| Anthony Colby migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 413) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm |
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Anthony Colby (1605 – 1661) was born in Horbling, Lincolnshire, England and came to America in 1630 on the Winthrop Fleet.[1] Anthony was one of the first settlers of Salisbury, Massachusetts and the new town of Amesbury. He purchased the house and property from Thomas Macy in the year 1654. Nine generations of Colbys lived in this home.
Susanna Colby Whitridge (1610 – 1689) was the widow of Anthony Colby. After Anthony’s death, she married William Whitridge. He died in 1668. Susanna lived in the Macy-Colby house during the term of her widowhood.
Records indicate that Anthony came to America with Governor John Winthrop.
He was a founder of Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Born in his mother's parents house in Horbling. Baptized on 9/8/1605 in St. Andrews Church in Horbling by Rev. Symon Bradstreete. The church & same Baptismal font are still there.
Anthony arrived in Boston in 1630 with Gov. John Winthrop on the ship Arbella (aka Arabella) and lived on shipboard for four months before housing could be built. He lived in Boston where he was member No. 93 of the church.[2] He went with Saltonstall's company to Watertown in the fall of 1630, however, during the winter the company's assistants selected Cambridge as the best place to fortify. The earliest records found for Anthony in Newtown, later renamed Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the same year the town records begin, 1632, when he is alloted a division of the "Common Pales", 4 rods. It was established at the first town meeting that the "impaled ground shall be divided according to every man's proportion in the said pales." If they wanted to sell their portion it was first to be sold to the town for what they paid or they would give permission to sell to whom they choose. The date was broken off but it was between 7 January 1632 and 5 August 1633.[3]
In the fall of 1631 three families from Boston had settled there, the Colbys, Jarred Haddon and Joseph Redding. By 1 January 1632 the construction of houses outside the village was prohibited. However, since Anthony's home was up the Watertown Road, he must have built his house before the ban. Soon more people moved to Cambridge and he then built a second house up near Observation Hill by 1635. He had been granted 3 acres behind Pine Swamp in Cambridge on 5 January 1634/5 and received his share of undivided meadow ground on 20 August 1635. He is on the list of people with a house in the West End of Cambridge on 8 February 1635/6.[4] The land inventory for Cambridge taken on 10 October 1635 showed that he had five pieces of property, a house with backside with about 3 acres in the West End, a house with planting ground also with 3 acres of land in the West End Field, 3 acres by the Pine Swamp, 4 acres in the Neck of Land, and 4 acres in the Great Marsh. After he moved, he sold some of the property to Simon Crosby in 1639.[5] He also owned land “at first was granted to Waterman who deceased. Anthony Colbye married his widow & they two sold the said land unto James Pennyman.”[6] He took the freeman's oath in Cambridge 14 May 1634.[7] On 2 January 1632/3 he was ordered to build four rods of fence around the town commons in Cambridge.[8] He is listed in the account records for William Pynchon, the colony treasurer for 1632-1634: "paid Anthony Colby for 2 days attendance at court to witness against William Coling and 3 others for drunkeness." He then lived in Ipswich where he signed a petition on 21 June 1637 and on 3 October 1637 "Anthony Colebie" of Ipswich sued John Hall of Saugus.[9] The family then moved to Salisbury where he received land in the first division of 1639 and had additional grants in 1640 and 1643. He became one of the large land owners in Salisbury and became known as a “planter” as well as being a sawmill owner. Anthony was appointed “appraiser” for the local government in 1640, a member of the trail jury in 1648, 1653, and in 1656 and was on the grand jury in 1650.[10] During this time Anthony was officially a member of the First Church of Boston but on 2 August 1646 he was discharged by the Boston First Church to the First Church of Salisbury “Anthony Colby according to his desire had letters of dismission unto the Church at Salsbury”.[11]
He was one of the first commoners on 19 March 1654 of "Newtown" or Amesbury where he received land in 1654 and in 1658.[12] In 1654 Thomas Macy sold the house west of the Powow River to Anthony where Susanna was living in 1664. The price of the house was written as: "38 pounds, to be paid as follows: by a mare fole at ten pounds, three pounds in boards and in course, twelve or fourteen pounds in money, rest in pipe-staves or hogshead staves, cattle all at prices current; Indian corne at three s., wheat & Barley five s." The bill of sale was dated 23d, 2d mo, 1654. Susanna received grants from the town in 1662 and in 1664. Their lots included Back River, Fox Island, Lion's Mouth, Great Swamp, Hampton, River, Whiskers Hill, and lots from the third and fourth divisions.
Anthony Colby seems to have been always at odds with the leaders in town affairs and was often in controversy, legal or personal, with the authorities. Once he was fined for making a speech in Town Meeting on the grounds that he had created a disturbance. He worked incessantly to have the new settlement at Amesbury set off from Salisbury as a town. The fight was carried on after his death by his sons, and the separation was finally accomplished in 1666.
