DANFORTH

DANFORTH

1. WILLIAM-

b.c.1641

m.1. 20 Mar. 1670 Ipswich, Hannah Kingsman (b.c.1644, d. 18 Oct. 1678 Newbury)
2. SARAH THURLOE, d. of Francis and Ann Thurlow of Rowley and Newbury.
d. after 1721

William was a resident of Ipswich in 1660 and was in the employ of William Pritchett when he accompanied Daniel Black to Rowley "the last day of June, 1660" and carried a message from Daniel to the daughter of Edmund Bridges. The girl came to a neighbor's house where Daniel tried to persuade her to marry him, or, as her father stated "made love to her". The irrate father prosecuted the bold suitor for seeking his daughter's hand without his permission and the General Court fined Daniel £5. William had to pay 10/ for helping him in this endeavor! William was in court again on 29 Sept. 1663 giving testimony on behalf of Mr. Pritchett in a land case. He deposed that his age was 22 years.

About 1675 William moved to that part of Newbury that became Byfield. He received 2/6 from the town of Newbury for killing a wolf.

William was a soldier from Roxbury having been drafted 1 Dec. 1675.(1)

In June 1678 William, Edmund Dear, and Philip Welch petitioned the Essex County Court to have possession of money left by William Dorton in the hands of John Ring (Rindge). They stated the Dorton "willed that if he came not to Ipswich in the space of three years, the money should be given to four of his countrymen", namely the three petitioners and Ring. The court found in favor of the four of them. In the same year he took the oath of allegiance.(2)

In March 1681 he and his "partner" William Longfellow (ancestor of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) were called into court for slaughtering an ox and some pigs which were claimed by Joseph Plumer and Robin Robinson the Scotchman. The court ordered the two of them to pay the value of the animals to Plumer and Robinson.(3) The only other record of William in the town records is the abatement of his tax for the year 1688.

Francis and Ann Thurloe deeded land to William and Sarah on 1 Jan. 1696 which Francis had received from his father Richard. They sold this tract of land in 1698. William sold land on 15 July 1709 that had been granted him by the proprietors and he sold a wood lot on 27 Mar. 1721.

Issue- First child by Hannah, last six by Sarah.

  • I. Mary- b. 19 Sept. 1673 Ipswich
  • II. Richard- b. 31 Jan. 1679/0 Newbury, m. 30 June 1702 Newbury, Mary White
  • 2III. JOHN- b. 8 Dec. 1681 Newbury, m.1. ______, 2. 24 Nov. 1713 DORCAS WHITE (b.c.1697, d. 26 Mar. 1788), d. 1 Oct. 1772
  • IV. Jonathan- b. 12 May 1685 Newbury, moved to Canterbury, NH.
  • V. Thomas- b. 28 Dec. 1688 Newbury, d.s.p., admin. 24 Feb. 1723
  • VI. Francis- b. 15 Mar. 1691 Newbury, moved to Arundel, ME.
  • VII. Joseph- b. 12 May 1694 Newbury, m. 13 Dec. 1717 Bethiah Noyes, Admin. 2 May 1753. Moved to Rowley, then Bradford.

    Ref:

    (1) MA Archives- Vol.67, p.299; Vol.68, pp.75b,99
    (2) Essex Court Files- XXX, p. 567
    (3) Essex Court Files- Vol. VI, p. 26; IX, p. 29; XI, p. 82; XV, p. 105
    Danforth Genealogy- John Joseph May, Charles Pope, Boston, 1902- pp. 367-9
    Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire- Ezra S. Stearns, Lewis Pub. Co., NY, 1908- Vol. I, p. 202

    2III. JOHN (WILLIAM 1)

    b. 8 Dec. 1681 Newbury, MA
    m.1. ______
    2. 24 Nov. 1713 DORCAS WHITE d. of Nathaniel White of Purpooduck (b.c.1697, d. 26 Mar. 1788 Byfield)
    d. 1 Oct. 1772 Byfield

    John lived in that part of Newbury now called Byfield. He died in 1772 "in his 93d year, he had been very helpless for a year past".

    Issue-

  • I. Nathaniel- b. 1703, m. 18 Oct. 1724 Boxford, Priscilla Wycom. Moved to Contoocook, NH before 1741 and Boscawen before 1766.
  • II. Thomas- b. 1705. Moved to Canterbury, NH.
  • III. William- b. 1708, m.c.1733 sister of Richard Flood of Boscawen, NH
  • IV. Samuel- b. 11 Dec. 1715, m. 13 Jan. 1737 Mehitable Brown (b.c.1715, d. Oct. 1794), d. 26 Aug. 1800 Rowley
  • V. John- b. 17 Feb. 1720, m. 11 Nov. 1735 Abigail Fitts of Newbury (d. 10 Sept. 1781 Byfield). Moved to Canterbury, NH.
  • VI. Oliver- bpt. 24 Dec. 1727 Newbury, m. 14 Oct. 1756 Newbury, Anna Stickney (bpt. 25 Sept. 1757 Byfield, d. Nov. 1800
  • 3VII. MOSES- m. MARY FLOOD (d. 11 Dec. 1815)
  • VIII. Sarah-
  • IX. Mary-
  • X. Elizabeth-

    Ref:

    Danforth Genealogy- John Joseph May, Charles Pope, Boston, 1902- p. 370
    Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire- Ezra S. Stearns, Lewis Pub. Co., NY, 1908- Vol. I, p. 202

    3VII. MOSES (WILLIAM 1, JOHN 2)

    m. MARY FLOOD d. of Edmund Flood of Amesbury (d.11 Dec. 1815)

    Moses moved to Canterbury and was one of the scouts under Capt. Jeremiah Clough in 1745. He was one of "the inhabitants of Rumford, Canterbury and Contoocook" who petitioned for a guard against the Indians on 2 Jan. 1747. On 6 May 1753 "Nathaniel Danford of Contoocook, husbandman, John Danford Jr. of Newbury, housewright, William danford of Contoocook, Thomas danford of Canterbury, Sarah, wife of James Head, Mary, wife of James Gibson, and Elizabeth Danford, singlewoman" joined in a deed to land in Canterbury to their brother Moses Danford of Canterbury.(1) Moses sold land in Contoocook in 1753, 1763 and 1770. Moses Danforth of Boscawen, husbandman, with Mary, his wife, sold land in Boscawen on 28 July 1763. He and his brother Thomas then moved in 1764 to Sanbornton where they were some of the first settlers. They settled on Lot No. 80 of the second division on the plains near Bay Rd and Danforth Brook. Their log house was standing as late as 1840.

    Issue-
  • I. Moses- b. 1754, m. Mehitable Stevens of Northfield, NH, d. after 1819 Northfield
  • II. Jeremiah-
  • III. Ezekiel- killed at Bemis' Heights on the Canadian Campaign
  • IV. Henry- b. 1763, m. Betsey Hancock of Northfield, d. 27 Feb. 1830 Franklin Falls, NH. Henry enlisted in the Continental Army in 1781.
  • V. Jane-
  • VI. Lois-
  • 4VII. EUNICE- m. STEPHEN FARRINGTON (d. 29 Dec. 1814 Fryeburg, ME), d. 12 Apr. 1817 Fryeburg
  • VIII. Susan-

    Ref:

    (1) Exeter, NH Deeds- Vol. III, p. 51
    Danforth Genealogy- John Joseph May, Charles Pope, Boston, 1902- p. 375
    History of Merrimack and Belknap Counties, New Hampshire- J.W. Lewis & Co., Philadelphia, 1885- p. 893

    Pedigree chart received from Kenneth Thompson

    Return to Home Page