Jeffery Marcy

Emigrated 1630 to Boston. One of the early settelers of Salem Mass. Bor 1591/3 and died 1676/77.

Biography
Geoffrey (Anderson calls him "Jeffrey") Massey was born December 11, 1591 in England and died November 9, 1675 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts.

Database: Genealogical Dictionary of New England Settlers Volume 3 page 170 Massey, Jeffrey, Salem, one of the first members of the church there;freeman 14 May 1634; was clerk of the market 1642, died 1677, aged at84; had John, b. 1631, who by Dr. Bentley was called the first born male of the town; but Felt differs from that judgement, though the cradle in which he was rocked was long admired, and perhaps acknowledged as proof.JOHN, Salem, son of the preceding, freeman 1668, had Jeffrey, bapt. 30 July 1665, and John, perhaps older; be side Sarah, born a about 1669, who married Miles Ward. He kept the ferry to Beverly, in wh. office his s.John, who perhaps in 1687 lived at Roxbury, and by whom Sarah, d. of Thomas Wells of Ipswich, had Ann, b. 11 Oct. of that year succeed. 1701, and the senior died 1 Sept. 1710.

From: RYAL SIDE FROM EARLY DAYS OF SALEM COLONY. By CALVIN P. PIERCE

"In a number of cases it is evident that the land assigned to some of the early inhabitants was not improved by them and was afterward granted to other applicants, either by reason of abandonment or from other causes,and it also appears that lands were assigned which were not available,the lack of a sufficient record being sometimes the cause of conflict and action at law. Disputes over land boundaries and the laying-out of highways were not uncommon at Ryal Side in the early days and the records show in several instances that Jacob Barney and Jeffrey Massey, two members of the Board of Selectmen, were usually called to adjust the difficulty." "For valuable assistance or services, parcels were granted to town officials who did not live here, notably Jeffrey Massey, a selectman, and Henry Skerry, marshal of the town."

From: The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633.

ORIGIN: Unknown (but see COMMENTS below)
MIGRATION: 1630
FIRST RESIDENCE: Salem
OCCUPATION. Surveyor. Massey kept a book of his lot laying and was a skilled surveyor, among other talents.

At November Term 1664, "Jefferie Massey, aged seventy-three years, deposed t hat for about thirty-four years, that I have been in Salem ... and further that since I have been employed in laying out land for the town which is now as I take it about thirty years w e were always careful to reserve land free for highways'"[EQC 3:207; see also EQC 4:224, ST R 1:10, 35, 44 etc.].

In list of Salem church members compiled in late 1636 [SChR 5] shows- FREEMAN: 14 May 1634 [MBCR 1:369]. EDUCATION: The earliest Salem town book of grants is in his handwriting[STR 1:5, 180], but at end of his life he was reduced to making his mark on his will. OFFICES HELD: Deputy for Salem General Court Juryman

Salem selectman, 1635, 1637-40, 1642, 1643, 1645-9, 1651, 1652,1654-7 [STR 1:15, 50, 68 , 77, 105, 114, 121, 137, 146, 153, 156, 158,167, 171, 176, 184, 192, 200]. Clerk of the writs, 1647 [STR 1:148]. Rater, 11 September 1637 [STR 1:57]. Auditor, 1640, 1645-7 [STR 1:106,1 37, 145, 153]. Clerk of the market, 1648 [STR 1:104]. Constable, 1645,15 April 1646 [STR 1: 141; EQC 1:2]. Fence viewer, 1636/7, 1645 [STR 1:40,136]. Surveyor, repeatedly until 1658 [S TR 1:214].

