John Pickering (abt. 1615 - bef. 1657)

Born about 1615 in Warwickshire, England [uncertain]

Husband of Elizabeth (Unknown) Deacon — married about 1636 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died before 1 Jul 1657 before about age 42 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

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John Pickering migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 263) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origins

John Pickering had been shown with parents Gilbert Pickering and Elizabeth Montague without sources. His incorrect parents are being removed from this profile. See Research Notes section for further details.

Biography

Birth

According to a family Bible record made by his grandson John Pickering III, John was born in England around 1615. ^[1]

Origin

Family tradition says that he came from Yorkshire^[1], however there is evidence he may be from Coventry, Warwickshire.^[2] It is recorded in the Notarial Record Book of William Aspinwall, dating "25th of 8th month 1650", that John Pickering of Salem hired Mr. Thomas Potter of Childsmore (modern spelling Cheylesmore, a suburb of Coventry) as attorney to enter and take possession of a house near the Newgate in Coventry, Warwickshire, England.^[3] Given that this event occurred 15 years after he emigrated from England, it suggests he may have inherited this property.

At the Coventry Archives in England^[4], an agreement (15 Jun 1632) was made between a JOHN PICKERING of Coventry (carpenter) to lease a property (messuage, lot & garden) to a Thomas Lole of Barnacle, Warwickshire (yeoman). The property was located on the east side of Much Parke Street within the New Gate of Coventry. It was previously occupied by John Pickering, but is now to be leased for a period of 10 years to Thomas Lole at a rate of 12 pounds per annum. Additionally, there is a record that a JOHN PICKERING, carpenter, served as a Coventry juror in 1607^[4]. No probate record has yet been discovered, but it is likely this is the property John Pickering of Salem took posession of through his attorney in 1650.

It is doubtful these two John Pickerings were the same individual given that the older John Pickering of Coventry had to be an adult landowner in 1607 in order to qualify as serving as a juror, giving him a birthdate before 1590. It would be consistent with him possibly being the father of John Pickering of Salem (b. 1615). They also shared the same trade of carpentry, which likely would have been passed from father to son.

Emigration

John emigrated from England prior to 1637. It is not known whether he travelled alone or with family. To date, he has not been found on any specific ship or arrival/departure port lists.

Residence

Date: 7th 12 mo 1636: Salem, Massachusetts, "Jn^o Pickering Carpenter granted to be inhabitant." ^[5] He was granted one half acre in Salem with a family count of only two on 25 Dec 1637.^[5] He acquired other land plots in 1639, 1642 and 1649.

It is frequently cited John Pickering resided in Ipswich, MA, between 1634 and 1637, prior to coming to Salem. This stems from a misreading of the name "John Pirkeings, the Elder", who was in reality John Perkins, the Elder. ^[6]

Marriage

His wife was Elizabeth. The aforementioned Bible record states that he was married in 1636, but neglects to mention her maiden name.^[1] After his death, Elizabeth married second John Deacon of Lynn. ^[7]

Occupation

Occupation: Carpenter. He was contracted to enlarge a Salem meeting house in 1639, to build a bridge over the branch of the North River, around Salem, in 1640 (known as the Town Bridge) and to keep the bridge in repair for 16 years in 1644.^[1]

Death & Will

John Pickering's will was dated at Salem, Massachusetts, 30th of 5th month 1655, and proved in court 1st of the 5th month 1657. ^[8] Divides his estate into 3 parts to his surviving sons, John and Jonathan, and wife, Elizabeth.

Children

1. John, prob b. 1638, as there were only John & Elizabeth (family of two) when first granted land in Salem on 25 Dec 1637.^[5]
2. Jonathan, b 1639^[7]
3. Elizabeth bapt. 3 Mar. 1644, d. soon; ^[7]
4. Elizabeth again, perhaps b. 3, bapt. 17 Aug. 1645, prob. d. young; ^[7]and His wid. m. 25 Dec. of the latter

Research Notes

• According to "Pickering Genealogy"^[1], the origins of John Pickering of Salem have stymied genealogists for a long time. Some of his descendants have tried to connect him to Gilbert Pickering (1611-1668) of Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire, England, but no documentation has ever be found. Based on the research of the article's author, John MAY have been the son of John Pickering, carpenter, of Coventry, England, who served on a jury there in 1607. Further research is required to prove this connection.^[9]
• The will of his grandson^[10], John Pickering III (1658-1722), was proved 19 July 1722 and sealed with an impression of a specific variation of the English Pickering Coat of Arms (See Image Page).^[1][11] Several later Pickering generations also used the coat of arms variation in various personal effects, such as embroidery by Sarah (Pickering) Clarke in 1753 and a letter seal of Col Timothy Pickering that was attached to his Silver Watch^[1]. The description of the device is formally described as an "Ermine, a lion rampant azure, crowned or"^[12]. It is unknown whether the device was utilized by previous generations of this lineage, due to a lack of formal documents to review that might have contained it. The 1619 Visitation of the County of Warwick by the Master of Arms mentions no Pickering pedigree in their Heraldry report filed with the English College of Arms. ^[13] The Visitation of Yorkshire in 1584/5 and 1612 ^[14] and The Visitation of Northamptonshire in 1564 & 1618/19 ^[15] have various Pickering Pedigrees, some of which is assigned the specific Pickering COA used by this later generation of Pickerings. It is not known whether this line of Pickerings descend from the baronage affiliated with this Coat of Arms; only that it was utilized by an early progenitor of this American line on a formal document and by subsequent Pickering generations. It may suggest the possibility of a baronage descendancy, but is not proven.
• William Aspinwall's Notorial Record Book, p. 298: "25 (8) 1650. John Pickering of Salem did constitute Mr. Thomas Potter of Childsmore his Attorney for him & in his name & to use to enter & take possession of a certaine house neere the Newgate in Coventry & the same to possesse & enjoy for the use of the sd John Pickering (being his pper possession) untill further order taken thereabout. Giveing him power to comence and psecut any action at law against any that shall hinder or interrupt him in the possession of the sd house. Dat. 25 (8) 1650."^[3]
• The connection of John Pickering with Coventry by way of a house in the town, at Newgate (presumably this is at or near the site of present-day Newgate Lane, which lies near the heart of Coventry), suggests a possible connection with one or more of the following John Pickerings, whose lives feature key events between 1550 and 1630 within a few miles of the town:

