John Presbury (abt. 1639 - bef. 1679)

Born about 1639 in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony [uncertain]

Husband of Dorcas (Bessey) Presbury — married about 1663 in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died before 5 Mar 1679 before about age 40 in Saco, York, Province of Maine

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Biography

This is the profile for John Presbury, who lived in Saco, Maine in 1665-1679.

Parentage

The parentage of John Presbury of Saco is uncertain. The most commonly adopted theory is that he was the son of John Presbury of Sandwich. One prominent proponent of the theory was Clarence Edward Banks, who, in his History of Martha's Vineyard, shows that John Presbury of Sandwich had a son named John who was initially a resident of Sandwich but removed to Saco sometime before 1665.^[1] The theory was also endorsed by Joseph Waite Presbrey in his genealogy of the Presbrey family, who concluded that:

It seems likely that [John Presbury of Saco] was a son of John Presbury of Sandwich, Mass. At the time there was frequent communication by water between Massachusetts and the towns on the Maine coast, and settlers migrated from one place to the other.^[2]

The theory was also followed in Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700, which contains the following entry:

PRESBURY, John (-1679) & Dorcas [BESSEY]; b 1664; Sandwich/Salisbury/Saco, ME^[3]

There is no source, however, that conclusively proves this theory of John of Saco's parentage or proves that John of Saco was born in or near Sandwich. Rather, the theory is built of the following circumstantial evidence:

• John Presbury of Saco's name is highly consistent with him being the son of John Presbury of Sandwich
• The estimated date of birth of John Presbury of Saco (about 1640) is highly consistent with him being the son of John Presbury of Sandwich (who had a documented daughter Mary who was born in 1644).
• Circumstantial evidence connecting Stephen Presbury, who was married in Sandwich in 1693, to both John of Sandwich and John of Saco
• The names of the grandchildren of John of Saco are consistent with a possible connection with the families John of Sandwich and Dorcas Bessey of Sandwich. (John's presumed sons Nathan and Stephen both had a daughter named Dorcas, while John's son William had sons named David and Nehemiah (which were the names of two of Dorcas's brothers) as well as a daughter named Mary (which was the name of the wife and a daughter of John of Sandwich, as well as the name of a sister of Dorcas).)
• The absence of identified alternative parental candidates for John of Saco.

The more recent Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire does note one apparently inconsistent record:

That [John Presbury of Saco] was s. of early John of Sandwich and husb. of Dorcas Bessey is negatived only by the fact that the Saco man's dau.-in-law claimed for self and ch. the whole Page plantation at Saco which he bot from Clement Harding in 1670, call her husb. William 'only s. and heir' and that none of the Martha's Vineyard fam. appeared as claimants.^[4]

The statement by William's wife that her husband was John of Saco's only son and heir, however, seems to be of questionable reliability because, as discussed later in the same Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire entry, in addition to William, John of Saco seems to have had at least three other sons -- Nathan, Stephen and John.^[4] The failure of any members of Stephen's (or Nathan's or John's) family to appear as claimants would not be surprising because they would not have gotten notice of the action if William's wife was certifying that there were no other heirs.

If John Presbury of Saco was not the son of John of Sandwich, the parentage of John of Saco is unknown, as no other plausible candidates have been identified.

Date of Birth

Based on the estimated date of birth of John's son William (1664), John was probably born sometime in 1635-1640. Banks (who assumed that John of Saco was the son of John of Sandwich) estimated John's date of birth as probably about 1640.^[1] However, since John of Sandwich's daughter Mary/Mercy was born in May 1641,^[5][6] it is more likely that, if John of Saco was the son of John of Sandwich, he was born about 1638-1639. An estimated date of birth of about 1638-1639 is also a better fit with the estimated date of birth of his presumed wife, Dorcas Bessey (1639).^[7]

Place of Birth

Assuming that John of Saco was the son of John of Sandwich, John of Saco was probably born in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. If that theory is not correct, John of Saco's place of birth is unknown.

Marriage

According to both Banks and Torrey's, John Presbury married Dorcas Bessey.^[1][3] Banks gives the date of marriage as 1664,^[1] while Torrey's says it was by 1664.^[3] Assuming that John Presbury of Saco was indeed the son of John Presbury of Sandwich, that assertion that John married Dorcas Bessey seems reasonable. Support in the original records for this assertion comes from the Plymouth Colony's Fines of the June Court, 1664, which contains the following entry:

Item, Gorge Barlow, for Dorcas Presbury, . . . . 05 l : 00 s : 00 d^[8]

George Barlow was the stepfather of Dorcas Bessey, with whom she had a contentious relationship.^[7] In 1662, George had had Dorcas Bessey and some of her sisters put in the stocks for assaulting him.^[7] The record above indicates that Dorcas got some measure of revenge in 1664 and also indicates that Dorcas married a man named Presbury sometime between 1662 and 1664. If John Presbury of Saco was the son of John Presbury of Sandwich and originally from that town, it is reasonable to presume that he was the Presbury who married Dorcas Bessey. Since both John Presbury, Sr. and Dorcas Bessey were residents of Sandwich, Dorcas's marriage probably occurred in that town.

