Richard Francis, of Cambridge

Not a known child of John Francis & Elizabeth Francis

Summary

Richard Francis (i), the pioneer ancestor in America of Henry M. Francis, of Fitchburg. was an early settler in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was born in England and was a brick maker by trade. He was one of the proprietors of the town of Cambridge and was admitted a freeman there May 13. 1640. He bought a lot of land July 4, 1644, of Nathaniel Sparhawk at the corner of what is now Holmes place. He died March 24, 1686-7, aged about eighty-one years. His wife Alice was administratrix, appointed April 5, 1687. Their children were : Stephen, born February 7, 1644-5; Sarah. December 4, 1646, married John Squires ; John, January 4, 1649-50.

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Francis-157

The first resident of Massachusetts by the name of Francis that can be found on the records of that state is Richard, who was born in 1606, in England; and who located at first in Medford, afterwards in Dorchester, and, in 1636, settled in Cambridge, where he was made freeman in 1640. He married Alice Wilcox, 1644. They had five children.

There seem to have been several other parties by the name of Francis in the Massachusetts Colony. Savage in his history states that Francis Francis, of Reading, had a son John, born Feb. 4, 1657. Savage also refers to a John Francis, living at Braintree in 1650, with his wife Rose, who died 1659. He had two daughters: Elizabeth, b. 1657; and Susanna, b. 1659. Reference is also made to a Richard Francis, living at Northampton in 1675, "who came from the East" and was "clerk" of Turner's Company in King Philip's war, and "wrote a very good hand." So far, nothing further has been brought to light concerning these parties, nor has their relationship to Richard of Cambridge been established, yet probably a relationship did exist.

Note.— I have a somewhat elaborate and very interesting record of the descendants of Richard Francis of Cambridge, which I will gladly present to any reliable party who will bring the work nearer completion and publish it. C. E. F.[1]

Richard Francis was born about 1606. He died on 24 Mar 1687, age 80, in Cambridge. He married Alice [Ref], who was possibly Alice Wilcox.

In his will of 28 Nov 1653, William Wilcockes of Cambridge mentions his sick wife; his cousin John Woodes; his sister the Widow Hall; his "honest bro: Richard Frances"; his brother John Taylor; his sister Christian Boyden's children in Old England. [Ref] William Wilcox died on 28 Nov 1653.

He was a freeman in 1636. He was a freeman on 13 May 1640.

Savage says that Richard was in Dorchester before moving to Cambridge. Dall [Ref] appears to find this curious. She points out that there was a Richard Francis who signed a petition for the continuance of religious liberties in 1661 in Dorchester and that in 1669 a Richard Francis heads the list of young men who could not prove that they had an "orderly living" in Dorchester.

Richard and Alice had the following children:

1. Stephen Francis was born on 7 Feb 1645 in Cambridge.[2] He married first Hannah Hall on 27 Dec 1670 in Cambridge. Hannah was the daughter of the widow Mary Hall. She died on 2 Apr 1683. Stephen married second Hannah Dickson on 16 Sep 1683 [Ref] in Cambridge. Stephen is on a 24 Aug 1676 list of soldiers in King Philip's War. He is on a 31 Aug 1688 tax list in Medford. He was a freeman in 1690.
2. Sarah Francis was born on 4 Dec 1646 in Cambridge.[3] She was living in 1713. She married John Squire.
3. John Francis was born on 4 Jan 1650 in Cambridge. He married Lydia Cooper in 1687/8 in Cambridge. He was on an Aug 1688 list of people taxed in Cambridge.
4. Rebecca Francis was born in Cambridge.
5. Anne Francis was born in Cambridge.[4]

On 22 Mar 1687 Samuel Sewell wrote in his diary, "Now about, Goodman Francis, an ancient and goodman indeed, of Cambridge dies."

Richard Francis died 24 mar 1686/7 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[5]

References

• From HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS AND GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF WORCESTER COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS WITH A HISTORY OF WORCESTER SOCIETY OF ANTIQUITY by ELLERY BICKNELL CRANE Librarian of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, and Editor of its Proceedings; NBW YORK CHICAGO THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1907
• http://archive.org/stream/francisdescendan00infran/francisdescendan... Descendants of Robert Francis of Wethersfield, Conn.
• http://www.treetreetree.org.uk/Francis.htm
• https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jboard481&id=I1057
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Richard_Francis_(3)
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Francis-157