Mary Parish

John Parish first appears in Braintree, Mass., where he married (1) 6th month 30th 1664 (New Style, Auguest 30, 1664; 30 June, Marriage Records before 1699, Clemens), Hannah Jewell, born December 12, 1643, died_____, daughter of Thomas and Grizel of the same place. After the birth of a daughter, Hannah, they must have moved to Mendon, Mass., where John Parish took an original proprietor's lot of twenty acres. The ANNALS OF MENDON mentions his name in several records, the earliest being December 1, 1669, when he signed an agreement concerning the coming of a pastor to the church. Either during King Philip's War, or just after it, he went to Groton, for in the Concord records is found an agreement of the inhabitants of Groton, assembled at Concord, December 10, 1677, "that those present would go up in the spring following, and begin to repair our habitations again," which agreement he signed. At Groton he was a member of the council of safety which met in Boston 9 May, 1689, just after Governor Andros was deposed and of which he ws the only representative from Groton. On the same day he was elected a representative to the General Court. On December 29 685, he married (2) Mary Wattell, born August 1, 1668, died_____ daughter of John of Chelmsforcd, Mass. During King William's War, and on March 17, 1691/2, in an agreement for the security of the town,"engign John Lakin and John Parish"(he was called "Sargt" in the town records), with others, were to compose one of the garrisons. Having suffered one Indian attack while at Mendon, John Parish removed to Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Mass. There four more children were born to him. From Ipswich he went to Connecticut, where on November 15, 1704, John Parish and Mary wife were admitted to the first church of Preston by letter from the Ipswich church. Here he died. His will was proved November 8, 1715, and the original is now at New London, Ct. The children are given in the same order as mentioned in this will.

From Reference: "John Parish of Groton, Mass., and Some of His Descendants", by Roswell Parish, Jr. (in New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. LXIII):

Mary Waddell was born in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts on August 1, 1668. She was the daughter of John and Mary Goole Waddell. On December 29, 1685, she married John Parish in Chelmsford. He was older than her, a widower with children. They lived in Groton, New London, Connecticut, until around 1692. They had two children there. The family moved to Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, in 1692, because of continuing Indian unrest. Mary and John had four more children in Ipswich. Around 1700, they moved the extended family to Connecticut and settled in Preston, New London County, where they had several more children. John died in Preston in 1715. There is no record of the death of Mary. She may have died giving birth to her last child, Joseph, around 1713.