Early American settlers
Robert(67)
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William(104)-Jeffery(105)-Thomas(106)-(108)
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John(160)-Nathaniel(161)-(162-5) | (170-171a)-Phinehas(172)
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(216-221) Nathaniel(222)-(223-223a) (168)-David(169)-(169a-i) (226-8)
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(263-265) (224-225)
67- ROBERT FFYSKE- Born about 1521, a wheelwright of Fressingfield, and St James', South Elmham. Married Mrs Sibilla Barbor (nee Gold), a widow. Sibilla was in great danger in the time of the religious persecution 1553-58, as was her sister Isabella Phillips, who was confined in Norwich Castle for her religion and escaped death only by the power of her brothers Paul and Peter Gold, who were men of some influence in the country. (It would appear theat the residents of the area around Laxfield were particularly vociferous in their support for the Protestant reformation; in an account by Robert's great-grandson Rev. John ffiske, his grandparents and great-grandparents are described as "eminently zealous in the true religion".) Robert fled for religion's sake in the days of Queen Mary, but was once more residing at St James in 1567-8 and later at the time of his death. His first wife having died, he married secondly to Joan ?, who was herself buried at St. James, South Elmham on 3 August, 1587. His willis dated April 10, 1590, it was proved in July 1602. Back. Offspring of 67 104 - WILLIAM FFISKE - Born about 1550, married firstly Anna, daughter of Walter Austye of Tibenham Long Row in Norfolk. She was buried at St. James, South Elmham on 13 February, 1600 and he married secondly Alice ? He is said by Candler to have fled with his father for religion's sake. He was a churchwarden in the parish of St James, South Elmham in 1601. His willis dated Nov 25, 1616, his son John was appointed executor. He died on May 17, 1620; resided at St James', South Elmham, Suffolk and Ditchingham, Norfolk. 105 - JEFFERY FFISKE - Of St James, South Elmham, born about 1552. He married Mary [or Sarah] Cooke who was buried at St James in May 1614. In his willdated May 11, 1629 he styled himself Jeffery Fiske of Great Bentley, Essex, yeoman. It is possible he moved to Great Bentley in the last years of his life, to live with his daughter Martha Underwood 105a - RICHARD FFISKE - Baptised at Fressingfield on 16 July, 1554, died young. 106 - THOMAS FFISKE - Born at St James, South Elmham about 1560, married Margery ? about 1587. He was a wheelwright, at the time of his death he was living and working at Fressingfield. His willwas dated Feb 20, 1610, he was buried at Fressingfield 6 days later. 107 - ELEAZAR FFISKE - Baptised at Fressingfield on 31 May, 1556, married Elizabeth ? He died without issue in July 1615. His willdated June 3, 1613 gives his wife lands etc in the parish of St. James, South Elmham, also property to nephews Nathaniel and David, sons of his brothers William and Jeffrey. 108 - ELIZABETH FFISKE - Born at Laxfield, married Robert Bernard or Barnard, a farmer of the estate at Custrick (Custrich) Hall at Weeley in Essex. Their daughter Elizabeth, married a Mr Locke, and was the mother of John Locke, the notable philosopher born at Wrington, Somerset in 1632. NOTE - recent research by Peter Fisk of Colorado, USA casts doubt on this connection to John Locke, there is now strong evidence that Locke's mother was an Agnes Keene. Offspring of 104 160 - JOHN FFISKE - Born at St. James', South Elmham around 1580, he married Anne, daughter of Robert Lawter (his second cousin), she died during a voyage to New England. An account of his son Rev. John ffiske describes his parents as "pious", he was a churchwarden at St. James, South Elmham in 1628. He died in May 1633 and was buried as "Goodman" Fyske [ ie. a Yeoman] at St. James, South Elmham on 14 May. 161 - NATHANIEL FFISKE - Married Abria Hovel, relict of ? Leman [also recorded as Alice Hend or Henel], resided at Weybred (Weybread). He is mentioned in the wills of his father, his uncle Eleazar and cousin Eleazar. 162 - ELEAZAR FFISKE - Born South Elmham, married Mary Brabourne and settled in Norwich, had two daughters of whom one died young. 163 - EUNICE FFISKE - Born South Elmham, died unmarried. 164- HANNAH (or ANNE) FFISKE - Born South
