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Abigail became a member of the Manchester church "by profession or by letter" on 28 January 1727/28.1 She appears to have lived most of her life in the Kettle Cove neighborhood of Manchester. Several newspapers reported Abigail's death, the first one given below was probably the original (Salem Gazette) that was then copied elsewhere, such as the second one. The Gazette notice and the information given to the town when she died was undoubtedly put there and given by the family, who thought she was 96. She was actually 95 and in her 96th year. The notices say she had 154 descendants when she died, and I've identified about 46 grandchildren who were living in 1804.
Mrs. ABIGAIL EDWARDS, relict of Mr. John Edwards, aged 96. Leaving a posterity of 154 in number, and a character which will long render? her memory.
Widow Abigail Edwards, AEt. 96; having 154 descendants.2
children of Abigail Hooper and John Edwards:3
i. Abigail, b. 26 August 1728
ii. Anne, b. 26 June 1730
iii. Daniel, b. 19 August 1732
iv. John, b. 16 August 1734
v. Mary, b. 26 June 1737
vi. Ruth, bap. 22 June 1740
vii. William, b. 20 April 1743
viii. Elizabeth, b. 11 March 1745/46
ix. Samuel, b. 30 May 1748
vital records sources: Her birth is in Vital records of Beverly, Massachusetts, to the end of year 1849, vol. 1 (Topsfield Historical Society:Topsfield, MA, 1906), 189, confirmed in "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," ancestry.com database online, "Beverly, Family Vital Records," image 27 of original mss volume: "Abigel Huper, daughter of William Huper by Abigel his wife was born January 13th day anno domaini 1708/9." Her marriage and death come from Vital Records of Manchester, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1903), 162, 252. The death record cites the town records (confirmed in "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," Manchester, Births, Marriages and Death [sic], image 307 of a mss transcription volume, one of several that all agree, meaning the original mss (which I haven't seen) says she died 4 Feb. A Manchester Congregational Church record says 6 Feb., see Congregational Archives & Library website http://nehh-viewer.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/#/content/Manchester/viewer/Church20records2C2017431827/136
1. Congregation Library & Archives website http://nehh-viewer.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/#/content/Manchester/viewer/Membership20records2C2017711881/25.
2. Salem Gazette, 6 Mar 1804, 3; New England Palladium, 13 Mar 1804, 2.
3. Vital Records of Manchester, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1903), 45-46.