JOHN BICKNELL, son of Zachary and Agnes (___) Bicknell, was born at Barrington, Somerset, in 1624. He died at Weymouth, MA, between 6 Nov 1678 and 20 Jan 1678/9.
He married, probably by 1650, in New England, MARY ___, who died at Weymouth, MA, 25 Mar 1658.
John Bicknell married, second, at Weymouth, MA, 2 Dec 1658, MARY PORTER, daughter of Richard Porter of Weymouth, MA.
He was a carpenter by trade and built the Weymouth meeting house in 1661.
The will of John Bicknell (Suffolk County, MA, Probate, Vol. 6, pages 291-293:
John Bicknell of Waymoth being Sick & weake & minding his mortallity though at the present of Sound understanding & memory & of a disposeing minde, doth make this to be his last will & Testament first I doth give my Soule to god that gave it, & after my decease doth appoint my body, to be decently buryed and my funerall Expenses to be discharged, and my Just debts honestly paid
and for all the rest of my worldly Estate I dispose as followeth, I doth appoint my Loving wife Mary Bicknell and my Son John Bicknell to be Executors of this my last will & Testament,
I do give to my wife, all my housing & land in Waymoth exept one Pcell of land of about Twenty acres be it more or lesse, all that parcell of land lying in the farther end of the Reng field and also one Pcell of Salt meadow, that was formerly ffearnot Shaws about one acre & a quarter be it more or lesse,
and all the rest of my Estate, I leave in my wife Mary Bicknells hands for the bringing up of the Children untill they are all of age, the boyes Twenty & one yeares & the girles Eighteen yeares old, and then my will is that my whole estate should be divided, only the land & meadow that is above Excepted, and then my will is that if my wife Mary Bicknell doth not remaine a widdow, but doth marry to any other man, that then she shall have but one quarter of one third of my whole estate & that only for her life, and that at her decease, that quarter of third of my Estate, as she hath it, shall all bee returned to my Children, but as long as my wife Shall abide unmarryed & my widdow, she shall live in the house, and have one third part of the Estate made good to her, provided always at her decease it shall all returne unto my Children.
And further it is my will, that my Son John Bicknell shall have, that parcell of land that is above excepted, of Twenty acres be it more or less lying at the further end of the Reng field, and also the meadow, that was formerly ffearnot Shaws about one acre & a quarter be it more or lesse that peece as is above Excepted at my decease and further when my Children are all of the age abovesaid, then my Son John Bicknell shall have one halfe of my whole estate, as shall be then left after my Legacies are paid a way to my daughters & Grandchildren, as I doth appoint by this my last will, and further I doth appoint my Son John Bicknell to looke after the Sawmill and also to be paid for his time paines & Charges about it, and what profitt there is by the mill more then to pay him for his labour time & Charge is to be returned for to help to bring up the Children,
further it is my will that all my daughters shall have fifteene pounds Sterling in Currant pay each of them and to be paid when my youngest Child is of age as abovesaid and further at that time my two youngest Sons shall have the remainder of my Estate further.
It is my will that John Dyers three Children shall have ffifteene pounds equally divided betwene them five pounds to John Dyer & five pounds to Thomas Dyer and five pounds to Benjamen Dyer, and if either of these of my Grandchildren Shall dye before they have receaved this Legacie then it shall be divided to those that doth Survive,
And further if any of my owne Children shall dye before the youngest is of age abovesaid, then his or her part or portion. Shall be equally divided to those of them as doth Survive or out live them, and my legacies shall all be paid when my Children all of them are of the age abovesaid or when the youngest of them are of age,
And further my will is that my Son John Bicknell shall have liberty to Cutt any timber upon any of my land, for his owne use providing he shall pay to the vallue of it, for the bringing up of the Children
And further I doth desire & Impower John Dyer & Stephen ffrinch to be my overseers to See this my will full filled and by this my last will I doth make void & null all my former wills & Testaments of this nature, and that this is my last will & Testament I doth for the rattification & Confirmation hereof Sett to my hand & Seale & publish this to be my last will & Testament this Sixth day of November One thousand Six hundred Seventy & Eight, further before Signing & Sealing it is Entred that it is my will that none of my land Shall be Sould but it shall be entailed from those of my Children as hath it to their Children after them, if they are males and if they dye without any male of the Seede of their owne body then it shall fall to the next of kin.
