Deacon Edmund Rice

     Deacon Edmund Rice was born circa 1594 at England; There are many theories around about his parentage, but:
"Our researchers [Edmund Rice Association] have not been able to find records that support any Henry Rice and Elizabeth Frost, Henry Rice and Margaret Baker, Thomas Rice and Catherine Howard, or Thomas Rice and Elizabeth Frost as parents of Edmund Rice."

Edmund Rice deposed in a court document on 3 April 1656 that he was about 62 years old. Sudbury, England includes three parishes, two of which do not have complete records for the years near 1594, which is Edmund's most likely birth year. Thus, if he were born in Sudbury, England his records have been lost and we may never know his origin.¹ He married Thomasine Frost, daughter of Edward Frost and Thomasine Belgrave, on 15 October 1618 at Saint Mary's Church, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Co, England.² Deacon Edmund Rice married Mercy Hurd? on 1 March 1655 at Sudbury, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts.^3,2 Deacon Edmund Rice died on 3 May 1663 at Marlborough, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts.² He was buried at North Cemetery, Wayland, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts; Marlborough records indicate he was buried in Sudbury, but no actual location. It is more likely they were both buried in the North Cemetery, which is now actually Wayland, Massachusetts.^2,4
     He and Thomasine Frost lived in 1627 at Berkhamstead, Hertford, England; He and Thomasine Frost.² In 1638 Edmund Rice acquired 4 acres in then Sudbury (now Wayland) and laid out in the fall of that year. He was one of the first to build in the area. According to Massachusetts Colonial Records, Volume 1, page 271, on 4 September 1639 Edmund Rice was one of the committee appointed by the Massachusetts General Court to lay out the land in Sudbury.
Edmund Rice's house was situated on the "Old North Street", near Mill brook. He received his proportion of "Meadowlands", which were divided "to the present inhabitants" under dates of 4 September 1639, 20 April, and 18 November 164-, his share being 42 1/2 acres. He shared in all the division of Uplands and Commons - the total number of acres which fell to his lot, as an original inhabitant, was 247.
Deacon Edmund Rice was a Selectman in 1639, 1643, 1644 and subsequent years; a Deacon of the church in 1648, and, in 1656, one of the petitioners for a new plantation that became known as Marlborough at Sudbury, MA.11,12 He was a deputy to the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (the Massachusetts legislature) representing the Town of Sudbury, serving in 1640, 1652, 1653, and 1654.13 He was designated a Freeman on 13 May 1640 at Massachusetts.14,15 He was appointed by the General Court to decide small cases in the town of Sudbury in the years 1641, 1646, and 1648.16 He resided after 1656 at Marlborough, MA, lived on "The Great Road" on the northerly side of the pond (Cochituate Pond), not far from Williams Tavern.²