Family of John * POOLE and Margaret * CHAMPNEY

Husband:	John * POOLE (1608-1667)
Wife:	Margaret * CHAMPNEY (1611-1662)
Children:	Jonathan * POOLE (1634-1678)
	Mary POOLE (1637- )
Marriage	1633	Billerica, Middlesex, MA, US1

Husband: John * POOLE

Name:	John * POOLE
Sex:	Male
Father:	John * POOLY (1592- )
Mother:	Margaret * (c. 1590-1683)
Birth	1608	Congreave, Staffordshire, England
Immigration	1632 (age 23-24)	to Cambridge, Middlesex, MA, US2
Occupation		miller
Death	8 Apr 1667 (age 58-59)	Reading, Middlesex, MA, US3

Wife: Margaret * CHAMPNEY

Name:	Margaret * CHAMPNEY
Sex:	Female
Father:	-
Mother:	-
Birth	1611
Death	20 Apr 1662 (age 50-51)	Reading, Middlesex, MA, US

Child 1: Jonathan * POOLE

Child 2: Mary POOLE

Name:	Mary POOLE
Sex:	Female
Birth	1637

Note on Husband: John * POOLE

John Poole (pool) settled in Cambridge, Mass about 1632; he later resided in Lynn, Mass. where he was a proprietor before 1638. He moved to Reading,. Mass by 1644 where, in that year, he made a contract with the town to build a dam, turn the course of a stream, erect and maintain a water mill for the use of the inhabitants. He was a proprietor of Reading and a town officer, involved in a lawsuit about his mill in 1652. His wife Margaret sold the land and house in 1653. He is called by historian Bodge "among the wealthiest of the first settlers at Reading. (NEHGS "Register," Vol. 143, pg. 41) According to the "Genealogical History of the Town of Reading, Mass.," pp.106-07 John lived on the present site of Wakefield's rattan factory which is where he built the first grist-mill and fulling mill of the town. He also owned "much land" at the north end of the Great Pond and extending Easterly where he erected the first saw-mill.According to William Richard Cutter, New England Families Genealogical & Memorial, Third Series, Vol. IV, (orig. publ. NY, 1915;repr. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1997), pg. 1881, John's first wife was Judith,Margaret was his second wife. No references are given for this conclusion.(Notes: GenealogyLibrary.com:Geneological History of the Town of Reading, Massachusetts,. pg. 18)First Election of surveyors of highways chose John Poole as one of such surveyors.1644.-- The earliest records of the Town of Reading is the following, which was made at the latter end of the oldest book of records, the first few leaves fthereof being lost, viz.:--" Articles agreed apon betwixt the towne on the one part and John Pooe on the other part, for the priviledge of a Water Mill, for the use and service of the towne:--"1st. The aforesaid John Poole is to build the Mill and set it on the end of Sargent Marshall's lot by the Marsh Meadow; the same to be made fit for use, able to do the towns work, betwixt this and the 15th Aug. next ensuing; 2nd. The said John Poole is to continue and maintain the said Mill for use, able and sufficient for the townes use, from time to time, he and his assigns, and to repair the same at his own expense, cost, and charge. 3rd. The towne of Reading hath given and granted unto John Poole the liberty to bring the River out of its natural course, in such convenient place as may be most met, without trouble or disturbance. 4th. The towne hath given liberty to the said John Poole to choose and take such (land?) for the Mill, as shall be needed for the Mill in any lot or place about the ground. 5th. The towne doth also covenant with said John Poole to bring their corn to the mill 2 or 3 days in the week for grinding their grists, and not have him attend the whold week, unless more days are required to do the work; they do likewise covenant neither to set uo nor to1663.--This year, Josselyn, an eccentric traveler, visited New England, and in his published account thereof says: " In the Centre of the county, by a great pond side, and not far from Woburn, is situated Reading; it hathe two mills, a saw mill and a corn mill, and is well stocked with cattell."N.B. The corn mill stood near where the rattan factory now is, and the saw mill stood on the site of the mill formerly known as Newcomb;s mill, at the northerly end of Vernon Street, in *South Reading. Both mills were originally built and owned by John Poole and his heirs.1664.-- The town " exchanged lands with Matthew Edwards, he paying 30 shillings and a gallon of liquor to boot."Town gave John Smith, Jonathan Poole, John Browne, and William Cowdrey, " all the Slip or Tract of land (if there be any) that lyeth between the line that Bray Wilkins or his sons did run, which was the supposed line of Mas. Bellingham's Farm, and the line, that Maj. Hawthorne and Ensign Howlett did agree to be the line, etc."* The reader is desired to bear in mind that wherever the name "South Reading" occurs, the present town of "Wakefield" is referred to.