The mark of John O Bicknell
& a Seale
Signed sealed & delivered in the presence of us.
Witness John Dyer, Joseph Shaw, Joseph Dyer
John Dyer & Joseph Shaw made Oath in Court 30th January 1678 that they was present & did See John Bicknell Signe and Seale and heard him publish this. Instrument to be his last will and that when he so did he was of disposing minde to their best understanding.
Children of John and Mary (___) Bicknell, born at Weymouth, MA:
1. (perhaps) SARAH BICKNELL, b. say 1651; d. at Weymouth, 21 Aug 1719; m. about 1670, THOMAS REED, who was b. about 1645, son of William and Avis (Chapman) Reed. Children of Thomas and Sarah (Bicknell) Reed, born at Weymouth:
a. THOMAS REED, b. 12 Sep 1671; d. at Weymouth, 2 Oct 1719; m. at Weymouth, 14 Jan 1700/01, HANNAH RANDALL, daughter of John and Mercy (Aldrich) Randall, who was b. about 1680 and d. at Weymouth, 16 Apr 1767, in her 88th year.
b. MARY REED, b. near 1672; d. at Weymouth, 5 May 1745 in her 73rd year; m. at Weymouth, 24 Nov 1697, Capt. ENOCH LOVELL, who was b. at Weymouth, 29 Dec 1670, son of James and Jane Lovell. He d. at Weymouth, 20 May 1746 in his 76th year.
c. SARAH REED, m. at Weymouth, 28 Jul 1697, THOMAS STOCKBRIDGE.
d. JOHN REED, b. 30 Dec 1679; d. at Weymouth, Dec 1757; m., intentions at Weymouth, 11 Nov 1715, SARAH WHITMARSH, who was b. at Weymouth, 19 Oct 1694, daughter of Ezra and Bathsheba (Richards) Whitmarsh.
e. SAMUEL REED, b. 12 Apr 1681; d. at Weymouth, 25 Jun 1739; m. at Weymouth, 7 Jan 1704, ABIGAIL WHITE, who was b. at Weymouth, 3 Mar 1682/3, daughter of Ebenezer and Hannah (Phillips) White. She d. at Mendon. He resided in West Abington near the Weymouth line. No children.
f. RUTH REED, b. 20 Feb 1684; d. at Weymouth, 5 May 1724, in her 40th year; m. about 1714, BENJAMIN WHITE, who was b. at Weymouth, 21 Feb 1684, son of Lt. Ebenezer and Hannah (Phillips) White. He m. second, at Weymouth, 27 Aug 1724, ANNA BICKNELL, who was b. 1698, daughter of Thomas and Ann (Turner) Bicknell. The family removed to Middleborough near 1726.
g. WILLIAM REED, b. 4 Feb 1687/8; d. at Weymouth, 22 Sep 1729 in his 43rd year; m. at Weymouth, 13 Dec 1716, JANE TORREY, daughter of William and Deborah (___) Torrey. She d. at Weymouth, 24 Jan 1729/30, age 40 years.
h. HANNAH REED, b. 25 Sep 1689; m. at Weymouth, 6 Nov 1714, JOHN HUNT of Weymouth.
i. ELIZABETH REED, b. 9 Nov 1694; d. at Weymouth, 30 May 1736; m. at Weymouth, 19 Dec 1717, THOMAS HUNT, who was b. at Weymouth, 1 May 1696, son of Capt. Ephraim and Joanna (Alcock) Hunt. He married, second, at Weymouth, 20 Jan 1737, JUDITH SHORT, perhaps daughter of Rev. Matthew Short of Albany, NY.
+2. JOHN BICKNELL, b. about 1653; d. at Weymouth, 4 Aug 1737; m. SARAH ___.
3. MARY BICKNELL, b. about 1655; d. probably at Boston, MA, in 1677/8; m. about 1670, JOHN DYER. He m. second, ELIZABETH ___. He was a cloth worker by trade. Children of John and Mary (Bicknell) Dyer:
a. JOHN DYER, b. at Weymouth, 29 Feb 1671/2.
b. THOMAS DYER, b. at Boston, MA, 18 Sep 1673.
c. BENJAMIN DYER, b. before 1679.
