John emigrated from Hawkhurst, Kent aboard the Elizabeth in one of John Winthrop’s companies, with his wife, six children, mother-in-law Rachel Bigge, her daughter Patience Foster, and Patience’s daugther Hopestill. John is listed as age 40 (this is 1634). They settled in Boston for a time and in 1638 he became a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Before 1638, they had moved to Roxbury and were attending church, as the eulogy of his wife is on record. He was twice elected to the General Assembly from Roxbury and his name appears frequently in other records. His homestead was near the “present” (1933) corner of Cedar and Highland Streets, between Roxbury Crossing and Eliot Square. In a list from the 1630s, he’s listed with 253 acres, the 8th largest landowner.

In 1642, his brother-in-law John’s will was proven, naming his 4 sons, and dividing his land between John’s 6 children and Hopestill Foster. The cousins were later in court over the matter, signing an agreement in 1653 to settle.

After selling his property in 1648 and moved to Concord. He sold property there in 1652 and is likely buried on his son Thomas’s property in Concord.[ [579]] [this questions the 1643 death date reported in the other Stow book.]

Ancestor of Winston Churchill through his mother.

Savage's: JOHN, Roxbury, came 1634, arr. says the ch. rec. 17 May, in one of those six sh. that came in, as Winthrop tells, in the wk. of the Gen. Ct.'s meeting, brot. w. Elizabeth and six ch. Thomas, Elizabeth, John, Nathaniel, Samuel, H. C. 1645, and Thankful; was freem. 3 Sept. foll. and his w. d. or was bur. 21 Aug. 1638; was rep. at two Courts in [[vol. 4, p. 217]] 1639, and d. 26 Oct. 1643, by Eliot's rec. descr. as "an old Kentish man." His d. Elizabeth m. 4 Dec. 1639, Henry. Archer, on the same day her br. Thomas m. and Thankful m. John Pierpont. I suppose, aft. the d. of f. the residue of the fam. rem. to sev. towns, but princip. to Concord and Middletown.

The Bigge "family were seated in Kent before the Norman Conquest, and had become wealthy and influential." John Eliot writes in the Roxbury church records, "Elizabeth, the wife of John Stow, she was a very godly matron, a blessing not only to her family, but to all the church, and when she had led a Christian conversation a few years among us, she died and left a good savor behind her." (Autobiography of William Seymour Tyler, D.D., LL.D. This book is an autobiography written by Willliam Seymour Tyler himself along with genealogy history written by Cornelius B. Tyler. Published 1912.) [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/7241/biggedoc.html]