User Home Page Genealogy Report: Descendants of Francis Wainwright
Descendants of Francis Wainwright
1.Francis1 Wainwright was born Abt. 1616 in Chelmsford, Essex, England, and died May 19, 1692 in Salem, MA.He married (1) Philippa Sewall Abt. 1647, daughter of George Sewall and Sarah.He married (2) Hannah Abt. 1669.
Notes for Francis Wainwright:
FrancisWainwrightwas born in England about 1616.In 1630,hewaslivingunderapprenticeship withAlexander Knight, an innkeeper fromChelmsford England, and came with him to the colony in that year.Althoughhe may have been the "Mr Wainwright" who purchased the estate of Robert Moulton in Charlestown in 1630, this seems unlikely, since he would have been a mere 14 andhardly worthy of the ranking of "Mr."More likely, he arrived with Mr. Knight and moved early to Ipswich to settle.
FrancisfoughtunderCaptain Dennison in the Pequot war of 1637 andagainin1642and1645.On31 May 1671 he was admitted as a Freeman, capable of voting and holding public office.
FrancisdiedsuddenlyinSalem while on his way to Ipswich from Boston on 19 May 1692.He is buried at the Charter Street Burial ground ina large vault which was restored by the Salem Historical Society in1894.The inscription reads as follows:
"Here lyeth buried
ye body of
Francis Wainwright
Aged 76 years
deceased ye 19 of May 1699
Son
Francis Wainwright Jr
Tomb Located and Tablet Restored
1894"
Theinformation on the tablet shows up some inconsistencies of the publicrecords.Thedate of death comes form the entry in the Salem VitalRecords.However,thewill, probatedat Suffolk County ------,andall other sources use this 1692 date.Also, there was no otherFrancis Wainwright of record other than the one who is buried at theIpswichNorthBuryingGround.Darlingsuggeststhat this is actually Benjamin.
Francis'will, on file in the Suffolk County registry Vol.XIII p17,#1954, provides bequests for his wife, and for all his children except for Sarah Perkins, who was deceased at this time.Hedid leave a bequest for Sarah's son, Francis Perkins.Also
mentioned were his son John's two sons, Francis and John.
Hannah,hiswidowsubsequently married Daniel Epes of Salem on 1 May 1693.She died 23 Nov 1722.
AlexanderKnight,theman who brought Francis over from England, remainedinIpswichuntilhisdeathin 1664.His old apprentice, Francis, was appointed one of the appraisers of his estate.
FrancisWainwrightwasone of the earliest settlers in Ipswich.Hisnameappearsina list of residents as early as 1635.He later becameaprominentmerchant,dealing primarily in fish exports.In 1668thetowngrantedhim, along with his son John leave to build 1 wharfalong what is now East Street.In 1665 he is listed as having 1 1/2sharesinPlum Island (about 4 1/2 acres) On 27 Feb 1671 Francis purchased a large lot of land along the town dock. This land he gave to hissonJohn "as he promised on his marriage with Elizabeth, daughter ofMr. Wm Norton, March 10 1674-5, the house sd John Occupies".On 24 Apr1683he purchased land in Haverhill, near what is now the Emerson House and passed this also to his son John.
********** Check out ownership ofthis land.This is said to be where Simon lived ******
In1675FrancisWainwrightpetitionedthetownto permit the constructionof a pew in the meeting house "six foot square or so much asamountstoitbetweenthe two seats and the stairs on the North side".This was the first such private pew erected in Ipswich and the
conceptoferectingprivate pews for one's family against the walls, ratherthaninsomecentrallocationinthe meeting house became fashionable for the next century.
InApril1637,thePequotIndiansbegan raiding homesteads on the fringesofthecolony,and young Francis was called to serve in the local militia.His bravery in that encounter was recounted by the Rev. PhilipVincentin his "True Relation of the Late Battle Fought in New EnglandbetweentheEnglishandtheSalvages"publishedinthe
"CollectionsoftheMassachusetts Society", 3rd Series, Vol. 5 PP. 40-41:
"AprettysturdyyouthofNewIpswich, going forth
somewhatrashlytopursue the savages, shot off his musket
afterthemtillall his powder and shot were spent, which,
theyperceiving,re-assaultedhim,thinkingwiththeir
hatchets to have knocked him in the head; but he so bestirred
himselfwiththestockofhispieceand after with the
barrel,whenthatwas broken, that he brought two of their
headsto the Army.His own dessert, and the encouragement of
others,willnotsufferhim to be nameless.He is called
Francis Wainwright."
