See also
| Husband: | George * WATSON (1602-1689) | |
| Wife: | Phebe * HICKS (1614-1663) | |
| Children: | John WATSON (c. 1636- ) | |
| Phebe WATSON (1638- ) | ||
| Mary * WATSON (1642-1723) | ||
| Samuel WATSON (1649- ) | ||
| Elizabeth WATSON (1649- ) | ||
| Jonathan WATSON (1652- ) | ||
| Elkanah WATSON (1656- ) | ||
| Marriage | 1635 | Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US1,2 |
| Name: | George * WATSON | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | - | |
| Mother: | - | |
| Birth | 1602 | Spaulding, Lincolnshire, England3 |
| Immigration | 1631 (age 28-29) | to Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US4 |
| Occupation | Mariner | |
| Death | 31 Jan 1689 (age 86-87) | Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US5,6 |
| Burial | Burial Hill | |
| Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US | ||
| Name: | Phebe * HICKS | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Robert * HICKS (1583-1647) | |
| Mother: | Margaret * (1589-1665) | |
| Birth | 15 Mar 1614 | Bermondsey, London, England |
| Baptism | 15 Mar 1614 (age 0) | St. Mary Magdaline7 |
| Bermondsey, Surrey, England | ||
| Immigration | 1623 (age 8-9) | to Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US from England |
| Vessel: The Anne | ||
| Death | 22 May 1663 (age 49) | Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US |
| Name: | John WATSON | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1636 (est) | |
| Name: | Phebe WATSON | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1638 | |
Mary * WATSON
Spouse: Thomas * LEONARD
| Name: | Mary * WATSON | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Spouse: | Thomas * LEONARD (1641-1713) | |
| Birth | 2 Aug 1642 | Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, US3 |
| Death | 1 Dec 1723 (age 81) | Taunton, Bristol, MA, US8 |
| Burial | Neck o'Land Cemetary | |
| Taunton, Bristol, MA, US | ||
| Name: | Samuel WATSON | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 18 Jan 1649 | |
| Name: | Elizabeth WATSON | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 18 Jan 1649 | |
| Name: | Jonathan WATSON | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 9 Mar 1652 | |
| Name: | Elkanah WATSON | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 25 Feb 1656 | |
FREEMAN: In "1633" Plymouth list of freemen between those admitted 1 January 1633/4 and
those admitted 1 January 1634/5 [PCR 1:4]. He is in the 7 March 1636/7 list of freemen [PCR 1:52],
and in the Plymouth section of the 1639, 1658, 29 May 1670 and 1 [blank] 1683/4 Plymouth
Colony lists of freemen [PCR 5:274, 8:174, 197, 202].
EDUCATION: He signed the coroner's inquest into the death of James Glasse [PCR 3:16] and other
documents. His inventory included "books" valued at 13s.
OFFICES: Grand jury, 4 June 1639 [PCR 1:126]. Jury on highways, 1 February 1640/1 [PCR 2:7].
Arbiter, 5 March 1643/4, 6 October 1659, 29 October 1667 [PCR 2:69, 3:174, 7:139-40, 142].
Jury, 2 January 1637/8, 1 September 1640, 1 September 1640, 2 March 1646/7, 8 June 1654, 6
March 1654/5, 5 March 1655/6, 7 March 1659/60, 6 March 1661/2, 2 October 1662, 3 March
1662/3, 5 March 1666/7, 1 March 1669/70, 7 June 1670, 29 October 1670, 29 October 1673 [PCR
2:111-12, 3:75, 5:42, 7:7, 17, 18, 70, 77, 95-6, 102, 105, 108, 136, 159, 163, 186]. Coroner's jury on
the body of James Glasse, 26 July 1652, 5 June 1678 on the body of Samuell Drew, 8 March 1678/9
on the body of Thomas Lucase of Plymouth and 28 October 1684 on the bodies of Joseph Truwant
and Israell Holmes of Marshfield [PCR 3:16, 5:263, 6:8, 148].
Plymouth selectman, 5 February 1665[/6], 13 October 1667 [PTR 1:82, 91]. Constable, 6 June
1660, 5 June 1666, 5 June 1672 [PCR 3:187, 4:124, 5:90]. Overseer of surveying, 7 January
1638/9, 10 January 1661[/2] [PCR 1:109, PTR 1:45]. Manager of exchange of Plymouth land, 21
February 1663[/4] [PTR 1:60].
In Plymouth section of 1643 Plymouth Colony list of men able to bear arms [PCR 8:188].
ESTATE: In 1635 he purchased a house and garden in Plymouth from John Jenny [PCR 12:51]. On
14 March 1635/6 he was allowed the rest of the meadow at Island Creek with Mr. Hicks and the next
year it was allowed again [PCR 1:40, 56]. On 5 February 1637/8 he was granted four acres [PCR
1:76]. On 7 May 1638 with others he petitioned for land towards the Six Mile Brook [PCR 1:83]. He
purchased three acres from William Bradford in 1639 [PCR 12:51]. He was granted six acres of
marsh meadow in Greens Harbor 20 November 1640 [PCR 1:167]. On March 1651 George Watson
was one of those with interest in the town's land at Punckateesett over against Rhode Island [PTR
1:37]. On 17 March 1654 Goodman Watson was granted "a little slip of meadow above the bridge ...
at the South meadows" [PTR 1:208]. On 24 May 1662 George Watson's request for land at
Mannomett Ponds caused Plymouth to select men to take charge of disposing of lands [PTR 1:47].
