John Ingersoll (abt. 1626 - 1684)

Born about Sep 1626 in Derby, Derbyshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Lord) Ingersoll — married 1651 (to Jan 1656) in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut

Husband of Abigail (Bascom) Ingersoll — married 12 Dec 1657 (to Apr 1666) in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Husband of Mary (Hunt) Ingersoll — married 1667 in Westfield, MA

Descendants

Died 3 Sep 1684 at about age 58 in Westfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: John Ellis [send private message], John Putnam [send private message], Alva Crom [send private message], and Tina Mann [send private message]

Disputed Origins

The belief of Charles Stedman Ripley (author of "The Ingersolls of Hampshire", 1893) that two brothers, John and Richard Ingersoll, arrived at Salem together -- aboard the second Mayflower in 1629 -- has led to confusion for decades. Ripley believed that John had been born in Bedfordshire in 1615; this would have meant there was a large, but not impossible, age difference between him and Richard, who was born in 1587. There was in fact a John Ingersoll born in 1615 -- but it was Richard's short-lived son John, who died in Bedfordshire, an infant. A second son christened John was born in 1620, came to Salem with his father Richard, and remained there or nearby throughout his life.

The John Ingersoll of this profile, son of Thomas of Derbyshire, christened there in September of 1626, came to America a decade or more later; and he ultimately settled in Westfield, in the western part of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The apparent conflation of the several John Ingersolls is a good illustration of the fallibility of even relatively good secondary sources (Ripley's work is, in other areas, beyond reproach).

(It is also worth noting that different dates are given in different sources for the death of the second wife of Westfield's John Ingersoll, Abigail Bascom. Ripley's 1666 could conceivably be correct, but 1667 and 1668 now appear in various online genealogies. The debate is significant to descendants of John's son Thomas, born in March of 1668, because it defines the identity of his mother: if indeed Abigail died in 1666 or 67, she cannot be his parent, and his mother is Mary Hunt – as indicated elsewhere in this profile biography. If however Abigail did not die until April of 1668, as proposed by (among others; see profile comments below) experienced genealogist Rick Ingersoll (see ingersoll.net), then John would not have married third wife Mary until after that date... and Thomas could not be their child. Finding a definitive, primary source will probably be required in order to reach a final conclusion.)

The debate over John's identity is reflected in the exchange of offerings below, which cites the will of Thomas Ingersoll as giving us the ultimate answer:

"This is incorrect.

" John Ingersoll, born Oct 01, 1615 in Bedford, England; died Sep 03, 1684 in Westfield, Hampden, Mass. He was the son of 404 Richard Ingersol and 405 Ann Langley... different parents from the ones reflected on this profile."

"The John Ingersoll of Westfield who married Dorothy Lord, Abigail Bascom and Mary Hunt is not the son of Richard Ingersoll. He is the son of Thomas and Margery (Eaton) Ingersoll.^[1] The source just referred to has a copy of the will of Thomas Ingersoll that mentions John of New England."

Biography

John Ingersoll was born 1626 and baptized at St. Werburgh, Derby, Derbyshire, England^[2]

He married 1st Dorothy Lord, before 1652.

Children of John Ingersoll and Dorothy Lord are:

• Hannah Ingersol, born 1652 in Hartford, CT; died Aft. 1682 in Hartford, CT; married Stephen Kelsey Nov 15, 1672 in Westfield, Hartford, CT.
• Dorothy Ingersol, born May 20, 1654 in Hartford, CT; died May 02, 1672 in Westfield, Hampden, Mass.
• Mary Margery Ingersol, born Jan 1655/56 in Northampton, Hampshire, Mass.; died in Northampton, Hampshire, Mass.

He married 2nd Abigail Bascom, on 12 Dec 1657.

Children of John Ingersoll and Abigail Bascom born in Northampton, MA are :

• Abigail, born January 11, 1658
• Sarah, born October 30, 1660
• Abiah, born August 24, 1663 married 08 Nov 1688 Jedediah Strong^[3]
• Hester, born September 9, 1665

He married 3rd Mary Hunt, about 1667.

Children of John Ingersoll and Mary Hunt born in Westfield are :

• Thomas, born March 28, 1668.
• John, born October 20, 1669.
• Abel, born November 11, 1671.
• Ubenezer, born October 15, 1673.
• Joseph, born October 16, 1675.
• Mary, born November 17, 1677.
• Benjamin, born November 15, 1679.
• Jonathan, born May 10, 1681

He died 03 Sep1684 at Westfield, Massachusetts Bay.^[4]

Research Notes

Below, as found on Ancestry, is an image for St. Werburgh, 1626, but it is almost impossible to read, hence the confusion about the name and parents. Underneath the year 1626 is the page number 38. It is Image 22 of 403 for Derby, St. Werburgh. This information can be found by searching for Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, through Ancestry's card catalog.

Name: John Enker [John Inkersall]

Gender: Male

Event Type: Baptism

Baptism Date: 22 Sep 1626

Baptism Place: Derby, St. Werburgh, Derbyshire, England

Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Map: View this parish

Father: James Enker

Mother: Enker

Source Citation

Derbyshire Record Office; Matlock, Derbyshire, England; Derbyshire Church of England Parish Registers; Diocese: Diocese of Derby

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.

Original data: Derbyshire Church of England Parish Registers, Derbyshire Record Office, Matlock, Derbyshire, England.

Sources

1. ↑ Greene, David L., The English Origin (And Spiritual Turmoil) of John¹ Ingersoll of Westfield, Massachusetts, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1997) Vol. 151, Page 153.
2. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7CZ-MWL : 30 December 2014), John Inkersoll, 01 Sep 1626; citing Derby, Derbyshire, England, reference item 1; FHL microfilm 1,041,167.
3. ↑ Benjamin Woodbridge Dwight. The History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Massachusetts. Volume 2. Albany, NY: Joel Munsell, 1871. GoogleBooks , page 772
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #11317291

• The Ingersolls of Hampshire : A Genealogical History of the Family From Their Settlement in America, in the Line of John Ingersoll of Westfield Mass by Charles Stedman Ripley 1893

• Source: Goodwin, Nathaniel. Genealogical Notes, or Contributions to the Family History of some of the First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Publishing Co., Inc. 1987. p. 119. Originally published : Hartford, Connecticut, 1856.