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- There is no mention of Abiel Lyon in James Savages' Genealogical Dictionary of New England.
According to his will he has a daughter Judith Farrington (she married ,in Boston, her cousin Joseph Farrington, her mother’s brother’s son, 19 Mar 1738 both of Dedham), and his wife is Sarah (3rd wife?) (Mrs. Susannah Craft(2nd wife)). Married Susannah 26 Apr 1748 in Pomfret.
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When Abiel Lyon brought his bride, Judith Farrington, into the wilderness, settlers were few. Families had taken homesteads on the Woodstock Line, and the east side of the Purchase. The Goodells had settled on Easter Hill, Abington. The Lyon's nearest neighbor may have been Benjamin Sitton.
Abiel Lyon was one of the founders of the Abington Society, giving the first pulpit, costing one hundred dollars. He had ten children, and several of his sons were soldiers in the Indian Wars, Spanish American Wars, and the Revolution. His youngest son, Jonathan, born after his death [<—incorrect!], was educated at Dartmouth by Rev. Walter Lyon. He was in Congress with Daniel Webster.
When Abiel Lyon sold his homestead to Daniel Trowbridge he built a house nearer his mill, now the property of John Kelly. Originally this house had a great stone chimney in the center, and a long, low lean-to in the back.
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Abel Lyon built the first sawmill in Pomfret in 1707 on the Mashamoquet, a short distance below where the hightway crosses the brook on Rt. 97, bringing tools into the wilderness on his back. Pomfret soon built a road to his mill.
May, 1749, Pomfret was split into two sections, one called Abington. It was this part of Pomfret that began to form a new church, with the blessing of the old church & pastor, and for which Abiel gave the first pulpit. In 1753, the new church had been built, and pews were okayed to be built. On the list of people to build pews were: John Shaw, James Ingalls, Edward Paine, John Ingalls, William Osgood, John Sharpe, Daniel Trowbridge, Captain Craft, Captain Goodell, Nathaniel Stowell, Richard Peabody, Jonathan Dana, Edward Goodell & Ebenezer Goodell. [Early homesteads of Pomfret and Hampton, by Griggs, Susan Jewett p. 8, 9, 69, 169. Archive.org digital version available]
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