Elmham, married William Gillett alias Candler, a schoolmaster at
Yoxford. Their son, 165 - ESTHER FFISKE - Born South Elmham, married John Chalker of Rednall [Redenhall,Nfk] as his second wife, had issue Esther Chalker who married Anthony Noblett in 1641 and had issue; and Matthias Chalker who married Susan Soame, daughter of Henry Soame of Kings Lynn, Norfolk, a wealthy tanner. They had issue Martha, who died as an infant, and Jonathan, born 1658. Offspring of 105 168 - LYDIA FFISKE - Born about 1595, married John Sawyer, died without issue. 169 - DAVID FFISKE - Born about 1601, of Weeley, Essex. Married Sarah Smyth, daughter of Edmund Smyth of Wrentham, Suffolk, who probably died before David went with his children to New England. He was admitted a freeman in March 1637. Before 1644 he was a grantee of one lot, and a purchaser of six others. His homestall of 22 acres in Watertown, (in the county of Middlesex, Mass.) was originally granted to John Kingsbury. This property was bounded on the north by the Cambridge line and by the property of J. Coolidge, to the south by Pond Road, to the west by land of J. Coolidge, and east by that of B. Bullard. His total ownership of land was 227 acres. He was a man of standing in the community and held early office. In 1639 he was elected a member of the Board of Selectmen, and again in 1642. He was a juror in 1652, '54, '55 and '57. His will was dated Sept 10, 1660, it granted as sole executor his son David, who was also residuary legatee. It bequeathed him his "house, lands, cattle, and chattels", it also mentioned his daughter Fitch, and was witnessed by John Coolidge and Thomas Hastings. His inventory, when the will was proved in Jan 1661, was valued at £78 9s 1d. In Aug 1673 David sold the homestall and 2 other plots in Watertown to John Coolidge. 169a - SAMUEL FFISKE - Of Weybred, born about 1586, living in 1629. Married ?, had a daughter Elizabeth who was serving an apprenticeship in 1629. 169b - NATHAN FFISKE
- Born about 1615, married, probably in England, Susanna ? They
emigrated to New England and settled in Watertown, MA around 1642; he
was admitted freeman there in 1643 and was a selectman in 1673. His
will was dated June 19, 1676, proved the following month. His sister,
Martha Underwood, lived with him after the death of her husband. NB -
some other sources show Nathan as a son of Nathaniel[222].
169c - MARY FFISKE - Born about 1590, married firstly ? Brame or Braham, who died without issue, secondly John More of Wissett, Suffolk. 169e - ANNE FFISKE - Baptised at St James, South Elmham in October 1596, married William Bird of Kersey, Suffolk. They had issue Sarah, (who married John Twilter and went to New England), William, Bartholomew (married ?), and Thomas. The Candler manuscript states that Anne had ten children, "the most died young". 169f - MARTHA FFISKE
- Baptised at St James, South Elmham on Sept 9, 1602, married Martin
Underwood of Great Bentley, Essex. In April 1634 they embarked at
Ipswich in the Elizabeth, bound for New England. They settled
at Watertown, MA where he was admitted freeman in Sept 1634. He was a
cloth manufacturer, or weaver. His will was dated August 23, 1663,
proved Dec 10, 1672. After his death Martha went to live with her
brother Nathan, she died without issue on May 6, 1684 in Watertown. 169g - ELIZABETH FFISKE - Baptised at St James, South Elmham on April 22, 1599, married ? Pygott, died without issue. *169h - NATHANIEL FFISKE - Born about 1588, buried at St James Sept 13, 1601. *169i - CLARA FFISKE - Baptised at St James, South Elmham on March 10, 1594, probably died young. Offspring of 106 170 - THOMAS FFISKE - Born about 1588, married Mary Ward at Metfield on Oct 17, 1614. He resided initially at Fressingfield, then removed to Metfield. He was executor of his father's will in 1610. At the time he wrote his will in 1661 he was residing at 'Sandcroft in South Elmham' [South Elmham St Cross?] The will mentions his brother James[171] and cousin Samuel[169a] both of Weybread. 