Joseph Bucklin, the 4th, Facts Docket

[Note: In referring to those of the uninterrupted line of five males with the name “Joseph” who descended directly from the Joseph Bucklin born 1633 to the Joseph Bucklin born 1754 — the Joseph Bucklin Society has adopted a convention intended not only to eliminate confusion both within the line, but also to distinguish the line from the numerous other male successions of Bucklin males named Joseph Bucklin. The convention is that we refer to individual “Josephs” in this specific line of five Josephs from 1633 to 1754 — not by the usual cardinal number series in Roman numerals, but instead by the ordinal number series expressed with the Arabic numbers 1 through 5.]

Name: JOSEPH BUCKLIN, 4th

Date born: 20 Feb 1719/20, Coventry, Kent, RI

Headstone Data.
“Bible Record B-856,” LDS Family History Library; Salt Lake City , UT.

Died: 27 Dec 1790, Providence, RI

Headstone Data, Inspection of the Gravestone 10 June 2000 by James Sterling, Elizabeth Johnson and Leonard Bucklin, who certified gravestone to read: “Sacred to the memory of Capt Joseph Bucklin who departed this life December 27, 1790 Aged 70 years 10 months 1 day Having through life sustained the character of an industrious and honest man”.

Appointed:23 Feb 1761, Providence, RI – Director of The Providence Rhode Island Street Lottery of 1761supervising lottery to pave the streets of Providence.

In the General Assembly, held in East Greenwich, Rhode Island on February 23, 1761 a petition was received from several of the inhabitants of Providence requesting a lottery so that the profits could be used to pave the streets of that city. This plan was passed, granting the right to conduct a lottery to raise the sum of £6,000 to be used for the paving of the streets in Providence. The directors of the lottery were; Nicholas Cooke, John Brown, Knight Dexter, Joseph Bennett, Joseph Bucklin and George Jackson. [John Ezell, Fortune’s Merry Wheel, the Lottery in America.]

Appointed: 25 Mar 1771, Rehoboth, MA – Highway Surveyor

John G. Erhardt, History of Rehoboth, Seekonk, Mass., Pawtucket & East Providence, RI, 1692-1812, (PO Box 33, 500 Fall River Av., Seekonk, MA, 1990), 669, at the same meeting brother John was appointed inspector of leather for the town.

Appointed: 24 Dec 1774, Committee of Inspection, Providence, RI

John R. Bartlett, Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England, (10 vols., Providence, Alfred Anthony 1857-1865), v. 7, p. 285, “At a town meeting… the following gentlemen were appointed a committee, to see that the [acts of the Continental Congress] be faithfully and inviolably adhered to, in this town” [including ..Arthur Fenner, Jr. Ambrose Page, Nicholas Power, Joseph Bucklin, and John Brown]. These acts included the non-importation of India tea, molasses, coffee and other items from the British West Indies, which suggests that the men named to this committee were leading merchants of Providence.

Burial: 28 Dec 1790, Sabin lot in North Burial Ground of Providence.

“Bible Record B-856,” LDS Family History Library; Salt Lake City , UT.

John E. Sterling, Sterling Grave Transcriptions, (1994-1997), “Electronic,” Map in book of Sterling can be used to locate the gravesite as being in what Sterling shows as section AA. To reach the grave go Northerly from the cemetery entrance by following Eastern Ave.; When you reach Cypress Ave, turn Westerly and go to Elm; on Elm turn South and grave will be on the East side of the Elm Ave, about 1/2 of the way south before Elm splits into Elm and Grove Ave.

Headstone Data, Inspection of the Gravestone 10 June 2000 by James Sterling, Elizabeth Johnson and Leonard Bucklin.  Capt. Joseph Bucklin was buried in the Sabin lot in the North Burial Ground of Providence, RI.

Deed: 22 Aug 1782, Canterbury, Windham, CT, from Thomas Pellet

Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts, Vol 13, p. 89.

Military: 26 Oct 1775, Directed fortification of Fort Independence at Field’s Point, RI

“Field’s Point, An Historical Account of the Fortifications,” [a committee was appointed] “consisting of Messrs. Joseph Brown, Amos Atwell, Esq., Captain Barnard Eddy, Jabez Bowen, Esq., and Mr. John Updike, Captain Simon Smith, Captain John Brown, Captain Joseph Bucklin, Captain Ebenezer Thompson, who were authorized to direct where and in what manner fortifications shall be upon the hill to the southward of the house of William Field”…called Fort Independence.

Occupation: 1760, Merchant, Providence, RI

Esek Hopkins, “Papers of Esek Hopkins,” Sloop Elizabeth folder, Capt Esek Hopkins is billed by Joseph Bucklin for thick planking for the Brigantine Providence including 46 feet of keel at 3 shillings a foot, and the wages of “Prince @4 [pounds]” pounds per day. Presumably “Prince was a skilled slave, for Prince was a name of a Bucklin slave, who worked 6 days on ship repairs for Esek.. The wage of 4 pounds a day though, sounds excessive for a day’s labor of a slave, so something more may be involved.