Anthony Colby died intestate in 1661 and the inventory of his estate amounted to £349. The division of his estate was made on 9 April 1661. By a deed dated 24 December 1662 Susanna sold three acres of boggy meadow in Salisbury to her son Samuel for a young mare. Susanna acknowledged this in court on 12 April 1664.[13] "Upon petition of Susannah Whitridge, formerly Colbie, the Ipswich Court, on 28 March 1682 gave her power to sell enough for support in her old age." Susannah died in 1689 and her son Samuel was her Administrator, the inventory of her estate amounted to £151.[14]
"Inventory of the Estate of Anthony Collby, late of Salisbury, deceased, taken March 9 1660, by Sam. Hall, Tho. Bradbury and Tho. Barnett:
His waring Apparrell.................................... £2. 10s
1 feather bed & bolster & old Cotten Rugg, a payer
of course sheets & a course bed case….... £4. 15s
one old warming pan.......................................... 3s. 4d
an other feather bed, feather pillow, feather bolster
& a payer of sheets & Cotten Rugg............ £4. 10s
about £8. of sheeps wooll................................. 10s 8d
five pound of cotton wooll.................................. 5s
£10. of Hopps....................................................... 6s. 8d
a copp. kettle & a payer of tramells.............. £1
a little old brass skillett & old morter & pestle. 3s 4d
trayes & other dary ware.................................. 15s
a landiron, gridiron, frying pan, old cob iron....5s
in old peuter......................................................... 3s 4d
4 scythes............................................................... 8s
2 pillow beers….................................................... 3s
table, two joynstooles, 2 chayres................. £1
old swords & 2 old muskets.......................... £1
one chest & one box........................................... 10s
an old saddle & a pillion..................................... 10s
old lumber............................................................ 10s
a grindle stone with an Iron handle...................3s. 4d
a new millsaw & 1-2 an old one..................... £1
a croscutt saw & half a one............................ £1
a broad bow, 3 forkes, a rake, 2 axes & an Iron
Spade...................................................................... 12s
5 yoakes................................................................... 10s
2 Iron cheynes......................................................... 10s
halfe a tymber cheine & a new draft cheyne. £1. 15s
an old tumbrill with an old payer of wheeles.£1
2 sleades........................................................... £1
a long cart & wheels & Spanshakle & pin 4th pt. of
and other cart.................................................. £2
a plough & plough Irons....................................... 10s
2 Canoas & 1-2 a canoa.................................. £3. 15s
6 oxen............................................................. £42
6 Cowes.......................................................... £27
2 3 yeare old steers........................................ £7
2 Yearlins......................................................... £3
2 calves............................................................ £1
7 swine............................................................. £5. 5s
8 sheep............................................................. £4
1 mare & colt.................................................. £20
1 horse................................................................... 10s
a dwelling house & barne & 14 acres of upland in
tillage............................................................... £70
a pasture of about 30 acres.......................... £20
2 lotts att yt wch is cald Mr. Hall's Farme...... £5. 10s
about eighteen acres of fresh meadow.......£40
ye accoodacon bought of Mr. Groome......... £6
60 acres of upland towards pentuctt bounds with
meadow to be laid out.................................. £10
ye 8th pt. of ye old saw mill.......................... £30
40 bushells of wheat....................................... £9
10 bushels of barley & 6 of rice......................£3. 4s
about 60 bushels of Indian corne................. £9
total............................................................... £359. 19s. 4d
Copied from the files of the Norfolk County Court Records, and sworn to by the widow Colby, Tho. Bradbury, rec.
