English colonists from Salem were the first settlers in Lynn.
Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts was first settled in 1629 and incorporated in 1649. It was originally a fishing village. Before the Revolution it was home base for privateers who plundered European ships.
Sarah Collins Eliot Richards was born on August 10, 1678 in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Joseph and Sarah Collins.
She married Joseph Eliot on September 29, 1697 when she was 19 years old. They were married by Mr. James Allen. This couple should not be confused with the Reverend Joseph Eliot and Sarah Benton who married about the same time.
Joseph and Sarah's daughter was Mercy Eliot Alton. Mercy was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts about 1700.
Joseph apparently died before 1702 when Sarah remarried.
Sarah married Crispus Richards on December 21, 1702 when she was 24. Their children and life together is described in detail in the section on Crispus and Sarah Richards.
She died on August 5, 1774 in Lynn and is buried in Lynn.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
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.
