at my decease. All the remainder of my estate, if there shall be any, to the heirs of my sd son Seth and Remember to be equally divided among them. I constitute and appoint my trusty friend Samuel Smith of sd Sharon to be my sole executor... 13 Mar 1798. Witness: Temperance Smith, Sally Gale"
A codicil, dated 6 Aug. 1799, gives "To my grand son John Hollister my counting desk. I also appoint Barnabas Tobey of sd Sharon to be my executor with the already named Samuell Smith" (Sharon, Litchfield Co. Probates, Docket 1997). An accounting shows property distributed "To the heirs of Joseph Landers, deceased: To the heirs of John Orton: Joseph Orton; heirs of Luther Orton, Abigail, Hannah, Thankful and Matilda Orton, $50.80 each. To the heirs of Seth Landers, deceased: Deborah, Zilpha, Remember and Sally $102.79 each. To John Hollister $99.50." Distributed by Samuel Bucher, Daniel Deming, Paul Smith, Jr.A The inventory, dated 2 Oct. 1801, was taken by David Downe, Paul Smith and Daniel Deming.
[Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, "Thomas1 Landers of Sandwich, Mass.," NEHGR 124:220-221]
Also have birth as 8 Jul 1723 in Rochester, Plymouth, MA. [Stephen Snyder Homepage]