171 - JAMES FFISKE - Of Weybred, born in about 1590, probably the James Fisk who married Alice Chetleborow at Fressingfield on May 24, 1613. *171a - JOHN FFISKE - Born about 1603, mentioned in 1610/11 173 - ELIZABETH FFISKE - Born about 1598, possibly the Elizabeth Fisk who married Philip Whisolcroft at Fressingfield on April 25, 1614. 172 - PHINEAS FFISKE - Born about 1600, married Sarah Francis at Metfield, she was the mother of his children and died in New England in 1659. They resided at Wingfield prior to sailing to New England in about 1641; he was declared a freeman at Salem in 1642. They moved to Wenham in 1644, he was a Captain of the Militia in that town, and constable (Wenham's first). In 1653 he was Representative to the General Court, and was appointed "Commissioner to end small causes" (probably a justice) in 1654. He married secondly Elizabeth Eastwick at Wenham, MA in June 1660. His will was dated in March 1673 and was proved in June the same year. In it, mention is made of sons James (who received one half of the house and land), John and Thomas (who received the remainder), but not of his wife (poss. deceased) or any daughters. Among his legatees were "nephews Samuel, who was to have his great Bible, and Mark Fiske." All of those mentioned were apparently born in England some years before emigration, as son James was made freeman in the same year as his father, and the youngest son Thomas was about twelve years old at that time. The family probably emigrated at the same time as their relatives, Rev. John (216) and William (217) Ffiske, as their names appear simultaneously, in 1641, on the records of Salem Church. He died on June 7, 1673. 174 - MARY FFISKE - Born about 1606, mentioned in 1610/11. Offspring of 160 216- REV. JOHN FFISKE B.A. - Baptised at St.
James, South Elmham on 20 March, 1607, married Anne Gippes of Frenze,
Norfolk in 1635, she died in Chelmsford, MA in 1671. He married
secondly at Chelmsford, MA Mrs Elizabeth Hincksman, widow of Edmund.
Educated at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, he graduated in 1628/9 and
undertook to preach the Gospel. The pressures of the Conformity act and
the persecution he received in its name however eventually forced him
out of his ministry and he instead turned his attention to the study of
medicine. After a rigorous examination he received a license for public
practice. He joined a ship bound for New England with his wife and one
or two children, 3 younger brothers and sisters and elderly mother in
1637, seeing it as a chance to quietly follow his original calling. He
had to board in disguise in order to avoid the fury of his religious
persecutors. His mother died soon after they set sail. Once past Lands
End he undertook to give the other passengers 2 sermons each day, along
with other discourses and exercises. Another passenger remarked that he
did not know when the Lord's day was, he thought that every day was the
Sabbath for they did nothing but pray and preach all the week long.
They arrived in New England in 1637, with his only infant dying shortly
after landfall. They were well stocked with servants and all manner of
tools for animal husbandry and carpentry, and enough provisions to
survive for 3 years in the wilderness. Much of these provisions he gave
to the new country, which he found in the throes of a war against the
Pequot Indians. His first employment was as a teacher in Cambridge, MA,
and later in Salem, where he was particularly well renowned. He was
admitted as a freeman in Nov 1637. In 1641 he moved to Wenham, MA,
where he resided for 12 years and was the first minister there, having
established a church in 1644. He was also the infant town's physician,
and continued as both until 1656. In that year he and many of his
congregation moved to the town of Chelmsford, MA where he once again
practised as both minister and physician. He died in Chelmsford in 1676
at the advanced age of seventy five. His willwas dated June 18, 1674.
