| Peter Palfrey migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 3, p. 1369) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm |
No proof is given that Peter Palfrey bpt 30 Sep 1611, at Colyton, Devon, England, son of Philip,[1] was the immigrant to New England. A baptism on the same date at Minister Horton, Somerset, England, cannot be found.
William Palfrey and Johane (Hackman) Palfrey were the parents of a Peter Palfrey, who was named in his grandmother's will but there is no indication that this Peter went to New England.[2]
Anderson's Great Migration article on Peter names no parents and states his origins are unknown.[3] William and Johane have been disconnected.
Born by 1605 assuming he was an adult when he migrated.
As per Anderson, Peter Palfrey came from England by 1626.[4] (Some genealogies indicate he arrived in 1623 and some indicate he arrived on the ship Abigail, although he may have arrived in 1623, he certainly was not aboard the ship Abigail as it did not sail until 1628.). He was associated with the Dorchester Company which began a plantation at Cape Anne, Massachusetts in 1623. The company failed in 1626 and Roger Conant took the group to Naumkeag, later known as Salem, Massachusetts.[5]
Peter Palfrey married Edith about 1631 probably in Salem, MA. After Edith's death, Peter married second Elizabeth, widow of John FAIRFIELD (d. 1646) of Wenham, MA. He married third about 1662 Alice (d. Mar. 20, 1677/8, Reading, MA). .
In 1631 Peter Palfrey was made a freeman. In 1632 he was a Deputy from Salem to the first General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony. On 25 February 1635/6 Peter Palfrey was granted a two hundred acre farm at the head of Bass River, as part of the freeman's land. He was granted one acre of marsh on 25 December 1637, based on a household of six. He was granted five acres of meadow in Wenham meadow, 3 December 1649. He sold apple trees to Samuel Bennett of Rumney Marsh, and Bennett failed to pay. Palfrey's attorney, Nathaniel Pickman, sued for payment and a writ was issued 15 July 1660 attaching Bennett's orchard.
Peter was fictionalized in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The May-Pole of Merry Mount" (1836) as a Lt. of Gov. ENDICOTT's militia, in the closing pages, where the penalties to be given are discussed.
Jane WHEAT was a servant in the PALFREY home in 1637. Matthew EDWARDS was a servant to Peter PALFREY in 1649, and was chosen in 1663 to be guardian of Benjamin FAIRFIELD, who had been under the guardianship of his step-father Peter. Peter had business dealings in the beaver pelt trade. He moved to Reading, MA about 1655. Peter represented Salem, MA in the first General Court of the colony. He died in Reading, MA in 1662. But another source says in 1662 he moved to Reading, Mass. where he died Sept 15, 1663, "well sticken in years."
In his will, dated 21 October 1662 and proved 15 December 1663, "Peter Palfrey ... being far stricken in years" bequeathed to "my dear & loving wife Ales Palfrey £5"; to "my son-in-law Matthew Johnson 5s."; to "my youngest daughter Mary Palfrey two pewter platters ... marked M.P. on the bottom and likewise an iron pot ... and £6 ... to be taken out of my son-in-law Aspinwall's his portion"; "Samuel Pickman, Peter Aspinwall & Benjamin Smith, my three sons-in-law, and my aforesaid daughter Mary Palfrey" to receive the residue in equal portions "but ... that my daughter Aspinwall took up in goods upon my account more by £6 than I did allow unto her, or any of my other children at their marriage, my will therefore is that £6 of my son Aspinwall's portion is to be given to my daughter Mary Palfrey as abovesaid"; "my son Samuel Pickman and George Davis" executors. In a 19 May 1663 codicil he adjusted his will so that daughter Mary received her £6 before the estate was divided, and that each child received an equal portion of the residue. In a 19 May 1663 codicil, "whereas my son Aspinwall hath a mare of mine ... I give the first colt the mare brings to my daughter Mary, & my son Aspinwall to have the use of my mare, and also the next colt she brings" and he to bring up "my daughter Mary's colt"
Marriage 1 Edith ? b: ABT 1613 in Reading, Eng? Married: ABT 1631 in prob Salem, Mass
Children Lydia PALFREY b: ABT 1632 Hannah PALFREY b: ABT 1634 Jonathan PALFREY b: 1636 Jehoidan PALFREY b: 1636 in Salem, Mass Remember PALFREY b: 1638 in Salem, Essex Co, Mass. Mary PALFREY b: 1639
Marriage 2 Elizabeth KNIGHT b: 16 APR 1615 Married: 1646 in Mass, Prob Salem
Marriage 3 Alice ?
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Peter is 22 degrees from Herbert Adair, 21 degrees from Richard Adams, 15 degrees from Mel Blanc, 20 degrees from Dick Bruna, 20 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 31 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 19 degrees from Sam Edwards, 17 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 21 degrees from Marty Krofft, 12 degrees from Junius Matthews, 12 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 18 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
See Samuel's profile for sources. Thanks
Anderson, Robert C., Peter Palfrey in: Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to N.E. 1620-1633, Vols. I-III, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 1995, p. 1369-72 (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB393/i/12107/1369/23895728
edited by Chris Hoyt
Circumstantial evidence would suggest he must have been from near Dorchester to be part of the Dorchester Company, and further evidence that other people who moved from the first failed colony to Salem were also from the same area would lend credence to Peter being the Peter Palfrey from Horton, Wimborne.
The Essex Institute Historical Collections, 1930, also seems to suggest this is the correct interpretation listing Peter's parents as William and Joan, as well as Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630: West County ancestries, 1620-1643, pt.4, 1985.
It is clear that Peter was not the son of Philip and was not of Colyton, however since the will of Agnes Hackman is not the only reason to believe Peter Palfrey was from Horton, I do not understand why he was disconnected from William and Joan as parents.
Present: Endicott, Mr Rogers, connant and Mr. Hathorne: Peter Palfrey's servant, Jane Wheat, whipped for killing his neighbor's poultry, for lying and loitering, and running away from her Master.
From Records and Files of the Quartly courts of Essex County: VOL 1 page 5
Name Peter Palfrey Gender Male Christening Date 30 Sep 1611 Christening Date (Original) 30 SEP 1611 Christening Place COLYTON,DEVON,ENGLAND Father's Name Phillipp Palfrey "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NRMZ-45X : 11 February 2018, Peter Palfrey, 30 Sep 1611); citing COLYTON,DEVON,ENGLAND; FHL microfilm 962,973.
That Peter Palfrey married Eliz. Plese in 1630 in Colyton.
RCA says he was born by 1605, assuming adult when emigrated.
Appears that father may be unknown. Comments?