The origins of Henry Silsbee are unknown to me

Born: - About 1620, based on 25 years before estimated date of birth of oldest child.

Immigration: By 1639. Savage reports him in Salem by 1639. Probably single, as oldest child estimated date of birth is 1644.

Spouses:

 
1)  Dorothy, probably married by 1644 and probably mother to all of his children. Probably an unidentified daughter of an immigrant. Born probably by 1620 in probably England, died Sep 27, 1676, in probably Lynn, Mass, probably in her 50's. Eight children.

2) Grace (___), widow of Jonas Eaton of Reading, Mass; married on November 18, 1680, in Lynn or Reading, Mass. A late-life marriage, no children; he would have been approximately 60. (Torrey agrees)
 

New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume IV
Pg 2095

"(I) Jonas Eaton was son of Peter Eaton. He first settled with his brother in Watertown, and bought land there in 1643. He and his brother William were among the first settlers of Reading, Massachusetts. Jonas and his wife Grace were admitted to the church in Reading, September 29, 1648, or earlier, he was admitted a freeman in 1653, and was selectman of Reading for several years. His house and farm were on Cowdrey's Hill, in the northwest part of the town, now within the limits of Wakefield, where he died February 24, 1674. His widow married, November 18, 1680, Henry Silsbee, of Lynn. The will of Jonas Eaton was proved April 7, 1674; bequeathed to wife Grace; sons, John, James, Joshua, Jonathan, and daughter Mary. Children: Mary, born February 8, 1643-44, died 1731; John, mentioned below; Jonas, born and died September 24, 1648; Sarah, born 1650; Joseph, January 5, 1651; Joshua, December 4, 1653; Jonathan, December 6, 1655; David, September 22, 1657, died October 7, following. "
 

Residences: Salem 1639 > Ipswich 1647 > Lynn 1658/1666

Died:  During 1700, in probably Lynn, Essex Co, Mass

Will / Estate:  His will of Mar. 1698, probated 16 Dec. 1700, names three sons, three grandsons, John March, Henry Collins, John Laighton, besides granddaughter Mary Silsbee. (Per Savage, I don't have a copy of that will yet.)

Life events:

 
1666 - In 1666, Joseph Floyd, who lived on Fayette street, sold his house and land to "Henry Silsbee of Ipswich," for thirty-eight pounds, and removed to Chelsea. His land is described as bounded "west next the town common, and east next a little river." The "town common" then meant the public lands in Woodend; and the "little river" was Stacy's Brook. (History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Pg 152.)

1692, Jan 8  - "It was voted, that Matthew Farrington, senior, Henry Silsbee, and Joseph Mansfield, senior, should sit in the deacons' seat. History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts
Pg 292
 

Savage on Henry Silsbee and some of his descendants:
 
SAVAGE, VOL 4 DICT FIRST SETTLERS OF NE, Pg 65

SILSBEE, oft. SILSBY,

EPHRIAM, Lynn s. of Henry, by w. Rachel had Henry, b. 15 Nov. 1694.

HENRY, Salem 1639, Ipswich 1647, Lynn 1658 had Henry, John; Ephraim, and three ds. beside Samuel. His w. Dorothy d. 27 Sept. 1676, and he m. 18 Nov. 1680, Grace Eaton perhaps wid. of Jonas of Reading. One of the ds. was Hannah, wh. m. 2 Dec. 1680, Thomas Laighton. His will of Mar. 1698, pro. 16 Dec. 1700, names three s. three gr. s., John March, Henry Collins, John Laighton, beside gr. d. Mary S.

JOHN, Salem, prob. s. of the  preced. m. 16 Feb. 1674, Bethia Pitman, had only ch. John, b. 7 Feb. foll. and d. early, his inv. being of 26 June 1676.

JONATHAN, Lynn, s. of Henry, m. 1 Jan. 1674 Bethia March, had Sarah, b. 5 Dec. foll.; a ch. 16 Feb. 1677, d. same day; Jonathan, 16 Mar. 1678; and Bethia 12 Apr. 1680, d. at one yr.; Eliz. 2 Aug. 1685; and Hannah, 3 Oct. 1687; was freem. 1684.

NATHANIEL, Salem, br. of the preced. m. 5 Nov. 1671, Deborah Tompkins, had Henry, b. 12 Apr. 1674; Nathaniel, 11 Apr. 1676, d. in few days; Nathaniel, again, 23 Oct. 1677; Samuel, 30 Jan. 1679; John, 20 Mar. 1682; and Margaret, 20 Mar. 1684.