• John Pickaring -- m. Eliza. Smithe at Allesley, 15 November 1575 (approx. 3 mi. NW of Coventry proper)^[16][17]
• John Pickeringe (may be the same man as above) -- burial at Allesley, 1 April 1588^[18]
• John Pickering -- m. Mary White at Hampton in Arden,15 June 1619 (approx. 10 mi. WNW of Coventry proper)^[19][20]
• John Pickering/Pickring -- father, John Pickering/Pickring; christened at Bulkington, 05 July 1607 (approx. 5 mi. NE of Coventry proper)^[21][22]

Sources

There is more information in the Pickering Genealogy and some of the information above can be verified in the Salem Town Records.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Ellery, Harrison and Charles Pickering Bowditch. The Pickering Genealogy: Being an account of the First Three Generations of the Pickering family of Salem, Mass., and of the descendants of John and Sarah (Burrill) Pickering, of the third generation, Volume 1 (Google eBook). University Press, J. Wilson and Son, 1897. See pages 1, 17+
2. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration Directory (The). Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640. A Concise Compendium. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.) p. 263
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Aspinwall, W, et al.. A Volume Relating to the Early History of Boston Containing the Aspinwall Notarial Records From 1644 to 1651. Boston: Municipal Printing Office, 1903. p. 334
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Coventry Archives, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, Warwickshire, England,
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Salem (Mass.); Howes, Martha O; Perley, Sidney, (ed.) Town records of Salem, Massachusetts 1634-1659 (Salem, Mass., The Essex Institute, 1868) p. 35
6. ↑ The Ancient Records of the Town of Ipswich, Volume 1, from 1634-1650.(Chronicle Motor Press, Ipswich, Mass, 1899), notation of land records under Nov 1634.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862.
8. ↑ The Probate Records of Essex County Massachusetts, Volume I (1635-1664). The Essex Institute, Salem, Mass, 1916. p. 254-255 .[1]
9. ↑ Griffeth, Bill, American Ancestors Magazine. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) Reference Volume 13.3 (2012), pages 29-31. Subscription required
10. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881 at AmericanAncestors.org. John Pickering III will
11. ↑ Essex County Probate Records in Salem, Mass.
12. ↑ Pickering Coat of Arms and Crest History Page & Pickerings of Yorkshire Arms Page
13. ↑ The Visitation of the County of Warwick in the Year 1619 Taken By William Camden, Clarencieux king of arms, Edited by John Fetherston, London, 1877.
14. ↑ The Visitation of Yorkshire, made in the years 1584/5 by Robert Glover, Somerset Herald ; to which is added the subsequent visitation made in 1612, by Richard St. George, Norroy king of arms, with several additional pedigrees, including "The arms taken out of churches and houses at Yorkshire visitation, 1584-5," "Sir William Fayrfax' booke of arms," and other heraldic lists, with copious indices. London : Privately printed for the editor, Joseph Foster, 1875, pp. 281, 630.
15. ↑ The Visitations of Northamptonshire Made in 1564 and 1618-19, with Northamptonshire Pedigrees from various Harleian Mss, Edited by Walter C. Metcalfe, FSA. Published by Mitchell & Hughes, London, 1887, pp. 42-44, 126-128.
16. ↑ England: Marriages, 1538-1973. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Original index: England Marriages, 1538-1973. FamilySearch, 2014.); https://www.americanancestors.org/DB544/rd/317845402 (subscription)
17. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NV44-FVS : 10 February 2018), John Pickaring and Eliza. Smithe, 15 Nov 1575; citing Allesley,Warwick,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 548,381.
18. ↑ "England, Warwickshire, Parish Registers, 1535-1963," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHXN-7WT : 13 March 2019), John Pickeringe, 01 Apr 1588; from parish registers of the Church of England, database and images, citing Burial, Allesley, Warwickshire, England, Warwick County Record Office, England.
19. ↑ England: Marriages, 1538-1973. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Original index: England Marriages, 1538-1973. FamilySearch, 2014.); https://www.americanancestors.org/DB544/rd/318232681 (subscription)
20. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V52D-L1Z : 10 February 2018), John Pickering and Mary White, 15 Jun 1619; citing Hampton In Arden,Warwick,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 568505, 568506, 942.48 H1 V26L.
21. ↑ "England, Warwickshire, Parish Registers, 1535-1963," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXL2-X9M : 26 February 2019), John Pickering, 05 Jul 1607; from parish registers of the Church of England, database and images, citing Christening, Bulkington, Warwickshire, England, Warwick County Record Office, England.
22. ↑ See also: https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/5f7b891b33045b554f94a231?locale=en