John Bullard (abt. 1596 - bef. 1678)

Born about 1596 in Barnham, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Magdalene (Martyn) Bullard — married before 2 May 1639 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Eleanor (Whittington) Bullard — married before 29 Nov 1661 in Medfield, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 27 Oct 1678 before about age 82 in Medfield, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], Elizabeth S [send private message], and Bob Fields [send private message]

John Bullard migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 48) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Birth & Baptism

Born about 1596 in Barnham, Suffolk, England to William Bullard and Grace Bignett^[1]

Emigration

Before September 1636 to Dedham, Massachusetts where he was a signer of the original covenant to establish Dedham along with brother William.^[2]

Marriage & Children

John married at least three times; once in England as his first two children were born there and then twice more in Massachusetts.

He married Magdalene Martyn in 1639, Massachusetts, probably in Dedham.^[1] who died in 1661. Her profile includes more sources on the determination of her last name at birth. Torrey in "New England Marriages" said this: BULLARD, John (1601-1678) & 1/wf Magdalen ____ (-1661); by 1639, by 1634; Dedham {Dedham Ch. Rec. 21; Bullard Anc. 14, 16; Sv. 1:295; Harris (,12) 9; Tingley-Meyers 269}^[3] and^[4] although Torrey did not claim her surname.

After Nov. 29, 1661, he then married Ellen Unknown, the widow of Thomas Dickerman, probably in Medfield about which Torrey said: BULLARD, John (1601-1678) & 2/wf Ellen (____) [DICKERMAN], w Thomas; aft 29 Nov 1661; Medfield {Medfield Hist. 329; Dorchester Hist. 116-7; White (,10) 209; Bullard Anc. 16; Beecher-Bullard 38}^[3] with the brackets indicating her surname came from a source other than a marriage record.

The list of children below should be considered provisional until sourcing is added to each one. Savage listed Abigail, Joseph and Hannah with the birth dates shown as the children of John and Magdalene:^[5]

1. John Bullard (b 1632 in Barnham, Suffolk, England - 14 Oct 1635 in England according to "Bullard and Allied Families")
2. Magdalene Bullard, c. 18 Oct 1635, Barnham St. Martin, Suffolk, England - 27 Dec 1676, Married John Partridge 18 Dec 1655; this was the John Partridge mentioned in John Bullard's will.
3. John Bullard (b 1637 in Dedham, Norfolk, MA - 4 Jul 1668 in Dedham, Norfolk, MA leaving daughter Hannah b. 1664 per "Bullard and Allied Families" although this book does not claim a birth year for John) The 1668 death date appears in early records of Dedham, Mass^[6]
4. Abigail b. 6 Oct 1641^[7]
5. Joseph b. 26 Apr 1643^[8]
6. Hannah b 1 Oct 1645 ("or by another account 1 Feb 1646)^[9]
7. Michael Bullard, b. 21 Mar 1649, Dedham, Norfolk, MA - probably dies young (note that familysearch indexes this as several different dates, the transcription states '21st day of the first month' of 1648^[10]

The oldest children born in England are from "Bullard and Allied Families (See Also) but without primary sources listed. Extra copies of Isaac and Elizabeth, children of John Bullard's brother William (also an immigrant) were originally attached to this profile.

Colonial Life

Much of the information in this section comes from "Bullard and Allied Families" (See Also) which does not state it's primary sources.

John with his wife Magdalene, was admitted to the church 2 May 1639. He took the freeman's oath 13 May 1640^[5]. With his brother William he became a proprietor of the settlement at Dedham, when the company of Watertown church members established themselves there. His dismissal from the church at Watertown to the one at Dedham, was dated 30 May 1641, "Mr. Phillips, the pastor, and Elders Carter and Howe, testifying in his favor."^{[citation needed]}

He had been one of the original purchasers of Dedham, having signed the social compact of proprietor's 10 Sep 1636, and lands were assigned him adjoining his brother William's.^[2]

The brothers were rated among the moreable citizens and private accounts against John Bullard were entered as "one of the two Bullards of Dedham." (this confusing statement was on the original profile without source).

In 1650, he became one of the select proprietors of the new town of Medfield, where lands were assigned him and where with the other proprietors, he enjoyed a great degree of the confidence of the General Court, they were not bound in the act of incorporation "to build within a specified time, a meeting house, settle a minister, and establish a school," their character being sufficient pledge that these things would soon be done. A house of eight acres was assigned to John in Medfield in 1652. In 1675, John is on the list of subscribers to the fund for the "new brick college" (Harvard), his contribution to be a bushel and a half of "Indian corn." In his will the homestead is given to his son, Joseph, with legacies to be paid to John Partridge, son-in-law, and two daughters, Abigail Stockwell, and Hannah, wife of Benjamin Allen, no other heirs being mentioned.

Death & Estate

He died 27 Oct 1678 at Medfield, Mass by "the overthrowing of a cart". His will was written 26 Apr 1678, proved 1 May 1679, inventory taken 23 Nov 1678^[1] (NEHGR article citing Suffolk County Probate Case 1081, O.S. 6:303-304 on FHL film 584128 and for the inventory O.S. 12:291 FHL film 584130).

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "The English Bullard Family Revisited and their BIgnett Connection" by Clifford L. Stott & Myrtle Stevens Hyde, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) Vol. 154 pg. 178 $subscription
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The Early records of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1636-1659 by Hill, Don Gleason, 1847-1914 Publication date 1892 Vol 3 pg. 3
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. Vol. 1 pg. 241 $subscription
4. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700 by Clarence A. Torrey on familysearch https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/290345
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England, showing three generations of those who came before May, 1962, on the basis of Farmer's Register ..by Savage, James, 1784-1873; Farmer, John, 1789-1838. Genealogical register of the first settlers of New England; Dexter, O. P. (Orrando Perry), 1854-1903 Publication date 1860 pg. 295
6. ↑ The early records of the town ..by Dedham (Mass. : Town); Hill, Don Gleason, 1847-1914; Slafter, Carlos, 1825-1909 Publication date 1886 pg. 11
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4JC-RL6 : 10 November 2020), Abigall Bullard, 13 Jul 1641; citing Birth, Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009369.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4JC-T9Z : 10 November 2020), Joseph Bullard, 20 Feb 1643; citing Birth, Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009369.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4JC-Y89 : 10 November 2020), Hannah Bullarh, 1 Dec 1645; citing Birth, Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009369.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4JC-BQT : 10 November 2020), Michaell Bullard, 22 Feb 1648; citing Birth, Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009369

See Also

• Find A Grave: Memorial #36259291
• http://wiki.abulsme.com/John_Hall_Bullard Lots of critical analysis of all available primary and secondary sources.
• Bullard and allied families : the American ancestors of George Newton Bullard and Mary Elizabeth Bullard by Bullard, Edgar John, 1872-Page 14
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walkersj/Bullard.htm Descendants of John Bullard - generation Four
• http://www.treetreetree.org.uk/Bullard.htm#John Bullard Tree Online
• http://minerdescent.com/2012/02/23/william-bullard/ Bullard genealogy page