52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, No. 38: Francis PETTEGREW, 1669-1747

Following the challenge from Amy Johnson Crow to write a post weekly, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, here is my 38th installment, Francis PETTYGROVE/PETTIGREW.  He is my 6th great-grandfather on my maternal lines, and was born and settled in the Kittery, Maine, region. 

Earlier Pettygrove families spelled their surname variously: as Pettegrew or Pettigrew, later as Pettigrove, and in my recent ancestors, as Pettygrove. All variants are found currently in the United States. Because the name appears to be of French origin, some have assumed that Francis came from France, but this assumption has not been proven.  Perhaps long before Francis was born, a French Pettigrew settled in England?  

Francis PETTYGROVE was apparently born about 1669 in Kittery.  In 20 Oct 1706, he married, first, Elizabeth BALL Hammons, the widow of Edward Hammons. Elizabeth's parents were John Ball and wife, Joan/Joanna. Elizabeth brought to the marriage her daughter by Edward, Joanna Hammons, b. 20 Apr 1701. 

Francis and Elizabeth had 7 children that we are aware of, born in Kittery:

1. Mary, b 12 Oct 1707, m. Francis Allen
2. John, b 3 Dec 1708, m. Mary____
3. Francis, b 27 Jan 1709/10, m. Elizabeth Hutchins
4. *Thomas [ancestor], b 27 Sep 1713, m. Mary HUTCHINS 12 Feb 1729/30, 9 children
5. William, b 29 Jun 1716, m. Lydia (?Ball); Wm d. abt 1748
6. Joseph, b 20 Sep 1719, d. bef 1747
7. Benjamin, b 9 Jun 1723

Note that the Hutchins wives of #3 and #4 above, are apparently NOT sisters. Two Hutchins brothers, Enoch and John, were very early settlers in Kittery, and it is likely the women are cousins. However, this has yet to be proved. The 3rd Hutchins wife, in the paragraph that follows, also needs to have her paternity determined.

Elizabeth BALL Hammons died several years after her youngest son, Benjamin, was born.  Francis married, second, another Elizabeth - widow Elizabeth HUTCHINS Davis.  There were apparently no children of this second marriage. I have yet to determine the relationships between the three Hutchins women who married into the Pettygrove family! 

Francis is listed in 1703 as having a land grant in the Kittery area.  After marrying Elizabeth BALL Hammons, his father-in-law, John BALL, deeded a house & 30 acres for them.  Later, in 1717, John BALL conveyed the whole of his land to his son-in-law, for maintenance of himself and his wife Joan/Joanne, during their lifetimes. 

Francis died approximately 1747, in Kittery.  His 2nd wife, Elizabeth Hutchins Davis, and the "two surviving sons waived adm. in favor of Francis Allen".  Note that Francis' eldest daughter, Mary, married Francis Allen.  I do not have a death date for Francis' 2nd wife, Elizabeth Hutchins Davis, nor do I have burial information for Frances and his two wives.

Most details have come from Old Kittery and Her Families (by Everett S. Stackpole), and Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire (by Sybil Noyes, Charles T. Libby, & Walter G. Davis). 

If you have more information, or corrections to the above details, please do not hesitate to contact me via calewis at telus dot net or in the Comments below. Thanks for stopping by.