vital records sources
go to Anna Woodbery's page

A record of the First Parish Unitarian Church of Beverly says that the wife of Josiah Lovett, Jr. "came to ye Lord's Table" on 8 July 1750.1 It's likely he was the Josiah Lovett who had the following sailing record as master of a vessel:

ship Swallow: schooner, 30 tons, departed for Virginia or Maryland 15 November 1754, arrived from Maryland 21 February 1755
same ship departed for Virginia 26 November 1755, arrived from Maryland 24 February 1756
ship Swallow: schooner, 42 tons, departed for Maryland 25 November 1757, arrived from Maryland 10 February 1758
same ship departed for Virginia 7 December 1758, arrived from Maryland 21 March 1759
same ship departed for Virginia 3 December 1759, arrived from Maryland 24 March 1760
same ship departed for Virginia 4 December 1760, arrived from Maryland 10 March 1761
same ship departed for Virginia 25 November 1761, arrived from Maryland 18 March 1762
to Maryland 22 November 1762, arrived from Maryland 4 March 1763
same ship departed for Maryland 28 November 1763, from Maryland 16 March 1764
to Virginia 27 November 1764, from Maryland 21 March 1765.

     This record comes from "two original Naval Office books which were rescued from a junk dealer" and given to the Essex Institute, now the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. This ship was registered on 22 October 1750 by Thomas Davis and Benjamin Fisher. Having just turned 21, it's very unlikey Josiah was at the helm this early. Apparently a Joseph Lovett sailed Swallow after 1767, suggesting Josiah had either retired or moved on to another vessel.
     Josiah and his family lived in the Pride's Crossing area of Beverly. His homestead was divided after he died and was further obscured when out-of-towners bought land along the shore to build their summer mansions. The Lovetts were on the south side of what is now Hale Street between Endicott College and Thissell Street, with access to the ocean.
     Josiah death notice calls him "Mr. Josiah Lovett, Jr." and in his probate papers he is "Josiah Lovett, Jr., yoeman." His gravestone says "Capt. Josiah Lovett, Jr." These are undoubtedly the same man, given the dates associated with these records and inscriptions and the description of his family in his probate file. He clearly had retired from sea by the time he died.
     Josiah died without a will, and Anna was given administration of his estate on 2 November 1773.
     The only reference I've found to Josiah's signature is on the only recorded deed in which he was a grantor.

children of Josiah Lovett and Anna Woodbery:

i. Hannah b. 1 April 1751
ii. Anna b. 21 October 1752
iii. Lucy b. 1 April 1756
iv. Mercy b. 29 April 1758
v. Josiah b. 1 January 1762, lost at sea, 1780
vi. Eleanor bap. 4 March 1764
vii. Jonathan b. 17 May 1766
viii. Samuel b. 10 June 1769

vital records sources: Josiah's birth, marriage and death dates come from the Beverly vital records: Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts to the Year 1849, vol. 1 (Topsfield:1906), 214; ibid, vol. 2 (Topsfield:1907), 198, 496. His death record there is taken from his gravestone, which says he died in his 45th year, meaning he was 44 and would turn 45 on his next birthday). His death was reported in the Essex Gazette, 28 Sep to 5 Oct 1773, p. 39.

1.
2. Early Coastwise & Foreign Shipping of Salem, etc., (Salem:1934), pg. 175 and 176.
2.1. Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, vol. 24 (Boston:1923), 418, citing Essex Institute Historical Collections, v. 282, which apparently is erroneous, the vol. no. may be a page no.
3. Beverly vital records