Peter "the Pioneer" Palfrey

Peter Palfrey came from England in 1623 on the ship "Abigail" with the Dorchester Company which began a plantation at Cape Anne, Mass in 1624, Roger Conant, Governor. This company failed in 1626 and most of the emigrants returned to England. Peter and 2 others remained with Conant and in autumn 1626 he left Glouchester and moved to Naumkeag (Salem) and then later laid the foundation for Salem, Mass.

He married Edith about 1631 probably in Salem, MA. After Edith's death, Peter married second Elizabeth, widow of John FAIRFIELD (d. 1646) of Wenham, MA. He married third about 1662 Alice (d. Mar. 20, 1677/8, Reading, MA). .

In 1631 he was made a freeman. In 1632 he was a Deputy from Salem to the first General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Born in Minister Horton, England on 1612 to William Palfrey and Johane Hackman. Peter married Edith and had 5 children. Peter married Elizabeth Knight. Peter married Alice. He passed away on 1716 in Reading, Essex, Massachusetts, USA.

Fairfield - Palfrey

The inventory of Peter Palfrey was taken 14 September 1663 and totalled 184 10s., including 115 pounds.10s. in real estate: "in land and meadow beyond the river," l0 pounds; and "three acres of meadow more," 5pounds 10s. [MPR Case #16382].

Two of the heirs of John Fairfield sued at November Term 1664 to recover the house and property that Peter Palfrey, as husband of Fairfield's widow, had leased out to Richard Coy. They deposed that "John Fayerfield, their father, about the year 1646, died seized of certain estate, the housing and land being left to them by will, their mother to have only a certain right to the use and occupation of the housing, but not to dispose of it or to have the profits of it for any set term of years. As his wife was 'the most trusty friend that he left in the world,' she was given the care of the estate, but the plaintiffs' 'father's fatherly care of his fatherless children was such that if his wife were about to dispose of herself in marriage that then before it should be solemnized our father did require his wife' to give security, etc. If Paulfty had a seeming right to the inheritance while their mother lived, it could not continue after she died, and he had broken the will to the plaintiffs great damage, so that Paulfry had no right to lease the estate to the defendant. When the will was made the life of his wife and also of Benjamin was uncertain" [EQC 3:208].

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=merrygo&i...
• http://records.ancestry.com/Peter_Palfrey_records.ashx?pid=1370596
• http://capecodgenes.com/web%20cards/ps23/ps23_421.html