SAMUEL, Lynn, s. of Henry, m. 4 July 1676, Mary Biscoe, had Mary, b. 20 June 1677; and he was bur. 18 Oct. 1687.

Six of this name, says Farmer, had gr. at Harv. in 1834, and one at Dart.

 

Notable Silsbee Kin include:
 
Nathaniel Silsbee, US Senator in the early 1800's.

Dictionary of New England Settlers, James Savage

CS71.S584 1880 Emmerton, James A. (James Arthur) , 1834-1888. A genealogical account of Henry Silsbee, and some of his descendants [microform] / by James A. Emmerton. -- Salem : Essex Institute, 1880. 71 p. ; 25 cm. From Historical Collections of Essex Institute, v. 17, 1880, p. 257-323. Call number of original: CS71.S584 1880. Master microform held by: DLC. Microfilm. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress Photoduplication Service, 1985. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. I. Title. Microfilm 85/5018 (C) 85-102123

Essex Genealogist: Henry Silsbee - Vol 18, No 2, May 98, pp. 99-105.

Identity of first wife - mother of children?
 
She is identified as Dorothy by Savage. Were they married in England, or is she a daughter of another immigrant?
What is the Silsbee pear?
 
"When Boardman Street in Salem was laid out in 1877, a large ancient pear tree was destroyed, then known as the Silsbee pear, which was supposed to be one of the many trees imported from England about 1640. This tree was much shattered and decayed altho the original trunk still remained; its photograph at the time it was cut down is preserved at the Essex Institute.  (Memoir of Samuel Endicott With a Genealogy of his Descendants, pg 187 )
 

See Marsh Home Page for my branch. Descendants from the second generation will have surnames of Silsbee, Marsh, Collins, and Laighton.

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This is what I have for Children and grandchildren. Probably incomplete. Corrections and additions welcome. Main branches from the first generation, beside carrying the Silsbee name, will be: Marsh and  Laighton.

 
Descendants of Henry Silsbee

 1   Henry Silsbee 1620 - 1700
..  +Dorothy 1620 - 1676
.............. 2   Mary Silsbee 1644 - 1695
..................  +Zachary Marsh 1637 - 1693
............................... 3   John Marsh 1665 -
...................................  +Alice 1665 -
............................... 3   Mary Marsh 1666 -
...................................  +Ebenezer Cutler 1666 -
............................... 3   Zachery Marsh 1668 - 1694
............................... 3   Elizabeth Marsh 1670 -
...................................  +Samuel King 1664 - 1738
............................... 3   Jonathan Marsh 1672 - 1750
...................................  +Mary Very 1669 - 1725
...............................  *2nd Wife of Jonathan Marsh:
...................................  +Hannah Buffington 1690 -
............................... 3   Ebenezer Marsh 1674 - 1722
...................................  +Alice Booth 1678 -
............................... 3   Ezekiel Marsh 1676 -
...................................  +Rebecca Gould 1676 -
............................... 3   Abigail Marsh 1680 - 1767
............................... 3   Benjamin Marsh 1687 -
...................................  +Hannah King 1681 -
.............. 2   Henry Silsbee 1646 - 1685
.............. 2   Sarah Silsbee 1648 -
..................  +Joseph Collins 1642 -
............................... 3   Sarah (1) Collins 1669 - 1669
............................... 3   Joseph Collins 1671 -
............................... 3   Henry Collins 1672 -
............................... 3   Ann Collins 1674 -
............................... 3   Dorcas 'Dorothy' Collins 1676 -
............................... 3   Sarah Collins 1678 -
............................... 3   Esther Collins 1680 -
.............. 2   Jonathan Silsbee 1650 - 1714
..................  +Bethiah Marsh 1650 - 1723
............................... 3   Sarah Silsbee 1674 - 1713
...................................  +George Lilly 1667 - 1719
............................... 3   Silsbee 1677 - 1677
............................... 3   Jonathan Silsbee 1678 - 1751
...................................  +Elizabeth Collins 1678 -
...............................  *2nd Wife of Jonathan Silsbee:
...................................  +Lydia Allen 1678 -
............................... 3   Bethia Silsbee 1680 - 1681
............................... 3   Elizabeth Silsbee 1685 - 1727
...................................  +Joseph Woodward 1688 - 1727
............................... 3   Hannah Silsbee 1687 - 1748
...................................  +Samuel Abbe 1675 - 1737
............................... 3   Susannah Silsbee 1683 -
...................................  +Joseph Geer 1664 - 1743
.............. 2   Nathaniel Silsbee 1651 - 1717
..................  +Deborah Tompkins 1651 - 1696
............................... 3   Henry Silsbee 1674 -
............................... 3   Nathaniel (1) Silsbee 1676 - 1676
............................... 3   Nathaniel Silsbee 1677 - 1769
...................................  +Hannah Pickering 1677 -
...............................  *2nd Wife of Nathaniel Silsbee:
...................................  +Martha 1677 -
............................... 3   Samuel Silsbee 1679 -
............................... 3   John Silsbee 1682 -
............................... 3   Margaret Silsbee 1684 -
..............  *2nd Wife of Nathaniel Silsbee:
..................  +Elizabeth Pickering 1651 -
.............. 2   John Silsbee 1654 - 1676
..................  +Bethia Pitman 1652 - 1687
............................... 3   John Silsbee 1675 -
.............. 2   Samuel Silsbee 1656 - 1687
..................  +Mary Biscoe 1654 -
............................... 3   Mary Silsbee 1677 -
.............. 2   Hannah Silsbee 1658 - 1682
..................  +Thomas Laighton 1656 - 1713
............................... 3   John Laighton 1682 -
.............. 2   Ephraim Silsbee 1660 -
..................  +Rachel Bassett 1666 -
............................... 3   Henry Silsbee 1694 -
  *2nd Wife of Henry Silsbee:
..  +Grace [Eaton] 1610 -

