Judge Seth PADELFORD

Male 1751 - 1810  (58 years)


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  • Name Seth PADELFORD  [1, 3, 4
    • Graduated Yale College 1770, and received the degree of LL.D. from B.U. 1798. he commenced the practice of the law in Hardwick, where he as a member of the Committee of Correspondence in 1774and 1775, and generally active in the Revolutionary struggle. He removed to Taunton about 1778, was judge of probate, and though not eminent as an advocate, was confessedly at the head of the bar as a counsellor. He m. Rebecca Dennis, had four sons and seven daughters, and d. of apoplexy 7 Jan. 1810. [1]
    • From History of Bristol Co., MA, 1883, pp. 23-24: "Mr. Padelford was judge of probate. He was a highly dignified and polished gentleman, of great integrity of character, and he was favored with a wife who adorned the society in which she moved. Long after they ceased to be among the living of earth their praise was in the mouth of those who remembered their wide and commanding influence...On the stone slab which covers his remains on the "Plain" is the following inscription: "For he was wise to know and warm to praise, and strenuous to transcribe in human life the mind almightly.""

      The Ministry of Taunton:

      "Hon. Seth Padelford, LL.D. was a native of Taunton, son of John and Jemima Padelford. He was graduated at Yale College in 1770, and honored with the Degree of LL.D., form Brown University in 1798. He married Rebecca, the daughter of Abraham Dennis, and sister of the wife of James Sproat, Esq.

      Their children were as follows:
      Mary Dennis, who married Mason Shaw, Esq., or Raynham; Sarah Kerby, who married Nathaniel, son of Judge Fales; Melinda, who married Enoch Brown, Esq., of Abington; John, who died whilst a member of Brown University; Nancy, who married Samuel Edgar, son of Col. John Cooke, of Tiverton, R.I.; Harry, who married Susan, daughter of Robert Crossman, of Taunton; Rebecca Dennis, who married John G. Deane, Esq., of Portalnd. There were also five other children who died young.

      Mr. Padelford was Judge of Probate. He died Jan. 7th, 1810, aged 58 years and one month.

      Some friends caused this tribute to his memory, to be inscribed on the stone which covers his remains: "For he was wise to know, and warm to praise, and strenuous to transcribe human life in the Mind Almighty."

      http://www.archive.org/stream/biographicalsket01dean/biographicalsket01dean_djvu.txt

      GRANDFATHER PADELFORD.

      The following beautiful sketch of my grandfather, Seth Padelford, of Taunton, Mass., was written by my friend J. W. D. Hall, of Taunton, Mass., in the spring of 1885, in his 78th year.

      " Hon. Seth Padelford, was born in Taunton, in December, 1750, fifth in descent from Jonathan, the emigrant of 1628-30, and son of John and Jemima Padelford. He was graduated at Yale College in 1770. After completing his studies he entered the profession of law and became a prominent counsellor. He married Rebecca, (daughter of Abraham Dennis), born 1756, died 1822, and they had eleven children, the ninth being Rebecca Dennis, who married Col. John Gilmore Deane. In 1798, the degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by Brown University. Judge Padelford was an able and sound legal counsellor, and many years stood the acknowledged head of the Bristol bar. He was county Treasurer in 1783, and for twenty years, from 1790, to January 7th, 18 10, the day of his death, was Judge of Probate of the county of Bristol, to the universal satisfaction of the people. He was a Free Mason, and the first Master of King David Lodge, of Taunton. He was esteemed as the conscientious lawyer, the humane and unexceptionably upright judge, to whom all cases within his jurisdiction were referred with implicit confidence in his decisions as the "protector of the widows and orphans," and just to all. He died in the vigor of manhood, beloved and honored by the whole community. He resided from 1777 to 1810, in the fine old mansion on the Northwest corner of the " green," or " ancient training field," adjoining the old Court House and county offices. This mansion was built in 1757, by Ratcliffe Hellon, a merchant, who occupied it a few years. After him it was owned by several persons, till 1770, when it came into the possession of the brilliant Daniel Leonard, author of the celebrated pamphlet " Massachusettensis," who became a loyalist (or Tory) in the days of 1776, and fled from Taunton and joined the British at Boston. After he left Judge Padelford purchased the house. It has, since his decease, been nicely kept up, and though removed in 1817 a short distance and divested of shrubbery in front, yet wears the same general aspect that it did in my boyhood days after Judge Padelford's decease."