On 27 October 1662 he was on a list of men requesting meadow at the lower south meadow [PTR
1:49]. On the same day he was granted fifty acres of upland at Mannomett Ponds [PTR 1:51]. On 22
March 1663 George Watson shared lot twenty-two at Puncateesett Neck with John Shaw Sr. [PTR
1:67]. On 14 April 1664 the six acres belonging to George Watson, which he bought of George
Bonum, was acknowledged to him and an exchange of three acres for two acres was ordered [PTR
1:75].
On 14 March 1663 "Gyles Gilbert of Taunton," yeoman, sold to George Watson of Plymouth,
yeoman, the land that had been bequeathed to him by his father Mr. John Gilbert [MD 34:23, citing
PCLR 3:1:19]. James Davis, sometimes of Plymouth, seaman, sold to George Watson of Plymouth,
seaman, "five acres of upland ground lying on the south side of the town of Plymouth"; Mr.
Nathaniel Souther, yeoman, sometimes of Plymouth, sold to George Watson of Plymouth, seaman,
half an acre of marsh meadow in Plymouth; these two instruments were recorded on 18 November
1664 [MD 34:22, citing PCPR 3:1:18].
In a deed acknowledged on 29 October 1670 "Nathaniell Masterson living at York in New
England" resigned to George Watson of Plymouth "all my right of a house and garden which was my
father's at Plymouth" [PCLR 3:181].
On 22 August 1681 George Watson of Plymouth, seaman, sold to Joseph Bartlett Sr. of Plymouth,
yeoman, a parcel of land at Mannomett Ponds in Plymouth being one-third of a tract granted by the
town to George Watson, William Harlow Sr. and Nathaniel Morton Sr. [PCLR 5:158] On 9 December
1681 George Watson of Plymouth, mariner, deeded to "Elkanah Watson my dear and natural son"
the seventh lot in the Freeman's Land [PCLR 5:108].
On 28 October 1681 George Watson of Plymouth acknowledged that he had exchanged land with
Mr. Edward Gray [PCR 6:76].
The inventory of George Watson, taken 2 February 1688[/9], was untotalled and included no real
estate [PPR 1:37; Gen Adv 1:43].
ASSOCIATIONS: George Watson was not son of Robert Watson of Plymouth and Windsor, since
there was no such person (see ROBERT WATSON in Phantom File).
COMMENTS: On 19 July 1631 George Watson testified regarding the activities of EDWARD
ASHLEY at Penobscot [MHSP 45:495].
George Watson appears in the list of freemen immediately preceding the court of 1 January
1632/3, but it is likely that he was actually admitted freeman in early 1634. The names immediately
preceding his were admitted at the court of 1 January 1633/4. There then begins a column of names
headed by "The rest admitted afterwards," which starts off with five men for whom there is no
record of admission, and then seven who were admitted on 1 January 1634/5 (James Cudworth
through Henry Rowley). Since in both Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies men were made
freemen at or immediately before a meeting of the court, we can assume that George Watson and his
four cohorts were admitted at some court between 1 January 1633/4 and 1 January 1634/5. The
only courts recorded during this interval were held in late March of 1634, and this is very likely the
time when George Watson was admitted. The other four men surrounding him on the list of
freemen, and probably admitted at the same time, are all known to have been in Plymouth in 1633
or earlier. Since George Watson was not in either of the tax lists of 1632 or 1633, and married about
1635, it may be that he had just finished a term of servitude in the winter of 1633/4 and did not yet
have any property. This would further suggest that he may have come to Plymouth as a servant of
one of the families which arrived in 1629.
On 6 February 1636/7 George Watson and others were fined for trading with the Indians for corn
[PCR 1:50].
On returning home with a load of wood, George Watson and his servant John Bond went to unload
the wood, but Bond bumped the mare and she ran away with him on the cart, and he leapt from the
cart in front of the wheel and was crushed, as the coroner's jury ruled 23 July 1661 [PCR 3:223].
On 3 May 1664, George Watson and others complained that the whole town of Taunton suffered
as a result of James Walker neglecting to leave a sufficient passage for the herrings to go up river
[PCR 4:57].
On 1 May 1660 George Watson petitioned the court in behalf of "his son John Watson and his
nephew John Banges" that Samuel Hickes was entered in error as the purchaser of their land, when
Mr. Robert Hickes should have been entered [PCR 3:186].
Phoebe and Mary are included as daughters of George Watson because there was no other Watson
family in Plymouth at this time, the chronology is right, and Phoebe would have been named for her
mother.
On 6 March 1665/6 George Watson was granted administration on the estate of Mrs. Margarett
Hickes, deceased [PCR 4:117].
More About GEORGE WATSON:
Immigrated: 16316
Occupation: Mariner. Impressed with the barque of which he was master, 3 May 16537
Residence 1: 1631, Penobscot8
Residence 2: Bef. 1634, Removed from Plymouth9
| 1 | Edward West, "Family Data Collection - Individual Records" (on line - published by Provo, UT). |
| 2 | "US New England Marriages prior to 1700". |
| 3 | Edmund West, "Family Data Collection - Births" (Provo, UT 2001). |
| 4 | "Passenger and Immigrations Lists Index 1500-1900". |
| 5 | Edmund West, "Family Data Collection - Death" (Generations Network, Inc 2001). |
| 6 | "MA Town and Vital Records 1620-1988 Record". |
| 7 | "London England - Baptisms Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812". |
| 8 | "MA Town Death Records". |