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JOHN BARKER (c. 1650–1729), son of John Barker and Ann Williams
DESIRE ANNABLE (1653–1706), daughter of Anthony Annable and Ann Alcock
John was the son of John Barker of Duxbury and Ann Williams. [1] He was born about 1650, based on his age at death. John Barker, Esq., died on 1 December 1729, age 79, in Scituate. [2] He is buried in the Men of Kent Cemetery in Scituate. [3] He married first Desire Annable, the daughter of Anthony, on 18 January 1676 in Barnstable. [4] He married second Hannah Cushing on 22 January 1706/[7?] in Scituate. [2] Hannah was born about 1665, based on her age at death. Hannah, the wife of John and formerly the wife of Reverend Jeremiah Cushing died on 30 May 1710, age 45, in Scituate. John married third Sarah Unknown. Sarah was born about 1660, based on her age at death. Sarah, the wife of John Barker, Esq., died on 7 September 1730, age 70, in Scituate. Hannah and Sarah are buried in the Men of Kent Cemetery. [3]
Desire Annable was the daughter of Anthony and Ann Elcock (Clark) Annable. [5] Desire Annable, the daughter of Anthony, was born "about beginning" of October 1653 in Barnstable. [4] She was baptized on 16 October 1653 in Barnstable. [5] Desire, the wife of John, died on 24 July 1706 in Scituate. [2] She is buried in the Men of Kent Cemetery. [3]
John was about two years old when his father died, and on 3 October 1665 his uncle John Williams, Jr. was appointed his guardian. The court required his uncle to "bring him up in a way of education and learning, soe as he may bee to his advantage and healp when hee come to bee of age, by putting him forth to a trad &c." [6] Unfortunately, his uncle instead used him as a servant and did not educate him or train him for a trade. [7]
Despite this lack of education, John apparently had legal talent and frequently represented people in court cases. At about only 24 years old he successfully represented Samuel Hyland on 27 October 1674. [6]
John was a sergeant in King Philips war and was badly wounded. After the war, he petitioned the court to be freed from bearing arms on training days. On 1 June 1680 the court ruled that in light of his serving as a sergeant during the war, that he had received a commission from the general of the army to hold a higher office, and that he had been "sore wounded" in the war, that his petition was granted. [6]
On 6 March 1676/7 John was on the coroner's jury that determined that Joseph Ellis of Scituate had drowned. [6] On 1 June 1680 he was propounded to be a freeman and on 7 June 1681 he was admitted a freeman. [6] On 6 June 1682 he was appointed constable of Barnstable. [6] He was appointed one of the three administrators of the estate of [his brother-in-law] Mr. Francis Coombs, but in July 1683 he and the other administrators relinquished their roles. [6]
John moved from Barnstable to Marshfield probably some time between 1683 and 1686. He was a deputy for Marshfield in June 1689. [6] He was appointed a surveyor of highways in Marshfield in March 1689/90. [8] John Barker of Marshfield sued Captain John Williams and Sergeant James Briggs, as agents for the Conahasset lands in Scituate, for ten pounds damages for failing to pay him for helping to lay out land. The court awarded him seven pounds and seven shillings, plus 12 pence in damages and costs. [8] In September 1691 John Barker of Marshfield unsuccessfully sued John Foster and Josiah Foster of Marshfield for trespassing and cutting hay on his meadow. [8] 
John moved from Marshfield to Scituate sometime between 1691 and 1699. In March 1698/9 John Barker, Sr., of Scituate was presented for "abusing Edward Ginkins in his own house." He was dismissed with an admonition. In September 1700 John Barker, yeoman of Scituate, sued Israel Cudworth, yeoman of Scituate, for trespassing and taking his timber. He was overruled and withdrew his case. In September 1704 he successfully sued Nathan Sprague for trespassing and cutting grass. In September 1713 he unsuccessfully sued the town of Scituate to have it lay out his share of the common land that he had received from [his uncle] John Williams. He later appealed. [8]
He was a deputy for Scituate in 1706, 1712 and 1719. [9] He was a justice at the March 1719/20, September 1720, March 1720/1 and September 1721 courts. [8]
John's uncle John Williams of Scituate wrote his will on 15 October 1691. The will is exceptionally long and wandering; it is now torn. He left his nephew John Barker of Marshfield half his share in his undivided lands at Conahasset and 30 pounds. He left John Barker's son John ten pounds and his farm in Scituate where he lived. His father was to have the farm until John was 21 and if John died without issue his brother Samuel was to have it on the condition he called himself Williams Barker. He also left Samuel 30 pounds. He left each of John's daughters ten pounds. [10]
John—as successor to his uncle John Williams—received a grant of five acres in Scituate on 12 November 1696 and five acres of swamp land on 2 March 1696/7. John sold the quarter of Little Marsh that he inherited from his uncle John Williams to Tomas Pincen, Jr. for five pounds and six shillings on 19 November 1696. He received grants of one and four acres of swamp in Scituate on 1 April 1706. [10]
John Barker of Scituate made his will on 5 August 1729. He left a detailed bequest to his beloved wife Sarah. He said that he hoped she would not be so ungrateful as to not leave most of her estate to his children and grandchildren, especially considering that she had no children of her own and no relatives in New England and perhaps in the world. He charged his children to be respectful and dutiful towards her. He also left bequests to his sons John, Barnabas, and Samuel Barker; his daughter Mary Otis; his four grandchildren Nathaniel, Samuel and James Turner and Lillis Stetson, the children of his deceased daughter Desire Turner; his grandson Samuel Barker, Jr., his four grandchildren John, Robert, Jr., Anne, and Desire Thompson, the children of his deceased daughter Anne Thompson. He named his son John his executor. [11]
The witnesses to John's will testified on 9 December 1729. The will was proved on 22 December 1729 and John, the son of John Barker, Esq., was granted letters of administration. Inventory was taken on 27 December 1729. John was a very wealthy man for his time and place, with an estate worth about 6,893 pounds. His inventory included books on divinity, law, and history; school books; books on Latin, Greek and Hebrew. He distributed these books to his family. [11]
Samuel Turner and his son Samuel posted bond on the estate of Samuel's [step] mother-in-law Sarah Barker on 13 October 1730. [11]
Children of John Barker and Desire Annable: Births of the first four recorded as the children of John and Desire in Barnstable. [4]
i. John Barker was born on 4 May 1678. He may have married Hannah Eames. [12] Hannah may have been the daughter of Jonathan Eames, born on 23 April 1684 in Marshfield. [13]
John inherited his great-uncle's farm in Scituate.