 

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The town of Wakefield was first incorporated in 1644, but her first settlers began to arrive from Lynn in 1639. During this time, the settlers began to cross the rough terrain and settle in the area which is now Wakefield after having petitioned the Colony Court to do so. In 1644 after a sufficient number of homes were established, the Court ordered that "Lynn Village" take the name of "Redding", presumably after Reading, England from where several of the first settlers emigrated. The town, when incorporated, contained the area of what is now Wakefield and Reading. The area which is now North Reading was added by a land grant in 1651. According to town records the first settlers included 29 men and their families: Nicholas Brown (who settled on the east side of the "Great Pond" where the Beebe estate now stands), Thomas Clark, John Damon (who settled where the Common now stands), William Cowdrey, George Davis, Robert Dunton, Samuel Dunton, Josiah Dustin, Jonas Eaton, William Eaton, Zackery Fitch, Isaac Hart, Thomas Hartshorn, William Hooper, Thomas Kendall, John Laukin, Thomas Marshall, William Martin, John Pearson, John Poole (who settled where the rattan factory once stood), Thomas Parker, Francis Smith, John Smith, Jeremy Swayne, Thomas Taylor, Edward Taylor, Richard Walker, and John Wiley. The majority of the men were middle-aged when they settled in the town. William Cowdrey (1602-1687), a lawyer and the best educated of the settlers was undoubtedly the most politically and socially active of the first settlers. He had a major role in shaping the early policies, rules and regulations, having served as Clerk of Writs, Deacon of the Church, Alcoholic Commissioners, Town Clerk, Selectman, Representative to the General Court and Justice of the Peace. He served as Town Clerk from 1644 to 1687 and although he was feeble during the last six years of his life, the townspeople refused to fill his position. They chose instead to appoint his son Nathaniel as Town Clerk "pro tempore" until his father's death. They subsequently named Nathaniel to the position which he held for one year. John Poole was the wealthiest of the settlers, running both the corn and the saw mills in the town. The town granted him land on what is now Water Street for the corn mill in 1644 at the site which was later the rattan factory. He built the saw mill on Vernon Street at the Lynnfield-Wakefield line in 1650. Although prominent in the town, he never held public office and was never a member of the Church. Captain Richard Walker was the Captain of the first training band to help protect the settlers against the Indians. He was officially assigned the task in 1645 after the Court ordered that a military guard should be kept in every town against a surprise attack by the Indians, yet he was training the men in 1644 on his own. Every youth between the ages of 10 to 16 was ordered to 'be trained by an officer of each company on muster days in the use of small guns, half pikes and bows and arrows, lest the Colony should be destitute of powder.' It is written that Captain Walker was honored for his bravery during the Indian Wars. After 25 years he noved on to Nova Scotia where he developed a fur trade and was named Deputy Governor of the Province. Deacon Zachery Fitch (for which Fitch Court was named) was one of the first settlers to build a home in the town on what is now Salem Street at Fitch Court. He was also one of the oldest of the men, settling in Reading at the age of 51. He served as Selectman in 1649, 1651 and 1661."

 

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John Poole came here from Lynn; was at Cambridge in 1632; was one of the earliest settlers of Reading, and probably the wealthiest. He lived on the present site of Wakefield's rattan factory, where he buil the first grist-mill and fulling-mill of the town. He also owned much land at the north end of the Great Pond, includeing the farm lately owned by Dea. Caleb Wakefield, and extending easterly, included the late Newcomb mill, where said Poole erected the first saw-mill, and included also the present farm of heirs of Benjamin Cox, of Lynnfield. He divided his estate between his son Jonathan and his grandson John. His wife Margaret d. in 1662, and he d. in 1667/ Chil.: Jona., b. 1634, and succeeded to the homestead; Mary, who m. 1657, Matthew Edwards, and perhaps Sarah, wife of Wm. Barrett.

Sources

1	"US and International Marriage Records, 1550-1900" (on-line, Yates Publishing, Provo, UT).

2	"Passenger and Immigrations Lists Index 1500-1900".

3	Edmund West, "Family Data Collection - Death" (Generations Network, Inc 2001).