OFFICES: Deputy for Salem to General Court, 13 March 1638/9 [STR 1:85;MBCR 1:250]. One of three Salem members of colony "committee appointed to value [livestock] in every town, which are required to value the munder their worth rather than above their worth," 13 May 1640 [MBCR1: 295]. Committee on boundary between Salem and Ipswich, 27 March 1643[MBCR 2:36]. Essex jury, 27 June 1636, 27 September 1636, 27 December1636, 27 March 1638, 26 June 1638, 25 September 1638, 25 December 1638,25 June 1639, 24 September 1639, 31 December 1639, 31 March 1640, 29 December 1640, 29 June 1641 [EQC 1:3, 4, 7-12, 14, 17, 23, 28]. Grand jury, 25 January 1641/2 , 26 December 1643, 9 July 1644, 31 December 1644,30 November 1652, 28 June 1653, 28 November 1654, 26 June 1655, 25November 1656, 24 November 1663 [EQC 1:33, 57, 67, 74, 270, 282, 372, 390, 2:6, 3:101]. Petit jury, 27 December 1642 (discharged), 30 December1645, 6 July 1647, 2 6 June 1649, 25 June 1650 (foreman), 24 June 1651, 25November 1651, 29 June 1652, 20 October 1653, 28 June 1659, 26 June 1660,25 June 1661 [EQC 1:44, 89, 114, 169, 191, 229, 239, 254 , 309, 2:157,202, 281].

With two others, Jeffrey Massey's position as a juryman from Salem was challenged by Margaret Weston at the January 1637/8 Term of court. Unfortunately, there is no record of the grounds for her complaint. He evidently withstood the challenge since he served in the March 1638 court [EQC 1:7]. Coroner's jury on the drowning of John Balch, 16 February 1661[/2] [EQC 2:421].

ESTATE: In the 1636 Salem land grant Jeffrey Massey received seventy-five acres in the freeman's lands at Mackerell Cove [STR 1:20].He was granted half an acre of marsh on 25 December 16 37, with a household of three [STR 1:102].

On 3 March 1637[/8] Jeffrey Massey and Richard Brackenbury were each granted fifty acre s of land adjoining the Mackerell Cove grant "inconsideration that they had fifty acres of rocks granted them formerly"[STR 1:68]. He was granted twenty acres of upland and five acres of meadow 21 January 1639/40, the twenty acres located at the Great Pond[STR 1:97, 116]. His f our acres formerly granted was chosen in the summer of 1651 [STR 1:169].

It was ordered 26 February 1654/5 that "for as much as Jefferie Massey hath transcribed t he town book or so much as remained unperfected by Mr. Downing that the said Jefferie Massey s hall have forty acres ofupland in some convenient place for his pains" [STR 1:180].

At court March Term 1681, Jacob Town, aged about fifty years,deposed that about thirty-five or six years ago his father, William Towne, bought twenty acres of land of Jeffery Massey of Salem and paid for it in wheat the same year [EQC 8:74].

[The following looks like Anderson, GMB, also]

BIRTH: About 1591 (deposed in November 1661 aged about seventy [EQC2:323]; deposed 30 November 1664 aged seventy-three [EQC 3:207]; deposed28 March 1674 aged eighty-two years [EQC 5:282] ; deposed 30 June 1674aged eighty-two years [EQC 49:16]; discharged from training "on account of his age and service to the town, paying 5s. yearly to the company,"December Term 1647 [EQ C 1:131]).

DEATH: Salem 9 November 1676.

MARRIAGE: By about 1631 Ellen _____ (assuming that she was mother of John). "Ellen Massy" was admitted to Salem church 26 November 1648 [SChR13], but no earlier record gives her name. She died in late 1679 or early 1680, since her son charged the estate for expenses "laid out for my mother after my father's decease for the space of three years & upwards," and also for funeral expenses [EPR 3:150].

CHILD: i JOHN, b. about 1631 (deposed 28 June 1672 aged 41 [EQC 5:68-9];deposed aged about forty-nine years June 1680 [EQC 7:390]); m. Salem 27April 1658 Sarah Wells, daughter of Thoma s and Abigail Wells (in her will of 22 July 1671 widow Abigail Wells of Ipswich named "my daughter Sarah Massey" [EPR 2:241]); d. Salem 1 September 1710, at which time the town clerk entered after his name "one of the first persons that was born in this Town of Salem of the English Nation." ASSOCIATIONS: He was frequently teamed with Henry Skerry when surveying land, and chose Skerry and his son as overseers of his will.

