John Sherman, son of Edmund and Grace (Makin) Sherman was born on December 26, 1613 at Dedham, Essex, England and baptized there on January 4, 1613/4. [1][2]
John, several of his siblings and his parents came to Watertown in New England in 1635, but removed to Wethersfield, Connecticut the same year. [1]
He married first Mary (___) by about 1638, who died at New Haven, Connecticut on September 8, 1644. [1]
He married second, Mary Launce by 1646, likely at New Haven. Mary was the daughter of John and Isabella (Darcy) Launce of Penneare, Cornwall, England. [1]
Her mother Isabella married Reverend Sydrach Simpson after John Launce's death, and in Isabella Simpson's will dated May 29, 1668, she names among others, daughter Mary Sherman and son Sherman. [1]
Reverend John Sherman died at home in Watertown on August 8, 1685 [3] after being stricken ill while preaching a sermon at the church in Sudbury, and was buried at Watertown. [1]
His inscription, translated from Latin, reads: Sacred to the Memory of John Sherman a man distinguished for his piety, character and truth; a profound theologian; as a preacher a veritable Chrysostom; unsurpassed in his knowledge of the liberal arts, particularly mathematics; a faithful pastor of the Church of Watertown in New England; an Overseer and Fellow of Harvard College.[1]
His will written on August 6, 1685 and proved on October 6, 1685, and in it her names:
wife Mary
L20 a piece to all my children yet unmarried
son Samuel Willard, for the children of my daughter Abigail, his first wife
children of my deceased son Bezaleel
son Daniel
son Samuel
daughter Mary Allen
daughter Mary Barron
children James, John, Abiah, Elizabeth, Hester, Grace and Mercy
On several occasions between July 1698 and October 1704, son James Sherman and widow Mary Sherman sold several pieces of land from Rev. John Sherman's estate. [1]
His widow Mary was living in Watertown on October 20, 1704 when she acknowledged a deed. [1]
Mary, widow of Rev. John Sherman died at Watertown on March 9, 1709/10. [3]
On December 24, 1712, son James Sherman as surviving executor of his father John's estate, listed the following legacies of his father's will, as paid:
Christening: 4 Jan 1614 in Dedham, Essex, England.[2][7]
John Sherman[8] attended Trinity College, Cambridge. He came to Watertown and was dismissed from the Chruch there to go to Wethersfield, CT. He resided at Wethersfield until about 1640. He is listed as a free planter in Milford, CT, 20 Nov 1639 and was admitted to the Milford church the following year. He was dismissed from Milford in 1647 when he returned to Watertown as its third minister.
Married twice, 1st to Abigail___? or Mary, who died in Milford CT on September 8, 1644. She was probably the sister of John Gibbs of New Haven. He married 2nd to Mary Lance/Launce, who died at Watertown, March 9, 1710. The father of as many as 26 children. Records exist of only 12. It is indicated that he had 6 by his 1st wife and 20 by the 2nd. The record of Rev. David Sherman says that this number was given by Cotton Mather.
Timeline
1635: Arrived at Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony where he was assistant to pastor George Philips. [1]
1635: May 29: Dismissed from the Watertown church. [1]
1635: Removed to Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he had a houselot of 3 acres. [1]
1643: November 22: He received a homelot at Milford. [1]
1644: October 1: First minister of Branford where he served until January 1646/7. [1][9]
1644/5: John joined in the settlement at Branford. [1] He was named (as "Mr. Sherman") in town records from 7 July 1646 (dividing up the meadows)[10] and 16 September 1646 (constructing a 5-mile fence around the core part of the town)[11][12]
1647: November 8: Dismissed from Milford to the church at Watertown, after Mr. Philips death, where he served a minister until his death. [1]
1663: September 29: Rev. John Sherman as attorney for this brother Edmund Sherman, od Dedham England, brought suit against the estate of Thomas Hammond. * Resided at New Haven, Connecticut. [1]
1669: May 19: Made a freeman of Massachusetts Bay. [1]
1681: Rev. John Sherman was in land dispute with the town of Watertown and several proprietors voluntarily gave land to Sherman and Sherman gave up other claims with the town. * Resided at New Haven, Connecticut. [1]
Research Notes
Questions about parentage:
It looks like there is a decent possibility that Edmund was actually married to Grace’s sister, Joan, and Grace was married to Edmund’s brother, John.
