Working on Wednesday: John Irish (About 1611 - 1677), Laborer, Roper, Farmer

On April 20, 1629, this maternal tenth great grandfather entered into an indenture with a man called Timothy Hatherly of the parish of St. Olave, Southwark, whereby John, described as a laborer, agreed to "dwell, serve, remain & abide with the said Timothy Hatherly or his assigns at the town of Plimouth called New England from the day of the date of these presents unto the end & term of five years from thence next ensuing."* The birth year given for him is an estimate based on the assumption that he was about 18 at the time. The indenture stated that John was "of the parish of Clisdon in the county of Summersett." Unfortunately there is no Clisdon in Somerset according to scholars who have unsuccessfully tried to locate John's birthplace for a very long time.

[Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improved. Being a Correct Coppy of Mr. Ogilby's Actual Survey of All ye Direct & Principal Cross Roads in England and Wales ... By Ino. Owen ... Maps of All the Counties of South Britain ... By Eman Bowen, Engraver.

Source: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection]

Experts agree that John Irish arrived in Plymouth in 1630 although it's not certain what ship he arrived in. He is undoubtedly one of "Mr Hatherlie's two men" not otherwise identified in Plymouth tax lists in 1633 and 1634. In 1637 John volunteered to fight in the Pequot War.

[The south part of New-England, as it is planted this yeare.... William Wood, London, 1634.

Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University]

According to the terms of his indenture, John was to receive 25 acres of land and 12 bushels of wheat at the end of his service. Records show that he owned 5 acres by Stony Brook in Duxbury in 1639 and doubled his holdings two years later through an agreement with a neighbor that the survivor of the two would get both plots. As part of a deal establishing a grist mill on the brook, John traded his land for a house and land in Duxbury in 1641, where he was listed as a man able to bear arms in defense of the colony. He married a woman we know only as Elizabeth by about 1644 and over the next five years they had three children (that we know of), two boys and a girl.**

About the time of his marriage the court ordered that he was to have his land from that around Duxbury but I'm not sure what came of that because he was given permission to choose again in 1658 apparently in the same area. There is no record of John Irish ever becoming a freeman of Plymouth Colony.

In a 1659 land sale John described himself as a "roper" which my source tells me is a person who makes ropes or nets. Otherwise he was called a "planter" meaning that he was a farmer unlike in Virginia where the word had more grandiose connotations..

In 1662 John Irish  on the list of "servants and ancient freeman" was given permission to seek out land at Saconett Neck (now Little Compton, Rhode Island) or some other place and he did move to Little Compton where he died March 5, 1677/8. His wife, son John and daughter Elizabeth survived him, his second son Elias having predeceased him, leaving a widow and child.

*This quote and most of the information above is from the profile of John Irish published on pages 1065-1068 in The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).
**I am descended from their oldest son, another John Irish whose granddaughter Rebecca Richmond married Peter Worden IV.

© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Abigail Davis (About 1633 - 1682)

When her father William Davis died in 1643, my maternal 9th great grandmother Abigail Davis was only about ten years old. She continued living with her stepmother, who married John Cowdall a year later. At some point the family moved to Newport, Rhode Island, and in about 1655 Abigail's stepmother and her husband forced her to marry Richard Ussell.

For what happened next, I think I'll just give you the Rhode Island Court Records, complete with their spelling:*

[Original from Harvard University]

The Generall Courtt of Tryalls held for the Collony
The 24th of June at providence in the yeare 1656

An action of Trespas: upon the case Comenced by Edward: Richmond plaint against Richard Ussell Defendt Damige one hundred: pownds starll: The Issue joyned by the Aturnies not guilty of Trespas: The juries verdict we find for the: Defendt: the costs of Court: judgment granted and Execution thereon

The Gen Court of Tryals Held for the Collony At ports-
mouth the 14th of october in the yeare 1656

An action of Trespas: upon the case for Breach of Covinant and for forcing Abigall Davis the spoused wife of Edward Richmond and for takeing keeping and with houlding her from Edward Richmond aforesaied. Comenced By Edward Richmond plaintiff against John Cowdall and Richard Ussel deffts: damige thre hundred pownds starll
This case is reffered to the court of Comitioners there detirmanation

At the Generall Court of Tryalls Held at Warwicke june
the 30th 1657.

An action of the case to answer the Condemnation of the Court upon A nihil dicett Entered before the Court of Tryalls in october last at portsmo, Comenced by Edward Richmond plaintiff against Richard Ussell Deffendant Damidge Forty pownds starll jurries verdit we Find for the plaintiffe Damidge sixe pownd and Cost of this present Court judgment granted and exicution thereon

Att the Generall Court of Tryalls held for the Collony at
providence the 13th octobr 1657

An Action of Trespas upon the case comenced By Abigall Davis pla: against Richard Ussell Defftt: Damidge tenn pounds starll: The Issue joyned by the Aturnie is the Defft knows noe Abigall Davis of newport and the Deft is not guilty of the charge The jurry cominge into the Court did Declare that they cannot Agree to bringe in A verdict and will noe longer atend upon the case

Abigail and Edward found themselves in court again the next year.

The Genrl Court of Tryalls Held for the Collony at New-

port on the . . . Day of June 1658

Upon A presentment by the Grand Jurry against Edward Richmond for liveinge with Abigall Davise contrary to the law of this Collony: The Deffendant Enters his Traverce: leads Guilty Soe Far as he lives Contrary to law: And Reffers him Self to the Bench for Tryall: The Court doe judge the Sayd Edward Richmond Guilty of Fornication and to be whipt or pay Forty Shills accordinge to law: The sayd Edward Richmond Doth acknowlidge to abide the law in payment of Forty shills to the Genrl Treasurer: judgment graunted

Upon A presentment by the Grand jurry against Abigall Davice for liveinge with Edward Richmond contrary to the law of this Collony: The Defendant Enters her Traverce: pleads Guilty and Reffers her Selfe to the Bench for Tryall: She also in Court owned herselfe to be the same woman Abigall Davice: and that she hath a chylde by Edward Richmond The Court doe judge her Guilty of Fornication: and to be whipt or pay forty shillings—accordinge to law: She ownes to abide the law in payment of Forty shills to the Genrl Treasurer Judgment Granted:

Upon the humble Request of Edward Richmond and the aforementioned Abigall Davice that thay haveing beine adjudged: and also thay owneinge the Righteousnes of the Sentence of the Court against them for liveinge together in Fornication: That now this court would be pleassed for prevention of the licke Temptation now to Declare them selves Condissendinge to the two parties marriag to gether: which the Court doe Consent unto: for that ther is Testimony that they have beine twice published according to law but that Mr Jeffery advised them to stay A litle while becaus obadyah Holmes Forbad it thoe he shewed noe Reason nor hath accordinge to law proceeded in the matter since therefor the Court Declares under the hands of the Court or by their names herto anexed that the sayd persons are married together before and in pressents of the Court Leagaly

At last, by order of the Court, Abigail and Edward were legally married to each other.

They had six children together before her death in 1682 and I'm descended from the third one, John Richmond. 

*Rhode Island. Court of Trials. (192022). Rhode Island court records: records of the Court of trials of the colony of Providence Plantations, 1647-1670. Providence. pps 18, 22, 28, 37, 45.


© 2014 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.