Anthony Colby, debtor:
To Sam. Worcester........................................ £1. 7s
Willi Osgood.................................................. £2. 9d
Goodman Tappin..................................... £1. 2s. 6d
Abram Morrill............................................. £2. 10s. 10d
John Tod............................................................ 10s
Tho. Clarke......................................................... 9s
Mr. Russell of Charlstown........................ £10
Mr. Gerish.................................................... £5. 8s. 6d
Mr. Woodman............................................. £2. 14s
Jno. Bartlett.................................................. £2. 2s. 1d
Steven Sweat............................................... £2. 5s. 5d
John Webster..................................................... 13s
Steven Greenleif................................................ 13s
Goodman Peirce................................................ 10s
Goodman Cillick........................................... £3
Jno. Lewis...................................................... £1. 10s
Orland Bagly................................................ £5. 19s
Jno. Blower.......................................................... 6s
Mr. Worcester.............................................. £1. 13s. 6d
Mr. Bradbury...................................................... 16s. 9d
to the widow Colby................................... £10
Henry Jaques............................................... £2. 10s
Willi. Huntington............................................... 11s
John Severans............................................. £1. 13s. 8d
Jno. Clough for grass.......................................... 6s
for 9 weeks worke...................................... £8. 2s
total............................................................ £68. 14s. 7d
Debtor p Contra:
Rodger Eastman.............................................. 10s
Robert Clements......................................... £1. 5s
from ye town...................................................... 9s
Jno. Maxfield............................................... £2
Leonard Hatherlee..................................... £1
Sam. Worcester................................................. 14s. 6d
Goodman Morrill........................................ £1. 10s
Steven Flanders................................................. 6s
Goodman Randall.............................................. 6s
boards at ye saw mill................................... £3. 7s. 6d
loggs to make 2000 of bord........................ £2. 5s
for work done to ye estate.......................... £1. 2s. 6d
total............................................................. £14. 15s. 6d” [15]
“Att ye Court held at Salisbury the 9th of Aprill 1661
Whereas Anthoney Collby late of ye town of Salisbury died intestate And Susannah widow of ye sd Collby desiring & having letters of administration granted unto her by this Court…
This Court doth order that the whole estate shalbee divided into twelve parts fower wherof shall bee for ye widdowes part…
[water damage] portion (provided that what any of them have had already given unto them by their father as part of their portions be accompted as part of what they are now to have, according to ye value when given unto them: Also it is ordered yt the widow shall give in securitie for ye portions left in her hands: for the use wherof she is to bee att ye charge of their education: The portions are to bee given unto ye sones at ye age of one & twenty yeares & to ye daughters at ye age of eighteen yeares, or their day of marriage wth there mothers consent wch shall first happen: Also it is ordered that [ ] Robert Pike & mr Tho: Bradbury shall bee overseers, for ye division of ye estate according to this order & to alott to every one that [ ] of ye estate for their portions wch they in their best judmts shall think most meet & equall: And if any of ye children decease before there portions bee due: the said portions shalbee & portionalbly divided to those yt do survive: after ye proportion of this division.
This is a true copie as attests
Tho Bradbury rec
At ye county court held at Salisbury ye 14 3 mo: 1663
In ye division of Anthony Colbyes estate: yt wc was allowed to ye widow for her part & ye two youngest children as was as followeth:
Imp: the dwelling house & barne & 14 acres of upland
in tillage............................................................ 70-00-00
It: ye ferry meadow..........................................30-00-00
It: ye household goods....................................19-19-04
It: one yoke of oxen.........................................14-00-00
It: 3 cowes.........................................................13-10-00
It: 7 swine..........................................................05-05-00
It: in sheep........................................................02-10-00
It: in corn...........................................................21-04-00
It: the boggi meadow......................................10-00-00”[16]
“To ye widdow for hir part & the two youngest children:
ye dwelling house, barne and 14 acres of upland in
tillage........................................................... £70
ye ferric meadow....................................... £30
ye household goods.................................. £19. 19s. 4d
a yoake of Oxen......................................... £14
3 Cowes....................................................... £13. 10s
7 Swine.......................................................... £5. 5s
in sheep......................................................... £2. 10s
in Corne....................................................... £21. 4s
the boggie meadow................................... £10
To John Colby:
an acre of land aded to his halfe acre at his
house.............................................................. £2. 16s
two cheyns........................................................... 10s
a yoake of oxen........................................... £15. 10s
Mr. Groom's accomodacons....................... £6
in sheep.......................................................... £1. 10s
a cart & wheels, span, shackle & pin & ye 4th pt. of
another cart…................................................ £2
To Sarah, ye wife of Orlando Bagly:
one Cowe & one 3 yeere old steere............ £8
a young horse.............................................. £10
another Cowe................................................ £4. 10s
p. Isaac Colby................................................. £5. 16s
More payd by Isaac Colby to Orlando Bagly for ye
which the estate was debtor.........................£5. 19s. 8d
To Samuell Colby:
one yoade of oxen....................................... £13
the pasture................................................... £20
To Isaac Colby:
the eleven lotts of marshe at Mr. Hal's farme, 2 lotts
of sweepage & one higledee pigeledee lot. £9. 10s
2 yearlins......................................................... £3
ye part of ye saw mill................................... £30
To Rebecka Colby:
a Cowe, one 3 year old steere & ye mare colt. £14
two Calves........................................................ £1
a bed & bolster................................................ £4. 10s
p. Isaac Colby................................................... £2. 11s
p. Sam. Colby.................................................... £5. 4s
in corne.................................................................. 11s
This division was consented to by the widow Colby and all the children who were of capacity. Confirmed by the Norfolk County Court at Salisbury, 14:2:1663, and recorded by Tho. Bradbury, rec." [17]
The year after Anthony's death, the widow sold to her son Isaac, sixty acres near Haverhill to pay for her board. She also had to defend her homestead against the claim of Thomas Macy from whom it had been purchased. At about the time of the sale, Macy had fled to Nantucket to escape the penalty of sheltering two Quakers during a thunderstorm, but later he denied the sale and tried to expel the widow and her family by legal process. He was unsuccessful and the premises were in the possession of her descendants as late as 1895. In 1678, the son Thomas was deeded half of all the lands remaining in consideration of services rendered the widow.
