Early Montreal Barrel Maker — Pierre Perras

B. about Aug 1616 in La Rochelle, France
M. 26 Jan 1660 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Marie-Denise Lemaitre
D. 30 Apr 1684 in La Prairie, New France

During the prime of his life, Pierre Perras took his barrel-making skills from France to America. He was born in La Rochelle in 1616, and baptized there on August 21st. His parents were Pierre Perras and Jeanne L’Asnier, and he had at least two sisters. The details of Pierre’s childhood and early adult years are unknown, but as a man who lived in an active port city, he must have supplied his barrels to town merchants. 

Barrel-making in the 17th-century.

Pierre decided to move to New France in the 1650s, likely recruited by someone looking for new settlers with valuable trade skills. He arrived in Montreal, first appearing on his own marriage contract on January 10, 1660. The wedding took place two weeks later on the 26th; his bride was Marie-Denise Lemaitre, a woman trained as a midwife who worked in Montreal’s hospital. There was a 20-year difference in their ages, with Pierre being 43 and Denise about 23. They started a family with a son born in October of that year. The family would grow to a total of ten children, with the youngest born in 1674; only two children died as infants.

After living about 10 years in Montreal, Pierre acquired land in La Prairie, a new settlement on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. He continued making barrels, but also cultivated the land, and by 1681 had a farm of 40 arpents. During the settlement’s earliest years, Pierre and his neighbors had to travel a long ways to get to church, so on September 22, 1675, he donated a building on his land to hold services. The make-shift church was said to be 25’ by 20’ and had a thatched roof. It was said that in 1691, the building was taken apart and reconstructed in a safer location within a palisade.

Pierre died on April 30, 1684 at the age of 67. His wife Denise remarried after his death, and she was brutally killed by Iroquois in 1691. Pierre was an ancestor of Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau and Madonna.

Children:
1. Pierre Perras — B. 31 Oct 1660, Montreal, New France; D. 23 Aug 1687, Montreal, New France

2. Jacques Perras — B. 24 Apr 1663, Montreal, New France; D. 25 Mar 1688, La Prairie, New France

3. Marguerite Perras — B. 27 Dec 1665, Montreal, New France; D. 15 May 1708, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Pierre Poupart (~1650-1699), 11 Aug 1682, La Prairie, New France; (2) Jospeh-Marie Demers (1658-1728), 20 Sep 1699, La Prairie, New France

4. Marie Perras — B. 27 Dec 1665, Montreal, New France; D. 3 Jan 1666, Montreal, New France

5. Catherine Perras — B. 24 Feb 1667, Montreal, New France; D. 16 Mar 1667, Montreal, New France

6. Jean Perras — B. 28 Aug 1668, Montreal, New France; D. 13 Oct 1736, La Prairie, New France; M. (1) Marguerite Tetu (1679-1699), 7 Jun 1698, La Prairie, New France; (2) Marie-Madeleine Roy (1684-1726), 25 Oct 1701, La Prairie, New France

7. Catherine Perras — B. 9 Jun 1670, Montreal, New France; D. 7 Jan 1750, Longueuil, New France; M. Eustache Demers (1661-1707), 21 Apr 1688, La Prairie, New France

8. Marie-Jeanne Perras — B. 10 Jul 1671, La Prairie, New France; D. 30 Oct 1718, La Prairie, New France; M. (1) Claude Faye (~1662-1708), 25 Oct 1688, La Prairie, New France; (2) Pierre Voisin (~1678-1721), 23 Dec 1709, La Prairie, New France

9. Marie Perras — B. 2 Feb 1673, La Prairie, New France; D. 9 May 1736, La Prairie, New France; M. Antoine Boyer (1671-1747), 4 Feb 1690, La Prairie, New France

10. Pierre Perras — B. 24 Jun 1674, La Prairie, New France; D. 1 Aug 1699, La Prairie, New France; M. Marie-Marguerite Diel (1678-1715), 18 Nov 1696, La Prairie, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

WikiTreeMinnesota Eh? A Foley/Perras Family History, Gerald Foley

New France Wife of Unknown Origins — Marie Godard

B. about 1640
M. 29 Sep 1654 in Beauport, New France
Husband: Toussaint Giroux
D. 21 Nov 1684 in Beauport, New France

Marie Godard was a woman living during the 17th century in New France, but there’s an odd absence of information about where exactly she came from. Census records taken when Marie was an adult suggested she was born between about 1638 and 1641. She first appeared in her marriage document of September 29, 1654. On that day, she was married to Toussaint Giroux at the home of Robert Giffard, seigneur of Beauport.

