John Brooks Threlfall, in his book, said Abraham Shaw was born about 1590 in or near Northowram, Halifax,
County York, England, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Longbothom) Shaw.
He married Bridget Best June 24, 1616, at Northowram. She was baptized April 9, 1592, daughter of Henry Best
of Ovenden.
Russell F. Shaw, M.D., said Bridget was a daughter of Henry Best and Grace Boithes of Ovenden, and that
Abraham Shaw was the executor appointed in the will of Henry Best, dated 9 Mar 1627/28 and proved in Aug 1628.
Abraham Shaw signed an agreement August 7, 1633, with John Farrar of Ewood. The Farrar family had been
involved in mining coal for fifty years in the area, ever since Henry Farrar of Ewood received a grant from the
Crown in 1582 of all the coal owned by the Lord of the Manor of Wakefield in Northowram. The Agreement
provided, among other things, that Abraham Shaw could peaceably make soughs and pits and dig mines for
searching and getting coals until all the coals be gotten within the wastes and commons of the greaveships of
Hipperholme and Sowerby, where the grant made from one Tusser to Henry Farrar, Esq., late of Ewood might
permit. He was to begin his work before Easter next, and the agreement went on to spell out in detail the costs that
were to be borne by the parties to the agreement, and the payments that were to be made by Shaw to Farrar.
Seven months later, March 20, 1633/34, Abraham Shaw of Scholecote Brow in Northowram made an agreement
with John Booth of Northowram in which Booth granted to Shaw the right to mine coal within any lands at Dirtcar
in Northowram then in the tenure of John Booth and George Booth his father, for so long as coal might be found
in the land.
Perhaps he ran into financial difficulty and sold out, or gave up, for about 1635/36 he ended his coal mining
activities and left for New England, where he appeared in the spring of 1636. He settled in Watertown, Mass., where
he is on the list of the earliest proprietors, receiving 70 acres in an allotment on July 25, 1636, and 10 acres on
February 28, 1636/37. His house and household goods were burned in October, 1636, after which he moved to
Dedham where he received a 12 acre grant that year.
Abraham Shaw, of Dedham, made his Last Will and Testament about November, 1638. In it he bequeathed to his
son John and daughter Martha, being infants, ten pounds between them; to daughters Martha and Mary "as much
quicke goods twelve pownds as may be thought fitt;" sons Joseph and John were to have his lot at Dedham equally
divided between them; all the rest of his estate to be divided proportionate "between all my children." Joseph Shaw
his "eldest sonne" and Nicholas Biram his "sonne in lawe" were named executors. In 1639, they petitioned for
permission to sell some of his land. Permission was granted, and they were given administration of the estate
October 29, 1640.
Dr. Daniel Turner, in his Shaw book, said Abraham and Bridget came from the Village of Northowram, Halifax,
Yorkshire, England, to New England, about 1636, with eight children. They settled first in Watertown, Mass., where
their house burned in October, 1636, after which they moved to Dedham, Mass. They were the immigrant ancestors
of a host of Shaw families in North America.
George W. Chamberlain, in "Early Families of Weymouth, Massachusetts", said Abraham was elected constable
in Dedham September 6, 1636; he helped build the first bridge across the Charles River for a grist mill; he had a
grant of "coal and iron ore which may be found in any common land in this country's disposing," November 2, 1637,
and it is presumed that he prospected for minerals, for it is known that he owned coal mines in Halifax, England;
he was given permission to erect a corn mill, February 12, 1636/37. He later moved to Cambridge, Mass., and held
office in that town.
Dr. Daniel Turner, in his Shaw book, said he wrote in 1970 to the Central Public Library of Halifax, Yorkshire,
England, asking for information about Abraham Shaw's mining activities. He received photocopies of the following
documents: 20 Mar 1635, an agreement between John Booth of Northowram and Abraham Shaw of Northowram
concerning coal mining in Northowram; 7 Aug 1633, an agreement, and bond for 100 pounds, between John Farrar
of Ewewood and Abraham Shaw of Northowram concerning coal mining in Hipperholme and Sowerby; 10 May
1634, bond for 100 pounds, Abraham Shaw of Northowram to George Denton of Halifax; 10 Jun 1635, bond,
Abraham Shaw of Northowram to Joseph Lister of Northowram.
George W. Chamberlain, in Early Families of Weymouth, Massachusetts," said that Thomas Leehford wrote in
his note book, p. 329, that "Abraham Shawe, sometime of Halifax, in the County of Yorke, clothier, and late of
Dedham in New England, planter, made his will about Nov. 1638, mentioning his eldest son Joseph Shaw, his sonin-
law Nicholas Byram, his attorney, Mr. Best of Halifax, his daughters Martha Shaw and Mary, his son John and
all his children. [1]
New Brunswick Families
1591 - 1638 (47 years)