John Strong (1605 - 1699)

Born 1605 in Chard, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Abigail (Ford) Strong — married about 1635 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 14 Apr 1699 at about age 94 in Northampton, Hampshire, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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John Strong migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 6, p. 581) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Unless otherwise cited, this biography is based on "Great Migration" by Robert Anderson

Biography

John Strong was born about 1605 in Chard, Somerset, England. Likely his father was John Strong and his grandfather George Strong of Chard as can be seen in the wills of George and John Strong.^[1][2]

Migration

In 1635 he sailed for New England - in this year the first records are found in New England. Accompanying him were his wife, Margery (Deane) Strong and their son John Strong born about 1631. The family migrated on the Hopewell of Weymouth on May 8, 1635; sailing from Weymouth for New England. Some claim that he sailed on the Mary and John; Anderson in "Great Migration" says on page 587 that this is an inaccuracy.^[3]

Marriages and Children

1st marriage to Margery Dean: John and Margery had been married about 1631 in England. Margery (Deane) Strong's father was William Deane of Southchard, Somerset, England; she is included in his will.^[4]Her brothers were John Deane and Walter Deane who were both at Taunton by 1638. Margery soon died after their arrival to New England.^[5]

John and Margery had but one son. Others have stated that they had an additional infant son who died at the same time as his mother, but Anderson in Great Migration says this information, compiled by Caleb Strong in 1777, is unreliable.

Child of John and Margery (Dean) Strong:

1. John Strong was born about 1631. He married Mary Clark at Windsor on November 26, 1656. She apparently died for by 1665 he had married Elizabeth Warrener.

2nd marriage to Abigail Ford: By about 1637 John Strong had married Abigail Ford, daughter of Thomas Ford of Dorchester.

Children of John and Abigail (Ford) Strong:

1. Thomas Strong was born about 1637. He married Mary Hewitt at Windsor on December 5, 1660. She apparently died for in 1671 he married Rachel Holton.
2. Jedidiah Strong was baptized at Dorchester on April 14, 1639. He was included in a list by "communion of churches, their parents one or both being members of the church at Windsor, or Hingham." Jedidiah married Freedom Woodward at Northampton on December 18, 1662. She apparently died for by December 28, 1681 he had married (2nd) Abigail (Bartlett) Stebbins, whose father was Robert Bartlett of Cambridge and 1st husband was John Stebbins. His 3rd wife was Mary (Hart) Lee, daughter of Stephen Hart of Cambridge and widow of John Lee.
3. Return Strong (a son) was born about 1641. He married Sarah Warham, daughter of John Warham, at Windsor on May 11, 1664. After the apparent death of his wife, he married Margaret Newberry at Windsor on May 23, 1689.
4. Ebenezer Strong was born about 1643. At Northampton on October 14, 1668 he married Hannah Clap, daughter of Nicholas Clap of Dorchester.
5. Abigail Strong was born about 1645. She married at Northampton on November 12, 1673 to Nathaniel Chauncy, son of Charles Chauncy. Following his death she married (2nd) to Medad Pomeroy, son of Eltweed Pomeroy on September 8, 1686 at Northampton.
6. Elizabeth Strong was born at Windsor on February 24, 1647/8. She married Joseph Parsons at Northampton on March 17, 1668/9.
7. Experience Strong was born and baptized at Windsor on August 4, 1650. She married Zerubabel Filer, son of Walter Filer of Dorchester, at Windsor on May 27, 1669.
8. Samuel Strong (a twin) was born at Windsor on August 5, 1652. He married Esther Clap, daughter of Edward Clap, at Northampton on June 19, 1684. After her death he married Ruth (Sheldon) Wright at Northampton on October 28, 1698. Ruth being the daughter of Isaac Sheldon and widow of Joseph Wright.
9. Joseph Strong (a twin) was born at Windsor on August 5, 1652.
10. Mary Strong was born October 26, 1654 at Windsor. She married John Clark at Northampton on March 21, 1678/9.
11. Sarah Strong was born about 1656. She married at Northampton on December 13, 1675 to Joseph Barnard ("Sarah Strong daughter of Mr. John Strong") Secondly she married Jonathan Wells at Deerfield on September 23, 1698.
12. Hannah Strong was born at Windsor on May 30, 1659. At Northampton on July 15, 1680 she married William Clark.
13. Strong-72|Hester Strong]] was born at Windsor on June 7, 1661. She married Thomas Bissell, son of Thomas Bissell, at Northampton on October 15, 1678.
14. Thankful Strong was born at Northampton on July 25, 1663. By 1695 she had married Jonathan Baldwin.
15. Jerijah Strong was born at Northampton on December 12, 1665. He married Thankful Stebbins at Northampton on July 18, 1700.

An alleged son, Josiah Strong, was in the list of children in the 18th century account, but since there is no independent corroboration, he is not recorded in Anderson's Great Migration.

