Nicholas Danforth

Nicholas Danforth (bp. 1590–1638)

Elizabeth Barber (d. 1628)

English Ancestry of Nicholas Danforth

Generation 1

William Danforth died between 15 August and 23 October 1512. He had a wife Isabel ___.

William Derneford of Framlingham made his will on the Feast of Assumption of Our Lady [15 August] 1512. It was proved on 23 October 1512. He mentioned his wife Isabel, his son Paul, his son James, his son Reynold, his daughters Isabel and Elizabeth. [2]

Children of William Danforth

i. Paul Danforth died between 13 and 18 November 1538.

ii. James Danforth

iii. Reynold Danforth was buried on 2 March 1572. [2]

iv. Isabel Danforth

v. Elizabeth Danforth

Generation 2

Paul Danforth died between 13 and 18 November 1538. He had a wife Katherine ___.

Paul Derneford of Framlingham made his will on 13 November 1538; it was proved on 18 November 1538. He mentioned his wife Katherine, his son Nicholas, his father William Derneford, his son Thomas, his son Robert, his son Richard, and his daughters Isabel, Margaret, Agnes, and Olive. [2]

Children of Paul Danforth:

i. Nicholas Danforth died between 12 November 1585 and 17 February 1585/6.

ii. Thomas Danforth died after 12 November 1538.

iii. Robert Danforth died after 12 November 1585 and had a daughter named Anne.

iv. Richard Danforth died after 12 November 1585 and had a daughter named Anne.

v. Isabel Danforth

vi. Margaret Danforth

vii. Agnes Danforth

viii. Olive Danforth

Generation 3

Nicholas Danforth died between 12 November 1585 and 17 February 1585/6. He married Alice ___. She died after 17 July 1603.

Nicholas Dernford of Framlingham made his will on 12 November 1585; it was proved on 17 February 1585/6. He mentioned his wife Alice, his son Thomas, his daughters Anne, Margaret, Elizabeth, Olive Smalledge, son-in-law William Smalledge, Anne Dernford, the daughter of his brother Robert, and Anne Dernford, the daughter of his son Richard. [2]

Alice Dranforth of Framlingham, widow, made her will on 17 July 1603. She mentioned her grandchildren Roger and Willialm Smallhead, Robert Danforth, sons-in-law Thomas Bacon, Edmund Durrant, and John Tokelove, Mary and Jane, her son's daughters, and daughters Anne, Margery, and Elizabeth, and son Thomas. [2]

Children of Nicholas and Alice Danforth:

i. Thomas Danforth died in 1621.

ii. Anne Danforth married Thomas Bacon, if daughters and sons-in-law are named in order.

iii. Margaret Danforth married Edmund Durrant.

iv. Elizabeth Danforth married John Tokelove

v. Olive Danforth married William Smalledge and had sons Roger and William.

Thomas Sudbury died between 18 February and 10 March 1606. He had a wife Alice.

Thomas Sudbury, yeoman of Kellshall, Suffolk, made his will on 18 February 1606; it was proved on 10 March 1606. He mentioned his wife Alice; nephew Tobie Sudbury; Thomas, the son of William Sudbury and John, the brother of said Thoams; John and Willim, sons of his brother John; his niece Amy, the wife of Robert Appleyard; Susan, John, Roger, and Amy, the children of his niece Susan, the wife of Mr. Toftes, clerk, Mary and Jane, the daughters of Jane Danforth, deceased; Nicholas and Robert, the sons of the said Jane, deceased; Anthony Sudbury; his niece Frances Sudbury.

Generation 4

Thomas Danforth died between 20 April and 7 September 1621. He married Jane Sudbury, the daughter of Thomas Sudbury, on 24 January 1585. [2] She was buried on 21 March 1601. [2]

Thomas Danforth, yeoman of Framlingham, made his will on 20 April 1621; it was proved on 7 September 1621. He mentioned his son Robert, his daughters Mary and Jane, and his son Nicholas. [2]

Children of Nicholas Danforth and Jane Sudbury:

i. Nicholas Danforth was baptized on 6 November 1586. [2] He was buried on 6 February 1588. [2]

ii. Nicholas Danforth was baptized on 1 March 1589.

iii. Robert Danforth was baptized on 10 November 1592. [2] He was buried on 3 January 1592/3. [2]

iv. Robert Danforth was baptized on 11 November 1593. [2]

v. Mary Danforth

vi. Jane Danforth

Nicholas, the son of Thomas and Jane (Sudbury) of Framlingham, co. Suffolk, was baptized on 1 March 1589/90. [1][2] He died in April 1638 in Cambridge. [1][3] He married Elizabeth Barber on 11 February 1617/9 in Aspall, co. Suffolk. [1]

