John Batchelder (abt. 1610 - 1676)

Born about 1610 in England

Husband of Rebecca (Unknown) Batchelder — married 1635 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 3 May 1676 at about age 66 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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John Batchelder migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 1, p. 117) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Caution: Please don't confuse/conflate this John Bachelder with another man who migrated during the PGM era, John Bachelor.

Based on an estimated marriage date, John Batchelder (Bachelor) was born about 1610 in England to unknown parents.^[1]

A husbandman, he migrated to New England in 1634, settling first in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He became a freeman on May 6, 1635, indicating he was a member of the Watertown Church prior to that date.

At Watertown, about 1635 John married Rebecca whose surname is not known. There he was a selectman in 1635. He owned thirty-five acres by July 25, 1636; additionally six acres were granted to him in the Beaverbrook Plowlands and six acres in the Remote Meadows. All his land in Watertown was sold to Jeremiah Norcross.

Evidently he, his wife, and perhaps his oldest two children moved to Dedham by August 11, 1637, for the town granted him lots at that time. Later on July 14, 1641 he received "one small parcel of land near the claypits on the island;" on February 6, 1642/3 he received two acres and one rood; February 4, 1644/45 seven acres of woodland; and December 29, 1647 "one small parcel of upland being part of the common ground lying at the south end of part of his houselot, which parcel he desires to set a barn upon." Years later, it was recorded that "Joh[n] Batchelor" received a grant of eight acres of meadow in Browd Meadow, and another two acres of swamp.

On July 30, 1641, he, along with his wife, was admitted to the Dedham church; Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was a selectman at Dedham in 1639, 1640; a tax collector on March 30, 1640.

In order to obtain two cows from John Plimton, John mortgaged "his dwelling house with all the outhouses & 16 acres to Thomas Dudley on September 16, 1647. His land was assessed at 5s. 11 d., and his house valued at L3 in 1648. On June 28 of that year, "John Bacheler of Dedham, husbandman, purchased Henry Feltch's lot "at Reading with all the appurtenances and town right thereunto belonging." He and his son John Bachelder Jr., leased several parcels of land in Lynn for 21 years on July 10, 1654. Then on January 19, 1657 or 1658, he purchased forty acres of ukpland in Reading from Thomas Marshall of Lynn.

Rebecca (Unknown) Bachelor died at Reading on March 9, 1661/2.

John Bachelor made his will on July 2, 1670, along with a codicil on April 3, 1676. It was proved June 20, 1676. He bequeathed detailed instructions: "my freehold or town privileges ... unto my sons John and David ... equally"; His dwelling house, outhouses, orchard, yards, along with thirty acres, three meadows, a lot in cedar swamp to his son John. To his son David, two hundred twenty six acres of upland, meadow joining his meadow bequeathed to John, three acres of meadow by the dark swamp, three acres of meadow purchased from John Peirce. His daughter Mary was bequeathed ten acres of upland on the Westplain; one-fourth of the cattle and swine. His son "John Batchilour" was the sole executor. In the codicil he exchanged some land to be bequeathed to John and David.

John Bachelor, Senior died May 3, 1676, in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts. The inventory of his estate was taken June 20, 1676 and totalled L33 15s of which L409 10s was real estate.^[1][2]

Children:

1. John, b. say 1635. m. (1) Sarah Lunt, (2) Hannah (Boynton) Warner, (3) Hannah ____.
2. Mary b. say 1637, m. Nathaniel Cowdrey.
3. Samuel b. Dedham 8 Jan 1639/40; d. March 25, 1662.^[2]
4. Jonathan (twin) b. Dedham on 14 Dec 1643; died Reading 4 Dec 1653.
5. David (twin) b. Dedham 14 Dec 1643, m. Hannah Plummer.

Research Notes

1. Robert Charles Anderson clarified in "The Great Migration" that the wives of John Eaton and John Bachelor Sr. were not sisters.
2. Interesting background with various sources and links can be found on his FamilySearch profile^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999), 117-122 (John Bachelor); digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Baldwin, Thomas W., (https://archive.org/details/vitalrecordsofre00inread/page/n975/mode/2up?q=batchelder&view=theater) Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850]] (Boston, Mass. 1912) [p. 490] (Free e-book)
3. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L5DK-338?1=1&spouse=L5DK-4NQ