B. about 1647 in Rowley, Massachusetts
M. 14 May 1673 in Rowley, Massachusetts
Wife: Abigail Kimball
D. 1 Apr 1715 in Newbury, Massachusetts
John Wicom was an early colonist in Massachusetts who seemed to live an uneventful life, except for one serious charge that was brought against him. He was born in about 1647 in the town of Rowley to Richard and Ann Wicom. His parents had been among the first settlers there, having migrated from England during the 1630s. John had at least two older brothers.
When John was in his early 20s he married Abigail Kimball; their wedding took place in in Rowley on May 14, 1673. The couple had five daughters and two sons born between 1674 and 1692; one of the boys died young.
In March 1678, John was called into court in Ipswich. The accusation against him was that he had somehow gotten inside of the house of a neighbor, Samuel Smith, when the door was locked and nobody was home. A witness said that he had seen John “creeping out of a hole and throwing a bag ahead of him.” The record suggests that the court didn’t believe the accuser, and John was released.
For the rest of his years, John seems to have lived the quiet life of a farmer. A tax list from 1688 showed that he owned 8 acres of cultivated fields and 6 acres of meadow, with two horses, four cows and four hogs. His property was said to be in Newbury, just north of Rowley near the present-day Governor’s Academy. There were also some land deeds referring to a place called Wicom’s Spring, which was thought to be named after him.
John’s wife died not long after their youngest child was born and he never remarried. He died in his late sixties on April 1, 1715.
Children:
1. Ann Wicom — B. 1 Apr 1674, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Colin Frazer (~1662-?), Dec 1691, Newbury, Massachusetts
2. Abigail Wicom — B. 10 Mar 1675, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 17 Oct 1722, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Richard Clark (1677-1730), 2 Dec 1702, Rowley, Massachusetts
3. John Wicom — B. 23 Nov 1677, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. Jun 1679, Rowley, Massachusetts
4. Mary Wicom — B. 18 Jan 1679, Newbury, Massachusetts; D. 14 May 1741, Exeter, New Hampshire; M. Jonathan Jewett (1679-1745), 24 Jan 1699, Rowley, Massachusetts
5. Mehitable Wicom — B. 5 Sep 1682, Newbury, Massachusetts; D. before Dec 1709, Newbury, Massachusetts; M. Joshua Woodman (1672-1706), 15 Dec 1703, Newbury, Massachusetts
6. Sarah Wicom — B. 29 Aug 1688, Newbury, Massachusetts; M. Zachary Boynton (1690-1750), 15 Nov 1715, Newbury, Massachusetts
7. Thomas Wicom — B. 6 May 1692, Newbury, Massachusetts
Sources:
Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts, George Brainard Blodgette, 1933
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume VI, edited by George Francis Drew, 1917
WikiTree
