Isaac Cummings

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208. Isaac Cummings (1601–1677) was baptized on 5 April 1610 in Easthorpe, Essex, England. [1] He died between 8 and 22 February 1677 in Topsfield. [1] He married Anne Unknown about 1628. [2]

English Ancestry of Isaac Cummings [1]

John Commin/Commyn of Copford and Easthorpe, Essex is perhaps the Johannes Cowman who was baptized on 23 July 1651 in Bocking, Essex. He married Amy, the daughter of John Greene of Great Birch, Essex between 1590 and 1594. Amy is perhaps the Amy, daughter of John Greene, who was baptized on 25 May 1752 in Aldham, Essex. The wife of John Comens was buried on 3 November 1612 in Copford. [1]

John Commyn, yeoman of Ipswich, Suffolk, made his will on 8 November 1633; it was proved on 24 April 1634.

Extract from [2]:

Imprimis I give and bequeath unto John Commyn my sonne ... my ten[emen]t and landes with their appurtenances called Wallcrofte ... being in Little Tey within the county of Essex and alsoe one close or field called ... Lanefeild with thappurten[a]nces ... in Marks Tey in ... Essex And I doe alsoe give ... [him] ... my tenem[en]t with the orchard and appurten[a]nces ... in Lexden nere Colchester in ... Essex Item I give and bequeath unto Robert George sonne of Thomas George late of Copforde deceased whoe maried Mr Mott wyves sister the some of fyfteene poundes ... Item I doe give and bequeath unto the said John Commyn my sonne ... my ten[emen]t ... [in] Colchester in a streete there called Magdalen Street within the parrish of St Mary Magdalen provided ... Isacke Com[m]yn my sonne ... paye ... seaventeene poundes ... within six moneths next after my decease ... and ... tenn poundes ... within twelve moneths ... Then I ... give and bequeath the same tenement ... [to] Isaacke ... But if the said Isaack ... shall make default of payment ... unto ... John ... then I will ... John ... paye ... Isaack ... fyftie and eight poundes ... and then ... John ... to have ... the same tenem[en]t ... Item I give and bequeath unto Abraham Com[m]yn my sonne ... my messuage por tenement called Hatchmans ... and one close of lande lyeing on the backside thereof conteyneing two acres ... in Much Tey in ... Essex Item I give more to my sonne Abraham ... two crofte of lande called Skynners and one croft of lande called Skynners acre lyeing in Much Tey ... And I... discharge ... Isaack... of ... a certaine debt or som[m]e of forty and fower poundes w[hi]ch he oweth unto me ... Item I give ... Robert George my coppie hould ten[emen]t ... in Brickellsie within ... Essex ... Item I give unto my daughter Ursula and unto my brother Robert Commynten shillings a peece Item I doe give and bequeath unto the poore people of the parish wherein ... I shall happen both to lyve and dye twenty shillings ... Item I give unto the preacher that shall make a sermon at my buriall twenty shillings... All the residue ... whatsoever unbequeathed I give ... unto my said three sonnes John Abraham and Isaack And I doe ordayne and make [them] executors of this my last will and testament ...

Children of John and Amy: [1]

i. John Commyn was baptized on 17 June 1595 in Easthorpe. He died after 10 January 1656, probably in Tolleshunt, D'Arcy, Essex. He married Rebecca Unknown about 1624.

ii. Urusla Commyn was baptized on 8 May 1597 in Easthorpe.

iii. Abraham Commyn was baptized on 11 November 1599 in Easthorpe. He was buried on 24 October 1657 in Great Tey, Essex. He married Margaret Lord about 1625.

In his will of 10 January 1656 he mentions his (older) brother John.

iv. Isaac Cummings was baptized on 5 April 1601 in Easthorpe. He died between 8 and 22 February 1677 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He married Anne Unknown.

v. Mary Commyn was baptized on 10 November 1605 in Copford. She was possibly buried in November 1610 in Copford.

vi. John Commyn was baptized on 25 March 1608 in Copford. He was possibly buried in November 1610 in Copford.

vii. A possible daughter by a second wife was baptized on 8 February 1619/20 in Copford.