1. An article co-authored by Myrtle Stevens Hyde and Douglas Richardson in 1985 concludes that “…Joan Makin did not marry Edmund Sherman and that Grace Makin did not marry John Sherman. The possibility that Grace Makin married the Edmund Sherman who immigrated to New Haven CT is unlikely, but it has not been completely eliminated.” [13] However, RIchardson had reversed his position by 2011 when he wrote Magna Carta Ancestry and clearly gave the Rev. John Sherman’s mother as Joan (vol. 3, p. 9). He also listed Joan as John’s mother in his even later edition of Royal Ancestry: “[Rev.] John Sherman, younger son of Edmund Sherman, of Dedham, Essex, and Watertown, Massachusetts, and Wethersfield and New Haven, Connecticut, by his wife, Joan.[14]
2. There is also this from one of the most widely quoted Sherman historians, Thomas Townsend Sherman: ”JOHN SHERMAN, bap. Dedham, 17 Aug 1585 (Reg. 50, p. 415); m. bef. 14 May 1610 to Grace Makin, sister of Joan Makin, wife of Edmund Sherman of Connecticut, and daughter of Tobias Makin or Fingringhow, Essex…” [15] and ”EDMUND SHERMAN, b. at Dedham abt 1572; m. Joan Makin, daughter of Tobias akin of Fingringhow (Reg. 51, p. 313).” [16] He also cites the 7 Oct 1618 Will of Bezaliel Sherman which gives "....to Joane Sherman, daughter of my brother Edmond Sherman forty pounds at the age of four and twenty years. To John Sherman, son of my said brother, twenty pounds at same age"
3. Finally, there is this article in NEHGR: ”As to Edmund Sherman who is mentioned in the will of Tobias Makin which is dated 1610 (286): It is probable that he is the Edmund Sherman who was the father of Rev. John Sherman. That he married Joan Makin is not improbable…. If Tobias Makin’s will is read with care it will be seen that he does not say that his daughter Grace Sherman is the wife of Edmund Sherman, nor that Richard Sherman the son of Edmund Sherman is his grandchild, though from the context, this legacy to Richard following the legacy to his grandchild Elizabeth Potter, the inference is a fair one that he was his grandchild, and this inference is supported by the baptism of Dedham Parish Register (p. 416) where we read: “1608 Oct 16, Richard son of Edmund and Jone Sherman.” “Grace Makin called by Tobias ‘Grace Sherman my daughter’ may very plausibly be supposed to be Grace Porter who married first John Sherman, and second Thomas Rogers [and third Roger Porter].” [17]
Because this could potentially create some significant changes to this line as it appears on WT (Joan Makin is currently assigned to a completely different husband) I recommend additional research be done, especially to see if more current scholarship has shed any more light on this problem. Stevens-17832 13:51, 7 April 2023 (UTC)
[Note: First wife Mary's LNAB is unknown. It is speculated, but unproven that she might be a sister to John Gibbs]
↑ 2.02.1John Sherman in 1614 Essex Baptisms, Dedham, Essex, England. Citing Essex Record Office, Archive ref: D/P 26/1/1, Record set: Essex Baptisms. Available on FindMyPast.com ($).
↑ 3.03.1 Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings with the Land Grants and Possession, and the First Book and Supplement of Births, Deaths and Marriages, The Historical Society, Press of Fred G. Barker, Watertown, Massachusetts, 1894 p. 47: 110
↑ Case 20337: p. 2: Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org)
↑ Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield; 3 Volumes (Baltimore: Originally published Fairfield CT; Reprinted Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1930-1932; 1976, 1991)
↑ Branford town records. Volume 1. Page 5. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-B3LX-F?i=8&cat=157834) "december the 15th 1645 -- This daie it was ordered by the Inhabitants of this place (comonlie called Totokett) that ... all the Inhabitants are to meet at M Shermans howse by eight of the Clocke ..."
↑ Was Tobias Makin an Ancestor of the New England Shermans? New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: American ancestors.org online database, vol. 61, p. 82.
↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City, Utah: the author, 2013), vol. 3, p. 547 LAUNCE; no. 22, Mary Launce.
↑ Sherman, Thomas Townsend. Sherman Genealogy, Including Families of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, England. New York: T.A. Wright (1920),p. 98.
Thomas Townsend Sherman, Sherman Genealogy, Including Families of Essex, Suffolk, and Nofolk England: Some Descendants of the Immigrants. (New York: T. A. Wright, 1920). p.84, 105-108 Note: Found Online in the Family & Local Histories at Ancestry.com
George K. Ward, Compiled under Direction of Assoc. of Descendants of Andrew Ward; Andrew Warde and His Descendants 1597-1910 (New York: A.T.De La Mare Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd., 1910) Note: The Warde book is also available on Microfilm #1321498; Item 2. NEHGS Lending Library, New England Historic Genealogical Society. New England Historic Genealogical Society. 2008. No longer lends books, available only at the Library.
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It may be possible to confirm family relationships with John by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
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Hello PGM! In updating the profile for John's second wife, I have run across conflicting data regarding his mother. Since this may turn into a rabbit hole and is outside the scope of the profile I'm supposed to be working on, I've left a research note here on John's profile and am turning this question over to you. You're welcome :)
Thanks Jen! The NEHGR article written by Michael Johnson Wood in 2014 may be of interest on this subject: NEHGR Vol 168; January 2014; Whole Number 669, p.18; Michael Johnson Wood "The Earliest Shermans of Dedham, Essex". https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/20034/18/43409689
He included some reasoning why he thought Grace Makin was Edmund Sherman's wife.
ENEF: p. 1 - indicates that in GM2: 6: 287-94: John Sherman who sailed on the 'Elizabeth' in 1634 is his cousin and not this John.
ENEF: p. 7: Comments - indicates he is not the John Sherman who attended Trinity College and as that John Sherman remained a tutor at Trinity 1636-1644.
Removing Martha Palmer-13517 and Elizabah Sherman-5201 as wife and daughter. They are, respectively, the wife and daughter of Capt. John Sherman-357 (multiple sources).
Jen
He included some reasoning why he thought Grace Makin was Edmund Sherman's wife.
Samuel Sherman names sister Sherman- Edmond's widow and her daughters Grace and Ester Warde and her youngest daughter.
https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/20034/19/43409690 Mention of that will starts p. 18/19, daughter Hester that married Warde on p. 19, Grace p. 20, unnamed youngest dau. p. 21
Also removing the section about John Sherman who graduated from Trinity College. See commentary: ENEF: p. 7:
https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/early-new-england-families-1641-1700/image/?volumeId=54086&pageName=7&rId=72813660
ENEF: p. 1 - indicates that in GM2: 6: 287-94: John Sherman who sailed on the 'Elizabeth' in 1634 is his cousin and not this John.
ENEF: p. 7: Comments - indicates he is not the John Sherman who attended Trinity College and as that John Sherman remained a tutor at Trinity 1636-1644.
See: John Sherman 1613-1685: in: Williams, Alicia Crane. Early New England Families (Subscription) https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/early-new-england-families-1641-1700/image?pageName=2&volumeId=20963&rId=45620011