Abraham Alling and Mary were probably married around 1670 at Marblehead Massachusetts. It was a hard time to start out. The land at Marblehead was poor, as were the inhabitants, especially after the bad fishing season of 1667.
On February 14, 1670, "Robert Hoober [was] fined 10 groats to the county and pay for healing of Abraham Allen's hand". Perhaps he had injured it in his work. A few months later, on April 4, "the Town haveing granted to Abraham Allin A House lott or place to sett his house on wher now his House is and the Townsmen being to lay out the ground and agree for the Price with said Allin they did accordingly and the said Allin is to pay the Town for the said ground ffive pounds onlie he is to have so much on the Rock behind Thomas Dods House as to sett a [blacksmith] Shop: as to be laid out by the Townesmen".
On June 30, 1671 "Abraham Alling of Marblehead, blacksmith" received a mortgage deed from William Browne Sr. of Salem for £75, 12s. and 11 and 1/2d. The property was described as "his new dwelling house and shop in Marblehead and ground belonging to them, standing near a new shopp Mr. Riddan now posses & by mr. Francis Johnsons dwelling house...". The paper was signed and sealed by Abraham, indicating he was probably literate, and at the very least could write his name.
Due to the hard times and low population of Marblehead, business was quite probably slow for Abraham, and he could not pay Mr. Browne what he owed him. In June 1672, Abraham's house and land were taken away from him as payment for the debt. But he was apparently allowed to remain in possession of them. Things only got worse. On May 15, 1673, a parcel of coal and charcoal (no doubt intended for use in the forge) were seized by the Marshall for the same Mr. Browne. Included in the writ of attachment was "a chest of joiners work of his" Shortly afterward, Mr. Browne presented a list of things for which he was owed money by Abraham- "nutmegs, sope indian [corn one would assume], Pease, searge 22 doezen butt., tiking, silk, sugar, earthen ware, nailes, Iron, blue linin, brickes pd to John Mason, pots, stockings, malt, sea coles, holland and fine canvas". Abraham was also charged for the use of a boat to carry coals to Marblehead. Abraham paid Mr. Browne with two Anchors that he had made. On June 7th, 1673, he also gave over his interest in the iron works at Topsfield.
Two days before this, on June 5, Browne had foreclosed on the mortgage, and taken "the house, shop and land and a joiner's work chest...".
This was too much for Abraham- everything he had had been taken away. On June 10, 1673 he sued the Marshall and Nathaniel Mighill, who resided with Mr. Browne for trespass, declaring that they had broken open his house, abused his wife "by forcibly turning her out of the house and locking the door, nailing up the said Allens shop, taking away the key of his house, thereby depriving him of the use of his household goods."
After this, Abraham returned to live in his "old house", which he had occupied before 1670. It was probably about this time that Abraham began to think of moving. He would, however, stay in Marblehead for several more years.
On November 1, 1675, the town allowed to "Abraham Allin & Thom: Gatchell: 18s." On August 18, 1676, Abraham was paid "by bill to the Cunstable" 2 pounds, 15s. On April 2, 1677 "To [be?] left in Abraham Allins and Thomas Gatchell ['s hands]" 1 pound. But it appears that Abraham's debts only increased.
It was no doubt for this reason that Abraham moved to Oyster Bay, on Long Island, New York. The first record of him there is on May 7, 1677, when he received a land grant from the town. This land, which consisted of four acres near the millstream, was laid out on September 4, 1678. On May 21, a town meeting voted that the land granted to Job Wright "being forfitt is given & granted to Abraham Aling ye smith". The town confirmed this land to Abraham on September 4, 1678, and encouraged him to set up and follow his trade "for ye supplying of ye inhabitants with all such tolles and Nesessaries needful, According to his Capassitie". Included in this grant were 20 acres of woodland and grazing and timber rights on the town common.
The final mention of Abraham in the Marblehead records is on May 2, 1678, when, not surprisingly, perhaps, his remaining house and land in that town were seized in payment of a debt. They were valued at 13 pounds. If Abraham had led a hard life at Marblehead, and was forced to leave, the exact opposite was true at Oyster Bay where he seems to have done quite well. At least none of his possessions were seized!
On March 10, 1678, he received a gift from the Indians of land on Unkaway neck, for a cattle pasture. Abraham sold this land on February 2 1679, to Henry Townsend Sr. A year later, On February 21, 1680, he received another Indian gift for land on Unkaway Neck. On April 5, 1681, he was granted lot number 26 on the west side of Unkaway Neck. On February 27, 1682, he purchased 6 acres on Cedar Point from Caleb Wright. Perhaps he had begun to farm as well as being a blacksmith? In 1683, he was assessed at 32 pounds.
He further enlarged his holdings in the following years, buying 3.5 acres in 1688 on Cedar Point from William Thornycroft, and also some meadowland. In 1692, he purchased 26 acres on Huckelberry Point. On November 22, 1695, he acquired 4 more acres from William Buckler. On March 26, 1696, he was granted 50 acres near Huckleberry Point, on Mill River Neck.
On April 27, he disposed of some of his lands, selling his home lot near the mill and the four acres around it that had been part of his original grant. On that same day, he sold his 26 acres of land on Huckleberry Point. Both parcels were sold to John Townsend. On April 26, 1698, he and his "now wife Mary" disposed of the rest of the land, selling to their son Thomas the Wright parcel of land and one half the other land, as well as Abraham's smith's tools, and also selling to their son Abraham, described as the "youngest" the Thornycroft and Buckler parcels, as well as one half the other land, each son paying 30 pounds. Abraham reserved for himself and his wife the rights to use the land during their lifetimes. Mary died sometime after the 1698 conveyance. Abraham died sometime after July 1, 1711, when his name is on a list of those holding provisions that could be used to supply an expedition against Canada.3