An American Family History

John Saunders 1613

Salem is in Essex County, Massachusetts and was a significant seaport in early America. John Endicott obtained a patent from England and arrived there in 1628. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of Beverly, Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea.

John Saunders (Sanders) was baptized on March 23, 1613, in the Parish of Downton, County of Wiltz, England. He was the son of John Sanders of Weeke and Alice Cols.

When he was about 16, he immigrated to Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts in the Margaret from Plymouth, England with Hugh Weston as master. He in John Endicott's party under the protection of Robert Coles

John received a grant of 40 acres adjoining Robert in Salem.

In 1629, John joined the first church in Salem.

In 1636 John was made freeman, and was granted 40 more acres in Salem

About 1636 he married Elizabeth Grafton.

Elizabeth and John's children included:

John Saunders (1640, married Hannah Pickman), and
James Sauders (1643, married Sarah Page).

John died on December 28, 1643. After his death, Elizabeth married John Kitchen.

The Society of Friends (Quakers) began in England in the 1650s, when they broke away from the Puritans. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, as a safe place for Friends to live and practice their faith.

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from Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River

John Sanders, a native of Weeks, Downton parish, Wiltshire, England, who came with the Massachusetts Bay colony and located in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1630. The remainder of his life was spent there.

He married in his native parish, February 4, 1610, Alice Cole, probably a native of the same town as himself. Their children, doubtless all born in England, were: John, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joseph, Moses.

John [Saunders], eldest child of John (1) and Alice (Cole) Sanders, was born in Weeks, England, in 1613, died at Salem, Massachusetts, in 1643, shortly after the making of his will, which was dated October 12th of that year and probated at Salem in the December following.

He was made a freeman in 1636, and in 1639 was admitted to the First Church of Salem. That he was a man of substance is shown by the fact that in his will he left a valuable estate. He left his son John Jr. his

ten aker lot with me house now built on the common side front knoll over against Solon when he comes to the twenty-five years, or at the death of his mother, with the aker and pasture of meadow belonging to it.

The remainder of his estate was left to his widow and he names his father-in-law and Goodman Hardie administrators.

He was married in 1636 to Priscilla Grafton, daughter of Joseph and Mary Grafton, of Salem. They were parents of two children, John, born in December, 1640, died in 1694, and whose wife was Hannah Pickman, and James, mentioned below.

After the death of Mr. Sanders his widow married (second) February 20, 1654, John Gardner, of Salem.

James [Sauders], junior son of John (2) and Priscilla (Grafton) Sanders, was born at Salem, Massachusetts, in 1643, died at Haverhill, Massachusetts, December 9, 1721. He was living in Haverhill in 1675, and doubtless located there soon after his marriage. He erected a house at the foot of what became known as Sanders Hill, where he spent the remainder of his life, where in 1701 the town ordered the garrison to be kept for the east part of the settlement, to guard against the encroachments of the Indians.

James Sanders was a prominent and useful citizen in the affairs of the town. In 1692 he was elected highway surveyor, and he served as representative to the general court at Boston in 1706-07-09. In 1711 his name appeared on a petition for a school house in the northeastern part of town.

His will, dated November 1, 1718, proved January 10, 1722, names him as a farmer, makes his son John sole executor, and provides for his widow and each of his children in either lands or money, with remembrances to his grandchildren and a servant girl. He left the bulk of his estate to his son Nathaniel, who received the home, barn, orchard and movable effects.

James Sanders married (first) January 14, 1669, Sarah Page, born July 18, 1651, died May 23, 1685-86, daughter of John and Mary (March) Page, of Haverhill.

They had children as follows:
James, born May 30, 1671, died young;
John;
Sarah, born August 6, 1674, married Jonathan Eaton;
Elizabeth;
James, born April 24, 1679, married Elizabeth Whittier;
Avery, born August 3, 1683
James Sanders married (second) October 20, 1687, Hannah, daughter of Henry Tuxbury, and she died September 24, 1746, having borne the following children:
Henry,
Jacob, born November 6, 1680, died young;
Judith, born June 17, 1606;
Nathaniel, born December 27, 1700.

The Massachusetts Bay Company was a trading company chartered in 1629 to settle an English colony in New England. Puritan leaders saw it as a religious and political refuge. About 900 colonists arrived in 1630.