Occupation: 1767, Ship Master, Providence, RI

John Robinson v. The Brigantine Providence, The Case of John Robinson vs. The Brigantine Providence, on Appeal”. . . .The claimants Nicholas Cooke, Benjamin Cushing, and Joseph Bucklin appear incontrovertibly to be the only owners of said vessel. She arrived from Surinam into the Narragansett Bay and anchored about ten miles below the harbor of Providence, the place of her destination, and a member of the Port of Newport upon or about the thirteenth day of March 1767, in a most severe season, the weather being remarkably cold for the time of year. The Master, Joseph Bucklin. . . “.

Occupation: 1770, Shop owner, Providence, RI

Henry R. Chace, “Henry Chace Papers,” MSS 338, Box 1, f 18, denotes “Store” and Blockmaker shop, and a wharf. Also makes reference to Jon Dennison as business partner in the next door house and buildings.

Occupation: 1771, Mariner, Providence, RI

Henry R. Chace, “Henry Chace Papers,” MSS 338, box 1, f 17, “mariner.”

Occupation: 1789, Merchant, Providence, RI

Rhode Island Genealogical Register, v. 15, p. 64, Providence wills, names his occupation in his will dated 13 Jan 1789.

Probate: 03 Jan 1791, Will proved in probate Providence, RI

Rhode Island Genealogical Register, v. 15, p. 64, Providence Wills at pp 360 – 363 with codicil dated 13 may 1790, names only Nancy as living child of his.

Property 1: 09 Nov 1760, Rented Sloop Elizabeth from Esek Hopkins

Esek Hopkins, “Esek Hopkins Papers.”

Property 2: 1759, Providence, RI

Henry R. Chace, “Henry Chace Papers,” MSS 338, Box 1, f 6, Joseph Bucklin is shown on the list of those who had property at risk of fire in the compact part of Providence. The assessments for fire protection were based on the value of the property. Joseph Bucklin was assessed 20 pounds, which was one of the larger amounts assessed. Compare the substantial merchant Obadaih Brown assessed 40 pounds, who at the who operated a rum distillery, an iron furnace, a spermaceti candle works factory and merchant activities including the slave trade.

Property 3: 1770, Providence, RI

Henry R. Chace, Owners and Occupants of the Lots, Houses and Shops in the Town of Providence, RI in 1770, Joseph shows up being taxed in 1759, for 20 pounds, putting him in the top 25% of owners in the city. Joseph again shows up in 1770, being taxed for a house, blockmakers shop, a store, wharf, and a stable, as well as being in a partnership with the next door property owner. Again the amount of tax suggests that in 1770 he still was in the upper 25% of the citizens, in terms of wealth. He does not show up in the taxation of 1798, which fits, because he died before then, with no male heir.

Residence 1: Providence, RI

Henry R. Chace, “Henry Chace Papers,” MSS 338, box 1, f 17, “mariner” in . 17 and f. 18 adds ” a house, store, blockmaking shop & wharf, all good and complete, and a stable” at the “N. Sd. Market” and was assessed 1L, 10 s in 1770.

Residence 2: 1789, Providence, RI

Rhode Island Genealogical Register, v 15, p 64, Providence wills, names residence in his will dated 13 May 1789.

Tax Record: 1759, Providence, RI

Henry R. Chace, “Henry Chace Papers,” MSS 338, box 1, f 21, Joseph Bucklin is shown on the list of those who had property at risk of fire in the compact part of Providence. The assessments for fire protection were based on the value of the property. Joseph Bucklin was assessed 20 pounds, which was one of the larger amounts assessed. Compare the substantial merchant Obadiah Brown assessed 40 pounds, who at the who operated a rum distillery, an iron furnace, a spermaceti candle works factory and merchant activities including the slave trade. [Chace Papers, box 1, f. 6] In the tax assessor’s view in 1779, Joseph’s house stood next to that of Sam Butler, whose property was described by the assessor as “A tolerable good house and wharf well furnished.” When the assessors went next to Joseph’s property, they described it as “A House better than the former — Wharf Store ;& Block makers Shop — all good and compleat — and Stable. Next door the assessors noted the building of Bucklin and Donnison which the assessors described as “House &c 4.th[sic] order with a Wharf Lot” Joseph’s House was described as being .the third lot from the river, beginning at the bridge, on the West side of the river, on the North side of Westminster Street. The nature of his being both a ship owner and merchant is illustrated by his designation as “mariner” but being taxed for ” a house, store, block making shop & wharf, all good and complete, and a stable” at the “N. Sd. Market” in 1770.. Joseph Bucklin’s home is listed in Kinsley Cooper’s remarkable 1771 inventory of the houses of Providence.

Will: 13 May 1789, Will dated at Providence, RI. 13 May 1790, Codicil made to will

Rhode Island Genealogical Register, v 14, p. 64, Providence Wills, Joseph, of Providence, Merchant…Executors are Ebenezer Thompson Esq. and Richard Janckson, Jr, merchant, both of Providence. Witnesses to the will are Arthur Fenner, Lewis Peck, and John Foster.

Marriage of JOSEPH BUCKLIN, 4th and Zerviah Sabin, 29 Sep 1751, Killingly, CT

Rutland, VT, City Records.
Thompson Congregational Church Records, Killingly, CT.