Both Marie and her new husband were servants of Giffard, who was an important man in the colony; he had first come to New France in the 1620s as a surgeon, and during the 1630s and 1640s, played a role in recruiting settlers from France. It’s likely that Marie was pregnant when she married Toussaint because the birth of their first child followed only seven months later. As servants working in the same household, this sort of relationship was certainly possible, and may have been the reason they got married.

The man who officiated at Marie’s wedding was Father Paul Ragueneau, who just a few years earlier, headed a Jesuit mission in Huron country. During the 1640s, the mission was destroyed in a series of brutal attacks by the Iroquois. It was said that only a small number of the Hurons escaped death or captivity, and Father Ragueneau eventually brought the survivors back to Quebec. Could Marie have been an orphaned girl among these Huron? Possibly, but this is only speculation. It’s interesting, though, that while her husband was illiterate, she was able to sign her name on the marriage document. Native American girls who fell into the care of the French were typically given an education during their conversion to Catholicism. Of course, she may have also been educated as a girl in France.

Father Paul Ragueneau.

Whatever the case, Marie and her new husband continued to be servants to Sieur Giffard, living in a small outbuilding on his property. On April 30, 1655, she gave birth to a baby boy in the house of Giffard, who delivered the child, but unfortunately the baby died a week later. In 1656 and 1658, Marie had two more sons born at Giffard’s house; the baby who was born in 1658 was baptized in the house at three weeks old. Marie and Toussaint went on to have 9 more children together, with the youngest born in about 1679.

In October 1658, Toussaint bought his own plot of land in Beauport, and built a small house that the family moved into. The land was expanded with a second purchase in 1665, but when Sieur Giffard died two years later, his son became the new landlord and reduced the Giroux family concession to a single arpent because they had been behind in paying the rent. It took a few years, but the family was eventually able to acquire enough farmland again to support themselves.

Marie died at Beauport on November 21, 1684. An unusual note was added in her death record that she had lived “a good life.” Husband Toussaint remarried a couple of years later, but it wasn’t a happy relationship, and when he died in 1715, he was buried next to his first wife Marie. She had many descendants, two of whom were Robert Goulet and Madonna.

Burial record of Marie Godard.

Children:
1. Charles Giroux — B. 30 Apr 1655, Beauport, New France; D. 7 May 1655, Beauport, New France

2. Raphael Giroux — B. 21 Jul 1656, Beauport, New France; D. 10 Feb 1715, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Vachon (1664-1715), 26 Nov 1681, Beauport, New France

3. Charles Giroux — B. 10 Aug 1658, Beauport, New France; D. 23 Dec 1708, Beauport, New France

4. Toussaint Giroux — B. 2 May 1660, Beauport, New France; D. 7 Jul 1660, Beauport, New France

5. Michel Giroux — B. 13 Jun 1661, Beauport, New France; D. 6 Aug 1715, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Therese Prévost (1665-1743), 18 Aug 1683, Beauport, New France

6. Toussaint Giroux — B. 21 Oct 1663, Beauport, New France; D. 10 Nov 1663, Beauport, New France

7. Jean Giroux — B. 26 Oct 1664, Beauport, New France; D. 16 Jan 1732, Beauport, New France; M. (1) Marie Dauphin (1673-1685), 8 Feb 1685, Beauport, New France; (2) Suzanne Bélanger (1665-1707), 12 Feb 1686, Beauport, New France  (3) Marie-Charlotte Grenier (1666-1736), 27 Feb 1707, Beauport, New France