Children of John and Elizabeth (___) Dyer, born at Boston, MA:
d. ELIZABETH DYER, b. 1 Jul 1679.
e. NATHANIEL DYER, b. 17 Oct 1681.
f. MARY DYER, b. 3 Jun 1683.
g. SAMUEL DYER, b. 13 Oct 1685.
h. JOSEPH DYER, b. 2 Mar 1686/7.
4. NAOMI BICKNELL, b. 21 Jun 1657.
Children of John and Mary (Porter) Bicknell, born at Weymouth, MA:
5. RUTH BICKNELL, b. 26 Oct 1660; d. at Weymouth, 12 Feb 1728; m. JAMES RICHARDS, who was b. at Weymouth, 2 Jun 1658, son of William and Grace (Shaw) Richards. He d. at Weymouth, 8 Mar 1710/11. He was tithingman in 1703/4 and sergeant in 1701/2. His estate was valued at £850, including an Indian girl valued at £35. Children of James and Ruth (Bicknell) Richards, born at Weymouth:
a. BENJAMIN RICHARDS, b. 22 Feb 1683; d. at Weymouth, 20 Dec 1733; m. JOANNA HUNT, daughter of Capt. Ephraim and Joanna (Alcock) Hunt of Weymouth. She d. at Weymouth, 4 Feb 1714/5.
b. RUTH RICHARDS, d. at Weymouth, 2 Jun 1766; m. at Weymouth, 12 Feb 1710/11, [but they had a child born in 1709], JOSEPH LOVELL, who was b. at Weymouth, 25 Oct 1684, son of James and Jane (___) Lovell. He d. at Weymouth, 20 Mar 1723.
6. JOANNA BICKNELL, b. 2 Mar 1663; d. at Weymouth, 24 Aug 1739; m. about 1682, NATHANIEL FORD, who was b. at Weymouth, 31 Mar 1658, son of Andrew and Eleanor (Lovell) Ford. He d. at Weymouth, 5 May 1733 in his 76th year. Children of Nathaniel and Joanna (Bicknell) Ford, born at Weymouth:
a. JOANNA FORD, b. 27 Jan 1683; d. young.
b. MARY FORD, b. 7 Jan 1684; m. JOSEPH BUMP of Middleborough.
c. JOANNA FORD, b. 19 Oct 1686; unmarried 24 Aug 1732.
d. LYDIA FORD, b. 1 Apr 1688; m. EBENEZER WHITE.
e. RUTH FORD, b. 20 Nov 1689; m. THOMAS HOLBROOK of Braintree, MA.
f. SARAH FORD, b. 11 Feb 1691/2; m. at Weymouth, 21 Apr 1730, RICHARD THAYER of Braintree, MA.
g. NATHANIEL FORD, b. 10 Oct 1694; d. young.
h. NATHANIEL FORD, b. 21 Oct 1695; d. at Weymouth, 14 Dec 1769; m. first, intentions at Weymouth, 7 Mar 1718/9, HANNAH PRATT, daughter of William and Hannah Pratt of Weymouth. She d. at Weymouth, 23 May 1740. He m. second, at Hull, MA, 10 Jun 1742, LYDIA GOULD of Hull, MA, who survived her husband.
i. ELIZABETH FORD, b. 14 Dec 1697; d. at Weymouth, 13 Feb 1697/8.
j. JOSEPH FORD, b. 16 Jan 1698/9; d. at Weymouth, 11 Feb 1698/9.
k. JOSEPH FORD, b. 30 Oct 1700; m., intentions at Weymouth, 27 Mar 1735, PRISCILLA HAYDEN, probably the widow of Samuel Hayden of Braintree, MA.
l. ISRAEL FORD, b. 21 Oct 1702; d. at Weymouth, Oct 1702.
m. ISRAEL FORD, b. 6 Nov 1704; d. at Weymouth, 23 Jul 1739; m. intentions at Weymouth, 6 Oct 1734, MARY GREEN, possibly the widow Mary Green of Braintree, who administered the estate of her late husband Joseph Green of Braintree, 1 Jan 1733.
n. ANN FORD, b. 6 Nov 1706; unmarried 24 Aug 1732.
