Pane-Joyce Genealogy

17660. Mary Abdy. Born on 24 May 1648 in Boston, MA.14

17661. Tabitha Abdy. Born on 24 Nov 1652 in Boston, MA.14

17662. Matthew Abdy. Born bef Apr 1658 in Boston, MA. Matthew died in Cambridge, MA ca 1730.

Matthew first married Deborah Stimson, second Ruth.

Matthew was “sweeper and bedmaker” at Harvard College assigned to Stoughton House.

After Matthew Abdy died, John Secombe, or more likely, Rev. Joseph Seccomb, wrote a humorous poem entitled “Father Abdy’s Will”. The following version of it is taken from Father Abbey’s Will, Cambridge, 1854
http://archive.org/details/fatherabbeyswil00hubbgoog

Father Abbey’s Will
Cambridge, December, 1730.

Some time since died here, Mr. Matthew Abbey in a very advanced age: He had for a great number of years served the College in quality of Bedmaker and Sweeper: Having no child, his wife inherits his whole estate which he bequeathed to her by his last will and testament, as follows, viz.

To my dear wife
My joy and life,
I freely now do give her,
My whole estate,
With all my plate,
Being just about to leave her.

My tub of soap,
A long cart rope,
A frying pan and kettle,
An ashes pail,
A threshing flail,
An iron wedge and beetle.

Two painted chairs,
Nine warden pears,
A large old dripping platter,
This bed of hay
On which I lay,
An old saucepan for butter.

A little mug,
A two quart jug,
A bottle full of brandy,
A looking glass
To see your face,
You'll find it very handy.

A musket true,
As ever flew,
A pound of shot and wallet,
A leather sash,
My calabash,
My powder-horn and bullet.

An old sword blade,
A garden spade,
A hoe, a rake, a ladder,
A wooden can,
A close-stool pan,
A clyster-pipe and bladder.

A greasy hat,
My old ram cat,
A yard and half of linen,
A woollen fleece,
A pot of grease,
In order for your spinning.

A small tooth comb.
An ashen broom,
A candlestick and hatchet,
A coverlid
Strip'd down with red,
A bag of rags to patch it.

A ragged mat,
A tub of fat,
A book put out by Bunyan,
Another book
By Robin Cook,
A skein or two of spunyarn.

An old black muff,
Some garden stuff,
A quantity of borage,
Some devil’s weed,
And burdock seed,
To season well your porridge.

A chafing dish.
With one salt fish
If I am not mistaken,
A leg of pork,
A broken fork,
And half a flitch of bacon.

A spinning wheel,
One peck of meal,
A knife without a handle,
A rusty lamp,
Two quarts of samp,
And half a tallow candle.

My pouch and pipes,
Two oxen tripes,
An oaken dish well carved,
My little dog.
And spotted hog,
With two young pigs just starved.

This is my store,
I have no more,
I heartily do give it,
My years are spun,
My days are done,
And so I think to leave it.

Thus father Abbey left his spouse,
As rich as church or college mouse,
Which is sufficient invitation
To serve the college in bis station.

On 10 Apr 1688 Matthew first married Deborah Stimson, daughter of Andrew Stimson (9 Apr 1604-between 23 May 1681 and 28 Jun 1683) & Jane (-aft 1681), in Cambridge, MA. Born ca Aug 1637 in England. Deborah died bef 1730.

Deborah first married Robert Wilson, second Matthew Abdy.

Matthew second married Ruth. Born ca 1669. Ruth died on 10 Dec 1762.

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