I had to create a separate page for the children of Noah and Deloverence Kent here due to technical difficulties with my website template. To view the sources used for the information on this page you can view them on Noah's Page and Abel's Page.
After the death of Noah and Deliverence, the big question in my mind was what happened to the younger Kent children after the death of thier mother Deliverence? The youngest child of Noah and Deliverence was their last child Deliverence who was only a few weeks old when her mother died. Nathaniel was 4, Mary was 5, Deborah was 7 and so on. My research was unable to answer this question, however, it is clear someone had to take the younger children in to raise.
Regarding the birth dates for Abel Kent, my sources for his birth were found in the Connecticut State Library in Hartford. A man or men from Suffield transcribed what was left of the Suffield records in the late 1800s or early 1900s. A copy was written on notepads and another was on index cards. I viewed both. The original records are gone. Without a primary source I was left with secondary sources written by unknown men and subject to human error. The index cards had an entry for a son of Noah and Deliverence named Abel. This Abel was born on 26 September 1742 with no date of death. The notepad listed a son named Abel born on 20 September 1753. Taking into consideration the will of his father which bequeths him his inheritance on the condition he completes the tasks his father requested of him and the early records in Lanesborough I have determined the second Abel never existed. Weighing the evidence, the second Abel would have been less than 2 years old when his father died. A deed dated 4 October 1762 in Lanesborough would have made the younger Abel just 9 years old when the deed was dated. He was not of legal age to own property yet. The older Abel would have been 20. The parents never named 2 living children with the same name, therfore, we must conclude the transcriber made a mistake. There was a single son named Abel Kent born on 26 September 1742. You can read more about his life HERE.
Phebe was 20 years old at the time of the death of her mother. Phebe married Dr. Medad Pomeroy in 1761. Medad Pomeroy was born in Suffield but moved to Northampton shortly after his marriage to Phebe. Phebe gave birth to a son named Phebus in Northampton and died a few weeks later on January 25, 1762. After the death of Phebe, Medad Pomeroy sued the estate of her father, Noah, on behalf of their son Phebus. He claimed Phebus was entitled to his mother's portion of the estate. Details of his suit can be viewed in the document found with Noah's will HERE. Medad Pomeroy had a wife before Phebe who died in 1760 named Eunice. They had a son named Medad Pomeroy who was born in 1758. Medad Jr. (actually Medad III) moved to New Ashford for a short time where he married Elizabth Morrill on March 28, 1790. Phebus does not show up in any records except in Northampton so I am unsure what brought his half brother to New Ashford. It is interesting to note there were several Kent family marriages in New Ashford that same year. Perhaps his step mother Phebe Kent Pomeroy did raise some of the Kent children and Medad kept correspndance with them? Regardless, he stayed at least 20 years according to 1810 census records.
Noah Kent was 18 when his mother died. Noah appears to have taken care of some of his brothers after the death of their parents. We know from town records of Lanesboro that Noah, Gideon and Abel were all in that town together as early as 1762. Later Nathaniel joined his brothers there. Noah stayed in Lanesboro where he married Lois Warren and raised his family which included 9 children. While living in Lanesboro, the American Revolutionary War began. Noah served in this war. His service is documented in the book titled Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War. Here is a quote from that book regarding Noah.
"KENT, Noah, lanesborough, Private, Capt. Asa Barne's co., Col. Patterson's regt. of minute men, which marched in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775; entered service April 22, 1775; service 23 days; also, Capt. Ebenezer Newell's co., Col. Symond's regt.; service 6 days; company marched from Lanesborough to Meloomscuyck Aug. 14, 1777 on an alarm; also, Capt. asa Barn's co., Col. Benjamin Simond's regt., service 7 days, at the Northward; company marched from Lanesborough Oct. 14, 1780; also, same co. abd regt.; service 5 days, on an alarm at the Northward; company marched from Lanesborough Oct. 26, 1780."
