John Fairfield and Elizabeth Knight

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Husband John Fairfield

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           Born: 1610 - England
     Christened: 
           Died: 22 Dec 1646 - Wenham, Massachusetts
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 7 Jun 1632

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Wife Elizabeth Knight

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           Born: 16 Apr 1615 - Salem, Massachusetts
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Walter Knight (1585-After 1653)
         Mother: Elizabeth (1589-1634)

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Children

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1 M Walter Fairfield

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           Born: 21 Dec 1631 - England
     Christened: 
           Died: 20 Jul 1723 - Wenham, Massachusetts
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Sarah Skipper (1639-1710)
           Marr: 28 Dec 1654 - REading, Massachusetts

         Spouse: Sarah Whipple (      -1713)
           Marr: 14 Apr 1711 - Ipswich, Massachusetts

         Spouse: Elizabeth Fairfield (      -      )
           Marr: Bef 1717

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General Notes (Husband)

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In 1638 the property owned by John Fairfield in Charlestown, MA is referenced as a boundary in the deed of George Bunker. In 1638 John was granted liberty to buy John Baker's house in Salem. On July 16, 1639 "John FFairefield desires accommodation" at Salem, MA. On August 25, 1639 he was admitted to the Salem Church. On December 23, 1639 he was granted 80 acres for a farm "10 acres of which to be meadow." John bought 18 acres from William Fisk, and had "house and ground" in co-partnership with Joseph Batchelder. On May 13, 1640 he was admitted freeman. On June 13, 1641 Elizabeth was admitted to the church. He settled at Enon, which was set apart as the town of Wenham on "ye tenth day of ye third month anno 1643." A later survey showed that part of his farm was in Ipswich Hamlet, now called Hamilton. In 1641 "brother Fairfield" presented to the Court the nuncupative will of his Francis, then wife of Robert Hawes. In the proceedings there is mention of her children Robert and Matthew Edwards, Thomas Hawes, and a "sister Ellin Hilles in Old England". On September 9, 1646, he signed an inventory of the estate of Widow Mary Hersoin of Wenham and the orignial document has his only know autograph. He prepared his will December 11, 1646 and made bequeaths to wife Elizabeth; to sons Walter, ae. 8 years, and Benjamin, ae. 2 years; cousin Matthew Edward's land within my farm had from Salem; Henry Bartholomew and Robert Hawes of Salem, supervisors of will. His estate was inventoried December 23, 1646 and probated July 6, 1647. Peter Palfrey, Elizabeth's second husband, gave bonds to pay the portions of the three children, Walter, John and Benjamin. In 1658 Peter Pelfrey stated in a lease that Benjamin Fairfield would be twenty years old on July 21, 1666. In February 1659 Matthew Edwards conveys a deed of property inherited from "Uncle John Fairfield deceased".
Children:

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General Notes (Wife)

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very little is known about the origins of either John or Elizabeth, despite what is purported on many online and print records. The supposition that Elizabeth's maiden name was Knight and that she is the daughter of Dorchester Company adventurer Walter Knight is unsubstantiated. Likewise, the vague clues in Essex County, Mass., court records <../records/court%20documents/court_index.html> implying a sibling relationship between John Fairfield and either Frances (Fairfield) Edwards or Ellin (Fairfield) Hines raise more questions than provide answers. Recent research in Essex County, England, has provided few clues. A December 21, 1631, baptismal record for a Walter Fairfield <html/waltfbap.html> in Copford Parish, Essex County, England, provides the likeliest link to the past.

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