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Descendants of John Fay

Generation No. 1

1. John¹ Fay was born 1648 in England, and died December 05, 1690 in marlboro, MA. He married (1) Mary Brigham, daughter of Thomas Brigham and Mercy Hurd. He married (2) Susanna Shattuck Morse July 15, 1678 in Watertown, Ma.

Notes for John Fay:
Emmigration: French Huguenot refugee from France to Wales to Mass.

John Fay arrived in Boston on June 27, 1656. John was by no means the first Fay to come to America. Available town records in New England show for example that (1) Richard Fay resided in Dorchester, Ma in 1634, (2) Henry Fay (a weaver) of Newberry, MA, died 1655 and (3) William Fay was admitted as atownsmen in Boston in 1643. These Fays unquestionably precended John Fay to America in 1656 but there are no records to establish any inter-relationship between any of them. On the other hand the direct lineage of the descendants of John Fay from his birth in 1648 to 1898 were clearly and logically documented in the records accumulated in Orlin P. Fay's book.

John Fay came to America at the age of 8 on The Speedwell (sister ship of The Mayflower), arriving in Bostton, MA June 27, 1656. There is reasonable evidence that his father and a brother Michael preceded him to America. Although there is no documented record of the father (David) or Michael's birth or death. Reference is made in the early Town records of Sudbury, MA that the father of John & MIchael was David Fay "who came to America prior to 1656."

The passenger list of The Speedwell lists 5 monors, includiing John Fay at age 8 years. These young men were to Sudbury, MA (settled 17 years previously) where each of them had parents or relatives. It is presumed that since John Fay was the youngest of these minors, he very likely had parents already residing in Sudbury, MA.

Shortly after John Fay's arrival a group of recent immigrants, including young John to a new grant which was newly incorporated under the name of Marlboro, MA. The early records of Marlboro show that John Fay was made a freeman in 1669, at which time he had a wife and child. In 1675 the name of John Fay appears among the proprietors of Worcester, MA and that he had alot of 50 acres assigned to "in the eastern squadron, lying next to the county road to Boston". Although, he owned land in Worcester he continued to live in Marlboro until the marauding Indians during The Phillips War made it necessary to move his family to the greater security of Watertown, MA. While in Watertown he buried his first wife, Mary Brigham and one child. His second marriage was to Susan "Susanna"
Shattuck, who was the widow of John Morse. She had 7 children by Morse and 4 by John. After John Fay's death, Susan married as her third husband Thomas Brigham, who was brother of John Fay's first wife Mary. It is interesting to record that from Susan's last marriage, one of her descendants was Peter Bent Brigham, who left a sum of $1,000,000 which was not to be spent until 25 years after his death. By this time the fund had grown to $2,000,000 and was used to build the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, a world famous medical research hospital connected with Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

Notes for Mary Brigham:
Mary was the first Brigham born in America, and as such deserves special mention. Paige, in his history of Cambridge, a most thorough and painstaking work, cronicles that " Mary went to Sudbury, MA and Marlboro, MA with her mother, brothers and sister, when her father died, where she married John Fay of Marlboro." And he cites evidence, as already indicated by a legal document, wherein, joining with other complaintants, John Fay and Samuel Fay, children of Mary Fay of Marlboro, and heirs of Thomas Brigham, late of Cambridge begin suit September 28, 1695, to recover certain lands in the possession of Samuel Hastings, who possessed also the Purtain Brigham homestead. John Fay Sr. wife was Mary, and there was no other Fay in Marlboro at the time of suitable age to be the father of said John, Jr, and Samuel Fay, parties to said suit. Paige was undoubtlably correct, and we must include in our geoneology of the Brigham's the children of John and Samuel Fay, sons of Mary (Brigham) Fay. Both of the them had large families, among them being sons who became the heads of numerous branches. There was also a daughter, Mary Fay, who married Jonathan3 Brigham, her cousin and a son of Thomas2 Brigham; they had 10 children, thus starting several male lines of Brighams. Hudson, in his hisp. of Marlboro, does not conflict with Paiges position; and he adds that John Fay retired (with most Marlborites), during King Philip's war, to Watertown, where he buried his wife Mary and a young son David, just coming 5 years.

John Fay, the husband of Mary Brigham, came to America when he was 8 years of age. No mention is made of his parents. He is found in Marlboro as early as 1669. He married (2) Susanna, daughter of William Shattuck of Watertown and widow of Joseph Morse. As will be seen, she married for her third husband, Thomas2 Brigham.

Notes for Susanna Shattuck Morse:
Susanna reportedly had 7 children by Joseph Morse, names unknown at this writing.

As the widow Fay, she was assisned to the garrison of John Newton at Marlborough with the West Regiment of Middlesex in 1691/92.

Children of John Fay and Mary Brigham are:

2	i.	John² Fay II, born November 30, 1669 in marlboro, MA Middlesex County; died January 05, 1746/47 in Westboro, Ma.
3	ii.	David Fay, born October 15, 1671; died September 28, 1676 in Watertown, MA.
4	iii.	Mary Fay, born February 10, 1674/75 in marlboro, MA Middlesex County; died November 09, 1751.
5	iv.	Samuel Fay, born October 11, 1673 in Marlborough, Ma Middlesex County; died October 10, 1732 in westboro, Ma.

Children of John Fay and Susanna Morse are:

+	6	i.	David² Fay I, born April 23, 1679 in marlboro, MA; died April 10, 1738 in southboro, MA.
	7	ii.	Ruth Fay, born July 15, 1684 in marlborough, Ma Middlesex County.
	8	iii.	Deliverance Fay, born October 07, 1686 in watertown, MA; died January 22, 1711/12 in watertown, MA.
	9	iv.	Gershom Fay, born October 19, 1681 in marlborough, Ma Middlesex County; died November 24, 1720.

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