217 - HON. WILLIAM FFISKE - Born in England in about 1613. He arrived in America in 1637 with his brother John(216) and was made freeman in May, 1642. He married Bridget Matchet of Pulham, Norfolk, in 1643 at Salem, MA. Soon afterwards he moved to Wenham, MA, and was the first town clerk there, from 1643 to 1660. In 1647 he was elected representative to the General Court of the Commonwealth and was re-elected every year thereafter until 1652. He received liberty to keep an ordinary (public house) in 1643, and was granted a license to sell wine and 'strong water' in 1646. He died suddenly in 1654, possibly of some disease as he failed to make a will. Prior to his death he had served in all the public offices in the town. When his property was appraised, by Phineas Ffiske(172) among others, one of the items was a "sign with the sign post", presumably connected with his public house. The right to keep a public house was transferred to Phineas a few years later. After his death his wife married in 1661 Thomas Rix, a surgeon of Salem; they had one son, Theophilus born in 1665. Their offspring were:
218 - ANNE FFISKE - Baptised at St James, South Elmham on April 1, 1610. Married Francis Chickering and went to America in 1637, settled at Dedham, MA where her husband was ensign, selectman and deputy. They had issue. 219 - MARTHA FFISKE - Married in England to Captain Edmund Thompson, son of John Thompson of Holkham in Norfolk. They moved to New England, arriving in 1637, where they had four children: Martha, Edmund, Thomas and Hannah. Capt. Thompson was admitted to the church in Salem, Mass. in Dec 1639. They later returned to England and resided at Yarmouth, where they had a further three children, all of whom died in infancy. According to the Candler manuscript Capt. Thompson was a sea-captain who served the States after the death of King Charles I. 220 - NATHANIEL FFISKE - Died as an infant, buried at St James, South Elmham on March 27, 1614. 221 - ELEAZAR FFISKE - Born at South Elmham, mentioned in his grandfather's will. Offspring of 161 222 - NATHANIEL FFISKE - Born at Weybred, Suffolk, married Dorothy, daughter of John Simonds or Symonds of Mendham, Suffolk. He took his family to New England in about 1636 although he is believed to have died during the voyage. 223 - SARAH FFISKE - Born at Weybred, married Robert Rogers and had issue Sarah and Margaret. 223a - ABRIA FFISKE - Born at Weybred, married Francis Wretts, had issue Sarah, Benjamin and Abria. Offspring of 169 224 - MARTHA FFISKE - Born in England, married Thomas Fitch of Watertown, MA in about 1656. He was a cordwainer residing in Boston, one of the merchants and traders of that city who petitioned for a bankrupt law. He died in 1678, his wife surviving him. Their offspring were:
225 - LIEUT. DAVID FFISKE - Born in England about 1623, he was admitted as a freeman in New England in 1647. He married Lydia Cooper in 1646, she was the sister of Deacon John Cooper with whom he had travelled to America. They had three children before she died, after which he married in Sept 1655 Seaborn Wilson, daughter of Theophilus Wilson of Ipswich. He was an early settler, originally in Watertown, Mass., afterwards to Cambridge in about 1646. His residence in Cambridge was on the northerly side of Linnaean St., near the Botanic Garden. He sold this property to Joseph Daniel in Dec 1660 and moved to Cambridge Farms in Lexington, residing on Hancock St. He was a wheelwright by trade, but was also much engaged in public service, particularly as a surveyor of land. He was one of the most prominent men in the settlement of the Farms, serving as precinct clerk and assessor; he was the first subscriber for erecting a meeting house there and the first named member of the church. He was responsible for preliminary surveys of the land prior to the creation of the settlement of Worcester (now Massachusetts' second largest city) in April 1675. In 1688 he was the Selectman in Cambridge, and was representative in the critical period of 1689. He also served in a military capacity, as his title suggests. His will was dated June 23, 1708, it mentions his wife Seaborn, son-in-law Nicholas Wyeth; children David, Elizabeth, Anna and Abigail; cousin Samuel, son of Deacon Samuel Stone. He died on Feb 14, 1710. A "handsome memorial" was subsequently erected in 1856 by Benjamin Fiske, Esq., "In memory of David Fiske, who died Feb 14, 1710, and his descendants." His offspring were:
