M. (1) before 1615 in England1
Wife: Ursula Scott
M. (2) 23 Oct 1661, (probably) Essex County, Massachusetts1
Wife: Margaret Cole
D. 22 Jun 1675 in Ipswich, Massachusetts1
When Richard Kimball arrived in the Massachusetts colony, he brought a large family and a valuable skill: the ability to construct wooden wheels for carts. This would be needed by many of his fellow settlers as they built communities out of raw wilderness.
Richard was born in Rattlesden, England in 1595.1 It’s likely that his parents were Richard and Elizabeth Kimball, but there is also speculation that they were Henry Kimball and Joann Eisely. Whoever his parents were, many in the Kimball Family around Rattlesden were craftsmen such as wheelwrights, and this is the trade that Richard chose to follow.1
Richard married Ursula Scott before 1615, probably in Rattlesden.1 Between 1615 and 1639, they had at least eleven children; there may have been additional children who died young. All but the youngest three children were born in England.
Rattlesden was located in Suffolk, England. This was a region known as East Anglia, which supplied many Puritans to Massachusetts. In April 1634, Richard and his family joined the migration by boarding the ship Elizabeth, which arrived in Boston a couple of months later.1 Also aboard the ship were his brother Henry Kimball, his brother-in-law, Thomas Scott and his mother-in-law, Martha Scott.2
Richard and his family settled in Watertown, Massachusetts.1 His reputation as someone who knew how to make wheels must have spread to other towns, because a couple of years later, the leaders of Ipswich asked him to settle there. They needed a wheelwright, and they offered him a town lot with a house, plus 40 acres of land for a farm,2 so Richard moved his family to Ipswich and set up his shop. In order to have the materials to work with, the town gave him permission to cut down 20 white oak trees for that purpose.2 One of Richard’s sons, John, also became a wheelwright.2
Richard was born in Rattlesden, England in 1595.1 It’s likely that his parents were Richard and Elizabeth Kimball, but there is also speculation that they were Henry Kimball and Joann Eisely. Whoever his parents were, many in the Kimball Family around Rattlesden were craftsmen such as wheelwrights, and this is the trade that Richard chose to follow.1
Richard married Ursula Scott before 1615, probably in Rattlesden.1 Between 1615 and 1639, they had at least eleven children; there may have been additional children who died young. All but the youngest three children were born in England.
Rattlesden was located in Suffolk, England. This was a region known as East Anglia, which supplied many Puritans to Massachusetts. In April 1634, Richard and his family joined the migration by boarding the ship Elizabeth, which arrived in Boston a couple of months later.1 Also aboard the ship were his brother Henry Kimball, his brother-in-law, Thomas Scott and his mother-in-law, Martha Scott.2
Richard and his family settled in Watertown, Massachusetts.1 His reputation as someone who knew how to make wheels must have spread to other towns, because a couple of years later, the leaders of Ipswich asked him to settle there. They needed a wheelwright, and they offered him a town lot with a house, plus 40 acres of land for a farm,2 so Richard moved his family to Ipswich and set up his shop. In order to have the materials to work with, the town gave him permission to cut down 20 white oak trees for that purpose.2 One of Richard’s sons, John, also became a wheelwright.2
How wooden wheels for carts were made.
Richard’s name appeared in many town records in Ipswich, some involving disputes with his neighbors. It was also noted that in 1647, he was paid £2 for killing some foxes;2 New England towns often rewarded men for shooting animals who were predators on the community.
Wife Ursula died, and on October 23, 1661, Richard took a second wife, Margaret Cole, who was the widow of a man named Henry Dow.1 Richard passed away on June 22, 1675 in Ipswich.1 He left a detailed will mentioning his living children, some of his grandchildren, and his second wife’s three living children.2 Margaret died on March 11th of the following year.1
Children (all by Ursula Scott):
1. Henry Kimball — B. before 12 Aug 1615, Rattlesden, England;4 D. before 17 May 1676, Wenham, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Mary Riddlesdale (1622-1672), 1640, Wenham, Massachusetts;1 (2) Elizabeth Black1
2. Abigail Kimball — B. before 5 Nov 1617, Rattlesden, England;6 D. 17 Jun 1658, Salisbury, Massachusetts;7 M. John Severance (1615-1682), about 1637, New England8
3. Elizabeth Kimball — B. about 1619, Rattlesden, England;1 D. after 5 Mar 16751
4. Richard Kimball — B. about 1623, Rattlesden, England;1 D. 26 May 1676, Wenham, England;9 M. (1) Mary _____ (?-1672);1 (2) Mary Morris, after 2 Sep 16721
5. Mary Kimball — B. about 1625, Rattlesden, England;1 D. 12 Jul 1686, Ipswich, Massachusetts;10 M. Robert Dutch1
6. Martha Kimball — B. about 1629, Rattlesden, England;1 M. Joseph Fowler (1622-1676)1
7. John Kimball — B. about 1631, Rattlesden, England;1 D. 6 May 1698, Ipswich, Massachusetts;1 M. Mary Bradstreet (1633-1690)1
8. Thomas Kimball — B. about 1633, Rattlesden, England;1 D. 2 May 1676, Bradford, Massachusetts;1 M. Mary Smith (~1635-1688)1
9. Caleb Kimball — B. about 1635, Massachusetts;1 D. before 23 Sep 1682, (probably) Ipswich, Massachusetts;11 M. Anna Hazeltine (1640-1688), 7 Nov 1660, Ipswich, Massachusetts1
10. Benjamin Kimball — B. about 1637, Massachusetts;1 D. 16 Jun 1696, Bradford, Massachusetts;12 M. Mercy Hazeltine (?-1707), 16 Apr 1661, Salisbury, Massachusetts1
11. Sarah Kimball — B. about 1639, Watertown, Massachusetts;1 D. 12 Jun 1690, Suffield, Connecticut;2 M. Edward Allen, 24 Nov 1658, Ipswich, Massachusetts2
Sources:
1 The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
2 History of the Kimball Family in America From 1634 to 1897, Leonard Allison Morrison and Stephen Paschall Sharples, 1897
3 FamousKin.com listing of Richard Kimball
4 Baptismal record of Henry Kemball, Notes on the History of the Church and Parish of Rattlesden, 1900
5 Probate inventory of Henry Kimball, Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, Ancestry.com
6 WikiTree listing of Abigail (Kimball) Severans
7 Death record of Abigail Severans, Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
8 Marriage record of John Severance and Abigail Kimball, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
9 Death record of Richard Kimball, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
10 Death record of Mary Dutch, Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, Vol. 2, 1910
11 Probate record of Caleb Kimball, Essex County, Massachusetts Probate File Papers, 1638-1674, AmericanAncestors.org
12 Find-a-Grave listing of Benjamin Kimball
Sources:
1 The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
2 History of the Kimball Family in America From 1634 to 1897, Leonard Allison Morrison and Stephen Paschall Sharples, 1897
3 FamousKin.com listing of Richard Kimball
4 Baptismal record of Henry Kemball, Notes on the History of the Church and Parish of Rattlesden, 1900
5 Probate inventory of Henry Kimball, Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, Ancestry.com
6 WikiTree listing of Abigail (Kimball) Severans
7 Death record of Abigail Severans, Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
8 Marriage record of John Severance and Abigail Kimball, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
9 Death record of Richard Kimball, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
10 Death record of Mary Dutch, Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, Vol. 2, 1910
11 Probate record of Caleb Kimball, Essex County, Massachusetts Probate File Papers, 1638-1674, AmericanAncestors.org
12 Find-a-Grave listing of Benjamin Kimball
