M. before 1640 in England2
Wife: Elizabeth Jackson
D. 8 Dec 1686 in Ipswich, Massachusetts3
While eastern and southern England supplied most of those who first settled in Massachusetts, a few people came from other places, such as William Boynton of Yorkshire. William was born in about 1606 to William and Elizabeth Boynton in the village of Knapton, three miles west of York.1 His ancestors were part of the aristocracy several generations back, although the Boynton knighthood had passed down a different line. After William came of age, he married a young woman named Elizabeth Jackson, but the date and place are unknown.2
Northern England was a hotbed of religious non-conformists also known as Puritans, and by the 1630s, William became acquainted with noted preacher, Reverend Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley.2 This would suggest it’s likely William had moved to Rowley (or some place nearby) as an adult. In 1638, Reverend Rogers organized a group of 20 families to relocate to the Massachusetts Colony, and William and Elizabeth were among them.4 The expedition was financed by William's cousin, Sir Matthew Boynton, who was a member of the House of Commons and involved with the protestant faction of Oliver Cromwell.5 While Sir Matthew funded some who relocated to the colonies, he never migrated there himself.
Map of England showing the places associated with William Boynton.
The ship which Reverend Rogers arranged to carry his parishioners was the John of London, sailing out of Hull.4 Upon arriving in Boston, Rogers let the church authorities know that he and the people he brought wanted to settle in their own community. Early the following year, a grant was arranged that became the town of Rowley, Massachusetts, and William was among the original settlers.2
Between 1640 and 1652, William and Elizabeth had seven children, all born in Rowley. In addition to farming, William practiced the skills of weaver and tailor.6 A court case in about 1671 described a job he had done for another man which involved delivering some cloth to a shop owner in Boston.7 The record stated that John Todd of Rowley had hired William to “carry rugs and blanketing to Boston for the use of one Mr. Orchard, a hatter, which he delivered for his use.…” The charges involved a non-payment of debt by Robert Orchard to John Todd, so William only served as a witness giving testimony.
All men in New England towns performed civic duties, and in 1673, William was assigned the job of sweeping the meetinghouse and ringing the meetinghouse bell, for which he was paid £2 12s.6 He also took on the job of running Rowley's school starting in March 1657.6 That year, the town advanced William money to enlarge his house for that purpose, and this makeshift classroom was Rowley’s only school for many years.6 He served in this role for over 20 years; it’s believed that he was the first teacher in Rowley.
Over the years, William acquired large amounts of land in the area around Rowley, and he was able to generously give each of his surviving children a farm. William died in Rowley on December 8, 1686.3 His wife Elizabeth passed away the following year.8
1. John Boynton — B. 19 Dec 1640, Rowley, Massachusetts;9 D. 26 Mar 1665, Rowley, Massachusetts10
2. Elizabeth Boynton — B. 11 Dec 1642, Rowley, Massachusetts;11 D. 1 May 1677, Bradford, Massachusetts;12 M. John Simmons (~1640-1708), 9 Nov 1664, Rowley, Massachusetts13
3. Zachariah Boynton — B. 11 Oct 1644, Rowley, Massachusetts;14 D. 4 Aug 1660, Rowley, Massachusetts15
4. Joshua Boynton — B. 10 Mar 1646, Rowley, Massachusetts;16 D. 12 Nov 1736, Haverhill, Massachusetts;17 M. (1) Hannah Burnap (1659-1721), 9 Apr 1678, Rowley, Massachusetts;18 (2) Mary Syles (?-1728), 29 Nov 1725, Rowley, Massachusetts;19 (3) Mary Williams, 30 Oct 1727, Haverhill, Massachusetts20
5. Mary Boynton — B. 23 Jul 1648, Rowley, Massachusetts;21 D. 18 Jul 1727, Salisbury, Massachusetts;22 M. John Eastman (1640-1720), 5 Nov 1670, Salisbury, Massachusetts23
6. Caleb Boynton — B. 7 Apr 1650, Rowley, Massachusetts;24 M. Mary Moores (1648-1725), 24 Jun 1672, Massachusetts25
7. Sarah Boynton — B.1 Dec 1652, Rowley, Massachusetts;26 D. 8 Aug 1654, Rowley, Massachusetts27
Sources:
1 “Origins Uncertain,” Great Migration Newsletter, 2009, p. 579
2 The Boynton Family: a genealogy of the descendants of William and John Boynton, John Farnham Boynton and Caroline Harriman Boynton, 1897
3 Death record of William Boynton, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
4 Great Migration: Passengers of the John of London, Geni.com
5 Matthew Boynton (Wikipedia article)
6 Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts, George B. Blodgette, 1887, p. 24
7 Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, V. 5, 1916, p. 188
8 Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, 1915, p. 530
9 Birth record of John Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
10 Death record of John Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Birth record of Elizabeth Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
12 Death record of Elizabeth Simmons, Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
13 Marriage record of John Simmons and Elizabeth Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Birth record of Zachariah Boynton, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
15 Death record of Zachariah Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Birth record of Joshua Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Find-a-Grave listing of Joshua Boynton
18 Marriage record of Joshua Boynton and Hannah Barnet, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
19 Marriage record of Joshua Boynton and Mary Syles, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
20 Marriage record of Joshua Boynton and Mary Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
21 Birth record of Mary Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
22 Death record of Mary Eastman, M., D. & B.
23 Marriage record of John Eastman and Mary Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
24 Birth record of Caleb Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
25 Marriage record of Caleb Boynton and Mary Moores, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
26 Birth record of Sarah Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
27 Death record of Sarah Boynton, M. T. C., V. & T. R.
