William Berry, Sr., of Sandy Beach

Biography

(Check out: http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2012/07/william-berry-of-sandy-beac...)

William Berry (1619 – June 28, 1654) was the first settler at Sandy Beach, Rye, New Hampshire.

From Wikipedia

William Berry was born in Norfolk, England, the son of Johan Berry. He married Jane in 1636 in the town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

William Berry by wife Jane had Elizabeth Berry in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States in 1634.

Events

• He was in service to Captain John Mason in 1631, when Mason sent 58 men and 22 women to the Piscataqua River in North America. (Among them were William Berry, William Seavey, Francis Rand, and William or Anthony Brackett.)
• Berry signed the Glebe Conveyance in 1640.
• He became a freeman on 18 May 1642 in Newbury, Massachusetts and is on the list of the first settlers of Newbury.
• Berry served as a Selectman of Strawberry Bank (which is now Portsmouth, New Hampshire) in 1646.
• He received a lot "upon the neck of land on the south side of the Little River at Sandy Beach on January 31, 1648 that included the area where 'Locke's Neck' is located.

Notes

"The following were returned as belonging to Sandy Beach in 1688: William Berry, John Berry, John Marden, John Foss 1st, John Foss Jr., John Odiorne, Anthony Brackett, Francis Rand, Thomas Rand, WIlliam Wallis, James Randall, William Seavie, James Berry, Samuel Ran, John Seavie, Anthony Libbie, and Joseph Berry."

References

1. Savage, James A., A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, 1860-1862., (Boston 1860-1862; rpt Baltimore 1955), [Savage], 1:171
2. The Berrys by the beach : one of New Hampshire's first families / by Sylvia Fitts Getchell.
3. New England Marriages Prior to 1700,Charles Torrey,New England Historic and Genealogy Society, Boston
4. Parsons, Langdon B., History of the Town of Rye, NH From Its Discovery and Settlement to December 31, 1903, (1905; repr. Bowie, MD: Heritage Press 1992), [RyeHist], 269.
5. Brewster, Charles W., The Selling of the Land, ~1860

Sources

1. http://www.piscataquapioneers.org/
2. https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofh02dowj
3. https://archive.org/details/oldkitteryherfam00staciala
4. Page 296 of History of the Town of Rye, New Hampshire: From Its Discovery and Settlement ... By Langdon Brown Parsons

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William BERRY (1610-1654) (1)p393:"...presumed to have descended from the Norfolk, England, family, mainly Captain Wm Mason...about 1631 settled at Strawberry Bank which incl: what is now Portsmouth, Rye, Newcastle, Newington and Greenland...seems to have been one of the chief men of the colony...rec'd a grant of land on the neck of land on the south side of Little river at Sandy Beech at a town meeting of Strawberry Bank, January 1648/49..." (52)p34:"...said to have been the first settler at Sandy Beach, Rye, NH. He signed the Glebe conveyance in 1640 and died about 1654..." (87)p7:"...was one of the fifty odd men sent over by Capt. John Mason to settle his grant of land (after his division with Georges, embraced most the present State of New Hampshire). These men were landed on the west side of the mouth of the Piscataqua river in 1631. There are reasons for supposing that William Berry was at this time a young man, though whether he was married in England or after his arrival in this country, we have not been able to ascertain. His wife's name was Jane. But little mention is made of William Berry in the early records up to the time of his death which occured about 1654. The territory now embracing the towns of Portsmouth, Rye, Newcastle, Greenland and a part of Newington, was then undivided. There were local names applied to certain portions of the territory which are in some instances still retained. William is said to have been the first settler in the present town of Rye. he lived at a place called Sandy Beach. He was one of the grantees of Newbury, MA, and had probably moved there previous to 1643. In 1640, he joined with others in the conveyance of a glebe at Portsmouth. He probably died about the year 1654, for 28 June 1654 Jane Berry was appointed administratrix of her husband's goods. His widow Jane subsequently married Nathanial Drake...William is said to have been at Sandy Beach as early as 1632...his children are supposed to have been: Elizabeth, John, Joseph, James, William and maybe others..." (384)p108: possible names for his father: Johan or Jonathan or William Berry If naming habits hold true for William then his father was probably Johan or Jonathan, as his first son was name John?? Ancestry.com data base file: Maine Pioneers, 1623-60 shows William Berry; Berrie; Bury Strawberry Bank, sold house and land to Anthony Ellins 10 July, 1648. Grand jury man 8 (8) 1650; constable. His widow Jane was appointed admin. of his estate 28 June, 1654. She m. 2, Nathaniel Drake, and with him deeded land on Great Island 9 Dec. 1669. James Berry, a son and John Berry and Joshua Foss, gr. ch. agreed June 13, 1717, on the division of certain lands which had been granted to William Berry about 60 years before. -------------------- He settled at Strawberry Bank which includes what is now Portsmouth, Rye, Newcastle, Newington and Greenland in about 1631. There were local names applied to certain portions of the territory which are in some instances still retained. William is said to have been the first settler in the present town of Rye. He lived at a place called Sandy Beach. He was one of the grantees of Newbury, Massachusetts and had probably moved there previous to 1643. In 1640, he joined with others in the conveyance of a glebe at Portsmouth.17 He was one of the fifty odd men sent over by Captain John Mason to settle his grant of land (after his division with Georges, embraced most of the present state of New Hampshire). These men were landed on the west side of the mouth of the Piscataqua river in 1631. There are reasons for supposing that William Berry was at this time a young man, though whether he was married in England or after his arrival in this country, we have not been able to ascertain. ----------------------------------- According to Parsons & Savage, William was "...one of those sent out by Mason for his plantation and who was in Portsmouth as early as 1631 (Savage)..."[1] However, more proof of this is necessary, as William Berry is neither listed in Coldham[15], nor Anderson[16]. __________________________________ RESIDENCES, LAND GRANTS & RESOLUTION OF HIS ESTATE In 1635, he moved to Newbury, Essex co., MA and was made Freeman there on 18 May 1642[15]. By 1648 or so, he had moved back to the Portsmouth, Rockingham co., NH area; when it was "...Granted that Wm Berry shall have a lot upon the neck of land upon the South side of the Little River at Sandy Beach..." at a Strawbery Banke town meeting in 1648 or 1649[14]. This land grant and residence at the time of his death was in Sandy Beach (now Rye), Rockingham co., NH[43] and was squabbled over by his descendants for 60 years[43]. I have identified James Berry and Joshua Foss and noted their part in this resolution in their own entries below. I cannot ascertain the parentage of John Berry as being the son of William and so have refrained from mentioning participation in his entry. The official resolution of this reads as follows: "Wee James Berry son of William Berry of sandy Beach : Deceased : & John Berry & Joshua Foss Grand children of the said Wm Berry Deceasd have Mutually agreed on the Divission of the Neck of Land Granted the said Wm Berry : about Sixty years since, and in our possessn Ever Since sd Wm Berry Deceas'd : & for our Quiet and that Each Brother & Brothes child may Know his own proper part, have agreed on the six Divisions as above Made, and in testimony of our agreement have hereunto set our hands this thirteenth Day of June in the yeare of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Seventeen.

The surname is derived from the noun bury, or burrough, meaning a settled town, or place of safety of defense - of English origin. The name Adam de la Bury is cited as an instance of the name in the earliest history of English patronymics.

References

• https://athenaeum.pastperfectonline.com/byperson?keyword=Berry%2C+W...
• http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2012/07/william-berry-of-sandy-beac...