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JOHN SOULE (c. 1631/2–by 1707), son of George Soule and Mary Buckett

REBECCA SIMONSEN (d.c. 1674), daughter of Moses Simonson and Sarah Unknown


John Soule was born about 1631/2. [1][2][3] John Soule, the son of George Soule, died intestate in Duxbury before 14 November 1707. [4] He married first Rebecca Simonsen. [1][2, "Simmons"] He married second Hester (Nash) Simpson about 1678 in Duxbury. [2]

John Soule deposed that he was about 74 on 8 March 1705/6. [3]

Rebecca was the daughter of Moses Simonsen. [1] She died about 1674. [2]

A deed dated 30 December 1674 proves that the first wife of John Soule of Duxbury was the daughter of Moses Simonsen: [5]

Moses Simons of Duxburrow ... yeoman ... in Consideration of a Marriage heertofore Consumated; between John Soule of Duxburrow aforsaid and my eldest Daughter Rebeckah; have Given ... and for ever quite Claimed ... unto the said John Soule ... all my Right ... of and into all my purchased Lands att Namaskett; and places adjacent Grauntd by the Court of New Plymouth, unto the first Comers, wherof I the said Moses Simons ame one, as by the Records of the said Court; Doth and may more fully appeer;

John was a tailor of Duxbury.

John's widow Hester was appointed administratrix of his estate on 14 November 1707. Inventory—not including real estate—was taken on 3 December 1707; it is untotalled, but amounts to little and includes items Hester brought to the marriage. John had given most of his land to his sons during his lifetime. The value of his small amount of remaining land, appraised on 5 December 1707, amounted to 17 pounds and five shillings. John had given his daughter Sarah (who by then was deceased) a cow, but had given nothing to his daughters Rachel and Rebecca. Adam Wright, the husband of Sarah, on behalf of his children with Sarah, John Cobb and Rachel his wife and Rebecca, the wife of Edmund Weston, agreed to add the value of the cow (40 shillings) to the 17 pounds and five shillings worth of land and to split the resulting 19 pounds and five shillings three ways. Their agreement is dated 3 March 1707/8. [4]

Children of John Soule and Rebecca Simonsen:

i. Rebecca Soule was born about 1657. She died on 18 November 1732, age 75. [6] She married Edmund Weston. [6]

Rebecca was a member of the church in Plympton. [6]

ii. James Soule [2] was born about 1660. [7] He died on 27 August 1744. [7] He married Lyda, the daughter of Lieutenant John and Mary (Cooke) Tomson of Middleborough. Lydia was born about 1659 and died on 14 March 1741/2, age 82.

James and Lydia are buried in the Old Cemetery in Middleborough. [7]

Mercy the daughter of Lieutenant John and Mary (Cooke) Tomson of Middleborough, died on 19 April 1756, intestate and unmarried. On 24 July 1756 her estate was divided among her siblings or their heirs, including the children of her deceased sister Lydia, the wife of James Soule. [8]

John Soule deeded land to his son James Soule of Middleborough on 27 December 1703. [9]

iii. Sarah Soule died before 3 March 1707/8. She married Adam, the son of Richard and Hester (Cooke) Wright, about 1645. [10] He married second Mehitable Barrows. [10]

iv. Rachel Soule was born about 1663. Rachel Cobb died in early September 1727. She married John Cobb.

v. Aaron Soule [2] married Mary, the daughter of Deacon John and Abigail (Andrews) Wadsworth of Duxbury. [11]

Aaron was of Duxbury and Pembroke, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. [11]

John Soule deeded land to his son Aaron Soule of Duxbury on 31 July 1695. [9]

vi. Benjamin Soule [2] was born about 1666. He died on 1 December 1729, age 63. He married Sarah Standish, the daughter of Alexander Standish and Sarah Alden and granddaughter of Miles Standish. [12] She died on 4 March 1740, age 73. [12] Benjamin and Sarah are buried in Plympton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts [12]

John Soule referred to his sons Benjamin and James in a deed of 17 May 1698. [9]

vii. Zachariah Soule [2] died before 16 March 1690/1.

Inventory was taken on the estate of Zachariah Soule of Duxbury on 16 March 1790/1,

which included only a mare, a chest and clothing, feathers and old clothes, sundies, a gun, part of a whale-boat &c., "Ane more things Received from Boston," "Besides his wages Due for the Canada Expedition." [9]

John Soule made oath to the inventory of his son Zachariah, late of Duxbury, on 17 March 1690/1. [9]

viii. Moses Soule [2]

Moses Soule referred to his father John Soule in a deed of 26 August 1712. [9]

ix. John Soule [2] was born about 1674. [7] He died on 19 May 1743, age 68. [7][13] He married Martha Tinkham, the daughter of Ephraim Tinkham, on 8 December 1701 in Middleborough. [ 13] Martha was born about 1678 and died on 16 February 1758, age 79. [7][13]

John and Martha are buried in the Old Cemetery in Middleborough. [7]

John Soule deeded land to his son John Soule of Duxbury on 24 July 1697. [9]

Children of John Soule and Hester Nash:

x. Joseph Soule [2]

John Soule, tailor of Duxbury, deeded land to his sons Joseph, Josiah, and Joshua Soule on 30 June 1701. [9}

xi. Josiah Soule [2] He married Lydia Delano on 25 May 1704 in Duxbury. [14]

xii. Joshua Soule [2] was born on 12 October 1681 in Duxbury. [14] He died on 29 May 1767 in Duxsbury. [15] He married Joanna Studley on 15 February 1704/5 in Duxbury. [14]

Joshua was a yeoman of Duxbury. [15]

xiii. Hannah or Susannah Soule [2]

Endnotes:

1. "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), 1707.

2. John Edward Soule, "The Soule Family," New England Historic and Genealogical Register124 (1970): 121–32.

3. "The Deposition of John Soule (George)," Mayflower Descendant 5 (1903): 46.

4. George Ernest Bowman, "John Soule's Inventory and the Settlement of his Estate," Mayflower Descendant 4 (1902): 159–61.

5. "Notes by the Editor," Mayflower Descendant 19 (1917): 96.

6. "Early Records of Plympton, Mass." Mayflower Descendant 1 (1899): 245.

7. "Records From the Old Cemetery in Middleborough," Mayflower Descendant 14 (1912): 134.

8. Editor, "Estate of Mercy Tomson," Mayflower Descendant 19 (1917): 135–6.

9. George Ernest Bowman, "The Sons of John Soule as Identified by Deeds of Gift and Probate Records," Mayflower Descendant 8 (1906): 184–6.

10. The Editor, "Richard and Hester Wright's Children," Mayflower Descendant 24 (1922): 83.

11. "Pilgrim Notes and Queries," Mayflower Descendant 9 (1907): 128.

12. The Editor, "The Will of Benjamin Soule of Plympton," Mayflower Descendant 25 (1923): 72–73.

13. Editor, "The Wills of John Soule, His Widow Martha and His Daughters Rebecca and Esther," Mayflower Descendant 19 (1917): 136–7.

14. Vital Records of Duxbury, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911).

163 Joshua, s. John and Esther, Oct. 12, 1681.

311 Joshua and Joanna Studley [dup. Studly], Feb. 15, 1704-5.*
312 Josiah and Lydia Delano [dup. Delanoe], May 25, 1704.*

15. "Soule Notes," Mayflower Descendant 11 (1909): 133.


Last revised: 27-Dec-2023