John Proctor Sr. (abt. 1594 - bef. 1672)

Born about 1594 in Assington, Suffolk, England [uncertain]

Husband of Martha (Harper) Proctor — married 1 Jun 1630 in London, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died before 11 Oct 1672 before about age 78 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

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John Proctor Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 5, p. 540) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

John Proctor (Procter) was born about 1594 (aged 40 in 1635)^[1] in England, possibly in the vicinity of Assington, Suffolk where his first two children were christened.^[2]

At Groton, Suffolk, England he married Martha Harper on June 1, 1630.^[3]

John was a husbandman - a tenant farmer or small landowner.

At London on April 13, 1635 the couple, along with two children named John and Marie, were admitted as passengers on the ship Susan & Ellen, master: Edward Payne bound for New England. Passenger manifest: ^[1]

Proctor John 40, husbandman

Proctor Martha 28

Proctor John 3 (This is John Proctor of Salem Witch Fame)

Proctor Marie (Mary)

When they arrived, they lived at Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony where in 1635 he was granted a houselot that was adjacent to Christopher Osgood.

It seems John switched properties with Thomas Firman a merchant of Ipswich. On May 6, 1647 John purchased a farm house called Thome Hill from him, along with a barn, other outhouses, lands, marsh ground and pastures totaling about twenty-two acres. Firman purchased John's original dwelling house, barn and houselot containing about ten acres and also some upland and meadow containing about twenty acres. Additionally, John Proctor held four rods of land which he and William Fellows purchased from John Wooddam of Ipswich and also about six acres at Plumbe Island. He signed his deeds with his mark, not a signature.

John was a member of the church prior to March 30, 1658 when he became a Freeman. He was a member of the Ipswich petit jury in 1650, 1653, 1660 and 1663, known as "John Prockter Sr." He was a member of a grand jury in 1655.

John Proctor's will, dated August 28, 1672 and proved November 28, 1672 bequeathed to his wife Martha "four pounds yearly to be paid in merchantable pay at the price current for long as she liveth." This part of his will, however was never carried out for his wife, Martha, died sometime between August 28, 1672 and September 24, 1672. On that date in September John requested that Sara Story and Mary Fellows give his wife's clothing to his daughters and Martha Hadley, also his wife's horse and her wool. "Sarah Story and Mary Fellows testified that being at Goodman Procter's house, they asked him what should be done with his wife's clothing and he answered that it should be disposed of among his daughters and Martha Hadley, both woolen and linen, also her horse and all the wool that was in the chamber, about one or two hundred pounds. He also said that he had given his son James White one pair of oxen which were not entered in his will. Sworn 24 : 7 : 1672, at Ipswich court."^[4]

Also mentioned in John's will were his granddaughter Martha Hadly, and grandson Jno Hadly; his four daughters Martha White, Abigal Varney, Sara Dodg and Hanna Weden; his three sons John, Joseph and Benjamin Proctor. The inventory of his estate, taken on October 11, 1672 totaled L1228 5s., of which L700 was in houses and lands. Included were a "musket & fowling piece & sword" valued at L3 5s; a "pistol, bridle & sword valued at 40s; and 2 Bibles and another book.^[5]

Children

1. John Proctor was baptized on October 9, 1631 at Assington, Suffolk, England. He 1st married Martha ___ about 1654. Martha was most likely the daughter or stepdaughter of William White of Ipswich. She died at Ipswich on June 13, 1659. Married 2nd at Ipswich in December 1662 Elizabeth Thorndike, daughter of John Thorndike. Married 3rd at Salem on April 1, 1674 Elizabeth Bassett, daughter of William Bassett.
2. Mary Proctor was baptized at Assington, Suffolk, England on October 17, 1633. She married George Hadley about 1655.
3. Martha Proctor was born about 1637. She married James White by 1672.
4. Abigail Proctor was born about 1639. She married Thomas Varney, son of William Varney by about 1666. Died March 1, 1731 as "Abigail Varney, widow of Chebacco."
5. Sarah Proctor was born about 1641 and at Salem in 1659 she married John Dodge, son of William Dodge.
6. Hannah Proctor was born about 1645. She married a man with the surname of Weeden by about 1672. His name is often given as Samuel, but no evidence for this has been found.
7. Joseph Proctor was born about 1649. He married 1st Martha Wainwright daughter of Francis Wainwright. He married 2nd, after 1692, Sarah (Buckley) Ingersoll, daughter of William Buckley and widow of Richard Ingersoll.
8. Benjamin Proctor was born about 1651. He married Deborah Hart at Ipswich in February 1673.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

• No parents have been identified for John Proctor, according to R. C. Anderson's Great Migration. Therefore the profiles of John Nicholaus Proctor, Sr. and Anne Greye Proctor are being detached. If new research proves they are the correct parents of John Proctor, they can certainly be reattached in the future.
• According to "English Origin of George Giddings," Martha (Harper) Proctor was not the sister of George Giddings, a hypothesis that had previously been promoted. It is possible that George Giddings and John Proctor had children that were married, or else they were simply brethren of the church.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Hotten: James C. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants; Religious Exiles; Political Rebels; Serving Men sold for a term of years; apprentices; children stolen; maidens pressed; and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700 : with their ages and the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars; from mss. preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England, London, England, 1874, p. 59
2. ↑ Great Migration 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. Featured article. pp. 540 - 544.link for subscribers
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} David L. Greene, "English Origin of George Giddings," in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Vol. 135 (1981), p. 285.subscription site
4. ↑ Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol V. p. 268
5. ↑ "Estate of John Proctor, Sr. of Ipswich," Essex County Probate Records, Essex County, MA: Early Probate Records, 1635-1681.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. Vol. 2, pp. 315-6: https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1652/i/33912/315/56272909 (accessed 14 Apr 2017)

See also:

• History of Massachusetts blog, primarily for the son of this profile.link
• Wikipedia article primarily for the son of this profile.link
• "Genealogical Gleanings In England ," in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Vol. 51, p. 409,410). subscription site