COMMENTS: Banks claimed that Jeffrey Massey came from Knutsford,Cheshire, without giving any evidence [Topo Dict 14]. In 1979 Judge Frank A. Massey published evidence which points in t his same direction: a Jeffrey Massey, son of Jeffrey and Blanche (Hough) Massey, was baptize date Knutsford, Cheshire, on 11 December 1591; a Jeffrey Massey and Ellen Fox married on 25 May 1 625 at Wybenbury, Cheshire; and a John Massey, sonof Jeffrey, was baptized at Knutsford on 1 6 March 1627 [Massey GenealogyAddendum (Fort Worth, Texas, 1979), pp. 63-64]. These records are tantalizing, but do not quite constitute proof: Knutsford and Wybenburyare on opposite sides of Cheshire; and the son John in Salem was born about 1631, not 1627. Nevertheless, as J dge Massey notes, the name Jeffrey Massey is common in Cheshire, and further research in this county should eventually determine the origin of this immigrant.

Jeffrey was not only a careful and reliable worker, he also kept meticulous records. Son John Massey was called to the September 1693 term of the Essex Quarterly Courts to provide land entries he described as "A true Copy taken out of my father Jeffery Massey Esq book of upland laid out by himself Mr. Gardner Petar Palfery lot layers out at Wenham the 25 of the 11th Month1643" [EQC 56:19]. John provided similar service for neighbors and the courts on many occasions [EQC 9:343]. He witnessed the marriage contract of Marie Goult and Richard Bishop, 12July 1660 [EQC 6:105-6]. Jeffrey Massey appraised the estates of Samuel Smith, 18 November 1652; Joanna Cummins, 17 May 1644; John Thorne, 1August 1646; Richard Bartholomew, 27 July 1646; John Balch, 15 May 1648;Miles Ward, 1650; William Goult, 21 April 1 660; Thomas Smith of Salem, 14June 1662; Elizabeth Cockerell, 27 June 1664; William Goose, 2 8 June1664; Richard Ellit, March 1662/3; Richard Ingersoll, 4 October 1644 [EQC1:47, 66, 101 , 102, 143-4, 195, 2:214, 3:20, 162, 176, 181, 4:111]. He witnessed the wills of Michael Sallows, 14 November 1646, and John Balch,15 May 1648 [EQC 1:105, 131, 143-4]. He was overseer to the wills of Michael Sallows, 14 November 1646, George Williams, 23 September 1654,Marie Williams, 1 October 1654, and Elizabeth Harding, 7 August 1654 [EQC1:105, 131, 375, 377, 6:243] . He was a trustee for the estate of Joseph Williams, December Term 1658 [EQC 2:136]. He administered the estate of George Smith and brought in his inventory, 9 March 1662/3 [EQC 3:14,81 ]. He appraised the land of Mr. George Emorye to satisfy the judgment to Mr. William Browne , 17 June 1671 [EQC 4:450].

Endicott ordered that Jeffery Massey and others were to lay out the lands of Jacob Barney in September 1639, an exercise Massey performed for countless others, as well [EQC 1:13, 2:2 56, 4:103, 6:242, 7:324]. He viewed the ground Richard Hollingworth wished to use to set a workhouse upon in 1644 [STR 1:126]. He was appointed to arrange for a herdsman to keep the cattle, 7 April 1645 [STR 1:136]. He was on the committee to work with Ipswich men to perfect th e town boundaries [STR 1:174] and did the same with the Topsfield men and the men of Cape An n side [STR 1:198,222]. While he did not often make his opinion known, he joined many neighbors in opposing the license for Mr. Anthony Ashby to keep an ordinary at Salem, November Term 1670 [EQC 4:315].

