(Platts), Mary Gawkroger (b. 1612, d. AFT 1678)

Note: Last name alias - Platts.


"Mary gave birth to children in both England and in AMerica, losing two babies in England. In 1640 the family appeared in Watertown, MAssachusetts where they lived for about three years and where their youngest daughter Lydia was born. In
this Transition period before Lydia was born, Mary may have had a daughter, Hannah but we have no proof or disproof of this.

Mary had scarcely settled into a household routine in Watertown when John's deal for aquiring land further west went through and the family was uprooted again. In 1643 they moved to the Nashaway Plantation further west where she helped her husband develop the area that came to be called Lancaster, and where she probobly gave birth to their son Jonathon. Life was extremely hard as they labored to build a home, raise their children, devlop a farm, build a corn mill and operate a
small store, negotiate with the indians and fight them off when necessary. Her youngest son Jonas, was born in 1648, and since the town of Lancaster had not yet been incorporated, the birth was recorded in nearby Groton.

It would have been a shock to lose her daughter MArtha (Prescott) Rugg and her twin babies in the course of the birth of the twins, in 1656.

She was the mother of the bride in 1658 when her saughter Lydia married Jonas Fairbank, and again a few weeks later when her daughter Sarah married Richard Wheeler who had not been long in the area.

A reflection of her life interests are to be found in the subsequent lives of her husband and children. She endured the destruction of the settlement in February, 1676, during which she lost two sons-in-law, Jonas Fairbanks, husband of her
daughter Lydia, and Richard Wheeler, husband of her daughter, Sarah. In addition, she lost grandchildrenand many friends. All the settlers were evacuated to towns further east for safety, and it appears that the Prescotts went back to
Watertown where they had friends from their earlier residence there.

We know that Mary survived the massacre, because she made a legal deposition in 1678 which established her age as 66 that year. and also verified the connection of the Prescotts with many families which had connections both in Sowerby and in Lancashire, England. It was recorded as follows:

"Deposition of MAry Prescott dated 1678. The testimony of Mary Prescott aged 66 yeares or thereabout Sayth that the first wife of Jacob Farror Senr. Late of Lancaster deceased, lived with her uncle and she marrying Contrary to his mind and so he would not give her a portion but said he would give to her first child (which was Jacob Farror late deceased) the sume of forty pounds in money: and the sd Doponent hath often heard that sd Jacob Farror Senr recieved the same for the use of his Sone Jacob: when he came to New England: that I can testifie upon oath Mary Prescott M p her marke. Witness John Tott Mary Lacey."

We have no reson to believe that Mary was buried anywhere but in the Old Settlers Burying Ground somewhere adjacent to her husband John but there is no stone.

Source: (Baptism Field)
European Ancestry of the Prescott Family in America, by Doris Cline Ward
Ward Publishing Company, 1977

Source: (Birth)
Title: Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to the end of the year 1849.
Publication: Search & Research Publishing. Wheat Ridge, CO. 1999
Media: Electronic

Data:
Text: Concord Registers - Book I. p.15

Occupation: Place: Deacon

Note: In Concord by 1645. [source: History of Concord, by Lemuel Shattuck. p. 369]

Source: (Death)
Title: Vital Records of Middlesex Co., MA to the end of the year 1849.
Publication: Search & Research Publishing. Wheat Ridge, CO. 1999
Media: Electronic

Page: Concord Registers - Book 1, p. 19

Note: History of Concord states that Thomas Dean's wife Elizabeth died in 1673 [p. 369]. But Concord Vital Records have Mildred, wife of Thomas Dane, died Sept. 15, 1673. [Concord Registers - book I, p. 17]. So I don't know what her name was!

Note: from: "50 Great Migration colonists" by John Brooks Threlfall. pp. 199-200

JOHN HEALD was of Concord, Massachusetts, about 1637. In the parish register of Alderley, Cheshire, is recorded the marriage of one John Heald and Dorothy Royle, on 3 Decemberl636, and also the baptism of John Heald, son of John and Dorothy Heald, 26 march 1637. This surely must be the same as John of Concord.
He was made a freeman 2 June 1641. He lived in Concord, apparently in the north quarter of town. He wrote his own will, signed it on 19 April 1662, and died five weeks later on 24 May 1662. The will was proved 16 June following. The will commences: "I John Heald of Concord in the County of Middlesex in Massachusetts Collony being sick in body butt of perfect mind and memory, doe make this my Last Will and Testament...". He names his three eldest children only, John being "my eldest son". Hannah was named only by her given name altho she was then married. These three had already received their portion of the estate. To each of his five younger children, he bequeathed the sum of thirteen pounds, six shillings and eight pence to be paid to them by "my loving wife Dorothy" when they reached twenty one or at their marriage. He left one suit of clothes to John, his great coat to Timothy, and a waist coat to Hannah. The rest of the estate was to go to his wife. The net value of the estate was £140.1s. His will is unusual for that time in that the handwriting, his own, is clear and graceful and the spelling and punctuation are that of an extremely literate man. In light of the lack of specific evidence that he was from Alderley, it is interesting to note that at Alderley, a few yards from the parish church, is an ancient school house which was built around 1628. This would explain how John Heald learned to read and write with skill as great as any university trained clergyman. This school house was used until 1908.