If, on the other hand, John Presbury of Saco was not the son of John Presbury of Sandwich or originally from that town, then he almost certainly was not the Presbury who married Dorcas Bessey. In that case, no record has been found that suggests who his wife was or where they were married.

Based on a source that indicates that John's presumed eldest son, William, came "of age" (21) in 1684,^[9] it is most likely that John was married in late 1662 or early 1663.

Residency in Saco

The first record of John Presbury in Saco is dated November 1665. Set forth below are the records that have been located that relate to John's residency in Saco prior to his death:

• 1665. At a court of pleas held in Saco on November 7, 1665, John Presberry of Saco was presented for being "a common absenter from the publique Worshipe & service of god on the Lords days".^[10][4]
• 1670. By deed dated June 24, 1670, Clement Hardy sold to "John Praesbury of Sacoe in New England shoemaker" of 50 acres of land on the east side of the Saco River formerly known as the Page plantation.^[11]
• 1670. At a court held at Wells for the County of Yorke on July 5, 1670, it was recorded that John Presbury had been selected to serve as constable of Saco.^[12][2][4]
• 1670. At a County Court held at Wells on July 5, 1670, John Presbyter (no doubt in his capacity as constable of Saco) presented John Bonighton Senior for contempt of the Massachusetts authority. Bonighton was fined £20. Security for the payment of the fine was given to the court by Mr. Seth Fletcher £5, Mr. Ric. Foxwell £6, Ric. Cummins £6, James GIbbons Junion 50s, John Presbury 50s.^[13][14]
• 1670. At a meeting of the Saco town selectmen in October 1670, the selectmen agreed that Rob. Booth (presumably the town minister) be paid 10 pounds, 3s, 5d, "toward which he has received from Ralph Trustrum this day four pounds; from John Presbury out of his rate 2-2; from Henry Brown for his fines 1-10."^[15]
• 1671. At a Court of Associates at Saco held on April 4, 1671, a complaint was made that John Presbiter, constable of Saco, had neglected to collect rates made by the selectmen and could not be found.^[16][4]
• 1671. At a Court held at Yorke on July 4, 1671, John Presbury sued Thomas Doughty and James Orr for taking away pine logs.^[17][4]
• 1671. At a Court held at Yorke on July 4, 1671, John Presbury, Constable, presented Pattrick Denmarke for swearing and Mr. John Bonighton for disbeying and reviling authority.^[18]
• 1672. The town decides that "Theare is due to Thomas Rogers for goinge to Comittioner to York fiveteene shillings, to Ensine Gibbings and John Presbery for killings two woolves forty shillings."^[15]
• 1674. At a meeting of the Saco town selectment on December 9, 1674, the following seating was assigned by town selectmen for matrons in the meeting house: "1st seat. Mrs. Pendleton, Goodwife Trustrum. G. Waddock, G. Gibbins, G. Cummins . . . 5. G. Harmon, Peard, Presbury, Case, Harmon jr. Read, Henderson jr. . . "^[19]
• 1675. At a County Court held at York on July 6, 1675, John Presbury was named as a member of the Grand Jury for the ensuing year and was among the three grand jury men absent from the current court and fined 13, 4d.^[20][4]

Children

Neither the records of Saco^[21] nor the records of Sandwich^[22] contain any entries for the birth or baptism of children of John Presbury. It is certain, however, that John had several children. Estate and guardianship records after John's death establish that he had sons named William and Nathan/Nathaniel.^[23] There are also records of a Stephen Presbury and a John Presbury, whom Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire suggests were probably also children of this profile's John Presbury;^[4] however, no records proving either relationship have yet been found.

1. William, b. probably sometime in 1663-1666, m. before May 26, 1685 Priscilla Randall probably in Saco, d. before March 31, 1718 in Beverly, Massachusetts. (See discussion and sources in William's profile.)
2. Nathan/Nathaniel, b. probably sometime in 1660-1674. He may have been the Nathan/Nathaniel Presbury who married Elizabeth in Boston on February 16, 1698 and had several children born there. (See discussion and sources in the profile for Nathan/Nathaniel Presbury of Boston.)
3. (uncertain) John, referenced in a 1690 Salem town record and was wounded at Saco in 1691. (See discussion and sources in John's profile.)
4. (uncertain) Stephen, witnessed a 1686 delivery of Kittery land by Francis Hooke (the administrator of the estate of this profile's John Presbury).^[24] He may have been the Stephen Presbury who married Deborah Skiff of Sandwich about 1693 and settled in Martha's Vineyard. (See discussion and sources in the profile for Stephen Presbury of Martha's Vineyard).