7. EXPERIENCE BICKNELL, b. 20 Oct 1665.
8. ZACHARIAH BICKNELL, b. 7 Feb 1667/8; d. about 1734; m. at Weymouth, 24 Nov 1692, HANNAH SMITH, who was b. at Weymouth, 1 Mar 1670, daughter of James and Mary (Brandon) Smith. He removed from Weymouth to Rehoboth (now Barrington, RI) about 1705. Children of Zachariah and Hannah (Smith) Bicknell:
a. ZACHARIAH BICKNELL, b. at Weymouth, 9 Jan 1694/5.
b. JOSHUA BICKNELL, b. about 1696.
c. HANNAH BICKNELL, b. at Weymouth, 16 Mar 1698.
d. JAMES BICKNELL, b. at Weymouth, 13 May 1702.
e. MARY BICKNELL, b. at Weymouth, 21 Aug 1703.
f. JERUSHA BICKNELL, bapt. at Bristol, RI, 22 May 1709, "daughter of Z. B. of Swanzey."
9. THOMAS BICKNELL, b. 27 Aug 1670; m. at Weymouth, 16 Feb 1696, ANNA TURNER. Known child of Thomas and Anna (Turner) Bicknell:
a. ANN BICKNELL, b. 1698; m. at Weymouth, 27 Aug 1724, as his second wife, BENJAMIN WHITE, who was b. at Weymouth, 21 Feb 1684, son of Lt. Ebenezer and Hannah (Phillips) White. He had m. first, about 1714, RUTH REED (see above), who was b. at Weymouth, 20 Feb 1684, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Bicknell) Reed. She d. at Weymouth, 5 May 1724, in her 40th year.
10. ELIZABETH BICKNELL, b. 29 Apr 1673.
11. HANNAH BICKNELL, b. 15 Nov 1675; m. at Weymouth, BENJAMIN SHAW, who was b. at Weymouth, 16 Jun 1670, son of John and Alice (Phillips) Shaw. He d. at Taunton, MA, 16 Jun 1723. They removed from Weymouth to Taunton near 1700. Children of Benjamin and Hannah (Bicknell) Shaw:
a. BENJAMIN SHAW, b. at Weymouth, about 1690.
b. HANNAH SHAW, b. at Weymouth, about 1693; m., before 1720, ___ HATHAWAY.
c. SUSANNAH SHAW, b. at Weymouth, 6 Feb 1697/8; d. young.
d. SUSANNAH SHAW, b. after 1702.
e. SAMUEL SHAW.
f. JONATHAN SHAW.
g. EBENEZER SHAW.
h. SARAH SHAW.
i. ABIGAIL SHAW.
12. MARY BICKNELL, b. 15 Mar 1678; d. at Weymouth, 13 Oct 1764, aged 86; m. about 1700, MAURICE TRUPHANT, who d. at Weymouth, 13 May 1740. He was probably a descendant of the Trouant family of Marshfield, MA. Children of Maurice and Mary (Bicknell) Truphant, born at Weymouth:
a. JOSEPH TRUPHANT, b. 5 May 1701; m. at Weymouth, 15 May 1729, SARAH PORTER, who was b. at Weymouth, 12 Jan 1711, daughter of Lt. Ebenezer and Sarah (Humphrey) Porter. She d. at Weymouth, 8 Oct 1778, aged 67.
b. DAVID TRUPHANT, b. 11 Apr 1705; m. intentions at Weymouth, 17 Apr 1732, MARY TURNER, who was b. at Weymouth, 12 Apr 1713, daughter of Jacob and Jane (Vining) Turner.
c. JONATHAN TRUPHANT, b. 28 Jun 1709; m. at Weymouth, 2 May 1751, SARAH LOVELL, who was b. at Weymouth, 9 Aug 1728, daughter of Joshua and Sarah (Shaw) Lovell. She d. at Weymouth, 28 Sep 1809 in her 82nd year.
d. JOSHUA TRUPHANT, b. 28 Dec 1712; d. at Weymouth, 15 Apr 1713.
13. child BICKNELL, b. 10 Apr 1682(?).