8. Marie-Anne Giroux — B. 28 Dec 1666, Beauport, New France; D. 9 Jun 1711, Charlesbourg, New France;  M. Jean-Baptiste Prévost (1662-1737), 18 Aug 1683, Beauport, New France

9. Jean-Baptiste Giroux — B. about Dec 1668, Beauport, New France; D. before 1681

10. Marie-Madeleine Giroux — B. 29 Dec 1669, Beauport, New France; M. (1) Pierre Choret (1655-1701), 21 Jan 1686, Beauport, New France; (2) Maurice Rhéaume (1666-1709), 10 Jan 1705, Charlesbourg, New France

11. Toussaint Giroux — B. 1 Mar 1672, Beauport, New France; D. 25 Feb 1750, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Therese Dauphin (1674-1732), 15 Nov 1690, Beauport, New France

12. Monique Giroux — B. about 1679, Beauport, New France; D. 1 Mar 1725, Quebec City, New France; M. Noel Vachon dit Pamerlaux (1669-1699), 24 Oct 1695, Beauport, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
Before the King’s Daughters: The Filles à Marier, 1634-1662, Peter Gagné, 2002
Toussaint Giroux—Marie Godard, Seventh Great Grandparents, Warren Gereaux, 2000
“Ragueneau, Paul,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Survivor of Staten Island Indian Attack — Reynier Arentsen

B. about 1641 in Hengelo, Netherlands
M. (1) New Netherland
Wife: Annetje Hermans
M. (2) 1666
Wife: Jannetje Aukes Van Nuys
D. after 17 Sep 1721

Settlers in colonial America faced many hardships, some of which were conflicts between settlers and Indigenous people. Reynier Arentsen was about 13-years-old when his family were victims in a forgotten conflict, and they were forced to start over in another place.  

Reynier was born in about 1641 in Hengelo, Netherlands to Arent Theunissen Van Henglen and Tryntie Reynders; he had at least one brother and one sister. In about 1653, the family migrated to the New Netherland colony, and decided to join a group of settlers on Staten Island. The settlement had only recently been inhabited by the Dutch, and was somewhat remote, making Reynier and his family vulnerable on their farm.

Two years later, a settler in New Jersey shot a Native American woman who was stealing his peaches, and this incident gave name to what was known as the Peach Tree War. The Indians were said to take revenge for this killing by attacking places all around the New Netherland colony, although the raid was caused by other events as well. On the night of September 15, 1655, a group of warriors invaded the Staten Island settlement, burning the houses and brutally killing about 23 people, one of whom was believed to be Reynier’s father. The other 67 settlers were taken prisoner, including Reynier, his mother and his two siblings.

17th-century Indian village in region where Reynier was taken prisoner. 

Reynier’s family was held prisoner for about a month until negotiations were conducted for their release. There was little to return to in Staten Island, and eventually they moved to the safety of New Amsterdam. In November 1658, Reynier was living in Manhattan with his siblings, and mother, who had remarried. It was said that Reynier was doing “all kinds of construction work.”

During the 1660s, Reynier married a woman named Annetje Hermans, who gave him a son, then died. He took a second wife, Jannetje Aukes Van Nuys, in 1666. They had 11 children born between about 1667 and 1696. On March 28, 1670, Reynier bought a farm in Flatbush of 25 morgens (roughly 50 acres) and he moved his family there. He spent the rest of his life in that area, serving as church deacon from 1682 to 1684, and named as an elder in 1711.

Reynier last appeared in records on September 17, 1721 as a witness to a baptism. It isn’t known when he and his wife died.

Children by Annetje Hermans:
1. Aernout Reyniersen — B. before 1666, (probably) New York

Children by Jannetje Aukes Van Nuys:

1. Tryntie Reyniersen — B. about 1667, New York; D. 1691; M. Nicholas Thomasse Van Dyck, 20 Apr 1689

2. Helena Reyniersen — B. about 1669, New York; D. 1716; M. Charles Fonteyn, 29 Aug 1691, Flatbush, New York

3. Aucke Reyniersen Van Henglen — B. before 1671, (probably) Flatbush, New York; D. 20 Jan 1740, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Ida Vonk (1677-1738), Long Island, New York

4. Marytie Reyniersen — B. about Jul 1672, Flatlands, New York; D. 1744, Somerville, New Jersey; M. Joris Van Nest (1676-?)

