John Steere (bef. 1634 - 1724)

Born before 6 Apr 1634 in Ockley, Surrey, England

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Wickenden) Steere — married after 27 Oct 1660 in Providence, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died 27 Aug 1724 after age 90 in Providence, Providence, Colony of Rhode Island

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Loren Fay [send private message], Chris Hoyt [send private message], Tom Cahalan [send private message], Linda James [send private message], Nancy Combs [send private message], and David Winslow [send private message]

Biography

John Steere of Providence appears upon the Rhode Island records in 1660. He was born in England in 1634 (according to an affidavit by John at age 77) The name of the American founder of the family is mentioned on the town record under the date of May 9, 1660, when he was granted land on the west side of the Moshassuck River The Providence Town Council record. (p. 32)

The year in which Mr. Steere received this home lot was that of his marriage with Hannah, daughter of the Rev. William Wickenden. In the Town Records we find that at a Quarter Court, October the 27th 1660, John Steere hath this day declared his intention of marriage with Hannah Wickenden . They were probably married shortly after this date. (p. 34)

• May 9. 1660: John Steere was granted a five acre lot on the west side of the Moshassuck River by the Providence Town Council. (p. 32)
• Feb 18, 1661: Declared by sufficient witnesses in the court, that John Steere and George Way were received into the town as citizens. (p. 34)
• John Steere received lots in Providence in the second divisions of the lands. (p. 36)
• June 1662: Mr. Steere was one of the committee for building a bridge over the Moshassuck River and to get timber and frame said bridge. (p. 34-5)
• October 27, 1662: Sale of two and a half acres on the Neck between the River of Pawtuckett and the Great Swamp, from George Palmer of Providence to Mr. Steere at a Quarter Court.
• 1663: He was town sergeant. (p. 35)
• Feb. 10, 1665: John Steere acquired property in the new territory opening northward and westward. (p. 37)
• May 24, 1667: He disposed of his dwelling house land and fencing on the west side of the river to Pardon Tillinghast.
• April, 1667: A lot of land was laid out to John Steere at Weepassachuck. (p. 39)
• 1668: Purchased on share of the land of Edward Inman bordering the Pawtucket River. (p. 37)
• Feb. 23, 1670: At the death of his father-in-law, Rev. Wickenden, some of the Wickenden property came into the hands of John Steere, which he sold in Sept. 1670. (p. 40)
• May 1, 1672: At a session of the General Assembly held in Newport John Steere was made freeman of the colony. (p. 40)
• April 12, 1675: John Steere, among others, received land at a Town Meeting, for the dividing of the land beyond the Seven Mile line. (p. 40)
• 1676: During the war with the Indians, John Steere and his family likely sought refuge in either Newport or Portsmouth, while some fifty houses were torched and burned. (p. 41)
• April 6, 1678: John Steere and John Inman were chosen to serve on the jury of trials at the General Court. (p. 41)
• March 17, 1683/4: John Steere, among others, received lands from the division of the west side of the Seven Mile line (later the boundary between Glocester and Smithfield) . (p. 40)
• April 27, 1686: John Steere sent a petition ot the Town Council, requesting liberty to take up his six and one half acres between the Seven Mile Line and the Four Mile Line in preparation for selecting new homes for himself and his children. (p. 42)
• Before April 17, 1703: Mr. Steere had removed from the seaboard to his new home in the neighborhood of Wionkeake Hill, building his log hut, clearing little by little acre after acre. There he lived for many years and is believed to have died there. (p. 45)

John Steere, died intestate, August 27, 1724 being ninety years old and his son Thomas was appointed administrator. As the elder son Lieut. John Steere was then living but died about two and a half years afterwards it is possible that he was not at that time in sufficient health to administer upon his father's estate. (p. 48) ^[1] He was buried in the Jehu Evans Lot, Smithfield, Providence, RI. The inscription reads: In Memory of John Steere 1634-1724 and his wife Hannah Wickenden (Their last homestead included this site)^[2]

Children: probable order (p. 50)^[1]

1. John, m. Esther, dau. of Valentine and Mary Whitman. He d. January 5, 1727; she d. August 21, 1748.

2. Sarah, m. December 29, 1685, Elder Peter Place of Glocester. He d. July 6, 1735.

3. Dinah, m. John Thornton, son of John and Sarah Thornton. He d. January 9, 1716.

4. Thomas, m. 1st Mary Arnold, dau. of Richard and Mary (Angell) Arnold ; 2d, 1727, Mehitable Plummer, widow of Samuel Plummer, and dau. of Richard and Mary Evans. He d. in Smithfield, August 27, 1735.