      In the same connection the following extract is made from an article contributed by Rev. S. Hopkins Emery, of Taunton, in 1883, to the History of Bristol County, Massachusetts : " He was a highly dignified and polished gentleman, of great integrity of character, and he was favored with a wife who adorned the society in which she moved. Long after they ceased to be among the living of earth, their praise was in the mouth of those who remembered their wide and commanding influence. "

      Judge Padelford died January 7, 1810, aged 58 years and one month. On the stone slab which covers his remains on the ' Plain; is the following inscription : " ' For he was wise to know and warm to praise and strenuous to transcribe in human life the mind almighty.' "

      Inscription
      Inscribed,
      To the Memory of
      The Honble Seth Padelford Esq.,
      who deceased Jan. 7, 1810
      aged 58 years & 1 month

      For he was wise to know, and warm to praise,
      And strenuous to transcribe in human life.
      The Mind Almighty.

      Posted on Find A Grave created by c sato
      [2]
    Prefix Judge 
    Birth Dec 1751  Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Gender Male 
    Census 1790  Head of Household for Taunton, Bristol Co., Mass. Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Census 1800  Head of Household for Taunton, Bristol Co., Mass. Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Death 07 Jan 1810  Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 7
    Burial Plain Cemetery, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Person ID I42951  Main Tree
    Last Modified 9 Aug 2022 

    Father John PADELFORD,   b. 1720, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 08 Feb 1758, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 38 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Jemima WILLIAMS,   b. 01 May 1723, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Sep 1778, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 55 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Marriage Bef 1748 
    Family ID F05701  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Rebecca DENNIS,   b. 12 Dec 1756, Newport, Rhode Island Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1822 (Age 65 years) 
    Marriage 06 Jun 1777  Taunton,Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 9
    Children 
     1. Polly Dennis PADELFORD,   b. 13 Apr 1778, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 19 May 1805, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 27 years)  [Birth]
     2. Ezekiel Dennis PADELFORD,   b. 23 Sep 1779, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Oct 1779, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     3. Sarah K. PADELFORD,   b. 27 Oct 1780, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1858 (Age 77 years)
     4. Melinda PADELFORD,   b. 14 Feb 1782, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1836 (Age 53 years)
     5. John PADELFORD,   b. 01 May 1783, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Jun 1801, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 18 years)  [Birth]
     6. Charles PADELFORD,   b. 12 Jan 1785, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Feb 1785, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     7. Nancy PADELFORD,   b. 14 Mar 1786, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 25 Oct 1817, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 31 years)  [Birth]
     8. Harry PADELFORD,   b. 19 Sep 1787, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1850 (Age 62 years)
     9. Rebecca PADELFORD,   b. 1789   d. 08 Oct 1791, Taunton, Bristol Co., Mass. Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 2 years)  [Natural]
     10. Ezekiel Dennis PADELFORD,   b. 23 Sep 1789, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 Oct 1789, Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     11. Rebecca Dennis PADELFORD,   b. 27 May 1792, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 May 1872, Portland, Cumberland Co., Maine Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 79 years)  [Birth]
     12. Frances PADELFORD,   b. Abt Feb 1795, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 08 Jul 1795, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     13. Caroline Matilda PADELFORD,   b. Jul 1796, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 08 Aug 1796, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     14. Charles PADELFORD,   b. Jan 1805   d. 27 Feb 1805, Taunton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
    Family ID F05849  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 9 Aug 2022 

  • Sources 
    1. [S13170] Lucius Robinson Paige, History of Hardwick, Massachusetts with a Genealogical Register.

    2. [S02329] Find A Grave Website.

    3. [S02892] Padelford Webpage.

    4. [S00102] 1800 Census Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts.

    5. [S00098] 1790 Census Massachusetts.

    6. [S00099] 1800 Census Massachusetts.

    7. [S03545] Vital Records of Taunton, Massachusetts to the year 1850, Vol. III-Deaths.

    8. [S02642] Ancestry.com: Massachusetts, U.S., Town Marriage Records, 1620-1850.

    9. [S03546] Vital Records of Taunton, Massachusetts to the year 1850, Vol. II-Marriages.