5. Hendrick Reyniersen — B. about 1674, New York; D. 1739; M. Margaret

6. Barbara Reyniersen — B. before 26 Dec 1679, Flatbush, New York; D. before 6 Sep 1685

7. Adriantje Reyniersen — B. before 12 Mar 1682, New York;  M. Jan Probasco (~1680-1749), about 1702

8. Gertruyd Reyniersen — B. before 27 Jun 1684, New York; D. (probably) young

9. Barbara Reyniersen — B. before 6 Sep 1685, New York; M. Isaac Van Dyke (?-~1727)

10. Theunis Reyniersen — B. before 8 Aug 1689, Flatbush, New York; D. before 29 Mar 1696

11. Theunis Reyniersen — B. before 29 Mar 1696, Brooklyn, New York; M. Magrietje Valentyne, 26 Oct 1716, Flatbush, New York

Sources:
“Notes on the Rynearson (Van Hengel) Family,” Somerset County Quarterly, Vol. 5., Edward Kinsey Voorhees, 1916
Dutch Colonial Manuscripts, Volume 12 & 13, 2003
WikiTree

Left in Debt by her Husband — Jacquette Fournier

B. 9 Apr 1659 in Quebec City, New France
M. 5 Jun 1673 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Jean Proulx
D. 22 Jan 1736 in Montmagny, New France

In the prime of her life, Jacquette Fournier found herself without a husband and owing a large amount of money to another woman. She was born on April 9, 1659 in Quebec City to Guillaume Fournier and Marie-Françoise Hébert. Jacquette’s family was among the earliest settlers of Quebec; her grandmother was Hèléne Desportes and her great-grandfather was Louis Hébert. 

Jacquette’s baptismal record.

Jacquette grew up in a household crowded with 15 children, and perhaps this is why she was married at age 14. Her husband was French immigrant Jean Proulx, a 27-year-old man who had arrived in the colony as an indentured servant. After he completed his service contract and was looking to establish himself, Jean had dealings with members of Jacquette’s family. In 1671, he sold some property to her father, and this may have been when he met her. They were married in Quebec City on June 5, 1673.

It was two years before Jacquette became pregnant with her first child; often young brides continued to live in their childhood home before sharing a bed with their husband, but it’s not known if this was the case for her. The couple produced a large family, and by 1701, Jacquette had given birth to 14 children, only two of whom died young. The family lived in the town of Montmagny, which was located on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River, downriver from Quebec.

Jacquette’s husband Jean died on February 28, 1703, deeply in debt. In 1701, the widow of a merchant, Marie-Anne Fortin, had claimed Jean had owed 700 livres to her late husband, who was a merchant. It isn’t known whether their transaction was for goods or property, but it was a massive amount of money for Jacquette to conjure up. She was forced to sell half of her farm in order to pay the debt, and afterwards, she and her younger children moved into the household of her son Pierre.

Years later, on July 13, 1722, Jacquette formalized an arrangement turning her property over to sons Pierre and Joseph. The land was to be shared by both sons, and Joseph would take in his mother as well as receiving her farm possessions, including a horse, an ox, a cow, 25 chickens, 3 sheep and other items. Jacquette died on January 22, 1736 in Montmagny. After her death, son Joseph paid to have 36 masses said in her honor. Jacquette was an ancestor of Jack Kerouac and Nathan Fillion.

