John Wilcox Sr. (1595 - 1651)

Born 1595 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Willcocks — married before 1616 in England

Descendants

Died 14 Oct 1651 at about age 56 in Hartford, Connecticut

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John Wilcox Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 373) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

NOTE: There was a William Wilcockson (1601-bef.1652) family who arrived in Massachusetts in 1635 aboard the Planter, and also a John Wilcox in Virginia. John Wilcox of Hartford had three children, Anne, Sarah and John Jr. Some on-line family trees have carelessly mixed and matched spouses, children, and vital facts creating confusion. John Wilcox, Jr was married four times and some have also assigned one or another of his wives as a second wife of John Sr.

Biography

John Wilcox ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Birth:about 1595 in England, or about 20 years before his estimated marriage.

Marriage: His marriage is also an estimate based on the fact that daughter Ann was about 57 when she died in 1673.

John Wilcox emigrated from England with his wife Mary, son John and daughter Sarah around 1635.^[7] His oldest daughter Ann may have also been with him under her husband's name, John Hall.

A member of Rev Thomas Hooker's congregation, as an original proprietor of Hartford, he was given a home lot in a “bend of the Little River” on what is now West Park^[1]. He was a selectman in 1640 and chosen surveyor of Highways in 1643 and 1644.^[1]

• 1650 Townsman^[8]

Charles N Camp genealogist of New Haven is authority for the statement that John Wilcox, Senior, served in the Pequot War.^[9]

He died in 1651 leaving an estate valued £391.13.00 on October 1, 1651^[10].

Mary survived her husband seventeen years and died in 1668. In her will dated October 4, 1666.

The names of both John Bidwell and John Wilcox are on the Central Monument in Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Children

1. Ann b. about 1616 at St. Edmonds, Suffolk, England, d. July 20, 1673 m. on July 24, 1651 at Middletown, Connecticut to John Hall^[11]
2. Sarah b. 1618 at St. Edmonds, Suffolk, England, d. June 15, 1690 at Hartford, Connecticut, m. 1641 at Hartford to John Bidwell, 7 children.^[12]
3. John b. January 13, 1622 at St. Edmonds, Suffolk, England, d. May 24, 1676 at Hartford, m. 1) September 17, 1646 in Hartford to Sarah Wadsworth, 1 child; m. 2) January 18, 1650 at Hartford to Catherine Stoughton, 5 children; m. 3) after 1660 at Hartford Mary (Unknown); m. 4) 1671 Esther Cornwell^[13]

Some online trees, including an LDS Pedigree Resource File,^[14] claim that John and his wife Mary Farnsworth were parents of Edward Wilcox early emigrant to Rhode Island. But research published in 1993 identified the correct parents of Edward, including parish records of Edward's birth, marriages, and baptisms of his children.^[15]

Probate

Will dated 24th July, 1651: (note there are no counties in Connecticut in 1651)

I John Wilcock of Hartford, upon the River of Connecticut, payle maker, being at this present of good memory and perfect senses, doe by this my Last will and Testament give and bequeath to Mary my wife the Sum of twenty pound, to bee paid in Corne, that is to say, forty bushels of wheat, thirty bushells of it in winter wheat and ten bushells in sumer wheat. Also twenty Bushells of Barlye and twenty Bushells of Rye and forty bushells of Indian Corne. Allso it is to be Cleane and Merchantable.

Item. I give her my two young Cowes, Allso my best hogg at mattabeseck, Allso two of my best shoates at home; Also I give her my Colt, to be delivered Safe to her uppon May day next ensueing. If the said Colt shall in the meanetime miscarry, Shee shal have Six pounds paid her in stead thereof. Allso I give her my ould howse to dwell in, and that little Closett that is betweene the ould howse and the new howse, during the time of her Life, and my sonne is to keepe it in repairation.

Allso I give her one third parte of all my fruite of both the orchards. Allso my will is that Shee should have wood enough for her expense Laid in the yard in Season, fitted for her to Lay on the fire, during the time of her Life. Allso I give her four pounds by the yeare, to bee paid one halfe of it uppon the 25 day of March and the other halfe to bee paid uppon the 29 day of September, during the time shee dwelleth in the howse ; but if shee thinks good to leaue the howse and to remove her dwelling, or shall marry, then my will is that shee should allso leave the fruite and the wood, and that she should have six pound paid her by the yeare in manner as aforesaid.

