James Noyes

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Reverend James Noyes (1608–1656)

Sarah Browne (say 1614–after 1664)

English Ancestry of Reverend James Noyes [5]

James was the son of Reverend William Noyes who was born in 1568 and died shortly before 30 April 1622. He married Anne Unknown. He was an Anglican churchman with Puritan leanings.

William received his BA from University College, Oxford in May 1592. He was ordained deacon in September 1593 and priest in December 1593. In 1598 William was referred to as “minister of this place” at Leigh, Essex in the household of Richard Rich, the illegitimate son of Richard Rich, First Baron Rich. William was instituted Rector of Cholderton in May 1602.

There is controversy over whether Anne was the sister of Robert Parker, the father of Thomas Parker, or whether she was the sister of Robert’s wife, Dorothy, the sister of Reverend Richard Stevens of Stanton St. Bernard, Wiltshire. Anne was buried on 7 March 1657 in Cholderton, age 82. She made her will on 18 March 1655/56 and mentions her sons James and Nicholas in New England.

Children of William and Anne Noyes:

i. Ephraim Noyes was born in 1596 in Cholderton. He married Parnell Brewer on 5 November 1633 in Orcheston St. Mary, Wiltshire.
ii. Reverend Nathan Noyes was born on 15 May 1597 in Cholderton. He died before 6 September 1651 in Sarum, Wiltshire. Nathan received his B.A. from Lincoln College, Oxford in May 1615. He succeeded his father as rector of Cholderton.
iii. John Noyes was born in 1600 in Cholderton. He died in 1659 in Newton, Wiltshire. He married Elizabeth Bulpit on 3 February 1640/1 in Faccombe, Hampshire.
iv. Unknown Noyes was born about 1604 and died in 1655. She married Robert Read about 1624 in Wiltshire.
v. Sarah Noyes was born about 1605.
vi. Reverend James Noyes
vii. Mowit Noyes was born in 1613 in Cholderton. She died on 6 October 1671. She married Thomas Kent on 23 September 1631 in Over Wallop, Hampshire.
viii. Deacon Nicholas Noyes was born about 1616 in Cholderton. He died on 23 November 1701 in Newbury. He married about 1641 Mary, the daughter of John Cutting. Nicholas was a frequent deputy for Newbury to the Massachusetts General Court and a commissioner to end small causes. He was the father of the infamous Reverend Nicholas Noyes who played a prominent role in the Salem witch trials.
ix. Anne Noyes was born in 16 December 1617 in Cholderton. She died before 1711.

William was the son of Robert Noyes of Urchfont, Wiltshire, who was born in 1524 and died in 1614. He married Joan Attridge. Robert and Joan had three children: (i) Reverend William Noyes; (ii) Richard Noyes, a yeoman of Cholderton who married Sarah Unknown and died in 1639; (iii) Robert Noyes, a yeoman who was born in 1570, died on 20 January 1659 and was buried in Cholderton.

The migrant ancestor James Noyes was the son of Reverend William Noyes. He was born on 1608 in Cholderton, Wiltshire, England. He died on 21 or 22 October 1656 in Newbury. He married Sarah Browne in Romsey, Hampshire on 21 March 1633/4.

James was educated at Brazen Nose College at Oxford and became a minister. Disagreeing with established English doctrine he went for a while to the Netherlands. He came to New England on the John & Mary with his brother Nicholas Noyes in 1634. [1]

James was first in Ipswich. He was a member of the church there and was a freeman on 3 September 1634. He removed to Newbury in 1635. [2]

James signed his will on 17 October 1656 and it was proved on 21 and 26 November 1656. In the will he refers to his wife, his cousin Thomas Parker (the son of his mother’s brother Robert Parker), his brother Nicholas Noyes, his friend William Gerrish and his children. The inventory of Mr. James Noyes, teacher of Newbury, deceased 21 October 1656, was taken on 21 November 1656 and amounted to 597 pounds, eleven shillings and four pence. [2]

Sarah Browne was the daughter of Joseph Browne of Southampton. [3] She was born say 1614. She died after 28 June 1664. She married Reverend James Noyes.

On 28 June 1664 Sarah Noyes, late wife of Mr. James Noyes, late teacher of the church of Newbury sold land. In the deed she refers to her brother Mr. James Browne. [2]

Children of James Noyes and Sarah Brown, all births recorded in Newbury: [2]

i. Joseph Noyes was born on 14 October 16[37?]. He married first Mary, the daughter of Robert Darvell, on 12 November 1662 in Sudbury. He married second Mary (Dunster) Willard on 14 July 1680 in Sudbury. Mary was the widow of Simon Willard.

ii. Reverend James Noyes was born on 11 March 1640. He died on 30 December 1719 in Stonington. He married Dorothy Stanton.

iii. Sarah Noyes was born on 12 August 1641. She probably died by 1655.

iv. Moses Noyes was born on 6 December 1643. He married Ruth, the daughter of John Pickett, by 1678. [2]

Moses graduated from Harvard College in 1659.

v. Colonel Thomas Noyes was born on 10 August 1648. He married first Martha Pierce on 28 December 1669. Martha, the daughter of Daniel and Sarah Pierce, was born on 14 February 1648/9 in Newbury. She died on 3 September 1674. Thomas married second Elizabeth Greenleaf on 24 September 1677. [4]

vi. John Noyes was born on 4 June 1649. He married Sarah, the daughter of Peter Oliver by 1672. [2]

vii. Rebecca Noyes was born on 1 April 1651. She married John, the son of John Knight, on 1 January 1671/2 in Newbury. [2]

viii. William Noyes was born on 22 September 1653. He married Sarah Cogswell on 6 November 1685 in Newbury. [2]

ix. Sarah Noyes was born on 21 March 1655/6. She died on 20 May 1697 in Beverly. She married Reverend John Hale of Beverly on 31 March 1684. [2]

Endnotes

1. Richard A Wheeler, History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, Conn., 1674–1874 (Norwich, T.H. Davis and Co., 1875), 92.

2. "Great Migration 1634–1635, M–P," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634–1635, Volume V, M–P (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007), 282–6.

3. "Great Migration 1634–1635, R–S," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634–1635, Volume VI, R–S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 467–9.

4. Albert H. Hoyt, “Daniel Pierce of Newbury, Mass., 1638–1677, and his descendants,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 29 (1875), 273, Thomas’s birth and marriage dates; his first wife’s name, parents, birth date and death date; his second wife’s name.

5. Most of the information comes from a well-researched Wikipedia article, “William Noyes,” accessed 10 November 2018. Nicholas’s birth, death and marriage and public service are from “Great Migration,” AmericanAncestors, vol. V, M–P, 286–93.

Revised November 26, 2023