euben4 Landers (Amos3,
Richard2, Thomas1),
born probably in Falmouth 2 Nov. 1719, died 2 May 1812 (Sandwich
Friends Monthly Meeting Records).euben4 Landers (Amos3,
Richard2, Thomas1),
born probably in Falmouth 2 Nov. 1719, died 2 May 1812 (Sandwich
Friends Monthly Meeting Records).
He married 4 "of 7th month, called September" 1746 Elizabeth5 Swift. He was called "Rubin Landers of Falmouth, County Barnstable, son to Amos Landers and Experience his wife", while she is called "daughter to Benjamin Swift of Falmouth and Hannah his wife" (ibid.)1 Her father, Benjamin4 Swift (William3-2-1), became a Friend, probably through the influence of his wife, Hannah4 Wing (Samuel3, Daniel2, John1), a prominent Quaker family. She was born 19 of 6 mo. (August) 1722 and died 25 July 1809 (ibid.)
Reuben4 Landers witnessed the marriage, 3 Sept. 1743 of his sister Rose to Samuel Bowerman (ibid.) The will of Amos3 Landers (q.v.) names, first "my son Reuben" to whom "six shillings, he being otherwise provided for already", but later in the document the testator makes a special provision: "I declare that house in which my sons Reuben and John dwell belongs to them and is not to be reckoned a part of my Estate". In view of the meager records referring to this Reuben4 Landers it is important to note that at the date of Amos3 Landers’ will, 26 April 1764, Reuben4 Landers, the eldest son, and his wife Elizabeth evidently had living with them his youngest brother, John, who was not yet married, although he is named sole executor of his father’s will. We have shown in the accounting of Amos Landers’ estate, 13 May 1783, Reuben Landers is listed as having received his 6 shillings. When the intestate estate of Amos4 Landers was presented for probate, 8 Aug. 1789, Reuben Landers, Prince Landers and John Landers, all of Falmouth, are named but refused to administer it, recommending that Judah Eldredge be appointed to act as administrator (Barnstable County Probates, 23:61).
It is our educated guess that Reuben Landers was considered head of the family which occupied the house mentioned in his father’s will. Therefore, when the 1790 Census was taken we find Reuben Landers with a family of three males over 16 and three females. We suggest as likely that the household consisted of Reuben himself, his wife Elizabeth, his brother John4 Landers with wife, Elizabeth (Davis) Landers and John’s son Levi5 and daughter Lydia5. After careful consideration of alternatives, it seems to us that this is the least unlikely explanation for the fact that John4 Landers who is known to have had at least two children does not appear in the 1790 Census.
In the absence of probate records or deeds to show what disposition was made of the estates of Reuben and Elizabeth (Swift) Landers we can find no proof that they had issue. It is possible that further research in the various Friends meeting records will bring new data to light. We suggest as a clue for further study the possibility that they had at least one son, the William Landers listed in the 1790 Census of Eastham as head of a family of one male over 16, four under 16 and three females. The reason is simply that we have found no other male Landers named William, which was a popular name in the Swift family. The same hypothesis would obtain if the unidentified William Landers of Eastham were a grandson, rather than a son of Reuben4 Landers.
[Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, "Thomas1 Landers of Sandwich, Mass.," NEHGR 124:267-268]
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