Maj. John Albro

concerns

not a known child of Henry Albury and Elizabeth Albro

The Great Migration Project has no parents for this John.

brief biography and family

Major John Albro was one of the most active and influential settlers of Portsmouth, RI. He came from Ipswich, Eng., in the ship Francis, sailing from Ipswich Apr 30, 1634. He was born in Eng in 1617. He came under the care of William Freeborn and was only seventeen years of age.

They landed at Boston and four years later (1638) came to Portsmouth RI. John then being 21 yrs. of age.

His fellow townsmen soon began to give him much to do with the affairs of the community. In 1649 he was a member of the town council and he often served as moderator of the town meetings. even into old age.

In 1686 King James appointed him as a member of Sir Edmund Andros' Council for New Eng. and he attended the first meeting of this council in Boston, Dec. 30th of that year.

He served as one of the commissioners of the Colony to lay out the W/Eastern? line of the Colony in 1678. During King Phillip's War he was one of the commissioners to order, watch and ward the the island.

He died at Portsmouth, Dec. 14, 1712, and in the 95th years of his age. The Friends' Records, in recording the death of this useful man state that he "was buried in his own orchard". He was a Quaker.

Descendants of this pioneer, Major Albro of Portsmouth.

The Compendium of American Genealogy Vol. 7 page 201. From "Genealogy of John Wells

of Jamestown & Kingston, Rhode Island"

New England Marriages Prior to 1700 p. 597 says the first child of Dorothy and

John Albro was born 1637. AF date of 1646 allows for first child in 1670.

Major Albro married Dorothy, widow of Nathaniel Potter. Their children were Samuel, b. 1644, Elizabeth, Mary, John and Susanna:

Source:

Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island by J. H. Beers Co., Chicago, 1908; Orlando Public Library RD 9854.5 pg. 2163

John Albro, who came to America in 1634 on the ship Francis out of Ipswich, England, was the progenitor of all the Albros in America unless they emigrated much later. He lived to be over 90.John was traveling with William Freeborn and his wife Mary, who also had along their two children Mary and Sarah. John was stated to be 14 years of age in the passenger list of the Ship Francis

John, with William Hall and John Briggs, was assigned to "take the area of all highways and driftways not set off" in 1666. In 1679 John Albro and "one other surveyor" were assigned to "run the westerly line of the colony." A surveyor in the 17 th century was much more than a measurer of land, knowledgeable in geometry, trigonometry and map reading. He was also expected to be familiar with manoral law 12 . This would have prepared John for his roles as member of the Portsmouth Town Council, Commissioner, Governor’s Assistant, Town Clerk, and what would today be called Justice of the Peace.

 John eventually became associated in some way with the Quakers, based on the presence of his name in their records, but his way of life (military, other positions requiring the taking of oaths that Quakers couldn’t take) was not according to the Quaker rules.. He is also reported to have become, with his wife, a Presbyterian . 

The records show John being made a governor’s assistant, representative from Rhode Island to the colonial Assembly, leader of town meetings, clerk of weights and measures, and similar roles requiring the confidence of those who appointed him that he would both fulfill the duties of the positions and function in their best interests. The appointments would only be made to someone with a reputation for integrity and dependability.

John was a Corporal in the colonial militia 15 in 1644, when he was about 25 years old. He progressed steadily to Lieutenant (by 1660), Captain (by 1665), and Major (by 1680).