Residences

John and his family first resided at Hingham, moved to Taunton in 1638, to Windsor in 1647, and finally to Northampton in 1661.

Church

John Strong was admitted to the Hingham church before March 9, 1636/7, which is implied by his freemanship of Plymouth Colony; occurring on that date and later appended to March 7, 1636/7. John was a founding member of the church and a ruling elder by June 18, 1661.

Occupation, Officeholding, Education

John Strong's occupation was a tanner.

He was constable at both Taunton and Windsor, deputy to the Plymouth Colony General court; was on the Plymouth petit jury and Grand jury. At Northampton he was a commissioner to end small causes.

His education was sufficient to act as constable and commissioner; although he signed his will by his mark.

Will, Death, Inventory of Estate

He made his will at Northampton on February 14, 1696/7 and it was proved August 23, 1699. Seven daughters were named: Abigaile, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, Hannah, Hester and Thankful; Hannah's portion (since she had already died) was to be equally divided among her children. All his sons were to receive five shillings apiece, besides what had already been given them. He added a codicil on February 9, 1697/8 with further instructions.^[6]

John Strong died April 14, 1699.^[7] The inventory of his estate was undated; but the entire estate was totaled L210 5s with debts of L61 11s. and 10d. No real estate was included since in his lifetime he made over all his lands to his sons.

Research Notes

Disputed Mother: Some have suggested that his mother was Eleanor Deane. So far no historical evidence has been cited for this alleged relationship.

Sources

1. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. Sketch of John Strong. pp 581 - 588. link for subscribers
2. ↑ Strong, Albert. "The Strongs of Strongsville, Descendants of John Stoughton Strong and Epiphaet Strong" Ford Dodge, Iowa, 1931. p. 9 link
3. ↑ See also Letter from Frederick T. Strong [co-author, 1996 NEHGS article re Hubbell Steevens] to Richard R. Wilson, March 1998: "For many years it has been stated that John Strong as a young unmarried man arrived in 1630 on the Mary & John and then went back to England to marry. This has never been proved. "We do know he came on the ship "Hopewell," arriving 8 May 1635 Weymouth: 'Jon Strong for himself and family and goods.' "His first wife and infant died about 1635 at Hingham or Taunton, Massachusetts."
4. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "Will of William Deane"
5. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines. "The Early Strongs of Windsor, Conn.", The American Genealogist, Vol 35, January 1959, p. 1 - 6., online at AmericanAncestors.org. link for subscribers$
6. ↑ "Will of William Deane" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Vol. 51, p. 432. for subscribers$
7. ↑ Anderson, Great Migration, vol VI, p 584, citing Northampton Vital Records, 1:1:149 and Hampshire Probate Records 3:60

See Also

• Jacobus, Donald Lines. "The Corrector Corrected" in The American Genealogist, Vol 35, January, 1959, p. 151, 180. Online at AmericanAncestors.org. link for subscribers
• Featured Sketch of Thomas Ford! in Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). pp 688 - 690. subscribers$
• New England Marriages Prior to 1700, by Clarence Almon Torrey (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 2011) Vol. II, p. 1469. link for subscribers
• Northampton, Mass. First Church of Christ Church records, 1661-1845, pp 11, 12[1]

Be Careful when considering the following sources. Notice is given that Jacobus in "The Early Strongs of Windsor, Conn" says that there are many errors in 2 sources below: Dwight, "The History of the Descendants..." and Stiles, "The History of Ancient Windsor." Anderson points out several errors in the source below, entitled "Elder John Strong and His Descendants" by Caleb Strong.

• Dwight, Benjamin W. " The History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong of Northampton, Mass." Albany, N. Y.: Joel Munsell. 1871. Vol. 1, pp 15 - 18. see at hathitrust
• Stiles, Henry R. "The History of Ancient Windsor", The New Hampshire Publishing Company, Somersworth, New Hampshire, 1976. Originally published in 1892. Vol. 2, pp. 743 - 748. see at hathitrust
• McLemoreStrong Genealogy link
• Emery, Samuel Hopkins. "History of Taunton Massachusetts", Syracuse, NY, D. Mason & Co., 1893. see at hathitrust.org
• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "Elder John Strong and His Descendants" Edward Strong, M. D. of Newton Mass. Vol. 23, p. 294 - 296. link for subscribers$

• Cemetery Transcriptions from the NEHGS Manuscript Collections, Transcribed and compiled by Francis F. Spies in 1952. Original mss. is part of R. Stanton Avery Collections, call # MSS VT WEY 20.
• "Researches among Funeral Sermons," NEHGR? 1854, vol. 8, pp. 180-183.
• Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland
• Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
• Jordan, John W. Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (Lewis Historical Pub. Co., New York, 1915, Vol. 3. pg. 1707-1711)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R) (Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998)