5. Jane, probably m. William Blanchard.

6. Ruth, d. 1680.

7. William, b. November 25, 1671; m. 1st Sarah; 2d, Susannah. He d. January 29, 1737.

8. Anne, m . January 14, 1706, Richard Lewis . He d. October 4, 1717; she d. October 28, 1725.

9. Samuel, m. Hannah Field. He d. October 18, 1745.

Providence Marriages

1-98 STEERE, John, and HIannah Wickenden (Intention), Oct. 27, 1660. (p. 178)

Providence Deaths

5-545 STEARE, John (•2-214), Aug. 27, 1724. (p. 275)

Providence Births

1-444 STEERE William, of John and Hannah, Nov. 25, 1671. (p. 247) ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Steere Genealogy: A Record Of The Descendants Of John Steere Who Settled In Providence, Rhode Island, About The Year 1660 (1890): James Pierce Root, Riverside Press, 1890
2. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 74185889
3. ↑ Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636 - 1850, First Series Births, Marriages and Deaths, A Register for the People, Vol. II Providence County, by James N. Arnold, Narragansett Historical Publ. Co., Providence, 1892

• John Steere

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Steere and Hannah Wickenden Steere Memorial

Cemetery on John Steere's Original Homestead land in Smithfield near the junction of Mann School House and Swan Roads John Steere (ca. 1634 – 1724) was one of the earliest settlers of the state of Rhode Island, a town official, and a founder of the town of Smithfield, Rhode Island.

John Steere was purportedly born in Ockley, Dorking, Surrey in England around April 6, 1634. Steere likely emigrated to New England in the late 1650s and on May 9, 1660 he was granted his first recorded land on the west side of the Moshassuck River in Providence and later acquired various other parcels of land. In 1660 He married Hannah Wickenden, daughter of Rev. William Wickenden, pastor of the First Baptist Church in America in Providence, and the Steeres were likely members of the Baptist church. In 1663 Steere served as town sergeant of Providence. Around 1663-67 Steere was one of the first settlers to move to Wayunkeke (Weecapasacheck) in western Smithfield, Rhode Island near Glocester, Rhode Island. During King Phillips War in 1675-76 Steere and his family moved back to Providence, living near Cowpen Point. Eventually, in 1686/87 the Steeres returned to Wionkhiege Hill in Smithfield when his son-in-law Peter Place and daughter Sarah settled in the area. Steere was purportedly one of the first to plant apple orchards in the area and was a prominent farmer and many of his descendants followed in the apple farming tradition. In 1704 Steere leased a piece of land "unto an Indian known by the name of Sam Noforce who hath for sum years lived by mee and hath well behaved him selfe towards mee and mine." Steere died in Smithfield in August 27, 1724 and left his mansion house to his youngest son Samuel.[1][2]

John Steere and Hannah Wickenden Steere Memorial

John Steere (ca. 1634 – 1724) was one of the earliest settlers of the state of Rhode Island, a town official, and a founder of the town of Smithfield, Rhode Island.

The John Steere Family Association was founded in 1930 and meets each summer in Rhode Island for annual family reunions of the descendants of John Steere.[3]

The Wikipedia has a short article on John Steere:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steere

Acknowledgement

• WikiTree profile Steere-71 created through the import of Lewis-Combs Family Tree.ged on Nov 8, 2012 by Nancy Combs. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Nancy and others.

Source: S-1459146666 Repository: #R-1588488389 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Page: Ancestry Family Trees Note: Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=33721404&pid=205

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Yz5VAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=steere&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Ph9uUqruCKXKsQS16oDgBQ&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=steere&f=false