Genealogy of the Buss Family of Durham New Hampshire

A genealogy of the Buss family of Durham New Hampshire as extracted from the History of Durham New Hampshire and other sources.

1

Family of Rev. John Buss of Oyster River New Hampshire

The Rev. John Buss, born 1640, probably son of William and Ann Buss of Concord, Mass., came to Oyster River from Wells, Me., where he had been minister and physician some years and where he was received as freeman, 7 July 1674, according to records of York County, Maine. He is supposed to have married (1) 12 May 1673, in Salisbury, Mass., Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Bradbury. It is certain that he married (2) Mary, daughter of Valentine Hill, whom he called, in 1718, his “late wife.” At that time he had wife, Elizabeth, his third wife. He stated in a petition, 1718, that he had been laboring at Oyster River forty years and was then seventy-eight years old. His house was burned in the massacre of 1694. He died in March 1736, having been very poor in his old age. Pike’s Journal says that Joseph Buss and William Buss were killed by Indians at Cochecho, 28 June 1689. Perhaps they were brothers of the Rev. John Buss. His widow was aided by the town till her death in 1768, and then the town paid her funeral expenses.

On 22 Aug. 1721, a suit was brought by Joseph Buss, Sr., of Portsmouth against Nathaniel Hill, Valentine Hill, Samuel Hill and David Kincaid, for trespass. The following statement is found among the papers preserved in the Court Files at Concord, N. H., No. 15139.

After the decease of Valentine Hill “the premises descended and came to his surviving children, which were Sam^l Hill his eldest son, Nath^l Hill, Mary Hill and Hannah Hill, which Mary Hill was afterward Buss and entitled to one fifth part of afores^d five hundred acres after s^d fathers decease. The s^d fifth part came and descended to her surviving children, viz^t., to Joseph Buss her eldest son two thirds thereof and to her daughter Hannah Buss afterward Chesley one third part thereof, who were her only surviving children.”

The children of the Rev. John Buss were, then, by first marriage:

1. 2. John Buss b. 1676; m. (1) Alice Reynolds, (2) Sarah Wakeham.
2. Elizabeth Buss m, John Smith.

Children by second marriage:

1. 3. Joseph Buss m. Lydia Davis. Hannah m. Joseph Chesley.

2

Family of John Buss of Oyster River New Hampshire

John Buss (John¹) born in 1676, as a deposition (made 23 Jan. 1753, aged 77) shows, had a grant of land, 25 June 1701. He married (1) Alice Reynolds, or Runnels, niece of John Reynolds of Cape Porpoise and probably daughter of Job Reynolds. [See York Deeds, XI, 31.] He married (2) Sarah, daughter of Edward and Sarah (Meader) Wakeham. On the 29th of Dec. 1743, John Kent and Mary, his wife, John Buss and Sarah, his wife, John Laskey and Abigail his wife, John Edgerly and Elizabeth his wife, sold to Caleb Wakeham their right in the estate of their father, Edward Wakeham, weaver, of Durham. [See N. H. Prov. Deeds, XXVHI, 7.] His first wife and son, Stephen, were baptized by the Rev. Hugh Adams, 14 July 1717, and she was admitted to church 18 Oct. 1719. The following children are mentioned:

1. Stephen Buss bapt. 14 July 1717; m. Bethiah _______. Both sign a deed in 1743. She m. (2) William Willey, 1 Jan. 1761.
2. Joseph Buss.

3

Family of Joseph Buss of Durham New Hampshire

Joseph Buss (John¹) was of Portsmouth in 1719 and then received land from his father, the latter’s right in the estate of Valentine Hill. Joseph was a joiner. He had wife, Lydia, in 1725, who was daughter of Timothy Davis. He died about 1756. The will of Lydia Buss, 1758-9, names son, Joseph Buss, daughter, Hannah Horney, Mary Buss late niece, and John Pain late nephew.

Unclassified Busses of Durham, New Hampshire

• On 28 March 1763, Nathaniel Hill of Durham sold to Samuel Buss of Portsmouth one acre of land in Durham, near “the great house known by the name of the Busses house,” by the mill pond. [See N. H. Prov. Deeds, LXVH, 462.]
• William Buss of Durham, in 1775, had married Abigail, daughter of the late Joseph Wheeler. He then sold to Daniel Warner land that belonged to said Wheeler’s estate.
• John Buss was a soldier in the Revolutionary Army, 2 June 1775. aged 33.