John Grafton, Sr.

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John Grafton, Sr.

Birthdate:
Birthplace: Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Death: November 24, 1716 (77)
Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Place of Burial: Burying Point Cemetery, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America
Immediate Family:

Son of Major Joseph Grafton, Sr. and Mary Grafton
Husband of Seeth Gardner and Seeth Grafton
Father of William Grafton; Mary Ruth Grafton; Seeth Grafton; Abigail Grafton; Jehoadan Grafton and 5 others
Brother of Elizabeth Kitchen; Priscilla Gardner; Joseph Grafton, Jr.; Nathaniel Grafton; Ann Scarlet and 7 others

Occupation: Mariner
Managed by: Linda Sue
Last Updated:

About John Grafton, Sr.

John Grafton received all the land on the opposite side of the street of his father's homestead, from his father, 15 September 1667. He built a house and lived there until he removed to Boston before 14 April 1711 when he conveyed the land to his grandson, Joseph Hardy, a shipwright. [1] He may have returned at some point because he again removed to Boston before he conveyed this same house and homelot to his son-in-law, Joseph Andrew. [2] He was a mariner based out of Salem, Massachusetts. [3] [4] John signed the petition against imposts in 1668, as did his father and brother Joseph. [5] He was once shipwrecked in September 1669/70, bound for the West Indies aboard the Prudence, of which he was master. Several sailors were lost, including John's brother Nathaniel, but John was preserved. In consideration, the town did not require his payment of rations for the previous year. [6] [7]

GRAFTON, JOHN, Salem, mariner, s. of Joseph, of wh. Mather, Magn. tells the story, copied from his f.'s Remarkab. Provid. cap. I. how he was, in Sept. 1669, shipwr. and preserv. m. 1 Dec. 1659, Seeth, d. of the first Thomas Gardner, had Mary, b. 7 Sept. 1660; Seeth, 28 Apr. 1665; Abigail, 12 Aug. 1667; Jehoadan, 1 Oct. 1669; Margaret, 24 Jan. 1671; and Nathaniel, 14 July 1672; freem. 1680, d. 24 Nov. 1715. Mary m. 25 July 1678, Joseph Hardy.(2)

Grave Epitaph (1)

  • HERE LYES Ye BODY OF Mr JOHN GRAFTon SENEr WHO DIED NOVr 24 1715 AGED 77 YEARS
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12684345/john-grafton : accessed 20 December 2021), memorial page for John Grafton Sr. (1638–24 Nov 1715), Find a Grave Memorial ID 12684345, citing Burying Point Cemetery, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Dan Silva (contributor 46781334) . 

Links

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Grafton-32

John Grafton

Born about 1638 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts

Son of Joseph Grafton Sr and Mary (Moore) Grafton

Brother of Elizabeth (Grafton) Kitchen, Priscilla (Grafton) Gardiner, Joseph Grafton Jr, Joshua Grafton and Nathaniel Grafton [half]

Husband of Seeth (Gardner) Grafton — married 1 Dec 1659 [location unknown]

Father of Mary (Grafton) Feveryear, Seeth (Grafton) Hicks, Abigail (Grafton) Andrews and Jehoadan Grafton

Died 24 Nov 1715 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts

Profile last modified 6 Jul 2019 | Created 6 Jun 2011

Biography

John Grafton received all the land on the opposite side of the street of his father's homestead, from his father, 15 September 1667. He built a house and lived there until he removed to Boston before 14 April 1711 when he conveyed the land to his grandson, Joseph Hardy, a shipwright. [1] He may have returned at some point because he again removed to Boston before he conveyed this same house and homelot to his son-in-law, Joseph Andrew. [2] He was a mariner based out of Salem, Massachusetts. [3] [4] John signed the petition against imposts in 1668, as did his father and brother Joseph. [5] He was once shipwrecked in September 1669/70, bound for the West Indies aboard the Prudence, of which he was master. Several sailors were lost, including John's brother Nathaniel, but John was preserved. In consideration, the town did not require his payment of rations for the previous year. [6] [7]

"Its ordered that Jno Grafton & Joshua Ward hauing suffered lately ship wrecke all their last years Rats [rations] are Remited from beinge gathered by the Constable." John's wife was granted permission by the church to build a pew in the meeting house on 27 January 1672.

