John Joseph Kitchen

John Kitchen may have been apprenticed to, Zacharey Bicknell, and sailed to New England with that family. John also beat the heck out of Miles Cory, the old man who was later crushed to death during the witch trials.--Jan (Byard ) Saremi

John Kitchen was chosen constaable, in place of Mr Robinson, Nov. 11, 1649 and sworn three days later.--History of Salem p 1-319. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/Perley/

Sources:

1.Title: The Grafton Family of Salem Author: Belknap, Henry Wyckoff Publication: Salem,Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1928 Page: page 12

2.Title: New England Historical and Genealogical Register Page: Vol 6, page 346

3.Title: The Pioneers of Massachusetts, a Descriptive List, Drawn from Records of the Colonies, Towns and Churches and other Conte Author: Pope, Charles Henry. Publication: Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1965 Page: page 272

KITCHEN, JOHN, Salem 1640, freem. 28 Feb. 1643, shoemak. by w.Elizabeth had there bapt. Elizabeth and Hannah, 12 Mar. 1643, wh. were not prob. twins but the f. was not earlier of the church;

Joseph, 20 Apr. 1645;

John, 28 June 1646, d. soon;

Mary, 23 Apr. 1648, wh. m. 20 Feb. 1666, Timothy Robinson;

John, again, 21 Mar. 1652; and

Robert, 15 Apr. 1655; beside, prob.

Abigail, wh. m. 3 June 1669, John Guppy; and

Priscilla, wh. m. Oct. 1672, Nathaniel Hum (if this be not abbrev.); but certain.

Benjamin, b. 28 Aug. 1669, and d. next mo. He was chosen sealer of leather, 1655, and d. 1676. .--Savage

John and Elizabeth later became "raging Quakers" and were in court, time after time, for not attending church services in Salem. --Jan (Byard) Saremi The laws to suppress Quakers had little effect. Their biased trials and severe punishment aroused great sympathy, increased their following. Individualist John Kitchen had eagerly embraced this non-creed shackled doctrine of Inner Light. John was a stirring, bold character, was , since his arrival in 1635 ofttimes at odds with the Bay government, frewquently in court for speaking out opinions, once fined for showing books "which he was bidden to show the Governour and no other". In spite of this he was often chosen juror and in 1649 constable.

The court, on 25:9:1662, "considering ye unworthy and malignant speeches and carriages of John Kitchen in open Court doe see cause to displace him from ye office of sargent of ye foot company", fined him 30 shillings. For their religious opinions the persecution of John and Elizabeth Kitchen was severe, in fines alone John paid upward of £40 sterling for being a Quaker. He, nevertheless, prospered as cordwainer, and at his death, by will proved 30:4:1676 bequeathed a good estate, including considerable realty, to his wife and son, Robert, mentioned "ye rest of my children". Vol 106 p 39Page: Vol 106 p 40

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Children's records for baptism are found in Salem Massachusetts baptismal records First Church of Quakers Salem Massachusetts. The first mention we have of him is on March 20, 1635 when he embarked at Weymouth, England as the servant of Zachary Bicknell. Both he and Zachary Bicknell land in Boston and settle first in what becomes known as Weymouth Massachusetts and upon his freedom, John settles in Salem Massachusetts. (source New England magazine. Also confirmed on Interesting Kitchen tidbits genealogy ).John's master Zachary Bicknell was from Somersetshire England. . Both men came on the same ship as Rev Joseph Hull who was a renowed Quaker which fits in with John Kitchen and his wife being rabid Quakers. and so there is a strong possibility that John Kitchen is the son of Robert Kitchen of Somesetshire England. , Indeed there is an extracted birth record for a John Kitchen that reads as such:15 AUG 1619 Christ Church, Bristol, Gloucester, England Father Robard/Robert Kitchen.Another great clue is that the church listed as being the baptism place of this John Kitchen is an early branch of a Quaker church in Somersetshire England. . Some genealogies have him as the son of another Robert an alderman who died in June 1594 who was a very prominent merchant in and around Bristol, however as you can see John was born to late to be the son of this man. This man Robert, who married a Joanne, did have a son named Robert , so it is possible that the alderman was this John Kitchen's grandfather and I have added this info to John's notes in case there is indeed a later connection.

John was age 23 on the ships list(Weymouth) but , appears to be have been born around 1619 for on Oct 10 1661, he aged forty two years testifies in the case of Burton vs Porter. 2 On April 2 1642 he was granted a 10 acre lot at Salem and he joined First Church of Quakers on 12 26 1642. he was a freeman on at least Feb 28 1643. He appears on a Salem Census for 1651 with his wife probably Elizabeth Grafton Saunders Kitchen . John Kitchen lived on the northerly side of Essex street about two hundred years westerly of . Beckford Street. From the first , Kitchen appears to have been a stirring and bold character and appears frequently before the court to speak out and give his opinions. In Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts it is recorded that he was fined for showing books which he was bidden to show the governor and no other. In spite of his quarrels with Puritan authorities, he was frequently on the jury and on Sept 9 1649 , he was chosen constable of Salem. He was a strong character who was also frequently at war with the Bay government. Kitchen eagerly embraced the doctrines of te Quakers of which his second wife Elizabeth was a devoted adherent and their names both appear constantly for failing to attend the Puritan church. His wife Elizabeth Grafton was the victim at this time of a brutal ruffian attack at the hands of that zealot saint, Edmund Batter, who found her, as he supposed returning one morning from a Quaker meeting. On Sept 25 1662 the considering her,'ye unworthy and malignant speeches and carriages of John Kitchen does see cause to displace him from office of sargent of ye foot company and fined him 30 shillings. The persecution inflicted upon Kitchen and his wife for their religious opinions was very severe and he paid upwards of 40 pounds sterling for the sin of being a Quaker John Kitchen was a cordwainer by trade and died in 1675 leaving a goodly estate including lots of realty. His will was dated Dec 20 1675 provided Dec 30 1676 . In it he leaves his house and land to his wife Elizabeth and his orchard and is other lands to son Robert, and mentions his other children. His inventory was taken on April 30 1676 and amounted to 398 pounds. Sources from The History of Salem. Other references for the early Kitchen line History and Genealogy of the Bicknell family and some collateral lines Descendents of Zachary Bicknell from Barrinton Somerset England.Estate of John Kitchen of Salem.

The last will & Testement of John Kitchen the twentith day of December in ye year one thousand six hundred

Seventy fiue, being in parfect Memory & understanding I doe bequeth My dwelling house & land belonging to

it and about an Acre of Salt Marsh by Castill hill unto my wife dureing her life time & to my Son Robert after

her decease Secondly I doe giue & bequeth My Orchard and Ground behind it vnto My son Robert Kitchen:

prouided yt ye one halfe of ye produce of both be for my wifes use & to her dispossall dureing her life Thirdly

as for ye rest of My estate i fiue to my wife to be for her use dureing her life time & after her decease to be

dispossed of to ye rest of my children fouerthly i doe by this My will Make my wife & My Son Robert kitchen

exseccetrice and exseccetor.?

John Kitchin

Witness: Sam[ue]ll Shattocke, Abraham Cole.

Proved in Salem court 30d:4m:1676 by Samuell Shattock who affirmed and Abraham Cole who made oath