B. about 1615 in (probably) Lincolnshire, England
M. 1639 in (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts
Wife: Elizabeth Northend
D. before 30 Sep 1656 in (probably) England
In the prime of his life, Francis Parrat left his family, returning to his country of origin, and never made it back. It’s believed that Francis was born in Lincolnshire, England, possibly in the village of Sutterton, in about 1615. His parents were said to be Francis and Ann Parrat (sometimes spelled Parat or Parrot), and he had at least two sisters named Ann and Faith. Francis had enough education that he could write fairly well, but little else is known about his early life.
By 1638, Francis had become a follower of Puritanism and he joined the migration to America. He was part of a group led by Reverend Ezekiel Rogers, a minister from Yorkshire. Early in the spring of 1639, they formed a settlement north of Salem which would later that year be incorporated as Rowley. Francis married another settler, Elizabeth Northend, around that time, starting a family with the birth of a daughter in 1640. They went on to have a total of eight children, of which two died young; all of the survivors were girls, so his name wasn’t passed on to descendants.
Francis took an active role in the civic duties of the town. He served as town clerk from 1641 to 1655, representative to the General Court in 1640 and 1642, church deacon in 1655, and he was one of four men who surveyed the town lots in 1644. The original tract of land designated as Rowley had been already divided up when Francis was involved with recording who owned each lot; his own property included upland, meadows and salt marsh, plus two acres in the village where he lived with his family.
Court records show that Francis served on juries several times, and he was paid for his service, but no cases were brought against him, nor did he appear to sue anyone. He and his wife were named as witnesses in 1652 at a case against a man named John Broadstreet who was accused of “having familiarity with the devil.” Broadstreet said that he “that he heard a voice that told him to build a bridge of sand and a ladder of sand to heaven.” He was ordered by the court to pay a fine and be whipped.
In late 1655, Francis made plans to visit England, an unusual thing for a colonist to do. In preparation for the trip, he made out a will dated November 18th, just in case something were to happen to him. It isn’t known why he went or what took place when he arrived, but in February 1658, his wife remarried, so he must have died in the interim. Because there’s no burial record for him in Massachusetts, it’s likely that he died in England, or onboard a ship in the Atlantic.
Francis was the ancestor of President Chester Alan Arthur, Charles and John Sargent Pillsbury (founders of Pillsbury Co.), and singer James Taylor.
Children:
1. Elizabeth Parrat — B. 1 May 1640, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 9 May 1690, Haverhill, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Worcester (1629-1681), 29 Nov 1659, Rowley, Massachusetts
2. Faith Parrat — B. 20 Mar 1642, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 15 Oct 1715, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723), 26 Feb 1663, Rowley, Massachusetts
3. John Parrat — B. 22 Feb 1643, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. young
4. Sarah Parrat — B. 22 Feb 1643, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 9 Oct 1663, (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts
5. Mercy Parrat — B. 23 Jul 1646, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 27 Nov 1667, (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Tenney (1640-1722), 26 Feb 1664, Rowley, Massachusetts
6. Mary Parrat — B. 15 Jul 1647, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 28 Sep 1714, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Sawyer (1648-1722), about 1674, Rowley, Massachusetts
7. Martha Parrat — B. 9 Oct 1649, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 13 Jul 1730, Amesbury, Massachusetts; M. Isaac Colby (1640-1723), 1668, Salisbury, Massachusetts
8. Hannah Parrat — B. 21 Dec 1651, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. young
Sources:
The History of Rowley, Thomas Gage, 1840
The Early Records of Rowley, Massachusetts, 1639-1672, Benjamin P. Mighill, George Brainard Blodgette, 1984
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume I, edited by George Francis Drew, 1912
Ezekiel Rogers (Wikipedia article)
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