Death; Estate Administration

John probably died sometime before March 5, 1678/9, when inventory of the estate of John Praesbury was taken by Bryan Pendleton and John Sargeant.^[25] The inventory was valued at £67.06.0 and included land and meadows (£26), a parcel of meadow purchased from Major Phillips (£10), 6 quintals (about 672 pounds) of fish delivered to Major Clark (£2:17.6), and various household items and articles of clothing.^[25] At a Court of Associates at York held on April 1, 1679, Major Bryan Pendleton was granted administration of John's estate and made guardian of John's son William (the record makes no mention of other children).^[26] The record states that John was "lately deceased in the behalfe of the Countrey", ^[26] which suggests that he may have died while serving with the local militia.

In July 1679, Major Pendleton declared himself to be incapable of administering the estate and Mr. Francis Hooke took over administration of the estate on behalf of the "children" and creditors, although John's son Nathaniel was order to remain a servant/apprentice to Pendleton until the age of 21 (no other children were mentioned by name).^[27]

At a Court of Session held at Yorke on October 28, 1684, administration of John's estate was given to John's son "William Praesbury or Preston" and he was ordered to take a new inventory of the estate.^[28][4] A final inventory of the portion of John's estate that was left at the house of Pendleton Fletcher was taken by Pendleton Fletcher and Phineas Hull on November 3, 1684 and confirmed by William Praesbury on March 27, 1685.^[29]

^{[24] [28] [26] [16] [27] [20] [18] [17] [13] [12] [10] [5] [6] [1] [2] [3] [4] [8] [7] [9] [19] [11] [15] [14] [21] [22] [25] [29]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Charles Edward Banks, "The History of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume III," The Dukes County Historical Society, 1966, p 410
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Rev. Joseph Waite Presby, "William Presbrey of London, England, Taunton, Mass. and his Descendants, 1690-1918," Tuttle Company, Rutland, Vermont, 1981, pp 125-126
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Ancestry.com. U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9} Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, Walter Goodwin Davis, "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire," Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1979, p 567
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Vital Records of the Towns of Barnstable and Sandwich," Genealogical Publishing Co, 1976, p 169
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-R5X3 : 3 November 2017), John Presbury in entry for Mercy Presbury, 10 May 1641; citing Birth, Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 775,836.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn, "The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol 1, A-B," (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999, pp 266-270
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, "Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Volume VIII, Miscellaneous Records, 1633-1689," William White, 1857, p 111
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, Walter Goodwin Davis, "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire," Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1979, p 568
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. I. Maine Historical Society, 1928. p. 236. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} York Deeds, Book III. John T. Hull and B. Thurston & Co., 1888, Folio 42. Link to folio at hathitrust.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p. 194. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p. 196. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} George Folsom, "History of Saco and Biddeford," Alex. C. Putnam, 1830, p 144
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} George Folsom, "History of Saco and Biddeford," Alex. C. Putnam, 1830, p 110
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p 425. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p. 210. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p. 224. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} George Folsom, "History of Saco and Biddeford," Alex. C. Putnam, 1830, p 140
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p. 310. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} "Edgar Yates, "Early Vital Records of Saco and Biddeford, ME.," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol, LXXI," 1917, pp 123-133
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} Vital Records of the Towns of Barnstable and Sandwich
23. ↑ See the profiles for William Presbury and Nathan/Nathaniel Presbury.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1} York Deeds, Book IV. Folio 134. Link to folio at hathitrust.org.
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1 25.2} York Deeds, Book V. Brown Thurston & Company, 1889. Fol. 32. Link to folio at hathitrust.org.
26. ↑ ^{26.0 26.1 26.2} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. p 532. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. II. Maine Historical Society, 1931. pp. 350-351. Link to pages at hathitrust.org.
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1} Province and Court Records of Maine. Vol. III. Maine Historical Society, 1947. p 205. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
29. ↑ ^{29.0 29.1} York Deeds, Book V. Brown Thurston & Company, 1889. Fol. 35. Link to folio at hathitrust.org.

See also:

• William Richard Cutter, _Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts_, vol. 2 (1908); digital images, _Internet Archive_ (accessed 2013), 2:873-877