From his father's will it is learned that Isaac owed his father 44 pounds in 1633. This suggests that he probably did not have the resources to pay John for the property on Magdalen Street in Colchester. Thus, John would have been obliged to pay Isaac 58 pounds. He may have used this money to go to and begin his life in New England. [2]

Isaac received a grant of 35 acres in Watertown in 1636. He owned a planting lot in Ipswich before 25 July 1636. on 9 (2) 1639 he owned a house in Ipswich Village. [3, xiv]

Isaac was a commoner in Ipswich in 1639. He was made freeman on 18 May 1642.[3, xiv]

Isaac (or perhaps his son Isaac) was on a jury at the court in Ipswich on 25: 7: 1649, 30 March 1652, 25: 7: 1665, 28: 7: 1658, 25 September 1660, 30 September 1662, 27: 7 1664, 26 September 1665 and 29 September 1668. [4, 1: 175, 247, 396; 2: 111, 225, 433; 3: 182, 278; 4:46]

John Armitage of Lynn acknowledged judgement to Isaac on 28: 9: 1654. [4, 1,374] Isaac and John Fuller had a long history of legal battles that began when John accused Isaac of taking his heifer on 28 March 1654. [4, 1: 133; 2:5, 21, 152, 355]

Anne Cummings was fined for lying on 6 May 1658. [4, 2: 70]

Isaac deposed that he was 65[!] on 29: 1: 1666. [4, 3:312]

Isaac Cummings was sworn constable of Topsfield on 27 March 1666. [4, 3:299] A writ dated 14 May 1666 was served by Isaac Cummings, Jr., deputy constable and Isaac Cummings, Sr., constable of Topsfield. [4, 3:335]

Isaac, Sr. and Isaac, Jr. were on a 14: 10: 1661 list of commoners of Topsfield. [4, 4:149]

Isaac wrote his will on 8 (3) 1677. It was witnessed by John Poore, Sr., Thomas Dorman and Isaac Foster. Isaac left his son Isaac ten acres on the south side of the the great river. His son-in-law John Jewett was left ten poundsin cattle and household goods; his son-in-law John Pease was left 30 pounds in cattle and household goods. He left his grandson Isaac, son of Isaac a one-year-old heifer, one little sow, the Indian corn that he planted, his second largest chest and ten pounds when he was 17. He named his son John his executor and left him his house and lands — about 40 acres. If any of his children, through discontent, were to cause trouble for the executor their legacy was to revert to the executor. Inventory on his estate, not including real estate, taken on 22 May 1677 and attested to by John Cummings on 14 June 1677, amounted to £116 1 s. 6d., with debts of £19 16s. 5d. [3, xiv]

Children of Isaac Cummings:

i. Isaac Cummings was baptised on 20 May 1629 in Mistley. [5] He was buried there on 23 May 1629. [5]

ii. John Cummings was born about 1629/30. He died on 1 December 1700 in Dunstable. He married Sarah Howlett.

iii. Deacon Isaac Cummings [Link to Cummings family pages] was was baptised on 17 Mar 1632/3 in Mistley. He married Mary Andrews on 27 November 1659 in Topsfield. [6, 131] Mary, the daughter of Robert and Grace Andrews, was born in 1638. [3, 4]

Isaac was on a jury at the court in Ipswich on 26 September 1676 (or possibly this was his father) and 27 March 1683. [4, 6:196; 8:14] Seargent Isaac was chosen constable for Topsfield on 30 March 1686. [4, 9:596]

iv. Ann Cummings was baptised on 22 Feb 1634/5 in Mistley. [5] She died on 29 June 1689. [3, 2] She married, as his second wife, John Pease of Salem on 8 October 1669. [3, 2] He died on 8 July 1689. [3, 2] He married first Mary Unknown, who died on 5 January 1668. [3, 2]

John came to New England on the Francis from Ipswich, Suffolk. [3, 2] He and Anne moved to Enfield, Connecticut. [3,

v. Elizabeth Cummings was born about 1637. [5] She married John Jewitt on 2: 2: 1661 in Rowley. [7]

Endnotes:

1. David Butler Cummings, "Isaac Cummings (1601–1677) of Watertown, Ipswich and Topsfield, Massachusetts, and His Ancestry," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 165 (2011), 35–41, especially 40–41.

2. ———, "The Will of Isaac's Father, John Commyn," transcribed by Peter C. Nutt, Isaac Cummings Family Association (https://www.isaaccummingsfamily.org/fatherswill.php)

3. Albert Oren Cummings, Cummings Genealogy ... (Montpelier, Vermont: Argus and Patriot Printing House, 1904).

4. George Francis Dow, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Essex Institute, 1911 - 1975.

5. John Plummer, "Isaac Cummings of Essex County, Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 145 (1991), 239.

6. Vital Records Topsfield, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849 (Topsfield: Topsfield Historical Society, 1903).

7. Vital Records of Rowley, Massachusetts to the End of the year 1849, vol. 1 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1928), 277.

Revised 22-Mar-2020