GENERATION 10

GENERATION 9

Biography

Just as his father, WILLIAM GIFFORD, had been banished from Plymouth Colony for following the Quaker religion, CHRISTOPHER GIFFORD, and his wife, DEBORAH PERRY chose to move to the Quaker-friendly area of Little Compton, Newport, RI. But, he first probably went to New Jersey with his brother, Hannahiah, as there is evidence they owned adjoining property at Navesink (Shrewsbury), NJ, by 1668.

CHRISTOPHER had returned to Cape Code by Jul. 7, 1682, when he was before the Court for "contemptuously speaking against dispensers of the word of God", for which he was fined ten shillings. His father, WILLIAM, gave him land in that part of Falmouth called Suckanesset.

In another instance of bad judgement, we find that "CHRISTOPHER .... and Joseph Hull are indited .... for their nototrious misdemeanors and trespass against his Maj'ties authorities, laws and peace." The record relates that "CHRISTOPHER GIFFORD did .... about ye eight day of December last and at other times in ye sd December, turbulently and violently by force and arms, resist ye constable of sd Suskanesset in ye execution of his office and then and there .... did wickedly strike Moses Rowley, Jr., being one of the constables ... on ye head with a certain stick or club, thereby fetching blood and shrewdly wounding of him in his head to his great damage." Both were found guilty.

CHRISTOPHER, and his brother Robert, had land in Dartmouth, Bristol, MA, in 1683, and were both living there in 1688. He continued to buy and sell land for the next 50 years, and eventually his holdings were all bequeathed to his children.

Through their daughter Mary and her husband Thomas Borden, they are great(x4)-grandparents of the infamous "Lizzie" Borden:

                         CHRISTOPHER GIFFORD       (1658-1748)
                         + DEBORAH PERRY           (1665-1723/24)
                                |
                         Mary Gifford              (1695-    )
                         + Thomas Borden           (1697-1740)
                                |
                         Richard Borden            (1722-1772)
                         + Hope Cooke
                                |
                         Richard Borden, Jr.       (1748-    )
                         + Martha Bowen
                                |
                         Abraham Bowen Borden      (1798-    )  - 4th cousin of Gail Borden,
                         + Phoebe Davenport                         founder of Borden Dairy
                                |
                         Andrew Jackson Borden     (1822-1892)       (he was axed)
                         + Sarah Anthony Morse     (1827-1892) - 2nd wife of Andrew,
                                |                                  Lizzie's step-mother
                                |                                    (she was axed)
                         Elizabeth "Lizzie" Borden (1860-1927)