 1   Henry Silsbee 1620 - 1700 Born in England
....  +Dorothy 1620 - 1676 Born in England
. 2   Mary Silsbee 1644 - 1695 Born in of Salem, Essex Co, Mass
.......  +Zachary Marsh 1637 - 1693 Born in Salem, Essex Co, Mass
.... 3   Jonathan Marsh 1672 - 1750 Born in Salem, Essex Co, Mass
..........  +Mary Very 1668 - Born in Salem, Essex Co, Mass
........ 4   Jonathan Marsh 1699 - Born in Danvers, then Salem, Mass
..............  +Esther Osborn 1705 - Born in Salem, Essex Co, Mass
........... 5   Zebediah Marsh 1734 - Born in Conn or Mass?
.................  +Mary Coats 1740 - Born in Prob Killingly, then Thompson, Windham Co, Conn
.............. 6   Lucretia Marsh 1764 - 1851 Born in Thompson, Killingly, Windham Co, Conn
....................  +Nehemiah Fisher, Deacon 1764 - 1846 Born in Norton, Mass
.................. 7   Nehemiah Willis Fisher 1805 - 1859 Born in Marlboro, Windham Co,  Vermont
........................  +Abigail Whitney Bruce 1806 - 1884 Born in Marlboro, Windham Co,  Vermont
..................... 8   Eleanor Serepta Fisher 1843 - 1924 Born in Marlboro, Windham Co,  Vermont
...........................  +Henry Gilbert Baldwin 1836 - 1894 Born in Dover, Vermont, USA
........................ 9   Arthur Willis Baldwin 1876 - 1961 Born in Near Ada, Fountain Twp, Ottawa Co, Kans
..............................  +Inez Evangeline Hallock 1886 - 1976 Born in Near Milo, Lincoln Co, Kansas

Related Links:

Silsbee, Texas Home Page - Silsbee, the principal commercial center of Hardin County, Texas, was laid out on May 1, 1894, when the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City (later renamed Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe) Railroad reached the site of a logging camp belonging to the Texas Pine Land Association. Present population is about 6.000.  Silsbee was named after Captain Nathaniel D. Silsbee of Boston, a lawyer, who helped develop the lumber business in East Texas. Anyone know his lineage, if he is from our immigrant?
 
Selena, the queen of Tejano music, grew up in Silsbee, Texas.

Silsbee, Texas, is the home town of Mark Henry, current National and World Champion in powerlifting. He will likely be representing our country in the next Olympics.

Curtis Buckley, of the New York football Giants, is from Silsbee, Texas.
 

Ann Silsbee - Accomplished pianist.
 
 

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