Estate & Probate[1][2]
Estate of Jeffery Massey, Sr., of Salem
Essex County Probate Files, Docket 17,991

"The Last will and Testement of Jaffery Massey Senr of Salem which is as ffolloweth. Affter my Debts And ffunerall expences Discharged Imprimus I giue vnto Ellin my wiffe All my housing Lands Cattell and goods For her Maintenance during her Naturall Liffe and If Neede require to sell either Land Cattell or goods by the Advice of the oversears to witt Henry Skerry senr: and Francis Skerry. Item I giue Affter the desece of my wiffe what Estate Is Lefft vnto my sone John Massey Duering his Liffe and after the desece of my sonne his wiffe Sarah Massey is to haue one thirde part of the Land and the other two thirds of the Land with the Cattell and goods is to be devided betwixt the children then Liv- ing only After her deseace the Next Eaire Is to InJoye her thirds Item I Constitute my sonne John Massey as on exsece- tor of this my will and If the Corte please to Appoynt an- other Item my will is that my overseers shall be sufisiently satffied for what time and expenses they shall be Att In the parformance of my will. In witness hereof I haue here vnto put my hand the 6: of 9 mo: 1676."
Jeffrye (his x mark) Marssye, Sener. (seal)
Witness: Henery Skerry, Sener, Frances Skerry.
Proved in Salem court 29: 4m: 1677 by the witnesses.
Inventory of the estate of Jeffery Massey of Salem, taken, 25: 9: 1676, by Henery Skerry, sr., and Francis Skerry:

his dwelling house and an Aker of upland and an orchard In it with halfe a barne & an old house & fence to it, 40li.;
4 akers of salt & English gras meddo belowe the house, 40li.;
4 akers of pasture land fenced in Neere the house, 32li.;
one Ten Aker Lot over the River Against ye house, 30li.;
one Fether Bed & Boulster, 2 pillowes, A Rug and and thre Blaneits, 6li.;
a bedsted, Curtins, vallants & Bed Cord, 1li. 7s.;
An ould small fether Bed with Boustars & Coverlet & two Blankets, 1 li. 10s.;
An old Cos, 3li.;
his waring Clothes, on Cloke & An old Cote & 2 pare of Breches & a dublit & A pare of Gloves, 4li.;
a hat & thre hanearchars, 4 band & 2 Caps, 8s.;
A bos, Iorne & pot hucks, 3s.;
a pare of AndIornes, a spit, tongs, a hake, one pot And Cettell & fier pan, one mortising Ax, & a wedg, 1li. 5s. 6d.;
for old putar, a Tabell & forme & small Tabell & Joynt stoole, 1li. 2s.;
2 Chests, one of Joynar worke & one sea chest, 2 chayres & 2 Cushins, 1li. 2s.;
Thre old brasse Ceettels, a brasse Candellstick, a seimer & pott Cover, 14s.;
A Linin Whele & To[w] Come, 7s.;
a parsell of old Lumbar, of severall Things, 14s.;
total, 163li. 12s. 6d. Debts, 1li. 15s.; funeral expenses, 2li. 7s. 9d.

Attested in Salem court 26: 4: 1677 by John Massy.
: Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vo. 26, leaves 116,117.

An account of the estate of Jeffrey Massey: inventory total, 163li. 12s.; Debt received that was due to the estate by 10 cord of wood, 4li. corne, 1li., 5 li.; money, 16s.; breaking up of land, 2li. 8s.; the use of the land during my Father's and Mother's life which was about 7 years, 42li.; from John Batchelder in fencing stuff, 12s.; total estate, 214li. 8s.