Genealogical and Personal Memoirs, Volume 1 edited by William Richard Cutter
John Saunders, of Salem, still another John, came as early as 1637; married a daughter of Joseph Grafton; died 1643. bequeathing to father-in-law, wife, son John; his widow married, 1654, John Gardner;

The First Church in Salem, Massachusetts was founded by English Puritan settlers in August, 1629. Both accusers and accused were members of First Church during the witchcraft hysteria.

Any man entering a colony or becoming a a member the church, was not free. He was not forced to work, but his movements were carefully observed to see if they followed the Puritanical ideal. After this probationary period, he became a "freeman." Men then took the Oath of a Freeman where they vowed to defend the Commonwealth and not to overthrow the government.

The town common (commons) was a small, open field at the center of the town which was jointly owned. It was used as a marketplace, a place for the militia to drill, or for grazing livestock.

from Founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Sarah Saunders Smith

John Sanders, son of John Sanders of Weeke, baptized March 23, 1613, in the Parish of Downton, County of Wiltz, England, came to New Salem, in New England, in the Margaret from Plymouth, Hugh Weston, master, in company with John Endicott and his colony, June 28, 1628-9. He is recorded as a lad about eighteen, but we perceive by the above record that he was scarcely sixteen at that time.

From the parish records we perceive that he had two sisters, Elizabeth and Sarah, who a few years later came to the colony, and respectively became the wives of Henry Walcott and Robert Pike.

John Sanders was son of John Sanders of Weeke, by his second wife. Ales Coles, married February 4, 1610.

John Sanders came to the colony under the protection of Robert Coles, probably his uncle, and received a grant of 40 acres adjoining Mr. Coles. Mr. Robert Coles was one of the wealthiest investors in the colony at that time.

John Sanders united with the first church in Salem, 1629.

1636. John Sanders was made freeman, and granted 40 acres freeman's land, grant No. 2385...

About 1636, John Sanders, was married to Priscilla [sic-Elizabeth] Grafton, daughter of Capt. Joseph Grafton, and wife Mary; a family much respected and often mentioned in our earliest records.

The grant of land to John Sanders is the present location of the south side of Washington Square in Salem, Mass., adjacent to the common, extending along the Main street (Essex street) beyond the Pickman house and East India Marine society to the foot of Liberty street, at y^e point of the burying ground. A portion of this land remained in the family for many generations.

Upon the knoll side of the lot, facing the common, but what was then the Public pasture land or training ground, John Sanders built his house.

The house must have been a substantial one and well fenced in, for at a general town meeting held the fourth day of the second month, 1640, it was ordered

that all fences as well general as particular about the town shall be continued sufficientile made and maintained...

1640. Same day John Sanders was appointed surveyor. Voted,

at a general court town meeting, held the day aforesaid in the field where Mr. Williams' house is, Mr. Kenniston and Mr. John Sanders are appointed overseers, to survey the fences in that field.

He had been already appointed freeman at this time...

1639-l640. John Sanders served as a member of the grand jury at the Court...

The life of John Sanders in this little colony was very short, but for a young man of his age he certainly received recognition from the colony of his ability and integrity, having been appointed juryman, surveyor and freeman to the General Court.

He died 1643, 10m., leaving wife, Priscilla Grafton, and one son, John 3, baptized in the first church 1640 1 m. 9d.

The will of John 3 Sanders, dated Oct. 12, 1643. Probated at Salem Court house, 10m., 1643.

Sagamore, Jan. 21st.
John Sanders, inhabitant of town of Salem.
I do leave unto me son, John Sanders, my ten aker lot, with me house now built, on the commons side front knoll over against, solon he comes to the on e twenty-five or at the death of his mother, with the aker and pastare of meadow bound alonging it, and I do make my father [in-law], Joseph Grafton and Goodman Hardie to admr. this my will and deed, the 12 of Octover.

12 October. I of scd boon oaks in county wit Nathaniel Porter, Ex. also that the scd John Sanders left Gerge Ramell all the rest of the estate to his wife.

The last will and testament of John Sanders received. (Endorsed.)
Court 23, 10m., 1643.

John Endecott (or Endicott) was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Governor John Endicott

y^eis an archaic spelling of "the."

Goodman was a courtesy title before the surname of a man not of noble and Goodwife or Goody was the courtesy title for a married woman not of noble birth.

Early European settlers in the American colonies were mostly farmers and craftsmen. They had to work hard to provide daily neccesities for themselves.

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tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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