Children:
1. Denis Proulx — B. 24 Apr 1676, Montmagny, New France; D. 12 Dec 1749, Montmagny, New France; M. Marie-Anne Gagné (1674-1751), 17 Nov 1699, Cap-St-Ignace, New France

2. Jean-Baptiste Proulx — B. Oct 1677, Montmagny, New France; D. 20 Apr 1756; M. Louise Rousseau (1682-1759), 14 Jun 1701, Montmagny, New France

3. Louise Proulx — B. 29 Aug 1679, Montmagny, New France; D. 1745, Montmagny, New France; M. Pierre Gagné dit Bellevance (1670-1748), 22 Jun 1700, Montmagny, New France

4. Pierre Proulx — B. 8 Jun 1681, Montmagny, New France; D. 10 May 1757, Montmagny, New France; M. Agathe Destroismaisons dit Picard (1691-1730), 8 Jun 1711, Montmagny, New France

5. Marie-Anne Proulx — B. 1 Sep 1683, Montmagny, New France; D. 1 Jun 1756, Montmagny, New France; M. Jacques Thibault (1678-1755), Montmagny, New France

6. Marie-Barbe Proulx — B. 25 Mar 1685, Riviere-Ouelle, New France; D. 17 Mar 1765, St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, Quebec; M. Louis Isabel, 11 Aug 1704, Montmagny, New France

7. Thomas Proulx — B. 27 Aug 1686, Montmagny, New France; D. 9 Jun 1753, Montmagny, New France; M. Marie-Catherine Caron (1695-1744), 5 Nov 1714, Montmagny, New France

8. Angélique Proulx — B. 12 Aug 1688, Montmagny, New France; D. 27 Jan 1763, New France; Jean-François Thibault (1675-1760), 12 Nov 1705, Montmagny, New France

9. Joseph Proulx — B. 18 Sep 1690, Montmagny, New France; D. 3 Nov 1693, Montmagny, New France

10. Catherine Proulx — B. 12 Jul 1692, Montmagny, New France; 13 Jul 1692, Montmagny, New France

11. Anne Proulx — B. 17 Sep 1693, Montmagny, New France; D. 6 Dec 1749, Montmagny, New France; M. Henri Ruel (1690-1747), 30 Oct 1720, Montmagny, New France

12. Louis Proulx — B. 3 Apr 1696, Montmagny, New France; D. 6 Oct 1748, Montmagny, New France; M. Marie Dufresne (1706-1780), 23 Oct 1730, St-Laurent, Ile d’Orleans, New France

13. Joseph Proulx — B. 27 Apr 1698, Montmagny, New France; D. 14 Jun 1767, Montmagny, Quebec; M. (1) Theodore-Dorothee Bouchard (1708-1734), 20 Feb 1729, New France; (2) Angelique Laberge (1718-1777), 19 Nov 1736, Montmagny, New France

14. Françoise Proulx — B. 8 Dec 1701, Montmagny, New France; D. 11 Jun 1775, Montmagny, Quebec; M. Alexandre Gagné (1705-1790), 24 Oct 1729, Montmagny, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990

Find-a-Grave.com

FamousKin.com

Life Cut Short in a Smallpox Epidemic — John Larkin

B. 1 Oct 1640 in Charlestown, Massachusetts
M. 9 Nov 1664 in Charlestown, Massachusetts
Wife: Joanna Hale
D. 17 Feb 1678 in Charlestown, Massachusetts

John Larkin was the victim of one of the smallpox epidemics that struck New England during colonial times. He was the oldest of Edward and Joanna Larkin’s seven children, born in Charlestown, Massachusetts on October 1, 1640. John’s father was a wheel maker who taught his trade to his son, but died when John was only 12-years-old.

Edward Larkin left a will stating that John would receive a “double portion” of his estate at age 21. After receiving his inheritance, John set up his own household and got married. His bride was 18-year-old Joanna Hale and the wedding took place on November 9, 1664 in Charlestown. Between 1669 and 1677, they had six children, with two dying as infants.

Marriage record of John and Joanna Larkin.

The year John’s youngest child was born, there was an outbreak of smallpox in the Boston area. It’s believed that the disease was brought over on a ship from England, then spread rapidly. By the end of 1677, great numbers of people were dying in Boston and other towns. Authorities struggled with how to deal with the crisis; the General Court issued orders for days of prayer, and a minister in Boston distributed a pamphlet telling people how to best treat smallpox patients.

