John Baker, of Woburn & Rehoboth

John Baker

• Birth: 25 MAR 1654 in Cambridge, Middlesex, MA / Woburn, Middlesex, MA
• Death: in Swanzey, MA 2 3
• Parents: John Baker & Susanna Martin
• Married: Hannah Polley

Military Service: Soldier in King Phillip's War. Short Notes cites Bodge's History of King Philip's War.

Note:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~coleen/baker/index.htm#TOC

[This John] is mentioned in the record of 16 men who banded together as part of the Narraganset Expedition (1675) and he also fought in the "Great Swamp Fight" as reported in a book called Soldiers in King Phillip's War by Bodge. He was wounded in that war. More information is found in the "Plymouth Colony Records" when it lists 5 men from the town of Swansea were furnished for the "Church Expedition" against the Indians in 1689, John Baker was one of those men.

John Baker was "pressed into service" in December of 1675, when preparations for

the Narragansett Expedition were being made (pertaining to the wars with the

Narragansett Indians). He was one of 16 men from Woburn, Massachusetts who

fought in the December 18, 1675 "Great Swamp Fight" against the Indians. He was

wounded in battle.

Years later, in thepension letters he wrote( to prove his

military service) he said: ".....my arm being broke by shott, and ye shott whent

thru part of my body below my shoulder. I was sent to Road Island, to ye doctor.

When I was able, my father detached me home, gott so much of a cure as I learned

ye trade of a weaver. "

In 1687, John and his family moved from Woburn, Massachusetts to Swansea,

Massachusetts, where he was, once again, pressed into service in the King

Phillips War (1689-1697).

The "Plymouth Colony Records" reveal the following: "On August 14, 1689, Swansea was to furnish 4 men for the Church Expedition against the Indians. On May 28,

1690, Swansea furnished 3 men to be sent to Albany, New York and on June 5, 1690 Swansea furnished 7 men for the expedition into Canada". These same records show that John Baker participated in the first two battles.

Source: "History of Woburn" by Sewall pg.113

Source: "Soldiers in King Phillips War" by Bodge pg 171-172

Source: "Plymouth Colony Records" VI.216, VI 232

Source: "Acts and Resolves of the Province of mass. Bay pgs. 248, 638-639

in 1700, Massachusetts Bay Colony voted to pay £10 and an annual pension of £4 to John Baker of Swansea, Massachusetts. To obtain this pension, John had to

write a series of letters describing his military service. There is a lot of information in these letters. For John's service in King Phillips War and King Williams War, he was given a grant of land in Narragansett Township #4 (now

Greenwich, Massachusetts).

Not sure of date of death, but it was post 1722

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 22 2016, 3:47:45 UTC