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Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] John Livermore - Bond's Watertown - Vol II -Part 11 - p.852
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 20:23:35 EDT
Subject: John Livermore
The Early History of Watertown, Massachusetts: Including Waltham and Weston.
Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of
Watertown,
Massachusetts, Includes Waltham and Weston - by Henry Bond, M.D. Boston,
1860.
Volume II.
Part 11.
p.852
John Livermore.
It is probable that John Livermore settled first at Watertown, and very soon
went to
Connecticut with other Watertown people. In the first place, a large portion
of the
passengers of the (ship) Francis, with whom he embarked at Ipswich,
(England), in April,
1634, settled at Waterown. In the second place, he was admitted freeman with
several other
Watertown men in May, 1635. In the third place, his name in on the list of
very early
proprietors of Watertown. This list is not dated, but it contains the names
of many
of those who went to Wethersfield and Dedham in 1635 and 1636.
The first notice of John Livermore in Connecticut was in 1639, when he, then
of New
Haven, signed the fundamental agreement of the New Haven Colony. His
autograph may be
seen in Vol. I, p.1, of the Colonial Record of New Haven.
It is not improbable that he went to Wethersfield and remained there until
the settlement
of New Haven was projected when he and Robert Seely joined the planters of
that town.
He was "admitted a member of the Court" (i.e. made a freeman of the colony)
Oct 29, 1640;
and took the oath of allegiance July 1, 1644. June 11, 1645, "It was
proposed that another
ordinary might be set up towards the waterside," and it was " left with John
Livermore
to consider of it." His home lot, which has been identified, was on the west
side of Fleet
Street next, but one, to the harbor. May 17, 1647, Joseph Nash was chosen
Corporal, "in
room (in place of) of John Livermore who expects to go to England."
His name does not appear in the records again until January 1648-9, after an
interval of about 20 months; and it is probable that he was in England. May
7, 1650,
"John Livermore hath sold and passeth to Theophilus Higginson, his house and
house-lot,
1/2 acre and 10 perches; 8 acres, 1/4, 15 rods on this side the West River,
next Milford
highway, by the meadow side; 28 acres of the 2d division, betwixt the lands
of Edward
Banister and Richard Osborne; 5 acres of meadow in the West Meadow, next
meadow of Henry
Gibbons; 3 acres of meadow in Solitary Cove, with the work-houses, with the
land belonging
to them; bounded with stump of a tree next to the sea, running along the
creek to the end
of the house - being in breadth so wide as the house is." [Colonial Records,
New Haven,
II., p.18.]
It is probable that John Livermore left New Haven about the date of this
sale, as his
name does not afterwards occur in the records. It has not been ascertained
whether he
went directly to Watertown, but it is probable, as he was a juror in July,
1653. From
the rule for assessing in New Haven, it appears that John Livermore had a
wife and two
children when he went there, or soon after, as he was rated for four persons
(not in-
cluding servants) and £100 estate. In the first "seating the meeting-house,"
in 1642,
seats were assigned to John Livermore and to "sister Livermore." Children
baptized in
New Haven - 1. Samuel Livermore bap. Aug 15, 1641. 2. Daniel Livermore bap.
Oct 7,
1643. 3. A daughter bap. June 4, 1645. 4. Mary bap. Sept 12, 1647.
Daniel Livermore was living at the date of his father's Will (1683) then
aged 40 years.
But he is not mentioned in the Will of his mother (1690).
Mary Livermore and John Russell married in Charlestown, Nov. 12, 1691. Was
this Mary the
widow of Daniel or was it the Mary baptized in New Haven, 1647, but not
mentioned in the
Will of either of her parents?
The "Cowpen Farm," upon which Lieut. John Livermore settled was on or near
the border of
Sudbury and he was a member of Sudbury Church until the organization of
Weston Church
("the farmer's church"), of which he was an original member. Elizabeth
Livermore, his
daughter (prob. by his 2nd wife) was admitted full communion, 1728 and died
May 30, 1732.
The Cowpen Farm was bounded north by Robert Jennison and John Sawin; west by
Robert
Jennison; east by R. Jennison and Nathaniel Greene (son, and heir of Rev.
Henry Greene);
south by Capt. Hugh Mason. The 20 acres of meadow belonging to it, were near
Nonesuch
Meadow. Oct 22, 1695, John Grout, Sr., of Sudbury, conveyed to his
son-in-law John
Livermore of Wartertown Farms, a tract of land situated between Dedham line,
Watertown
line and Sudbury line; adjoining partly 200 acres, granted by the General
Court to
William Jennison of Watertown; bounded south by Dedham line, north by
Sudbury line;
east by Watertown line; west by the 200 acres above mentioned, now in the
possession
of Matthew Rice.
To be continued - Vol II - Part 12 - p.853.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
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