The Salem Vital Records contains Fortune’s marriage in 1749: “Fortune, servant of John Riddan of Marblehead, and Vilet, servant of, wid. Hannah Pierce, int. June 15, 1749.” Fortune appears in the inventory of John Riddan’s possessions taken after Riddan’s death in 1757: “Negro Fortune 30 [pounds].” Riddan refers to himself as a “yeoman” in his Last Will & Testament.

Bibliography:

John Riddan, Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives) https://app.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13790/23416-co7/30454808. 23416.

Salem, Early Vital Records of Massachusetts: From 1600 to 1850, https://ma-vitalrecords.org/.

Probate Inventory 1757

Salem Vital Records, marriage