"And ther is liberty Granted to mr Jos Grafton Junrs Widow & Mr Jno Graftons wife & Nathaniel Graftons Widow to Build A pew from the North East Corner to the middle of the Next Window on the North Syde of ye meeting house." [8] John was aboard the ketch Nightingale, which he owned, when he was taken prisoner at Huntington, Long Island by the Dutch, who had retaken New York. [9] He must have been released fairly soon because he served on the Grand Jury on 29 November 1673 and a jury trial the same month. [10] [11] 29 July 1679, he commanded the ketch Dove bound for "Antegoa" [Antigua]. [12] John was made a freeman in 1680. [13] [14] He died 24 November 1715. [15]

Birth

John was probably born in 1639, but we do know he was baptized on 28 April 1639 at the First Church of Salem. [16] He was the son of the immigrant, Joseph Grafton and his wife, Mary Moore.

Marriage

John married Seeth Gardner (1636-1707), widow of Joshua Conant and daughter of Thomas Gardner, on 1 December 1659. [17] [18]

Children

Mary (Grafton) Hardy, b. 7 September 1660 Seeth Grafton, b. 28 April 1665 Abigail (Grafton) (Walker) Andrews, b. 12 August 1667 Jehoadam Grafton, b. 1 October 1669 Margaret Grafton, b. 24 January 1671 Nathaniel Grafton, b. 14 July 1672

? John Grafton (on John, subject of this profile's, gravestone is inscribed Sr; also there was a John Grafton who married Judeth Clark on 9 August 1708 in Boston) Slaves

It is not known how many slaves there were, but there was at least one, Peter, sometimes called Peter Lawrence, as evidenced that he was manumitted 11 November 1712.

"John Grafton of Salem, mariner, for good service done me by my Servant Peter a Negroe sometimes called Peter Lawrence vis. for vpwards of thirty yeares last past and in consideration of £7 set at Liberty and freedom ye said Peter Lawrence from this time Forward for euer or him and his children Lawfully to be begotten ... more especially in con(illegible) with ye Excellent Rules of Christianity." [19] Further, in the records of the Selectmen of Boston, 26 October 1716, he is mentioned again.

"Peter Negro Servt to mr John Grafton of Salem, who came from thence unto this Town abt six weeks Since, and is now under a chirugeons hand for help as to his eye Sight was by order of the Selectmen warned on ye 26 October to return to Salem the Town to wch he belongs." [20] Peter is buried in Salem. [21]

Sources

↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap ↑ Savage ↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap; citing Salem Town Records, 21 February 1669/70 ↑ Savage ↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap; citing The Moore Family of Southold, L. I., by Charles B. Moore (NYGBR, April 1884) ↑ Belknap ↑ Savage ↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap ↑ Savage ↑ Savage ↑ Belknap ↑ Savage ↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap; citing Essex County Deeds, vol. 24, pg. 262 ↑ Belknap ↑ Belknap Belknap, Henry Wyckoff. The Grafton Family of Salem (Salem, Massachusetts : Essex Institute, 1928), pg. 18-20 S461Gower, Janice <ggower1@maine.rr.com>. "Down/Gower," RootsWeb, 7 Jan 2007 <http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2310455...> Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1862); Vol II., pg. 289. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 January 2019), memorial page for John Grafton, Sr (1638–24 Nov 1715), Find A Grave: Memorial #12684345, citing Burying Point Cemetery, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Dan Silva (contributor 46781334). Ancestry Family Trees. Family tree files submitted by Ancestry members (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 February 2013) Acknowledgments

WikiTree profile Grafton-36 created through the import of Nelson Family Tree.ged on Jun 6, 2011 by Gregory Nelson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Gregory and others. Thank you to Bob Nichol for creating WikiTree profile Grafton-95 through the import of Nichol Ancestry.GED on Feb 14, 2013.

Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Bob and others.


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@R-1557177302@ Family Data Collection - Deaths Edmund West, comp. Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,5771::0

GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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John Grafton, Sr.'s Timeline

1639
February 28, 1639
Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
February 28, 1639
April 28, 1639
Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America
1660
September 7, 1660
Salem, Essex, Massachusetts
September 7, 1660
Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
1665
April 28, 1665
Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
1667
August 12, 1667
Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
August 12, 1667
Town of Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony