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| PELATIAH ADAMS (1646 - 1725) of Chelmsford m. Ruth Unknown (d. 1719) |
| Samuel Adams (bp. 1756 - 1718) m. Mary Unknown (d. 1718) |
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| (possibly) |
HENRY ADAMS (1583 - 1646) of Braintree
Ancestry of Henry Adams: Unknown.
Henry Adams was born on 21 Jan 1583 in the parish of Barton St. David, Somersetshire. [Ref] He died on 8 (8) 1646 in Braintree (now Quincy). [Ref][Ref says that he was buried on 8 (8) 1646] He married Edith Squire on 19 Oct 1609 in Charlton Mackrell, Somersetshire. [Ref] Edith was baptised on 29 May 1587 in Charlton Mackrell. [Ref] She died on 21 Jan 1672/3 in Medfield. [Ref] She married John Fussell about 1651. [Ref]
Henry was a malster and a yeoman. [Ref] He received a grant of 40 acres in Braintree in Feb 1641. [Ref]
In his 1646 will, Henry mentions his wife; his sons Peter, John, Joseph, Samuel and Edward; his daughter Ursula. Inventory on his estate amounted to about £75. [Ref] His will was proved 8 (4) 1647. [Ref]
Henry's great-great-grandson, President John Adams, erected a granite column in his memory with the following inscription:
In memory of Henry Adams who took flight from the dragon persecution in Devonshire in England, and who alighted with eight sons, near Mount Wollaston. One of the sons returned to England, and after taking time to explore the country, four removed to Medfield and the neighboring towns; two to Chelmsford. One only, Joseph, who lies here at his left hand, remained here, who was an original proprietor of the township of Braintree, incorporated in 1639. [Ref]
President John Quincy Adams disagreed with his father, believing that Henry Adams came from Braintree, co. Essex, England. [Ref]
Children of Henry Adams:
Joseph Adams
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Joseph Adams
| John Adams
| President John Adams
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John Adams
| Samuel Adams
| Samuel Adams, Revolutionary Patriot
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LIEUT. THOMAS ADAMS (1612-1688) of Concord and Chelmsford
Parents: Henry Adams and Edith Squire
Lieut. Thomas Adams was born in 1612. [Ref] He died on 20 Jul 1688, at age 76, in Chelmsford. [Ref] He married Mary Unknown in 1642 in Braintree. [Ref] Mary was born about 1613 and died on 23 Mar 1694/5 in Charlestown. [Ref]
Thomas was a freeman on 10 May 1643. [Ref] He moved to Concord by 1646, when his twin sons were born there.
The origin of Chelmsford was a 1652 petition signed by citizens of Concord and Woburn requesting the right to look at land on the other side of the Concord River. In May 1653, 29 men, including Isaac Learned, James and Joseph Parker, John Sternes, Edmund and Wiliam Chamberlain, Thomas Adams, William Fletcher, Robert Proctor and Richard Hildreth requested a grant of six square miles. [Ref]
The first problem for the new community at Chelmsford was to locate a minister. In the fall of 1654, Rev. John Fiske and his small congregation at Wenham were invited to move to Chelmsford. John Fiske wrote, "Vpon 4 of 7th, 1654 was dated a Lr. vnder the hands of Robt. Fletcher, Tho: Adams, Wm. Fletcher, Wm. Buttereck in the na of the rest, engaged in the N. plantation at Chelmsford, whrin the pastor with the rest of this church at Wenham were Invited." They accepted and on 13 Nov 1655 the church of Chelmsford was organised. [Ref]
Thomas was one of a committee of seven chosen then to "officiate in Ordering the Public affairs" for the following year at the first town meeting in Chelmsford on 22 (9) 1654. [Ref]
In 1655 Thomas Adams and Joseph Parker of Chelmsford were charged with building a bridge over the Bilerica River. [Ref]
On 11 (4) 1656, after a public fast, several church members in Chelmsford owned the covenant or professed their willingness to do so. These members included William Fletcher; Brother [Thomas] Adams; Mary, the wife of Thomas Chamberlain; Mary, the wife of Isaac Learned; Rose, the wife of Abraham Parker; Mary, the wife of Edmund Parker. [Ref]
On 2 Mar 1657/8, Thomas, James Blood and James Parker were chosen Chelmsford commissioners. [Ref] In 1660 a petition asked for Thomas Adams, Jacob Parker and Samuel Foster to be established as military officers. [Ref] On 19 (1) 1666/7 Thomas Adams, Samuel Adams and John Webb were chosen commissioners for Chelmsford. [Ref] In 1668 Capt. Samuel Adams, Sgt. Thomas Adams and Sgt. William Fletcher, commoners of Chelmsford, were appointed commissioners to end small causes. [Ref] On 20 Jan 1671 Thomas was appointed a co-negotiator of the Chelmsford highway. [Ref]
On 27 (2) 1656, Thomas and his wife were among the first join the Chelmsford church. [Ref]
Thomas was chosent Sargent of the militia company in 1659, but the company refused to confirm him because of his religious views. [Ref] He was confirmed in Apr 1660 upon agreeing not to disseminate his contrary views. [Ref]
On 3 (1) 1662-3, Thomas Adams and Josiah Richardson were chosen to join with a Groton committee to lay out a road between the two towns. [Ref] In 1678 the town chose For a Comite to order the seating in metting house Capt thom hinchman, Capt Samell Adams, en[sign] Thom Adams william vnderwod, Josiah Richardson [Ref]
Thomas was chosen Ensign in 1678 and in 1682 he was chosen Lieutenant of the company of which his brother Samuel was Captain. [Ref]
Thomas's will is dated 28 Mar 1688; it was proved on 7 Oct 1690 and inventory was taken on 11 Aug 1688. He left his widow Mary the use of his house and orchard and asked his sons Pelatiah, Timothy and Samuel to provide for her. He gave his son Jonathan 16 acres on the east end of his home lot and divided the rest of his land among his sons. He asked his son Samuel to pay his daughter Mary Cooper £16. [Ref]
Children of Thomas Adams and Mary Unknown.
Generation 3
PELATIAH ADAMS (1646-1725) of Chelmsford
Parents: Lieut. Thomas Adams and Mary Unknown
Pelatiah Adams was born on 6 Mar 1646 in Concord. [Ref][Ref] He was baptised on 1 (12) 1656 in Chelmsford. [Ref] He died there on 29 Apr 1725. [Ref] He married Ruth Unknown, sometimes said to be Ruth Parker. Ruth died on 18 Sep 1719 in Chelmsford. [Ref]
Pelatiah was in the Chelmsford garrison on 16 Mar 1691/2. [Ref]
Pelatiah's father Thomas received land from Chelmsford and in 1683 he conveyed the land to Pelatiah. In 1702 Pelatiah deeded the land and a house to his sons Thomas and Pelatiah. The house, called the Old Chelmsford Garrison house, still stands and is now owned by the Garrison House Association in Chelmsford.
Children of Pelatiah Adams and Ruth Unknown:
Generation 4
Parents: Pelatiah Adams and Ruth Unknown
Elizabeth Adams was born on 26 Apr 1680 in Chelmsford. [Ref][Ref] She died on 30 Apr 1759. [Ref][Ref] She married Dea. John Cummings on 3 Oct 1705 in Charlestown. [Ref, recorded at Chelmsford][Ref]
Parents: Pelatiah Adams and Ruth Unknown
Sarah Adams was born on 12 Jul 1691 in Chelmsford. [Ref][Ref] She died on 24 Apr 1761 [Ref][Ref] in Westford. [Ref] She is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Westford. [Ref] She married Capt. Joseph Fletcher on 8 Jun 1711 in Charlestown. [Ref recorded at Chelmsford][Ref][Ref says 17 Nov 1712 in Concord]
Parents: Pelatiah Adams and Ruth Unknown
Abigail Adams was born on 7 Jun 1697 in Chelmsford. [Ref][Ref] She married Aaron Parker in 1712. [Ref][Ref says "probably"]
Parents: Mary is probably a member of this Adams family. She might be a daugher of Samuel, the son of Thomas.
Mary Adams died on 20 Sep 1754 in Canterbury. [Ref] She married Edward Spaulding. [Ref]
ReferencesAckerman, Arthur Wilmot, "Mrs. Laura (Fletcher) Hodges," Memoirs section, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 79, 1925, 319-320.
Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Vol. 1-3, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995. Entry for Griffin Crafts.
Bates, Samuel, A., "Braintree Records," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 36, 1882, 46-51.
Bruce, William Downing, "Pedigree of the Adams Family, Originally Located at Braintree, Mass." New England Historical and Genealogical Register 7, 1853, p. 39.
Coffin, Joshua, "Descendants of Robert Adams," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 11, 1857, p. 53.
Donovan, Francis D., "Early Medway Settlers and Land Records," Medway Public Library Website: History Section, c. 1996.
Dumas, David W., "Bacon - Adams - Whitney - Kingsbury Family Record," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 138, 1984, 32-38.
Editors, "List of Names Found Among the First Settlers of New England," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 1, 1847, 137.
Hall, Ruth Gardiner, Descendants of Governor William Bradford (through the first seven generations), United States, unknown, 1951.
Hartman, J. Crawford, "Joseph Blanchard of Boston, Mass., and some of his Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 93, 1939, 162-170.
Index to the Court Files of Middlesex County, MA, New England Historic and Genealogical Society.
Leavitt, Emily Wilder, "Rev. William Adams of Madison Square Church, New York City, with his Adams and Bradford lines of descent," New England Genealogical and Historical Register 48, 1894, p. 191.
Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.
Paige, Lucius, R., "List of Freemen, " New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 3, 1849, 192.
Proctor, Mr. and Mrs. William Lawrence, Genealogy of Descendants of Robert Proctor of Concord and Chelmsford, Mass., Republican & Journal Print, Ogdensburg, NY, 1898.
Pulsifer, David, trans., "Records of Boston," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 155, 167; 12, 1858, 349.
Savage, James, A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, Before 1692, Genealogical Publishing Co.. Baltimore, 1990.
Trask, William, "Abstracts of the Wills of the Early Settlers of New England," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 7, 1853, 35.
Ullman, Helen Schatvet, "Notes on a Line from Henry Adams," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 153, 1999, 213-219.
Waters, Wilson, History of Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Courier-Citizen co., Lowell, MA, 1917.
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