John Otis (1621 - 1684)

Born 14 Jan 1621 in Glastonbury, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Jacob) Holbrook — married 10 May 1649 (to 16 Jan 1683) in Hingham, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died 16 Jan 1684 at age 63 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony

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Biography

John Otis immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

John Otis. Born ca 1621 in Glastonbury, England. John was baptized in Glastonbury on 14 Jan 1620/1 John died on 16 Jan 1683/4 n Scituate, Massachusetts. Buried in First Parish Cemetery, Scituate.

The following text is from A genealogical and historical memoir of the Otis family in America, by William A. Otis’s (see Sources section):

When John was about ten years old the family emigrated to new England, and his father settled at Hingham. The family residence was at ‘Otis Hill,’ where John lived until after his parents’ death. In 1668 he, or at least a John Otis, is mentioned on the Hingham records as being a landholder; it is also recorded that he took the oath of fidelity there in 1662; although in 1661 he had moved to Scituate. There he bought of Deacon Thomas Robinson the house on the south of Coleman Hill, formerly the residence of Gen. Cudworth, and resided there. In 1663, according to the records, he bought for 69 pounds a certain portion of another property from Mr. Hatherly. In 1678 he went to Barnstable and settled a land called Otis farm, opposite to Hinkley Lane, near the Marshes, West Parish. There he left his son John, and returned to Scituate, where he died.

His monument was in the old burying ground. ‘Meeting House Lane,’ one mile south of the harbor, and in 1845, although broken and defaced, ws still legible. His will, dated Scituate 1683, gives to his eldest daughter, Mary, the wife of John Gorham, and daughter of Hannah and Elizabeth 50 pounds each; houses and lands at Hingham and Barnstable to John, Stephen, James, and Job; to Joseph and Job house and lands in Sciutate after after his mother’s decease. He is said to have been in King Philip’s War.

John seems to have been of a rather pugnacious disposition and not easily amenable to the strict laws of the Puritans, so that one finds frequent references in the old records to his various legal troubles as indicated in the following:

(Shurtleff’s Records of Mass.)

In 1651, 22 May, at the general court of Boston, ‘John Oatis of Hingham pr’ferd a petition for the abatement or remission of a fine imposed uppon him by a Court at Boston, for his resistance of the constable, which the Court thinkes meete he should pay.’

Boston Court, May 14, 1654. ‘In answer to the petition of John Oates for remitt’n of a fine imposed on him, the Court thinkes meete to graunt his request, except 30 shillings, 20 whereof belong to the county and 10 to the constable, so as the petition’r, on a Lord’s day, after exercise, or on some publicke assembling of the congregation make like full acknowledgement of his miscarriage, as he doth in this petition, by word or writing, or else shall pay, within one six weekes, five pounds, as a fine to the county.’

General Court at Boston, May 26, 1658. ‘In the case of Jno. Tucker and Anne, his wife, plaintiffe, agt. Jno. Ottis and Jno. Mansfield, defendant, the court on hearing of all the evidenced produced in case, they found for the defendant costs of court, i.e., one pound nineteen shillings and fower pence.’

(Plymouth Court Records. Vol. V., pg. 81.)

‘At the Court holden at Plymouth the 29th day of October, 1671, John Otis, for selling syder without order from the court, was fined the sum of 40 shillings to the Collonies use, or to appear to answare for the same.’

Also, in the same Court records, his name appears several times as a member of grand jury--’Grand Enquest.’"

From Deane’s History of Scituate: (see Sources section)

John, whose posterity is very numerous, married Mary, daughter of Nicholas Jacob of Hingham, 1653. In 1661, he settled in Scituate, on the south of Colman's hills. In 1678, he went to Barnstable, and took up 'the Otis farm,' near Hinckley lane. He left at Barnstable his eldest son John, and returned and deceased in Scituate 1683. His monument is in 'the old burying ground in Meeting-house lane': it is broken and defaced, but legible at this time.

In his will, dated at Scituate, 1683, he gives 'To eldest daughter Mary, (wife of John Gowin), and daughters Hannah and Elizabeth 50 pounds each. Houses and lands at Hingham and Barnstable, to John, Stephen, James and Job. To Joseph house and lands in Scituate, after his mother's decease.'"^[1]

From L. Vernon Briggs’ History and Genealogy of the Briggs Family: (see Sources section)

In 1655, in accordance with a promise made to him at the time of his marriage in 1649, his father conveyed to him all of his real estate in Hingham, including the home on North Street. John Otis and his family resided there until 1661, when he purchased from Deacon Thomas Robinson a house, formerly that of Gen. James Cudworth (his second home in Scituate), on the south side of Colman hills in Scituate, and here he removed from Hingham. The site of this house is now [1938] covered by the railroad track of the Scituate Sand and Gravel Company.

ca 1649 John married Mary Jacob, daughter of Nicholas Jacob (ca 1604-5 Jun 1657) & Mary Gilman (ca 1605-15 Jun 1681), in Hingham, MA. Born ca 1632 in Hingham, Norfolk. Mary was baptized in Hingham, Norfolk, on 11 May 1632. Mary died aft 12 Jul 1699.

Their children include:

1. Mary Otis (14 Mar 1652/3-1 Apr 1733)
2. James Otis (Died soon) (1655-bef 1663)
3. Hon. John Otis (21 Sep 1657-23 Sep 1727)
4. Hannah Otis (22 Mar 1659/60-aft 1683)
5. Capt. Stephen Otis (1661-26 Aug 1733)
6. James Otis (Died unmarried) (1663-1690)
7. Hon. Joseph Otis (1665-11 Jun 1754)
8. Elizabeth Otis (1671-17 Jun 1748)
9. Job Otis (20 Mar 1677-1758)

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97D-V3XJ : 15 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 576 of 616; State Archives, Boston.

• History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts (The Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1893): Vol III, p.102
• Find A Grave: Memorial #51278783
• Men of Kent Cemetery, Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
• Otis, William A., A genealogical and historical memoir of the Otis family in America, published 1924, Schulkins, Chicago, Illinois
• Deane, Samuel, History of Scituate, Massachusetts, published 1831 by J. Loring, Boston, reference page 318
• Briggs, L. Vernon History and genealogy of the Briggs family, 1254-1937, published 1938, C.E. Goodspeed & Co., reference page 408