George Partridge (abt. 1613 - bef. 1695)

Born about 1613 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Sarah (Tracy) Partridge — married Nov 1638 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died before 10 Oct 1695 before about age 82 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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George Partridge migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 5, p. 372) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origins

George Partridge's origin continues to remain unknown. Although it has been proposed that George is the son, brother or nephew of Ralph Partridge, there is no evidence as to his origins. For this reason, Ralph and all other parents have been detached.^[1]

Biography

The origins of George Partridge are not known. He was probably born about 1613, based on the date of his marriage. He arrived in Massachusetts by March 2, 1635/6. In 1639, he bought land from John Clark "ye younger" in Duxbury near the lands of Comfort Starr.^[2] Although George lived in Duxbury at the same time as the Rev. Ralph Partridge, apparently there was no relationship between the two. He was a tailor, yeoman, planter, and husbandman. He signed his deeds, but he signed his Will with his mark. Although he was granted 30 acres at the North River next to his father's, "father" was referring to his father-in-law Stephen Tracy.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

On 13 February 1688/89, George and his wife Sarah made their mark on a deed to their son James, giving him one-half of their house and lands in Duxbury.^[15]

From the "Partridge Genealogy"^[16] and the "Tracy Genealogy"^[17]

GEORGE PARTRIDGE, the first of the family in America, arrived at Duxbury, Massachusetts in or sometime prior to 1636. It is stated in Winsor's "History of Duxbury" that he came from the County of Kent in England. George Partridge's English ancestry remains a mystery. The first mention of his name upon the records of Plymouth County was in that year (1636), when he was granted five acres of land at Powder Point, with permission from the court to settle thereon. In the next two years and also in 1666, he received additional grants of land about Duxbury, amounting in all to about two hundred acres.

Winsor styles him "one of the most respectable yeomanry of the colony." In 1643 his name appears in a list of those able to bear arms. In 1646 he was constable. Of this office Winsor says: "This was an office of high trust and responsibility and none were elected to it but men of good standing."

Later he was a "Surveyor of Highways" and a grand-jury man.

He was either a private or a non-commissioned officer in Capt. Miles Standish's Company.

He was one of the original purchasers of Middleborough.

Marriage and Children

George married Sarah Tracy in November 1638. ^{[18] [3]} Many family trees state that they were married on November 16, 1638, but no reliable source has been found that supports that specific date.

They had the following children:^[3]

• Sarah, born about 1639, married Samuel Allen
• Tryphosa, born about 1641, married Samuel West
• Elizabeth, born about 1643, married James Allen
• Ruth, born about 1645, married Rodolphus Thatcher
• Mary, born about 1647, married Nathaniel Skiff
• Rebecca, born about 1649, married Vigilance Fisher on 27 Nov 1678 at Dedham
• Lydia, born about 1651, married William Brewster, son of Love Brewster, on 2 Jan 1672/3 at Duxbury
• Mercy, born about 1653, married 1st Samuel Colburn 12 Mar 1682/3, married 2nd Cornelius Fisher 27 Mar 1702 at Dedham
• John, born 29 Nov 1655? at Dedham, married 1st Hannah Seabury 24 Dec 1684 at Duxbury, married 2nd Mary (--) Brewster, widow of Wrestling Brewster, on 23 May 1700 at Duxbury
• James, born about 1657, married Mary Stetson 24 April 1712 at Duxbury

Death and Will

His will is recorded in Plymouth County^[19][20] and was dated June 26, 1682. He acknowledged a deed 16 February 1691[/2?] [Plymouth Land Records:1364]. An inventory of his estate was taken October 10, 1695. So his death occurred between those two dates. His will was witnessed by two sons of Miles Standish, Alexander and Josiah, and reads as follows:

"On ye 26th day of June in ye year of our Lord 1682. I George Partridge yeoman living in Duxborough being in sound mind and good and perfect remembrance praysed be ye Lord for it make & ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and form following first I commend my soul unto Almighty God my maker and Redeemer and my body I will that it be decently buryed and funerall charges paid together with all my just and lawful debts out of my estate.