Offspring of 172 226 - SGT. JAMES FFISKE - Born in England about 1620, married firstly Anna ?, secondly Hannah Pike at Haverhill, MA in about 1648. He emigrated in 1637, joined Salem Church in 1641 and was made a freeman the following year. Shortly afterwards he moved to Haverhill, MA, by way of Newbury, MA and Wenham (mentioned there in 1644). At Haverhill he had several grants of land, the first in 1646. In Nov 1659 he sold, for £100, a dwelling-house and house lot of nine acres in Haverhill to Rev. John Ward. It was bounded by land of Richard Littlehale on the west, by Mr Ward's to the east and south, by Michael Emerson on the north. Also included were five acres of planting land in the Playne, bounded on the south by the Merrimack River and north by the common; two acres of east meadow, bounded on the east by a river, and two acres of west meadow, with commonages. He did not feature in the general grants of land in Haverhill in 1661, so had probably already moved to Groton. In 1669 he was one of a committee appointed "to lay the land northerly of Groton". From the Groton records is the entry: Due to James ffiske & Joh. Nuttin twenty shillings for laying out the hie-way to Chelmsford when they have perfeted the work wh. they promise to doe as soone as they can. His will was dated June 14, 1689 and was proved at Cambridge, MA. He died on July 14, 1689. His offspring were:
James junr. and Samuel were both shown in Groton records as heads of family, in 1690 and 1704 respectively. Descendants of Samuel included Hon. Levi Fiske of Jaffrey, a State Senator 1835-6, and Hon. Thomas Fiske of Dublin, New Hampshire, State Senator 1859-60. *226a - ELIZABETH FFISKE - Baptised at Wingfield April 22, 1622. 227 - HON. JOHN FFISKE - Baptised at Wingfield on May 13, 1627, married Remember ? on Dec 10, 1651. He resided at Wenham and was made a freeman in 1649, a constable in 1654, and a Representative in 1669 and 1681. He was commonly known as "John, the Constable", to distinguish him from Rev. John Ffiske(216) who resided in Wenham at the same time. He was a carpenter by trade, but also served under Capt. William Turner as a soldier in the Indian war, and was "sore wounded" in the Battle of Turner's Falls in 1676, during King Philip's war, which probably contributed to his death. He died intestate in 1683, his widow Remember and eldest son petitioned for papers of administration, and his property valued at £372 was split between her and their children. Remember went on to marry Deacon William Goodhue in 1689 (she was his fourth wife), who died in 1699 aged 86, her will was proved in Mar 1702. Their offspring were:
228 - CAPT. THOMAS FFISKE - Baptised at Wingfield on March 25, 1630, married firstly Peggy ? with whom he had eight children. She later died and he married secondly Martha Fitch (born in England in 1630) in Boston in 1695. He was made a freeman in 1661 and was a citizen of great influence in Wenham for over forty years. He was representative in 1671-2 . He and "William" (more likely David ?) Ffiske were Captain and Lieutenant respectively of "a trained band" raised to help protect the community in Wenham, particularly during the revolutionary times of 1689-91. He was instructed to start keeping records of births, marriages and deaths by the town in 1686 and was the first to do so. He held every public position in the town and represented it in the Great and General Court in the years 1671, '72, '78, '79, '80,'86,'94 and '97. During the infamous Salem Witch Trialsin 1892, he was foreman of the jury that convicted Mrs. Rebecca Nurse of being a witch, and in common with other jury members he subsequently made a confession admitting the error in having done so. He was moderator of the town meetings from 1700-05, and town clerk from 1661-94. He was described as a "Licensed Retailer" (but not allowed to sell after the manner of an Innholder) in the Court of Sessions 1695 and '96. His will was dated April 24, 1705, he died on Aug 15, 1707. His offspring were:
Offspring of 222 263 - JOHN FFISKE -
Born in England in about 1619, emigrated to New England in about 1636
from South Elmham St. James. He married Sarah Wyeth in 1651 at
Watertown, MA and took an oath of fidelity in 1652. He died in 1684,
his inventory taken that year amounted to £94. Sarah was still alive in
1701.
264 - NATHANIEL FFISKE - Died in infancy. 265 - ESTHER FFISKE - Born in England. See also 169b and 169f above. An asterisk before their number indicates that that person was not listed by Henry ffiske in Fiske Family Papers. |