Noah moved his family sometime between 1790 (when he showed up in the 1790 census in Lanesboro) and 1800 when tax and census records show him living in Rome, Onieda County, New York. He died there in January 1812. His male descendants sucessfully filed for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. The children of Noah Kent and Lois born in Lanesboro were:
Gideon Kent has been the hardest person I have ever researched. He clearly married and had children according to his census records. To make things even more difficult, he had a son named Gideon whose date of birth is unknown. Gideon moved from Lanesboro to New Ashford with his brother Abel and also went to Pennsylvania with Abel. His son Gideon also followed along with sons Dan and Durham. According to book sources he married a woman named Lois. It is unknown when or where he died. Gideon served in the Revolutionary War and was a Captain of the militia. His service is documented in the book titled Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War. A quote from his entry in that book states:
"KENT, Gideon. Captain, 22d (New Ashford) co., Col. Benjamin Simond's (2d Berkshire Co.) regt. of Mass. militia; list of officers chosen by several companies in said regiment; ordered in Council May 4, 1776, that said officers be commissioned; reported commissioned May 3, 1776; commissions reported dated June 1, 1776."
Gideon also participated in the pre-Revolution skirmish in Lanesboro detained HERE.
Mary Kent married Nathaniel Eaton in West Springfield on 13 October 1781. They had a son named William on 22 October 1783 in West Springfield.
Deborah Kent was born on 26 September 1748. She married Reverend Rufus Hawley on 25 September 1770. The marriage took place in a section of Farmington which today is known as Avon. The home of Reverend Hawley and Deborah (Kent) Hawley still stands. The records in the Connecticut State Library previously mentioned list the name of her husband as Rufus Holley but I knew this had to be another incorrect transcription. I had never heard the name Holley in the area but knew the name Hawley well and suspected that was the correct surname. When I searched for the marriage records under the correct surname, I found them immediately. A book has been written based on the Reverend Hawley's journals. His life is well documented. Deborah Kent Hawley died on 8 April 1798 at the age of 49. The names of her children caught my attention and may provide a clue as to who raised her after her mother died when she was 7 years old. Her first born son was named Timothy Ruggles Hawley and she named another son Jesse Dudley Hawley. Ruggles and Dudley are surnames associated with her family. Her father had a half brother named Dudley Kent whose mother was born with the surname Dudley. His wife was Ruth Ruggles. Although Ruth died before Noah Kent, Dudley Kent did not die until 1766. Deborah would have been 18 when he died. Dudley and Ruth had many children, some younger and some older so it is possible they took Deborah and her siblings in when their parents died. The chilren of Deborah Kent and Rufus Hawley are:
Nathaniel Kent was born on 22 November 1751. He followed his older brothers to New Ashford where he became a prominent citizen as well as a founder of the town. Nathaniel's name in mentioned on almost every page of the early New Ashford town records and his home was the location of many town meetings. He married twice. His first wife was Hannah Gregory. Hannah died in New Ashford on 13 July 1800. After her death he married Hannah "widow Dorwin from Lanesboro" on 1 March 1801. Nathaniel did not follow his brothers Abel, Noah and Gideon to Pennsylvania. He stayed in New Ashford and because of that, I was more successful finding his children and their spouses and children. Nathaniel had the following children with his first wife Hannah Gregory:
His son Kiler Kent seemed to be much loved in the family. Kiler never married or had childrenhildren. He died of consumption at the age of 60 in 1849. Several people had children they named Kiler with a middle name of Kent. More information about Nathaniel can be viewed in the New Ashford Records page. The last record I could find for him was the 1810 census.
Nathaniel participated in the Revolutionary War. His service is documented in the book titled Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War. I quote his entry for the book below:
"KENT, Nathaniel, New Ashford. Private, Capt. Asa Barn's co., Col. Pettersons's regt. of minute men, which marched in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775 entered service April 22, 1775; service 9 days; also, Sergeant, Capt. Asa Barne's co., Col. Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge's regt.; receipt for advance pay, signed by said Kent and others, dated Cambridge, June 30, 1775; also, muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775 enlisted May 2, 1775; service, 3 mos. 1 day; also, 2d Sergeant, same co. and regt.; company return dated Cambridge, Nov. 13, 1775; also Lieutenant, Capt. Amariah Babbit's detachment, Col. Benjamin Simond's (Berkshire Co.)"