Allso I give to my wife the Bedd I Lye uppon with all thinges belonging to it as it is furnished, as allso my Linnen except one paire of sheets, as allso my pew, to dispose of as shee pleases. Allso I give to her all my hempe and flaxe, both spun into yarne and unspun, and all that I have growing this yeare, and all my woollen Cloth and stockings that is not otherwise disposed of. Allso my will is that my wife shall give my servant Samuell two suites of Apparrell and all other Convenience according to his Indenture when his time expires. Allso I give her one heive of Bees' and all my fowles and all my sugar, honye, spice and Siluer and wamppeage.

Allso my will is that, during the time of her widdowhood and dwelling in the howse, shee shall have the use of all my household stuff that is not allready disposed of.

Item. I give to my daughter Ann Hall ₤20 and one remnant of grey cloath and my Long Coate, ten pounds to bee paid the first day of December next, the other ten pounds to be paid uppon the 24th day of June next.

Item. I give to my daughter Sarah Biddell my mare and two working stears, Allso a Carte & a plowe with a share and Coulter & a plowe eare, provided that my wife may have the mare for her owne use to ride either to Windsor, to Wethersfield, or to Hartford, or to The Sermon, for the space of two years, and to this end I give my wife my pannell and Bridle.

Allso It is my will that my sonn John Willcock shall provide Stover for the wintering of the two Stears and the mare given to Sarah Biddell.

Item. I give to John Biddell's Children forty pounds, to be paid at the death of my wife, equally to be devided amongst so many of Sarah Biddell's Children as then shall be living.

Allso I give to Ann Hall twenty pounds more, to be paid at the death of my wife to my daughter Ann Hall, to her Children if shee have any then living; but if shee be dead and leave no Issue, then my will is that ten pounds be paid to John Hall her husband if he be then Living, and the other ten pounds to John Biddell's Children, to be Equally divided amongst them.

Ffurther my will is that my wife should at her death give to Sarah Willcock, the daughter of my sonne John Willcock, the sum of five and twenty pounds.

Allso my will is that my maide Elizabeth Wakeman shall serve out the remainder of her Apprenticship with my wife, and that my wife performe all Ingagements to her according to Indentures, and when her time is expired to give her twenty shillings.

Item. I give and bequeath to John Willcock, my sonn, my debts and Legacies being paid, all the rest of my goods and Lands unbequeathed, whom of this my prsent Testament I make and ordaine my whole Executor.

In Witness whereof I have Sett to my hand and Seale the day and yearc above written. I desire that Andrew Bacon and John Barnard would stand my ffriends and see my will prformed.

Witness i Andrew Bacon, John Bernard, John X Willcock.

Invt. ₤391-03-00. Taken by John Talcott, Andrew Bacon, John Barnard.

Research Notes

Disputed Information

• Parents -- Some online trees, including an unsourced LDS Pedigree Resource File,^[16] claim that John was the son of Christopher Wilcox and Alice Stephens. We need better documentation to confirm John Wilcox Sr's origins.
• Place of Birth -- One author, Charles Adams Collard, mentioned the fact that there were Wilcoxses at Bury Priory, Suffolk, England. This has led subsequent genealogists to make this the point of birth of John Wilcox the immigrant. Adams made no such connection and mentioned it in passing with several other known Wilcox families in early England.^[4]
• Wife -- A recently indexed marriage record for John Wilcox and Mary Wylsher, 12 Oct 1615, in Terling,Essex,England,^[17] is a good fit given what we know. Unfortunately we don't know enough. We don't know where John was from. So far no subsequent baptisms of children have been located in the same area.

