Abraham Dickerman was the son of Thomas Dickerman (1597 - 1657). he was born about 1634 in England and died Nov. 2, 1711 in Branford, CT and is buried there. He came with his family as a two-three year old in 1636-1637 to Boston. Abraham married Mary Cooper on Dec. 2, 1658 in Dorchester, MA and they soon moved to New Haven. Mary was born on Aug. 5, 1640 in New Haven, the daughter of John Cooper and Mary Woolen (see Cooper family), and died Jan. 4, 1705/06.
Abraham and Mary established there home in New Haven and were given considerable property from her father. His dowry to them stated, “in consideration of my fatherly love and affection unto my loving daughter Mary Dickerman, have formerly sometime in or about a the year 1659 given, granted, and made over and do now by these presents, fully, freely and absolutely, by way of deed of gift in way of portion to my said daughter Mary Dickerman, give, grant…and confirm unto Lt. Abraham Dickerman of New Haven aforesaid, certain parcels of land all lieing within the township of the said New Haven…”
On Feb. 7, 1664, Abraham purchased three acres of land from Thomas Meeks that was formerly owned by Nathaniel Turner. Thomas Meeks had received it as part of his wife’s portion of the Turner estate. He attended the January 7, 1666 town meeting. On April 17, 1668, Abraham bought a house on the corner of Church and Elm Streets diagonally across from the green. In 1669 he made a selectman, along with his father-in-law. He held this role for the next thirty one years, with the exception of four years. In the Feb. 13, 1670 town meeting he was chosen “pounder,” along with John Cooper, for the Governor quarter and the Cooper quarter along with the corn field in between.
In September 9, 1678, the town meeting appointed him, along with William Peck and John Chidsey, to collect the minister’s maintenance fee for the year of three pence on the pound. He was granted 49 ¾ acres in the third division of land in 1680. In 1683 he was chosen deputy to the Connecticut General Assembly and re-elected until 1696. In October 1683, was made a Lieutenant of the New Haven militia under Moses Mansfield, Captain. He was selected, along with John Cooper and others to lay out the boundaries of the new settlement in Wallingford and in 1669 he was part of a committee that included John Humiston, to manage the affairs of the settlement. In June 10, 1685, was appointed member of a committee to obtain a patent on the bounds of New Haven which was granted in 1685 and renewed in 1704. Abraham is included in the list of freeman in New Haven in 1685, along with Joseph Ives and others (NEGHR, vol. 1, pp. 157–8).
Abraham was involved in a number of estates. He took the inventory of the estates of: Mary Alling (widow) on Sept. 11, 1683 with Moses Mansfield, John Davenport, his New Haven estate, on June 27, 1687 with Moses Mansfield, John Ponderson Sr. on March 15, 1680 with John Winston, Sr., Thomas Powell on Sept. 29, 1681 with John Cooper, James Russell on Feb 2, 1673 with William Bradley, Mary Russell (widow) on Sept. 9, 1674 with William Bradley, Thomas Yale, Sr. on May 7, 1683 with Moses Mansfield, Samuel Miles on Jan. 29, 1678 with John Chidesy,. He was also the overseer of the estate of William Bassett along with John Cooper. On Dec. 6, 1681 he witnessed the will of John Harriman, Sr. with John Ball and on June 30, 1687 he witnessed the will of John Nash with John Alling, Thomas Talmadge, and Joseph Mosse, on Mar. 25, 1686 he witnessed the will of Christopher Todd with John Cooper, Sr. Abraham is listed on May 23, 1659/60 as one of a number of people owed money by the estate of Mahalaleel Munnigs in Dorchester.
Part Two will post tomorrow and covers the rest of his life and his children.
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