New England Town Surveyor — Jonathan Danforth

B. 29 Feb 1628 in Framlingham, England¹
M. (1) 22 Nov 1654 in Boston, Massachusetts²
Wife: Elizabeth Poulter
M. (2) 17 Nov 1690 in Billerica, Massachusetts³
Wife: Esther Champney
D. 7 Sep 1712 in Billerica, Massachusetts⁴

When 17th century Puritans settled all over New England, they needed to transform wilderness into communities. Surveyors like Jonathan Danforth played an important role in making that happen.

Jonathan was born in Framlingham, England on February 29, 1628 to Nicholas Danforth and Elizabeth Barber.¹ He was the youngest of seven children, and his mother died two days after he was born.⁵ Five years later, Nicholas and his children migrated to Massachusetts; it’s believed they arrived on the ship Griffin.⁵

After settling in the town of Cambridge, Nicholas died in 1638.⁵ Jonathan was just 10 years old and was likely cared for by his oldest sister who was married the following year. He had two older brothers who rose to prominence in New England. One was Samuel, who became a famous Puritan preacher, poet and astronomer.⁶ The other was Thomas, a Puritan leader who played a small part in the Salem witch trials in 1692; his name was used as a judge in the play The Crucible, although the character was a composite of several men.⁷

After Jonathan came of age, he became one of the earliest settlers of Billerica, Massachusetts. On November 22, 1654, he married Elizabeth Poulter, the first marriage recorded in town records.² Jonathan and Elizabeth had 11 children born between 1656 and 1676, 3 of whom died as infants.

Jonathan's signature.

Jonathan’s service of planning towns likely began in 1656. That year, several thousand acres were granted by the Massachusetts General Court to become the new town of Billerica, and Jonathan was part of a committee that divided the land into five- and ten-acre lots.⁸ By 1659, he was working as a surveyor, a profession he would pursue for the rest of his life.⁹ In 1661, Jonathan partnered with his wife’s step father, John Parker, to survey and lay out 4,000 new acres allotted for Billerica. In return for his work, the two were allotted 1,000 acres to be divided amongst themselves.¹⁰

During the 1660s, Jonathan was actively surveying throughout Massachusetts and beyond. He helped plot out portions of Massachusetts north and northwest of Boston, and the towns of Nashua, Hudson, Litchfield, Amherst and Milford in New Hampshire.⁹ He was responsible for drawing up plat maps and was referred to in documents as an “artist.”¹¹ It was said that he gave his measurements using the 32-point compass system,⁹ and that instead of a pencil to make his lines, he used a knife impressed into the paper.¹⁰ Jonathan’s last known surveying project was in March 1702 when he was 74-years-old.⁹

Besides his work as a surveyor, Jonathan held other important positions in the community. He was town recorder in Billerica for over 30 years,⁹ and for a time, he was Billerica’s representative to the General Court.⁸ He also served as militia captain during King Philip’s War, and was one of four men responsible for fortifying the town.¹² His house was used as a garrison, housing two other families besides his own whenever the alarm was sounded.¹² After the conflict ended the following year, Jonathan received a 12-year-old Native American boy as a bound servant. The boy was named John Warrick, but he died in 1686.¹³

Jonathan’s wife Elizabeth died on October 7, 1689,¹⁴ and he married Elizabeth Champney on November 17th of the following year.³ He passed away on September 7, 1712,⁴ and was buried at the Old South Burying Ground in Billerica. Jonathan was the 7G grandfather of Bette Davis. The salt-box-style house he built and lived in stood until 1878.⁸ A historical plaque is there today that reads:

Site of homestead of Captain Jonathan Danforth, pioneer of Billerica and famous surveyor. “He rode the circuit, chained great towns and farms to good behavior; and by well-marked station he fixed their bounds for many generations.”¹⁵

Jonathan's house in Billerica.

Children (all by Elizabeth Poulter):
1. Mary Danforth — B. 29 Jan 1656, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. May 1732, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. John Parker (1647-1699)¹⁷

2. Elizabeth Danforth — B. 27 May 1657, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ D. 9 Dec 1739, Westborough, Massachusetts;¹⁹ M. Simeon Hayward (1648-1733), 7 Mar 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁰

3. Jonathan Danforth — B. 18 Feb 1659, Billerica, Massachusetts;²¹ D. 11 Jan 1711, Billerica, Massachusetts;²² M. Rebecca Parker (1661-1754), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts²³

4. John Danforth — B. 23 Jan 1660, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 7 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts⁸

5. John Danforth — B. 22 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 4 Jun 1662, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts⁸

6. Lydia Danforth — B. 1 Jun 1664, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁴ M. Edward Wright⁸

7. Samuel Danforth — B. 5 Feb 1666, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁵ D. 19 Apr 1742, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁶ M. Hannah Crosby (1672-1752), 8 Jan 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁷

8. Anna Danforth — B. 8 Mar 1668, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁸ D. 13 Aug 1737, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁹ M. Oliver Whiting (1665-1736), 22 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts³⁰

9. Thomas Danforth — B. 29 Apr 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts;³¹ D. 31 Jul 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts³²

10. Nicholas Danforth — B. 1 Apr 1671 Billerica, Massachusetts;³³ D. 8 Mar 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts³⁴

11. Sarah Danforth — B. 23 Dec 1676, Billerica, Massachusetts;³⁵ D. 15 Oct 1751, Concord, Massachusetts;³⁶ M. (1) William French (1668-1723), 22 May 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts;³⁷ (2) Ebenezer Davis (1676-1753)³⁶

Sources:
1    Birth record of Jonathan Danforth, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001
2    Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Elizabeth Poulter, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3    Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Esther Converse, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4    Death record of Jonathan Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, Vol. II, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 2001, pp. 281-285
6    Samuel Danforth (Wikipedia article)
7    Thomas Danforth (Wikipedia article)
8    Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, 1908, p. 165
9    “Jonathan Danforth (1628-1712),” Backsights Magazine, published by Surveyors Historical Society 

10  The Early Grants of Land in the Wilderness North of Merrimack, George Augustus Gordon, 1892
11  “The Boundary Lines of Old Groton,” Samuel Abbott Green, M.D., Bay State Monthly, Vol. 1, 1884
12  History, Charter and By-laws of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois, 1900, p.164
13  “The Lost History of Slaves and Slave Owners in Billerica,” Christopher M. Spraker, Historical Journal of Massachusetts, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2014
14  Find-a-Grave listing of Elizabeth (Poulter) Danforth
15  Danforth Homestead marker, Billerica, Massachusetts
16  Birth record of Mary Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Danforth) Parker
18  Birth record of Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Death record of Elizabeth Hayward, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Marriage record of Simeon Hayward and Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Birth record of Jonathan Danforth (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Death record of Jonathan Danforth (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24  Birth record of Lydia Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Birth record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26  Death record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
27  Marriage record of Samuel Danforth and Hannah Crosby, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
28  Birth record of Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
29  Death record of Anna Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
30  Marriage record of Oliver Whiting and Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
31  Birth record of Thomas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
32  Death record of Thomas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
33  Birth record of Nicholas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
34  Find-a-Grave listing of Nicholas Danforth
35  Birth record of Sarah Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
36  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Danforth) Davis
37  Marriage record of William French and Sarah Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.