"I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah Partridge all my houses & lands in Duxburough to say uplands and meadows and all my cattell and all my household stuff for her own proper use and behoofe during her natural life on the condition that my wife do as much for my daughter Mercy as we have done for ye rest of our daughters already married and that she give my grand-daughter Bethyah Allen as much as she in prudence shall think fit and if any part of my moveables remain at my wife's decease my will is that it be disposed of by her amongst my children as she thinks meet and fit. I give to my eldest son John Partridge at my decease half my uplands and half my meadow lands lying and being at Middleborough with ye priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonging to him & his heirs forever.

"Item--I give six pounds sterling to my son John Partridge at his mother's decease to be paid in current pay.

"I give to my son James Partridge the other and remayning half both of my uplands and meadow lands lying and being at Middleborough with ye priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonging to him after my decease & to his heirs forever.

"Item--I give to my son James all my houses and all my lands both uplands and meadow lands in Duxborough and also ye Island at ye Glade with all ye priviledges and appurtenances belonging to ye aforesd lands at his mother's decease to him and his heirs forever if my son James will live in the house with his mother quietly during her life. I do hereby constitute and make my beloved wife Sarah Partridge sole executrix & administratrix of this my last will & testament as witness my hand and seal this 29th of June one thousand six hundred and eighty two.

GEORGE PARTRIDGE [Seal]

"In ye presence of us witnesses

ALEXANDER STANDISH

JOSIAH STANDISH

In case that any estate belonging unto me beyond sea should be brought over hither before my wife's decease my will is that she should dispose thereof amongst my children according to her discretion These lines were added before sealing.

ALEXANDER STANDISH

JOSIAH STANDISH"

Notes

Note: Was one of the original (54) proprietors granted land in 1645 in the town of Bridgewater, MA. Governor of Duxbury, MA.

George was the fifth great grandfather of Ulysses S. Grant.

Research notes

FindAGrave gives without source a birth date of 16 Nov 1617 Sutton, Dover District, Kent, England.

Sources

1. ↑ Plymouth County Probate Records, Vol. V, Page 372
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89Z7-5CRH : 22 May 2014), Plymouth > Deeds 1620-1651 vol 1 > image 73 of 239; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, M-P. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. Page 373ff View with NEHGS membership.
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21945422/george-partridge
5. ↑ https://ntgen.tripod.com/bw/part_g_index.html
6. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MD2X-M7C
7. ↑ https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2019/49/21945422_0489d28f-db56-454a-911e-816377eaaf8f.jpeg
8. ↑ https://gw.geneanet.org/move2move?n=partridge&oc=&p=george+w
9. ↑ https://gw.geneanet.org/keenangenealogy?n=partridge&oc=&p=george
10. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/42896:2496
11. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/16966/images/dvm_GenMono003086-00112-1?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=116
12. ↑ Godfrey Memorial Library; Middletown, Connecticut; American Genealogical Biographical Index; Volume Number: 132
13. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/985952:3599
14. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48159/images/TopDictNewEngland-007519-152?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=265734
15. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9Z7-PCF4 : 22 May 2014), Plymouth > Deeds 1664-1711 vol 1-5 > image 83 of 652; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
16. ↑ Myrtle Dennis Lundberg; Marie Ray Davis. Partridge genealogy: descendants of George Partridge of Duxbury, Massachusetts. n.p., 1965.
17. ↑ Sherman Weld Tracy. The Tracy genealogy. Rutland, VT: The Tuttle publishing company, inc., 1936. Open Library
18. ↑ Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, "Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Court Orders: Vol. I. 1633-1640", 1855, p 103 Hathi Trust
19. ↑ Plymouth County Probate Records, Vol.1, Page 225
20. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-JDMC : 21 March 2023), Probate records 1686-1702 and 1849-1867 vol 1-1F > image 119 of 490; State Archives, Boston.

See Also:

• Melanie Selby..MyHeritage family tree. Family site: The Marion B Selby Family Connection. Family tree: 65233611-1
• Justin Winsor. History of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts. Boston: Crosby & Nichols [etc.], 1849. Open Library
• Find A Grave: Memorial #21945422 NO Stone NO Burial information