ThePequotwarendedsuccessfullyin October of 1637.For his service,Franciswas paid a Private's wage of 20 shillings per month.
Forhisbravery, in 1639, he was awarded a land grant in Ipswich of 8 acres.Severalyears later,in early September 1642, Francis again answeredthecallof the military to march north to put down another Indianinsurrection,thistimebyPassaconaway,Sagamoreofthe Merrimac.Forthisshort expedition he was paid 3 shillings.On 19 Dec1645Franciswasagainmobilized,this time to stand ready to march;anorderneverexecuted. It is not known if he was mobilized againin 1655 to respond to a gathering of several thousand Indians at Piscatagua(now Portsmouth NH), but this is likely, since he was named asaCorporalofMajorDennison's Company in 1664.InApril 1676
Franciswas credited for service in the Billerica Garrison during King Philips War.
InDecember1686 Sir Edmond Andros arrived in Boston and promptly revokedtheCharter oftheMassBay Colony, and replaced it bya "GovernorsCouncil"appointedbyAndros. Hewas sent by the King becauseof displeasure over the independent nature of the colony. The King was entertaining claims by Ferdinando Gorges and Robert Mason that theirancestorshadobtainedRoyal Charters to settle land from the LittleRiverin Salem north to the Kennebeck River which predated the MassBay Charter by six years, and the colonial officials had not been verycooperativewiththeRoyalCommissionerssent to mediate the claims.Moreover,itwasnotforgottenthatmany members of the Cromwellgovernment in England, which had overthrown the Monarchy in a bloody civil war and had itself been overthrown in a restoration of the Monarchy,hadtakenfriendlyrefugeinthecolony.As his first official act, and as a symbolic gesture to the residents of the colony,
Androslevied a penny per pound tax on every landholder in the colony.He ordered each town to appoint an agent to collect the taxes, and made provision for punishment of any town official who neglected the order.
Thisordergreatly angered the people of the colony, who up until this time had controlled taxationthrough the General Court.Although mosttownsproceededtoimplement the order, a few towns refused to comply.At a town meeting in Ipswich on 23 Aug 1687 it was voted:
"...Then considering that the sd act doth infringe their
libertyasfreeborneEnglish Subjects of his Majestie by
interfearingwith ye statutory Laws of the Land, by which it
isenacted,thatnotaxesshall be levied on ye subjects
withoutconsentof an assembly chosen by ye Freeholders for
assessing the same.
"Theydothereforevote,that they are not willing to
chooseaCommissionerforsuchanend,withoutsaid
privileges."
Notonlydidthe town vote to defy the Royal Governor, they also sentemissariesto the towns surrounding Ipswich to encourage similar votes.Asaresult,thetowns of Topsfield, Salisbury ,and Rowley passed similar resolutions.
Androslost no time in prosecuting the Town Officials.On 14 Sep 1686 his council began action immediately against the towns who refused tocomply.Moreover, Andros immediately ordered the arrest of several residentsandtownofficials of Ipswich for "...in a most factious & Seditious & Contemtuous manner then & there vote & agree that they were
notwilling to nor would not choose Commissioner as by a Warrant".On 16Septhecouncil orderedtheimmediatearrestof John Wise o ChebaccoParish,andWilliam Howlett of Ipswich because they "...Did particularlyexcitestirup his Majesties subjects to refractoryness and disobedience".
