Deacon John Rounds Jr.

Note:

see The John Round Family of Swansea and Rehoboth, MA (1983) by H.L. Peter Rounds

(pg 19) below is an excerpt;

JOHN2 ROUND (Johnl), possibly b. ca. 1672, d. between 19 July/19 Aug. 1758 (dates his Will executed and Inventory taken). Called "my son John Round" in his father's Will.

He m. lst, probably ca. 1698, ABIGAIL , b. possibly ca. 1675, probably d. ca. 1710/11 (based on John's2 2nd marriage date). Nichols (P. 11) called her "Bowen," but no supporting evidence has been found. She does not fit into any known place as a descendant of the Richard Bowen family of Rehoboth and Swansea, the only Bowens who were in the area at that time.

John2 m. 2nd 26 Nov. 1711 (Int. 2 Nov. 1711-RVR) at Swansea (SVR) HANNAH ( ) CARDER, widow of John Carder (Richard1) of Warwick, R.I., who d. 26 Oct. 1700 (WKVR) [Robert W. Carder, " Richard Carder of Warwick, Rhode Island, and His Descendants," an unpub. typescript Ms sent to thi s compiler by the author with a letter of 20 May 1981; hereinafter referred to as "Carder Gen."). Extensive research has not uncovered Hannah's maiden name, parentage or birthdate . She d. after 19 July 1758, when she was called "my well beloved wife" in John's2 Will.

The earliest record of John2 Round, other than his first Deed of 1704, is found in The Swansea Proprietors Records, Book of 1667-1730, p. 11 7, in an entry made in 1709, which speaks of "...rights deriving from John Round Juner..." in describing land holdings. Then, in Oct. 1716, John2 appeared with his mother in Probate Court to present his father's Inventory (BMP R 3:301).

John2 received one vote in the balloting to elect two Deacons by the members of the North Swansea Baptist Church on 22 May 1718 [ Ilston Book , p. 207; a book of church records from Ilston, Wales in the 1600's; brought to America by the Rev. John Myles. Empty pages in it were later used for recording meetings and other proceedings of the North Swansea Baptist Church, from the early 1700's up through the mid-1800's; on LDS #104,833; hereinafter referred to as Ilston Book.]. Contrary to implications by both Woodward and Nichols, the original records clearly show that neither John2 nor his brother, Richard2, were ever elected as Deacons.

The Ilston Book contains a number of references to John2 Round. On 5 Dec. 1720 "The Church made choice of Bro. Theophilus Luther and Bro. John Round to notify Bro. Ebenzr Eddy to appear before ye Church ye next Church Meeting to answer to such Things as Shall be aledged against him. " (Ibid., p. 218). John2-was voted to be one of a committee of five commissioned to care for "The Pastors & Teachers Lott" on 7 May 1730 (Ibid., p. 231). Then, on 13 July 1730, John2 was elected to be one of five agents to go to Court to present an action of trespass against Richard Harding, who was living on the "Pastors & Teachers Lott," not wanting to move out because he felt he had made an investment in it (Ibid., p . 231). On 14 Jan. 1731, a number of the Church members who were residents of Rehoboth petitioned the Church of Swansea for permission to start a sister church in Rehoboth (Ibid. , p. 234) and John's2 brother George2 was one of these petitioners. However, John2 Round remained in the Swansea Church because he was still a Swansea resident at that time. On 7 Jan. 1741 John 2 was one of 12 Commissioners chosen to go to the Rehoboth Church to talk about common concerns (Ibid., P. 239). John2 Round and John Martin were chosen on 2 June 1743 as agents to the General Court at Boston with regard to getting permission for selling "wild land" in "The Pastors & Teachers Lott" (Ibid. 0 P. 243). There are also a number of other references to John2 Round in the Ilston Book.

It was the practice in early Rehoboth, as in virtually every part of early New England colonies, to support their ministers by "Ministerial Rates", special taxes on the inhabitants. In the" Rehoboth Town Meeting Records", Book for 1670 - 1740, in the fall of 1734, there is an entry ( p. 267): "Pursuant to an actt Intitled an actt further to Exempt persons commonly called Anabaptis within this province from being Taxed for and toward the Support of Ministers we the Subscribers Assessors of the T owne of Rehoboth have taken a list of Names of the persons within sd Towne whome we Judge Should be Exempted according to sd Actt for ye year 1 734 and are as followeth..." Then follows a list of about 120 names. John2 Round is not among them , although his brothers Richard2 and George2 are, as well as his son David3 and his nephew Richard, Jr.3. However, similar lists for the years 1738, 1740, 1741, 1744 and 1750 [the only other years for which such lists of Baptists were recorded in Rehoboth Town Meeting records] all contain the name of John2 Round. As Baptists, they supported their own ministry and felt it was wrong for the clergy to be supported by public funds. [These lists of Baptists in Rehoboth are scheduled to be published in the New England Hist. Gen. Register of Jan. 1984, as contributed by this compiler.)

The North Swansea Baptist Church records show that: "July 10:1750 Hannah Round the wife of John Round was baptized and joynd" (Ilston Book, p . 290).

In his land transactions, up through the Deed of 1737, John2 Round was called "of Swansey. " On Deeds of 1744 and later, as well as on his Will and Inventory, he was referred to as "of Rehoboth." Since his name appeared on the list of Rehoboth Baptists in 1738, but his Deed of 14 Nov. 1737 called him "of Swansey," it narrows down the time period of when he moved from Swansea to Rehoboth, indicating the move took place between the end of 1737 and the end of 1738. Probably he waited until the snow and cold weather had waned, moving in the spring or summer of 1738. John2 probably lived on the farm in Rehoboth that he had bought of Nathaniel Millerd (unrecorded) near "Monwheague Swamp," as mentioned in BMD 14: 284, below. It was in the southeastern part of Rehoboth.

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jun 21 2019, 12:17:59 UTC