John Barker of Marshfield, as executor of the estate of John Barker, Esq., successfully sued William and Jacob Cooke for debt on March 1730/1. [8]
ii. Desire Barker was born on 22 September 1680. She married Captain Samuel Turner.
iii. Anne Barker was born on 26 August 1682 (1?). She died on 22 November 1682. [4]
iv. Anne Barker was born on 1 November 1683. She died before 5 August 1727. She married Robert Thompson on 11 March 1713 in Scituate. [2]
v. Samuel Barker was born on 23 April 1686 in Marshfield. [12] He died before 10 April 1755. He married Hannah Cushing on 25 December 1706 in Scituate. [2] Hannah was the daughter of Reverend Jeremiah Cushing. [2]
On 10 April 1755 Samuel Barker, Shearjashub Bourne and Joshua Otis, gentlemen, in the presence of Hannah Cushing and "Wm" Cushing, posted bond on the estate of Samuel Williams Barker, gentleman of Scituate. [14]
vi. Mary Barker was alive on 5 August 1727. She married Unknown Otis.
vii. Barnabas Barker was alive, but apparently childless, on 5 August 1727.
Barnabas might have born after 15 October 1691, as he is not mentioned in the will of his great-uncle John Williams.
References:
1. Samuel Deane, History of Scituate (Boston: James Loring, 1831), 216–7.
2. Vital Records of Scituate, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic and Genealogical Society, 1909), vol. 2: 18–20 (marriages), 351–2: deaths.
3. Find a Grave, database and images. IDs are Find a Grave Memorial IDs. Pages accessed 29 November 2022. Citing Men of Kent Cemetery, Scituate, Plymouth County, MA
John Barker (1651–1 Dec 1729), ID 8650516, maintained by V. Nareen Lake (contributor 46613568).
Hannah Loring Barker (9 Aug 1664–30 May 1710), ID 8650499, maintained by V. Nareen Lake.
Sarah Barker (1660–7 Sep 1730), ID 8650513, maintained by V. Nareen Lake .
Desire Annable Barker (16 Oct 1653–24 Jul 1706), ID 8650509, maintained by Don Blauvelt (contributor 46932939).
4. Records of Barnstable, Mass. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002), 2, 6.
5. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally Published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995).
6. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England, 12 vols. (New York: AMS Press, 1968), vol. 4: 108; vol. 5: 153, 226; vol. 6: 40, 42, 62, 85, 112, 206.
7. Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs, The Seventeenth-Century Town Records of Scituate, Massachusetts, 3 vols. (Boston: New England Historical Genealogical Society, 1997, 1999, 2001), vol. 1: 68, 74, 433, 455, 515; vol. 2: 15.
8. "Plymouth County, MA: Plymouth Court Records, 1686–1859," database with images, AmericanAncestors, vol. 1: 14, 21–22, 34, 45, 59; vol. 2: 6, 9, 13, 15; 5:8, 19, 303.
9. Elizabeth Frye Barker, Barker Genealogy (New York: Frye Publishing Co., 1927), 232.
10. "Abstracts from the First Book of Plymouth County Probate Records," Genealogical Advertiser: A Quarterly Magazine of Family History, vol. 4 (Cambridge: Lucy Hall Greenlaw, 1901), no. 1: 25–27.
11. "Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686–1881," database with images, AmericanAncestors, case 913 (John), case 943 (Sarah).
12. "Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700–1880," digitized books, AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017) > Brewster, William (MFIP Love), image 45, from Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620. (Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1975–2015).
13. Sherman, Robert M. and Ruth Wilder Sherman, Vital Records of Marshfield, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850 (n.p.: Society of Mayflower Descendants in Rhode Island, 1978), 13, 19.
14. "Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686–1881," 940, online database, AmericanAncestors.org, citing records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.
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26-Dec-2022