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Richard Sparrow (say 1605–1661)
Pandora Unknown (d. aft. 1661)
Richard Sparrow was born say 1605. He died on 8 January 1660/1. [1] He married Pandora Unknown by about 1629 (if she was the mother of Jonathan). [1]
Richard came to New England in 1632 and first settled in Plymouth. [1]
Richard was on a 2 January 7 Charles [1631/2] tax list in Plymouth. [2, 1: 9–11] He was a freeman in Plymouth in 1633. [2, 1: 3–4] He was on a 24 March 1633/4 Plymouth tax list. [2, 1: 27–29] He moved to Eastham by 1653. [1]
On 7 November 1636 the court made a memorandum that Richard had been allowed six acres of land next to the land of John Dunham, the elder. [2, 1: 46]
Richard was on a 7 March 1636/7 list of freemen in Plymouth. [2, 1: 52–54]
Richard is described as a yeoman in a bond. [1]
Richard is in the Plymouth section of the 1643 list of men able to bear arms. [1]
Richard was a freeman in 1633. [1] Betwen 1639 and 1659 he was frequently on various types of juries. [1] He was a constable and served as tax collector and surveyer of highways. [1]
Richard was granted 40 acres by Fresh Lake on 5 March 1637/8. [2, 1: 78]
Richard was on a grand inquest jury on 4 June 1639 and 7 June 1653. He was appointed to the grand jury on 7 March 1642/3 and to the trial jury on 2 March 1646/7. [2, 1: 126–7; 2: 53, 112; 3: 32]
On 24 June 1639 Mary Moorecock apprenticed herself to Richard Sparrow and his wife Pandora. [2, 1: 128–9]
Richard was appointed constable of Plymouth and a surveyor of highways there on 3 March 1639/40 and 2 June 1640. He was appointed surveyor of highways on 4 June 1645, 1 June 1647 and 7 June 1648. [2, 1: 140–1, 154–6; 2, 84, 116, 124] He was appointed receiver of the excise for Plymouth on 4 June 1650. He was chosen a deputy for Eastham on 8 June 1655. [2, 2: 155; 3: 79]
On 5 May 1640 Richard was appointed to view the meadow about Edward Doty's and report the number of acres. [2, 1: 151–3] He was appointed to a jury to lay forth disputed highways and to set bounds and landmarks on 1 February 1640/1. [2, 2: 7]
Richard was granted five acres by Edward Doty's land on 1 June 1640. He was granted two acres of meadow at Wood Island on 7 September 1641. He was granted a parcel of upland on 31 December 1641. He was granted four acres of upland on 17 October 1642. [2, 1: 154; vol. 2: 25, 29, 48]
Richard made his will on 19 November 1660. He mentions his wife Pandora, his son Jonathan and his grandchildren John and Rebecca Sparrow. [1] His will was proved on 5 March 1661. [1]
Children of Richard Sparrow and Pandora Unknown:
i. Jonathan Sparrow was born say 1629. He married first Rebecca Bangs. He married second Hannah Prence. He married third Sarah (Lewis) Cobb.
References:
1. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I–III," digitized books, AmericanAncestors, 1715–8.
2. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, vol. 1, 1633–1640, vol. 2, 1641–1651, vol. 3, 1651–1661, vol. 4, 1661–1668, vol. 5, 1668–1678, vol. 6, 1678–1691 (Boston: William White, 1855, 1866).
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30-Aug-2023