John Codman (1696 - 1755)

Born 29 Sep 1696 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Parnell (Foster) Codman III — married 1718 (to 1752) in Charlestown, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 30 Jun 1755 at age 58 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Biography

John Codman was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts on Sep 29, 1696. He was son of Stephen Codman and Elizabeth Randall. ^[1]

Mayflower Families Vol. 15 p. 146 provides that he was the son of Stephen and Elizabeth (Randall) Codman.

A former ship’s captain, John Codman was a wealthy fifty-eight year old slave master and landowner in Charlestown when he was murdered by his three slaves, Phillis, Phoebe, and Mark Codman in 1755.

In the early 1700s, Charlestown-born John Codman married Parnell Foster, greatgranddaughter of Mary Chilton, the first woman to step off the Mayflower. ^[2]

Captain John Codman died on July 1, 1755. A coroner's jury found that he died from poison "feloniously procured and administered" by his slaves Mark, Phillis and Phebe. ^[3] There was a trial for "Petit Treason". Phillis was found guilty of administering the poison and was executed by burning to death. Mark was found guilty of being an accessory and was hanged and gibbeted. His body was hung in the square in Somerville, Massachusetts. The third slave Phebe was not found guilty, documents state she probably provided evidence and her disposition is unknown.

The September 25, 1755 Boston News-Letter describes their execution: ^[4]

• "Thursday last were executed at Cambridge, pursuant to their sentences, Mark and Phillis, two Negro Servants belonging to the late Captain John Codman of Charlestown, for poysoning their said Master: They were both drawn from the Prison to the Place of Execution, attended by the greatest Number of Spectators ever known on such an Occasion; where the former was hanged by the Neck until dead, after which the body was Gibbeted; and the latter was burned to Death."

Slaves

• Mark
• Phillis
• Phebe

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F46P-T3X : 20 May 2022), John Codman, 29 Sep 1696; citing Birth, Charlestown, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009468.
2. ↑ http://www.lanserobb.com/files/news/564/64/Boston_Globe__March_8th
3. ↑ The trial and execution for petit treason, of Mark and Phillis, slaves of Capt. John Codman by Goodell, Abner Cheney. Publisher Cambridge, J. Wilson and son, 1883. Page 4-5
4. ↑ Celebrate Boston Website - Crime - Mark and Phillis Executions Copyright © 2020 CelebrateBoston.com

• Mayflower Families Vol. 15 p. 146-147
• [broken link] the freedomtrail dot org/educational-resources/article-codman.shtml