Joseph Peasley, III

JOSEPH PEASLEY-2, son of Joseph & Mary (Johnson) Peaslee, was born 9 Sep 1646 in Haverhill, Essex County, MA and died 21-Mar-1733/34 in Haverhill, Essex County, MA. Joseph was raised in the eastern part of Haverhill, near to Amesbury in the old riverfront settle ment of Rocks Village. He married 1st) 21-Jan-1671/72 in Amesbury, Essex County, MA to Ruth Barnard. Ruth was the daughter of Thomas & Helene (Morse) Barnard and was born 16-Oct-1651 in Salisbury, MA; she died 5-Nov-1723 in Haverhill, Essex County, MA. Joseph married the widow Mary (Tucker) Davis a short time later.

"Joseph Peaslee, called 'Junior', was but twelve years old when his father died. He and his family lived in the "eastern part of the town near the head of what is now (1977) East Broadway on the side towards the Merrimack River". The house he erected prior to 1675 on the County Bridge road This house became known as the "Peaslee Garrison" and still stands at 790 East Broadway, Haverhill. It was used as a sort of armory at one time and was constructed with bricks imported from England. (An interesting sidenote is that Robert Hastings , the mason who built the house, had a daughter, Elisabeth, who later married Joseph's son, Joseph.) The house is 2 stories high and has 3 rooms upstairs and 3 rooms downstairs. A chimney is located at each end of the house. During King Philip's War the home was used as a garrison house where soldiers were stationed and people could flee if need be.

In 1692, he was granted "the privilege of erecting a sawmill at the head of east meadow river upon the stream by or near Brandy Row." The mill was built in 1693 and the site later became known as ‘Peaslees Mills’. A ‘Peaslee’ occupied it until 1860. Joseph sold 25% of the mill to Simon Wainwright in 1693/4 for 110 pounds.

'Junior' was said to have been a physician and was called 'Doctor'. He was known locally as a ‘physician’ who had much knowledge of herbs and roots and used them to aid people medically.The amount of property enumerated in his will would constitute a well-to-do man, even of today. He also had a second wife, a Mary Tucker, the widow of Stephen Davis.