Review of various source indexes

From GMD: Unknown: 1639: Hartford [HaBOP 220; HaTR 22; Manwaring 1:164-5, 255; Hale House 803-8

From Torrey's NE Marriages : WILCOX, John (-1651) & Mary ____ (-1668); ca 1615; Hartford {Booth (1910) 180; Nash Anc. 49; Fulton Anc. 596; Kirby 45; Newton (,4) 441; Bidwell 25; Boardman Anc.; Reg. 29:25; Hartford Prob. 1:164, 258; Hale (1952) 403-4}

No appropriate hits for Mary Wilshyre at American Ancestors or Christopher Wilcox (alleged father)

Hale House and Related Families p. 803

History of Berlin, CT p, 80

Family search: Search no John Ws bpt to John W, Suffolk 1620-1630 No John Ws b. to Christopher 1580-1620

Possible Matching Records

There's a cluster of English records that may match the family structure. The children's baptism match well, but this presupposes that he later married Mary, and that she was not the mother of his children: In Parish registers of Mount Bures, Essex:

• Alice MOSSE & Jo. WILCOCK married 17 Oct 1615

In parish registers of Fordham, Essex:

• Anne WILCOCKE, d/o John bp 11 Aug 1616
• Sarah WILLCOCKE d/o John and Alice bp 21 Oct 1618
• Alice WILLCOCKE, wife of John, bur 21 Jan 1620/1
• Elizabeth, d/o John and Alice bp 31 Jan 1620/1 bur 10 Feb 1620/1
• John WILLCOCKE bp 22 Sep 1622 s/o John and Elizabeth

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Barbour, Lucius Barnes, 1982, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, Connecticut pp.680
2. ↑ Nash, Elizabeth Todd.. 1902, Fifty Puritan ancestors, 1628-1660 : genealogical notes, 1560-1900. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Accessed at Ancestry ($)
3. ↑ Torrey, Clarence A., 2004, New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland pp.815'
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Adams, Charles Collard. Middletown Upper Houses; a history of the north society of Middletown, Connecticut, from 1650 to 1800, with genealogical and biographical chapters on early families and a full genealogy of the Ranney family (1908) [https://archive.org/stream/middletownupperh00adam#page/740 p. 740+
5. ↑ #S5 Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford
6. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines and Edgar Francis Waterman. Hale, House and Related Families Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. p. 803+
7. ↑ Wilcox, John & Mary Farnsworth (User contributed), citing History of Berlin, Connecticut, Chapter IV, p 80
8. ↑ Stevens Page 23
9. ↑ Colonial Year Book page 811.
10. ↑ A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records, vol ? page ?
11. ↑ In New England Marriages Prior to 1700 pg. 334
12. ↑ In New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg. 68
13. ↑ In New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg. 815
14. ↑ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3HYX-VJC : accessed 2016-04-20), entry for John /Wilcox/.
15. ↑ Fiske, Janet Fletcher "Edward Wilcox of Lincolnshire and Rhode Island" The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) Reference volume 147, pages 187-191
16. ↑ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3HYX-VJC : accessed 2016-04-20), entry for John /Wilcox/.
17. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2R8-Z2G : 10 February 2018), John Wilcock and Mary Wylsher, 12 Oct 1615; citing Terling,Essex,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0962530 IT 2.

See also:

• Lord, Irene Wilcox, 1954. From the bend of the little river : a Wilcox book : immigrant ancestors and allied families, with a sketch and the descendents of George Wilcox. Los Angeles, Calif.: California Education Press

• Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford

• Heritage Consulting. 2003. Millennium File (database on-line). Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, UT, USA

• Manwaring, Charles William, 1904, A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records R. S. Peck & Co., Printers, Hartford, Connecticut

• Stevens, Harriet Weeks. Wadhams genealogy, proceded by a sketch of the Wadham family in England (Frank Allaben genealogical company, 1913) Page 23

• [1] in Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA

• John and Mary Wilcox are mentioned in the book, Genealogical and Family History of Central New York, 1912, offered on the MyHeritage website.

• Adams, Charles. Middletown Upper Houses, A History of the North Society of Middletown, Connecticut, from 1650 to 1800 (Grafton Press, New York, 1908) Page 741

• Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. - American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) - Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999

• Find A Grave: Memorial #18554137

POB listed as Suffolk, England in Find A Grave DOD listed as Oct 1, 1651 in Find A Grave

• "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch [2] : (10 February 2018), John Wilcock and Mary Wylsher, 12 Oct 1615; citing Terling,Essex,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0962530 IT 2.