John came down with the disease at about the end of January 1678. His first symptoms may have included headaches, body aches, chills, fever, nausea and delirium. This was followed by a rash that turned into pimples and blisters. As the disease took its toll on his body, the internal organs were likely affected and this would have lead to his death. On February 7th, he was at a point in his illness that he made out a will providing for his young wife and his four children, who were all under age 11. John died on February 17th at the age of 37. The number of fatalities from the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1677-78 was estimated to be around 750, with 91 deaths in Charlestown alone.

Years after John’s death, his grandson had a claim to fame, at least as part of a legend. Samuel Larkin, the son of John’s son Edward, was said to have owned the horse that Paul Revere rode on his famous 1775 ride. The story goes that the horse was “borrowed” and never returned to its owner. 

Paul Revere on Samuel Larkin’s horse.

Children:
1. Edward Larkin — B. 22 Feb 1669, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. Sep 1738, Charlestown, Massachusetts; M. Mary Walker (1670-1734)

2. John Larkin — B. 26 Dec 1670, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 28 Apr 1698

3. Joanna Larkin — B. 13 May 1673, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 3 Jun 1673, Charlestown, Massachusetts

4. Robert Larkin — B. 24 Jun 1674, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 1 Aug 1675, Charlestown, Massachusetts

5. Joanna Larkin — B. 8 Mar 1676, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 12 May 1716, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Joshua Dodge; (2) John Thorndike (1675-1760), 20 Apr 1696, Beverly, Massachusetts

6. Sarah Larkin — B. 27 Nov 1677, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 23 Dec 1755, Southborough, Massachusetts; M. David Fay (1679-1738), 1 May 1699, Marlborough, Massachusetts

Sources:
The Will of Edward Larkin, 1651
“Tracing Smallpox Through Burying Grounds,” Historic Burying Grounds Initiative Newsletter, Vol. 4, Spring 2015
Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence, George C. Kohn, 2007
Paine Ancestry: the Family of Robert Treat Paine, Sarah Cushing Pine, Charles Henry Pope, 1912
John Larkin (Deacon of Charlestown) (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave

A Planter in the North Carolina Woods — John Davis

B. (probably) 1760s in (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina
M.  22 Feb 1787 in Rowan County, North Carolina
Wife: Elizabeth Bryan
D. 1821 in (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina

The people who farmed the backwoods of North Carolina during the 18th century left behind few records. For someone like John Davis, his story is told in his will.

John was likely born in Rowan County, North Carolina, the place where he lived as an adult. The date of his birth is unknown, and is estimated to be during the 1760s. John’s parents were unidentified in records and it’s not known if he had siblings, but he could sign his name on documents, so he had at least a little education. John first appeared on a marriage bond dated February 22, 1787 filed in Rowan County. His bride was Elizabeth Bryan, daughter of another Rowan County settler, John Bryan. 

A North Carolina marriage. (AI-generated image)

John and Elizabeth had at least seven children, with the youngest born about 1806. His son Samuel was known to have received no formal schooling, and presumably that was the case for all of John’s children. The farm John owned wasn’t likely from an original grant, and he added an additional field to it at some point. In his will, he described its boundaries using specific trees as markers—a black oak, a white oak and a large hickory. Son Samuel later described his childhood home as being located “in the wilds” of North Carolina. In 1810, John owned three slaves; it’s likely they were used as laborers on his farm.

On May 31, 1821, John made out his will. He was “weak of body,” and probably in the final stages of an illness because his signature was very shaky. His wife Elizabeth and their children were bequeathed his land and possessions. One detail that he spelled out concerned a young slave named Joseph, who was to be hired out for six months, with the wages he earned being paid to support Elizabeth. The will was proved in August, just a couple of months after John wrote it, meaning he must have died in June or July. 

John Davis’ will.