Facedwiththe power of the crown (and its prison in Boston where theywereheld), virtually every dissident town official recanted and beggedthepardonoftheAndrosgovernmentin sickeningly worded letterstotheCouncil.Notable as an exception was John Wise.At hisarraignmentinclosedsessionon21 Sep 1686,Wise stood his groundand smartly answered the charges of the Council.Despite the private nature of the arraignment, the gist of the interrogation at the handsoftheCouncilspread throughout Ipswich, apparently from Mr. Wise himself.The council forbade any to repeat the seditious words of Wiseand threatened strong punishment for any who disobeyed.Francis Wainwright, at that time one of the most prominent citizens of Ipswich, wassingledoutbythecouncilforviolating this order, and was orderedto appear before them.A "humble" petition of apology sent by FrancistotheGovernorserves to show the terrified and submissive attitudeoftheColoniststothetyrannical rule of Andros at this time:
The Humble Petition of Francis Wainwright
Humbly Showeth
WhereasyourPetitioner hath considerably rehearsed and
repeatedsomewordsor expressions proceeding from Mr John
Wisewhich he declared to have passed from John West Esq. at
thetime of said Wise his examination before your Excellency
andCouncil,uponhisassertingtheprivilidgesof
Englishmenaccordingto Magna Charta, it was replyed to him
thatwehadnofurtherprivilegereserved saveing to be
exempted from being sold as slaves or to that effect.
Your petitioner is heartilly sorry that he should be
soimprudent and unadvised as to receive and repeat any
suchreportorexpressions, not considering the evill
consequencesortendencythereof:beingfarfrom
designinganyharm therein or causeing any comotion or
disturbancebutwouldjudgehimselfoffollyand
rashness.And humbly prays your Excellency and Councils
favorableconstructionofhisweakness&rashness
therin.Andpraysyourforgiveness, hopeing it will
caution him to more care & circumspection for future.
And as in duty bound shall for ever pray
Francis Wainwright
Boston, 24 Sept 1687
John Wise submitted to the Council eventually, after a stay in the Stone Jail in Boston lasting into late October.He was tried, foundguiltyand sentenced with a heavy fine and a revocation of his right to preach.
Androswas overthrown by the colonists in May 1689 upon word from Englandofthe impending removal of King James by Prince William ofOrange.This was popularly known in Ipswich as "The Revolution of 1689".
Felt,inhis "History of Ipswich" says of Francis Wainwright thatbyhisdiligenceandsagacityinbusinesshe became a wealthy,usefulandrespectedmerchant."His descendants have long been among the most noted people of our country.".And Davis writes,"Forthenexttwogenerations, his descendants formed a remarkablefamily, noted for its wealth, its military spirit, and theextraordinarynumberofits college bred men".Sadly, two generations were about all that this prominent family would endure under the Wainwright name.
Notes for Philippa Sewall:
Philippa fell heir to her father's estate in England, and William Norton, an attorney,was retained on 23 Sep1647 to receive property left her by her father in England through a will dated 28 Aug 1643.
Children of Francis Wainwright and Philippa Sewall are:
+ | 2 | i. | John2 Wainwright, born 1648 in Ipswich MA; died August 03, 1708. | |
+ | 3 | ii. | Sarah Wainwright, born Bef. 1649 in Ipswich MA; died February 03, 1687/88 in Ipswich MA. | |
+ | 4 | iii. | Mary Wainwright, born 1657 in Ipswich MA; died March 28, 1710 in Lynn. | |
+ | 5 | iv. | Martha Wainwright, born January 24, 1657/58. | |
+ | 6 | v. | Simon Wainwright, born November 20, 1660 in Ipswich MA; died August 29, 1708 in Haverhill, MA. | |
7 | vi. | Mehitable Wainwright, born December 04, 1662.She married John Attwater. | ||
+ | 8 | vii. | Francis Wainwright, born August 25, 1664 in Ipswich MA; died August 03, 1711 in Ipswich MA. | |
9 | viii. | Benjamin Wainwright, born September 16, 1666 in Ipswich MA; died October 15, 1698 in Ipswich MA. |
More About Benjamin Wainwright: Fact 1: May be buried next to his father in Salem |
10 | ix. | Elizabeth Wainwright, born July 19, 1668.She married Jonothan Cogswell March 24, 1685/86. | ||
11 | x. | Jacob Wainwright, born Unknown. |
Notes for Jacob Wainwright: killed in an Indian ambushat"BloodyBrook",Northfield in the retreat from Deerfield on18Sep1675,andisburiedthere.There is some questionwhether Jacob was actually a son of Francis.He ismentionedintherecords of the Indian War as being variouslyfromIpswichand from Salem,but there is no othermentionofhim in Town records.Another soldier, WilliamWainwright,isalso listed at the same time, as fromSalemandIpswich,butthisname has never been associated with Francis. |