As noted above, upon the petition of Susanna Whittredge, formerly Colbie, the Ipswich court March 28, 1682 granted her power, with the advice of Samuell Colbie and Thomas Colbie, to sell enough of the estate left in her hands by her former husband for her necessary support in her old age, not exceeding the value of two of the parts or shares which the court on April 9, 1661 allotted to her for her part of the estate:
“Susanna Whitredg formerly wife of Anthony Colbie was granted by [ ? ] to sell ½ her part of land left her by her husband Colbie
Ipswich March [ ? ]
This Court upon ye motion of Susanna Whittredge formerly Colbie that power may be granted for ye sale of some of [ ? ] estate left in her hand by her husband Colbie for her necessary support in her old age I doe hereby grant ye motion that shes sekeing [ ? ] of Samll Colbie & Thomas Colbie shall have libertie to sell so much of ye estate in land left by her husband Colbie for sd end not exceeding ye value of two of the parts of shares wc: by the County Court at Salisbury held Aprill ye 9th 1661 were allotted to her for her part of that estate. Attest Robert Lord clerk”
William Osgood and the other part owners of the old mill at Salisbury were brought to account for failing to pay the town its share of lumber agreed upon in return for allowing the mill to be built in Salisbury. Osgood had to sue the heirs of the other owners, including "Susan Whitrige, administratrix of Anthony Colbye," to recover boards for Salisbury, which he did at court at the September Term in 1682. Among the depositions establishing the number of boards due were several describing immigration to Massachusetts, including that of John Pressy "aged about fourty-four years, testified that the first summer he came into this country, in 1651...I do well remember the saw mill at Salisbury was one thing that was accounted a rare thing and I did go see it and I did see it going and sawing boards that very summer"[18]
At that September Term, 1682 the selectmen of Amesbury described Susannah as: “an ancient and helpless widow belonging to the town of Amesbury… notwithstanding a comfortable and competent maintenance being allowed unto her out of the estate of her former deceased husband Anthony Coleby… yet she being a woman attended with many infirmities both of body and mind, is utterly incapable of doing anything that may contribute to her livelihood or comfortable subsistence… she living alone, wanting such help and attendance as may be convenient, continually laboring under such infirmities of bodyas usualy attend old age often times sick and many times destitute of divers necessaries and always of the conveniences of life, any otherwise than she is supplied by one or two of her children, whose families in the meantime want the same at home, and very much defective and decayed in her understanding.”[19]
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Anthony is 22 degrees from Herbert Adair, 19 degrees from Richard Adams, 18 degrees from Mel Blanc, 20 degrees from Dick Bruna, 19 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 30 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 20 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 20 degrees from Marty Krofft, 13 degrees from Junius Matthews, 14 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 19 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Puritan Great Migration
Edited to add: Have begun the updated to his profile, using temporary space page as a worksheet.
edited by GeneJ X
I plan to update the reference notes accordingly. If this change is made in error, please post here so that we may collaborated further. --Gene
Edited to Add: The first part of this work could well have been extracted from Dow, but the not the second part (estate distribution), as the record here varies. If anyone knows how the Old Norfolk County Quarterly Court files were accessed for this work, please post.
edited by GeneJ X
Our child list, mostly following Anderson, lists seven (7) children, but twelve (12) are attached. None of the apparent interlopers' profiles provide reliable pre-1700 sources; these undocumented and seeming errant linked children are--
Have edited each of those profiles to (a) mark the father/parents as uncertain, and (b) add both the unsourced and uncertain family banners. Also added the comment that follows.--Gene
edited by GeneJ X
Thanks for all the new information. I just discovered this couple as ancestors today.
According to Anderson: land "at first was granted to [blank] Waterman who deceased. The widow and Colby sold the land. the fact that he was entitled to a grant indicates that he was alive in New England.
I recently adopted the profile of Anthony Colby (Colby-703) who, it says on his profile, is NOT the immigrant to New England. I'm sure he isn't. My problem is that I doubt he existed. And yet, there he sits, connected only to his equally unlikely daughter, Sarah, who would have been born when he was 16. There are no sources for any of the information on either of the profiles. Maybe this father and daughter could be merged into the profiles of the Anthony and Sarah Colby who did exist? I would happily relinquish my PM status. (I'm not the PM for the daughter}
I added a bit to Anthony's bio and uploaded his probate records and a transcription.
Enjoy! JM
Nice write-up. Plus, you can see the current rooms, etc. of the historic house.