Children:
1. James Davis — B. 12 Nov 1789, Rowan County, North Carolina; D. 10 Feb 1840, Jersey County, Illinois; M. Elizabeth Morrow (1786-1851), 23 Nov 1814, Rowan County, North Carolina

2. John M. Davis — B. 25 Jul 1791, Rowan County, North Carolina; D. 31 Jan 1864, Jersey County, Illinois; M. Jane Luckey (1796-1889), 14 Jul 1817, Rowan County, North Carolina

3. William Davis — B. (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina

4. Elizabeth Davis — B. (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina

5. Sarah Davis — B. (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina; M. Mr. Madden

6. Samuel Davis — B. 8 Jul 1798, Rowan County, North Carolina; D. 22 May 1888, Jersey County, Illinois; M. Mary Clifford (1798-1875), 31 Jul 1823, Rowan County, North Carolina

7. Joseph Davis — B. about 1806, Rowan County, North Carolina; M. Rebecca Little (~1804-?), 28 Dec 1824, Rowan County, North Carolina

Sources:
North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979, FamilySearch.org
Will of John Davis, 1821
1810 US Census
Find-A-Grave.com

Five Brothers who Helped Found a Town — Jacob Parker

B. about Nov 1626 in Great Burstead, England
M. about 1651 in (probably) Massachusetts
Wife: Sarah _______
D. 7 Jan 1669 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Jacob Parker was one of five brothers who were among the earliest settlers of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The Parker brothers came from Great Burstead, England, where Jacob was born in 1626 to John and Anne Parker (he was baptized on November 19th). Great Burstead was a small village just south of the town Billericay in southern Essex County. Along with older brothers James, John, Abraham and Joseph, there was an older sister, Anne, and a younger brother, Joshua, who likely died young. Jacob and his brothers received some sort of education, at least enough so that they were literate.

It’s not known when Jacob arrived in America, but it’s thought to have been around 1650, and a couple of his brothers were already living in Massachusetts for several years. Jacob married a woman named Sarah; her last name is unknown and it’s not known if they were married before or after Jacob migrated. Between 1652 and 1667, they had nine children, all of whom lived to adulthood.

During the early 1650s, the Massachusetts colony was spreading inland, and several new towns were formed northwest of Boston. The process involved groups of men who purchased and divided up large tracts of unsettled land, who then requested to be given township status. Jacob and his brothers joined a group of 29 men who petitioned to form the town that became Chelmsford. The effort was successful and it’s thought that the Parker brothers were to first ones to settle there. Jacob’s daughter Sarah, born in January 1654, was only the second child born in Chelmsford.

For the next 15 years, Jacob was involved in many early activities to establish the town. In 1658, he became the first town clerk, helping to keep the records of land ownership and other official business. He was also a selectman starting in 1662. Of his brothers, only Abraham stayed in Chelmsford, with the other three moving to towns nearby. 

1668 Chelmsford town record written by Jacob.

Jacob died on January 7, 1669 at the age of 42. His wife Sarah remarried in 1675. Jacob was the 3G grandfather of Franklin Pierce.

Children:
1. Jacob Parker — B. May 1652, Massachusetts; D. 31 Oct 1694, Malden, Massachusetts; M. Joanna Call (1659-1737), about 1676, Malden, Massachusetts

2. Sarah Parker — B. 14 Jan 1654, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 26 Sep 1739, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Nathaniel Howard (1640-1709)

3. Ruth Parker — B. about 1655, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1719, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Pelatiah Adams (1646-1725), about 1673, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

4. Thomas Parker — B. 28 Mar 1656, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 8 May 1698, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Mary Fletcher (1658-1714), 21 Oct 1678, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

5. Tabitha Parker — B. 26 Feb 1658, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 31 Jan 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Stephen Peirce (1651-1733), 18 Nov 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

6. Rebecca Parker — B. 29 May 1661, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 25 Mar 1754, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Jonathan Danforth (1659-1711), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Joseph Foster (1650-1721), 1718, Massachusetts

7. Benjamin Parker — B. 8 Aug 1663, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 14 Apr 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Howard (1667-1741), 14 Jan 1691

8. Rachel Parker — B. 9 Mar 1665, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. John Floyd

9. Mary Parker — B. 8 Sep 1667, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 6 Jan 1763; M. Thomas Waite (1660-1742)

Sources:
History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Wilson Waters, 1917
“The English Origin and Ancestry of The PARKER Brothers of Massachusetts and Their Probate Aunt, Sarah Parker, Wife of Edward Converse,” NEHGS Register, Vol. 153, 1999
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