History of Concord by Lemuel Shattuck states that John Heald was in Concord by 1635.

Source: (Death)
Title: 50 Great Migration Colonists
Author: Threlfall, John Brooks
Publication: Heritage Books. Madison, WI. 1990
Media: Book

Page: 199-201

Source: (Individual)
Title: 50 Great Migration Colonists
Author: Threlfall, John Brooks
Publication: Heritage Books. Madison, WI. 1990
Media: Book

Event: Type: Freeman
Date: 2 JUN 1641
Place: Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Will: Date: 19 APR 1662

Note: from: "50 Great Migration colonists" by John Brooks Threlfall. pp. 199-200

Dorothy, "the widow Heald", was listed as a land holder in 1665 with 6 lots of about 161 acres total in the north quarter of Concord. She died 29 October 1694 at Dedham. How she happened to die in Dedham is hard to explain. None of her children are known to have lived there. The record would seem to apply to her, as no other person of similar name has been identified. Usually deaths were recorded where the person lived so it would seem she must have been living there during her last days.

Source: (Death)
Title: 50 Great Migration Colonists
Author: Threlfall, John Brooks
Publication: Heritage Books. Madison, WI. 1990
Media: Book

Page: 199-201

Note: Record compiled by WB Prescott in 1989 incorrectshows her name as Hannah Hale.

Note: An original settler at Lancaster, MA.

Note: Military Rank: Captain

Note: He deeded his real estate to his son Ebenezer on condition that he would maintain him during life.

Occupation: Place: Farmer and Blacksmith

Note: Military Rank: Captain
of Townsend, Mass.

Note: of Dunstable.

Note: Lived in Chelmsford. Owned a store and did quite a large business.
Died unmarried.

Note: Resided at Newbury and Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Military Rank: Sergeant
Moved to Chelmsford in 1664-5. Town clerk and tythingman, Chelmsford. A man
of influence. The old Keyes homestead now more than 200 years old stands in
Westford.

Note: JONATHAN KIMBALL

His second marriage late in life soon after the death of his first wife was evidently not happy. He says in his will, "Since my wife, Jane, has eloped and refuses to live with me, I give her five shillings and a pair of leather gloves." The widow wa
not satisfied for afterwards she recieved 50 pounds.

Jonathan Kimball bought and sold many lots of land. Some of these deeds throw light on the relations of various parties concerned. Jonathan Kimball of Bradford, for love and good will, gives all his lands in Chester, N.H. to be equally divided among
his four sons, Benjamin, Jonathan, Nathaniel, and Isaac, 12 Nov 1733.

Note: Had several children with Elias of whom perhaps only one survived.

Note: Settled in Ipswitch, Massachusetts and apparently spent his life there.
Not an old man when he died, he survived his father by only six years.

Occupation: Place: Brickmaker

Note: BENJAMIN KIMBALL

Benjamin Kimball was a carpenter and lived in Exeter, N.H. in 1659. He moved to Salisbury and Rowley; his land in Rowley (later Bradford)was in the west part of old Bradford near ancient cemetary.

Benjamin was also a wheelwright and farmer.

On 6 Jan 1675 he and his wife Mercy, of Bradford, sold 40 acres of land for the use of the minister.

He was born about the time his father moved from Watertown to Ipswitch. He was well off for his times, the amount of his estate was 1010 punds, seven shillings. He owned 1/4 interest in a sawmill.

Benjamin was cornet of horse troops and known as "Cornet" Kimball. He and his brother Richard were soldiers in 1683-84 under Capt. Appleton.

Occupation: Place: Carpenter

Note: Mercy (Haseltine) Kimball was one of the first members of the First Church in
Bradford, 17 Jan 1772/73. Her will was made 14 May 1706 and proved 2 Feb
1707/08.