It is unknown if Nathaniel had children with his second wife, however, based on her age gleamed from census records, it is doubtful. I believe I am missing a son for him based on the 1790 Census but I was unable to find him in New Ashford.
I now know exactly when Nathaniel kent died. Newspapers
did provide this information. An obituary (then called a mortuary notice) was printed in the
Pittsfield Sun newspaper (for Pittsfield, Massachusetts) on Wednesday, November 14, 1810
(volume XI, issue 530, page 3). It published: "At Lenox, on the 6th inst. Mr. Nathaniel Kent, of
New Ashford." From this article one would assume Nathaniel Kent died on 6 November
1810 in Lenox. Lenox is about 18 miles south of New Ashford. Another article in the same
paper dated Saturday, January 19, 1811 (vol. XI, Issue 539, page 4) published:
"Nathaniel Kent's Estate
We the subscribers, appointed on the fourth day of this month, by Hon. William
Walker, Esq. Judge of Probate of Wills, for the County of
Berkshire, Commissioners, with full power to receive and
examine all claims ikf the several creditors to the estate
of Nathaniel Kent, late of New Ashford. In said County,
deceased, represented insolvent and six months from said day
being allowed unto the said creditors for bringing in and proving
their claims - do hereby give notice that we shall meet to receive
and examine said claims on the first Wednesdays of March and April
next, at Peter Curtis's Inn in Lanesborough, in said County, and
on the third Monday of May next, at Peregrine Turner's Inn,
in said New Ashford, at nine of the clock in the forenoon
on each of said days."
SAMUEL H WHEELER,
WOLCOTT HUBBELL
JOHN POWELL
December 18, 1810
Unfortunately, it seems Nathaniel died in debt. Additional newpaper articles advertised a sale of the land owned by Nathaniel Kent to help pay his creditors. Since I found no follow up articles, I am unsure if the sale paid off his creditors or if anything was left over for his children. Nathaniel was 58 when he died.
Deliverence Kent married Gaius Harmon on 13 October 1799 in New Ashford. Although Gaius was also born in Suffield, they married in New Ashford so I assume she joined her brothers there when she came of age. Gaius and Deliverance had 5 children, all born in New Ashford. Their children were:
Delverance Kent Harmon died on 1 November 1814 at the age of 58. After her death, her husband Gaius married Hipsabeth Ingram on 24 December 1815. Gaius died on 14 December 1818.
A girl named Abigail Kent married Henry Dewey in New Ashford in 24 September 1797. This is the same Henry Dewey who married Nathaniel Kent's niece, Mary Harmon daughter of his sister Delverence). Mary Harmon was his second wife. Abigail Kent Dewey died at the age of 17 after giving birth to her first child with Henry. The only Kents in New Ashford during this time were Nathaniel, Abel and Gideon. Abigail must have been the daughter of one of the three brothers. Abigail fits perfectly with the missing 10-15 year old daughter. Abel Kent Sr. was also missing a daughter from his will in 1807. The only source for the children of Gideon is from a book titled History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania by Emily C. Blackman, 1873. in this book she mentions Gideon and his sons Dan, Gideon and Durham as founding members of Kent Settlement in Pennsylvania. By that time Abigail was deceased. Abigail's marriage record did not mention the names of her parents. However, the son Abigail and Henry Dewey had was named James and James married Nathaniel's daughter Chloe. I doubt Chloe married her nephew who was also her cousin's son. I think this rules out Nathaniel as the father of Abigail. I decided to check the Dewey Genealogy researched and written by Louis Marinous Dewey, however Henry Dewey was not in that book. He was the only Dewey in New Ashford and was born in Lebannon, Connecticut. I also checked the genealogy books of the Kent and Granger families and Abigail Kent was not in those books either. Her parents remain a mystery, however, since she was born in New Ashford, she must be the daughter of one of the Kent brothers.
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