John Burbank, Jr.

Son of John Burbank the Immigrant Was born at Rowley, Massachusetts in 1640. He married Susanna Merrill, it seems he was not very prosperous the first part of his life. He lived first in Newbury, Rowley and Haverhill, Massachusetts, then moved to Suffield, Connecticut Here he was energetic, well to do, prominent citizen and a large land holder. He was married three times, 1st Susanna Merrill, 2nd Sarah widow of John Scoflo, 3rd widow Mehitable Sanders.


John Burbank, Jr.

John Burbank, Jr., born latter part of 1639 or early 1640, Rowley Mass.; died 1 June 1709, Suffield Conn.; married 15 October 1663, Newbury, Mass., Susannah daughter o Nathaniel & Susannah (Wilterton) Merrill. (She was born 1640, Newbury, Mass,; died 10 Oct 1690, Suffield, Conn.) married (2)15 July 1692, Springfield, Mass., Sarah widow of John Scone of Westfield, Mass., and daughter of Elisha Hart. (She died 19 August 1692.) married (3) Jan 1693/4, Springfield, Mass., widow Mehitable Sanders (She died 24 February 1727/8.) He lived in Newbury, Rowley, and Haverhill Mass. and moved to Suffleld, Conn., in 1680.

Nothing is recorded of his early youth in Rowley except this court record; 1659 -- John Burbank fined for his excessive drinking (this may have been either John, Jr., at the age of 20, or his father, John, Sr., at the age of 59).

Four years after his marriage, and one year after the birth of his first child, Mary; in a case in court of a lease dated June 3, 1667, whereas John Burbank, Jr., of Rowley, had taken half of the farm of Pfiilip Nellson of Rowley, lying near Merrimacke river next to Newbury line, which was let to said Burbank by assignment of John Willcot of Newbury. Burbank having suffered great damage because the house and barn were not finished as they should be, and likewise in falling short both of land and meadow of what was expected. Philip Nellson was to let said Burbank live the present year upon the farm rent free, and to have the improvement of the farm, and Burbank was to acquit said Nellson of all debts paying for future time a yearly rental.

Around the year 1668, he moved to Haverhill, which was farther west on the Merrimacke river. Here the last three of his children, all sons, were born; Timothy, John Ill, and Ebenezer.

From Connecticut records, 1674, John Burbank was granted fifty acres of land in Suffield. He was a large landholder, and much employed by Major Pynchon in building and clearing land in Suffield. He was one of the few qualified voters when the town was organized, but never held office. His name is found in Maj. Pynchon's account book oftner than any Suffield man; and he must have been a man of business. (Maj. Daniel Burbank, a descendant of this John Burbank, married Margaret Pynchon, a descendant of Maj. Pynchon.) John Jr., sons John Ill, and Ebenezer were afterwards prominent men in town matters. His homestead was at the north end of Feather Street. His name appears several times in the Suffield records much earlier than 1680; in fact he was granted 50 acres in 1674, but he did not live there for any length of time until 1680.

John Burbank's wife, Susannah, had a brother, John Merrill, who after his father died went to live with his mother's uncle Gregory Winlterton, in Connecticut, and Gregory being childless, willed his property to her brother, John Merrill.

John's son Timothy did not go with his father to Suffield, Conn., in 1680. He was then 12 years old and must have taken an apprentice with Capt. Saltonstall of lpswich, Mass. He became a sea captain.

When Suffield was laid out it was part of Maj. Pynchon's plantation in Mass., but when the Connecticut line was formed it was located about seven miles inside Connecticut, and about six more miles to Springfield. John was very actively engaged in work for Major Pynchon.

John Burbank, Sr.'s Will


(From the Ancestors & Descendants of Lt. Daniel & Mary (Marks) Burbank)


The Last Will and Testament of John Burbank of Rowley in the County of Essex, in New England is as followeth:


I being at this day aged and decriped in body and thought having mercy of perfect memory & understanding, knowing how fraile my life is and not knowing the last day of my desolutions, that my house may so far sett in order & trouble as much as in me lieth, prevented after my departure I there appoynt this to be my last Will.

My soule I committ into the hands of him that gave it and my body to be intered by decent buriall in hope of a blessed ressurection through the Lord Jesus Christ.

As to my outward estate I dispose of it in manner following:

To my beloved wife Gemima, I give half my dwelling house and half my lands throughout to be at her dispose during her natural life. Also I give her all my household stuff, bedding, utinsils and necessary things in the house for her natural life and what of them she hath not occasion to dispose of for her comfortable maintenance & livelyhood after her decease to my son Caleb, I also give her one cow and the keeping of her Winter and Summer, also convenient fire wood shall yearly be provided for her during her natural life by my Executor. Also I give her the third part of the fruit of the orchard yearly, also I give her the keeping of a pig or swine yearly during her life.

To my son John Burbank, I give the sum of forty shillings in cattle to be paid within one year after my decease if he come and receive it in Rowley; the reason I now give him no more is because I have given him what I thought was sufficient according to my ability in cattle and household stuff & Village Land, all I judge to be worth about three score pounds which when I gave it him it was accepted by him as his full portion and that in presence of Capt. Brockelbank and his wife before whom he gave it under his hand that he would desire no more of what I have left. To my son Timothy, my grandchild, who liveth with Capt. Saltonstall after he cometh to the age of twenty one years, I give a beast of aboul three pounds price.

To my daughter Lydia, having given her Merrimack Land or my land at Bradford and other necessaries, I hereby confirm it to her husband and her and their three children. Also I give her ten pounds to be paid in Rowley, within one year after my wife - hei decease; in cattle.

To my son Caleb, I give one half of my dwelling and barn and the other half of all my lands and meadows, that is to say, lands divided or not divided or layd out within the bounds of Rowley and the other half given to his Mother for life to by to him and his heirs after her decease and all my moveables not given to my wife. My will is that my son Caleb Burbank be my sole Executor and that he pay all debts and legacys given him ir my will as an explanation of what I have given my wife. My will is that my Executoi provide all comfortable necessaries for my beloved wife during her natural life both foi health and sickness according as my overseers shall think and judge convenient.

If my son or those that survive him provide not according to her need and expectation my willis, and that which I desire that my loving friends Daniel Wicam & Nehemiah Jewet be my overseers to see that my will be performed and especially that my wife be wel provided for. For as she may need and be thus provided according to her need then the lands be given her to be free to my son Caleb as the other lands given him.

Signed, Sealed and Declared to be his Last Will and Testament the fifth day of April Annc Domini: 1681
his
John X Burbank
mark

In presence of Witness:
Nehamiah Jewett
DanI Wicham
Att court at Ipswich 10th of April 1683

 

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