The estate indebted for the keeping and maintaining of my father and mother with both Food, Physick & Tendance both in sickness & health for the space of four yeares untill ye time of my father's departure, which account was well approved of by ye overseers nominated in my Father's will, namely, Henry Skerrey, sr. and Francis Skerrey amounted to 106li.; funerall expence, 3li. 15s.; Debt to Mr. William Browne, sr., 3li. 12s.; to Capt. George Corwine, sr., 4li.; to Jno. Bachelour in money, 1li.; loss of halfe an aker of land aprised in ye inventory, 5li.; total, 123li. 15s. Charges layd out upon my mother after my fathers decease for ye space of three yeares & upwards for Food, Phisick & Tendance while she was in a very weak condicon amounted to 30li.; funerall expence as money, 2li. 7s.; Damage to ye Estate in ye time of my mothers weakness, 5li.; total, 37li. 7s.; making total expence, 161li. 2s.

Attested by John Massey, sr. July 2, 1694 before Hon. Bartholmew Gedney.[3]
Quitclaim of Jeoffry Massy of Wells in County of Yorkshire in New England, taylor, he having received of his father John Massey of Salem, yeoman, two acres of land in Salem bounded "northerly by ye land of Thomas Elkins, Southerly wth ye land of sd John Massey, Westerly by ye Country Road or River, Easterly by ye Comon highway to ye Ferry together wth Orchard Fences comonages and all profits and privilidges & Appertenances of wt nature or kind so ever thereunto belonging" these two acres being the full payment of the 22li. left to him by his grandfather Jeoffry Massey, deceased, as by his last will may more fully appear. Signed and sealed Sept. 3, 1700.

Witness: Daniel Eps, John Trask.
: Acknowledged by Jeoffry Massey Sept. 4, 1700 before Hon. Jonathan Corwin, Judge of Probate.[4]

Account of what charges John Massey have been at with my Father and Mother in the tyme of there Age & weaknes Begining in March, 1672 and for my Father & Mother continewed togeather for the space of fore years & a half in much weakness before the time of his deceas: there is alowed for there dyat & Tendance, 90li.; alowed for 8 cords of wood by the yeare for 4 years & upwards, 14li. 8s.; wine & Lickars as there needs Required, 1li. 12s.; funerall expences for my father, 2li. 10s.; Debt to Mr. Browne, sr., 3li. 12s.; to Capten Georg Corwin, 4li. 8s.; total, 116li. 10s. Charges about my Mother after my fathers decease by the means of hir long weaknes of Boddy for the space of two yeares & a half or more no waies Able to help hirself but we mostly to help hir In that condition, 30li.; hir Funerall Expences, 1li. 18s.; losses to the estate by waste of Beding & other things, 5li.; the Oversears considdering the extreordenary Troble that was with my Mother have thought good to ad 11li. more Tords my satisfaction; total, 164li. 8s. The whoe inventory of my Father's estate, 214li. 8s.

Henry Skerry, sr. and Francis Skerry the overseers to the will of Jeffery Massey, approved of this account of John Massey as executor to his father's estate, July 1, 1680, and there being fifty pounds remaining to be paid to the children according to the will after his and his wife's decease, we have set apart one house and one acre of land with half an orchard thereto belonging and half a bar thereunto belonging valued at forty pounds for their security, as also another acre and quarter of land in the pasture toward the North Ferry at ten pounds.[5]

Sources
↑ Essex Probate 1635-1664
↑ The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume III, 1675-1681; pp 149-151
↑ Essex County Probate Files, Docket 17,991.
↑ Essex County Probate Records, vol. 307, page 44.
↑ Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol. 33, leaf 108.
See also:

Essex County Probate Files, Docket 17,991
Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1840.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2013. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Probate file for Jeffrey Massey, accessed 30 Oct 2013.
History of Salem, Massachusetts by Perley.
The Essex Institute, selected volumes.
"Jeffrey Massey, Planter of Salem, Massachusetts (1591-1676) and his Known Descendants in the Male Line up to January 1976" by Caroline Massey Sparks.
"The Massey Family, 1591-1961" compiled by Marion Massey Nicholson.
"The Masseys, Founding Family" by Molly Gillen.
"Harvest Triumph, the Story of Massey-Harris" by Merrill Denison.