B. 1 Sep 1633 in Rayleigh, Essex, England
M. 22 Nov 1654 in Boston, Massachusetts
Husband: Jonathan Danforth
D. 7 Oct 1689 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Like most women of her day, Elizabeth Poulter had the primary identity of being a wife and mother. But there were some other facts about her life as a Puritan settler that give her a bit of a story, including the importance of her home.
The path Elizabeth followed to New England was fairly typical. She was born September 1, 1633 in the town of Rayleigh, England, which was in Essex. Her parents were John and Mary Poulter and she was one of at least three children. The East Anglia region of England was the source of the majority of Puritan settlers to England, and so being in a family that followed that set of beliefs was only natural. Where Elizabeth differs a bit was in the fact that her family didn’t join the mass migration of the 1630s. Her father died in 1639, and Rayleigh records show that his will was proved there on May 30th. Even though Elizabeth was 6-years-old, her father bequeathed her £100 (a substantial amount of money) to be paid to her when she came of age.
It was Elizabeth’s mother who migrated to America, bringing along Elizabeth and her brother John. The date of this move is uncertain and may have been as late as 1653. At some point, the widow Mary Poulter married John Parker, and their family was part of the first settlers of the new community of Billerica. On November 22, 1654, Elizabeth (presumably with her inheritance awarded) was the bride in the first wedding held at Billerica. Her husband was Jonathan Danforth, a surveyor from Suffolk, England, and he would become a prominent member of the town.
Elizabeth’s husband and step-father formed a tight relationship, and together took purchased a piece of property called the “Farm Grant.” It was on this land that Jonathan and Elizabeth’s house was built, said to be the first one in Billerica. The style of architecture was called a saltbox, a distinctly-shaped structure of 17th-century New England. These homes had a long, low roof line extending to the back, so that there were two stories in the front and one in the back. This was where Elizabeth presumably gave birth to her eleven children, raising many of them to adulthood.
Sadly, Elizabeth didn’t live an especially long life; she passed away on October 7, 1689 at the age of 54. Jonathan remarried about a year later, and he died in 1712. Their saltbox house was said to have survived until the 1880s.
Children:
1. Mary Danforth — B. 29 Jan 1656, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. May 1732, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. John Parker (1647-1699)
2. Elizabeth Danforth — B. 27 May 1657, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 9 Dec 1739, Westborough, Massachusetts; M. Simeon Hayward (1648-1733), 7 Mar 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts
3. Jonathan Danforth — B. 18 Feb 1659, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 11 Jan 1711, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Rebecca Parker (1661-1754), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts
4. John Danforth — B. 23 Jan 1660, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 7 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
5. John Danforth — B. 22 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 4 Jun 1662, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
6. Lydia Danforth — B. 1 Jun 1664, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Edward Wright
7. Samuel Danforth — B. 5 Feb 1666, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 19 Apr 1742, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Crosby (1672-1752), 8 Jan 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts
8. Anna Danforth — B. 8 Mar 1668, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 13 Aug 1737, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Oliver Whiting (1665-1736), 22 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts
9. Thomas Danforth — B. 29 Apr 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 31 Jul 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts
10. Nicholas Danforth — B. 1 Apr 1671 Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 8 Mar 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts
11. Sarah Danforth — B. 23 Dec 1676, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 15 Oct 1751, Concord, Massachusetts; M. (1) William French (1668-1723), 22 May 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Ebenezer Davis (1676-1753)
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