Elizabeth Barber was buried on 22 February 1628 in Framlingham. [2]

Nicholas migrated in 1635 and settled in Cambridge. [1] He was an innkeeper, licensed on 12 March 1637/8 in Cambridge. [1] "Mr. Nich: Danforth" was a freeman on 3 March 1635/6. [1]

Nicholas was a deputy for Cambridge to the Massachusetts Bay general court five times between 8 September 1636 and 26 September 1637. [1] He was a frequent committee member, usually to set bounds or lay out land. [1] He was a selectman in Cambredge three times between 23 November 1635 and 4 September 1637. [1]

Cotton Mather described Reverend Samuel Danforth's father as follows: [1]

[A] gentleman of such estate and repute in the world that it cost him a considerable sum to escape the knighthood, which King Charles I imposed on all of so much per annum; and of such figure and esteem in the church, that he had procured that famous lecture at Framlingham in Suffolk where he had a fine manor, which lecture was kept by Mr. Bourroughs ... This person had three sons, where of the second was our Samuel, born in September, in the year 1626, and by the desire of his mother, who died three years after is birth, earnestly dedicated unto the 'schools of the prophets.' His father brought him to New England in the year 1634, and at his death, about four years after his arrival here, he committed [him] ... unto ... Mr. Shepard.

Children of Nicholas Danforth and Elizabeth Barber: Baptisms in Framlingham. [1]

i. Elizabeth Danforth was baptized on 3 August 1619. She died on 26 June 1680. [4] She married Andrew Belcher on 1 October 1639 in Cambridge. [1]

ii. Mary Danforth was baptized on 3 May 1621. She married Thomas Parish by 1637. [1]

iii. Anne Danforth was baptized on 3 September 1622. She married Matthew Bridge by 1645. [1]

iv. Thomas Danforth was baptized on 20 November 1623. He married Mary, the daughter of Henry and Elizaberth (Smith) Withington, on 23 February 1643/4 in Cambridge. [1][5] Mary was born about 1623 in London. [5] She died on 26 March 1697 in Cambridge. [4][5]

Thomas Danforth was admitted a freeman on 10 May 1643. He was a representative from Cambridge to the general court in 1657. He was an Assistant for 20 successive years from 1659. From May 1679 to the dissolution of the colonial government in May 1686 he was Deputy Governor. He was president of the Province of Maine. In December 1692 he was chosen Associate Judge of the Superior Court. He was Treasurer of Harvard College. [4]

v. Lydia Danforth was baptized on 24 May 1625. She died on 16 August 1686 in Saybrook. She married William Beamon.

vi. Reverend Samuel Danforth was baptized on 17 Ocober 1626. He died on 19 November 1674. [4] He married Mary, the daughter of Reverend John and Elizabeth (Mansfield) Wilson, on 5 November 1651 in Boston. [1][6] Mary was born on 12 September 1633 in Boston. [6] She died on 13 September 1713. [4] She married second Mr. Joseph Rock of Boston. [4] [6] Joseph died in 1683. [6] He was a wealthy merchant. [6]

Reverend John Wilson was the first pastor of the First Church of Boston. [4]

Samuel graduated from Harvard College in 1643. [1][4]

vii. Captain Jonathan Danforth was baptized on 2 March 1628/9. He died on 7 September 1712. [4] He married first Elizabeth, the daughter of John and Mary Poulter, on 22 November 1654 in Boston. [1][7] She was born on 1 September 1633, probably in Rayleigh, co. Essex. [7] She died on 7 October 1689 in Billerica. [7] Jonathan married second Esther (Champney) Converse on 17 ovember 1690 in Billerica. [1] Esther was the daughter of Richard Champney and widow of Josiah Converse. [1]

Jonathan was one of the first settlers of Billerica. He was its first captain. He was a representative in 1684 and town clerk for 20 years. [4]

Note: It has been argued that Nicholas and Elizabeth had a daughter Martha who married Richard French. Anderson et al are unconvinced. [1]

Endnotes:

1. "Great Migration 1634–1635, C–F," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634–1635, Volume II, C–F (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001), 281–5.

2. John Joseph May, Danforth Genealogy (Boston: C.H. Pope, 1902).

3. David Pulsifer, "Early Records of Boston," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4 (1850): 55.

4. William Thaddeus Harris, "Notes on the Danforth Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 7 (1853): 315–21.

5. Frederic Scherer Withington, "Henry Withington of Dorchester, Mass. and Some of His Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 75 (1921): 142–54.

6. Joseph Gardner Bartlett, "Ancestry and Descent of Rev. John Wilson of Boston, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 61 (1907): 36–41.

7. Jane Ireland Delorey, "The Pouleter Family of Essex, England, and Billerica, Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 141 (1987): 215–27.

Last revised: 08-Aug-2023