| descendants_of_john_adams_generations_1_thru_10_-_jan_26_2018.pdf |
Excerpt from: “The Genealogical History of Henry Adams of Braintree, Mass., and his Descendants, also John Adams of Cambridge, Mass, 1632-1897” This is transcribed exactly as it appears in the book on pages 957 and 958. I take responsibility for any errors in this transcription.
[Note: I've transcribed Generations 1 through 10. The above file reflects everything I've transcribed. It is 439 pages, so it may take a minute or so to download. I take responsibility for any typo's or errors. Feel free to email me at adamsgen@comcast.net if you have any changes or additions to this report. You may also find this information on my other website at tribalpages.com. Paste the following into your browser. https://johnadamsofcambridge.tribalpages.com]
John Adams of Cambridge
John Adams was an early comer and first settler in the west part of Cambridge, long called "Menotomy (Cambridge)," but later West Cambridge, and now Arlington.
By many persons, he is believed to be the sixth son of Henry Adams of Braintree; that he came to America with his parents when he was young and returned with his mother to England coming again with wife and daughter at a later date. Elisha Thayer in his “Memorial of Thayer and Adams Families” (1835), says John, son of the first Henry, went with his brothers Thomas and Samuel to Concord and Chelmsford where he was in 1654. [After this period I (Andrew Adams) have not been able to trace him.
Shattuck, in the History of Concord, Mass, says John came to Concord removing thence to Cambridge where he was in 1650. Dr. James Savage, author of the Genealogical Dictionary, which was designed to give an account of all the earliest or first comers, and which embodied what was known or to be found on the subject, wrote as follows: “That he was the son of Henry, an amiable credulity would assume, is highly improbable, since he came 20 years or a little less after that great progenitor, and so long outlived him, dying between June and October 1705-6.” Dr. Bond, the historian of Watertown, Mass., says he was “probably the eldest son of George of Watertown.”
President John Quincy Adams [see his letter in Genealogical Register, Vol. XXXIV., p.67] says the 10 persons in Henry Adams’ family for whom the land grant was made in 1640 were, himself, wife, daughter and seven sons.
An aged descendent has written the author that his Ancestor, John of Cambridge, was a Scotchman. Numbers of Scotch people settled in West Cambridge, and John’s eldest daughter, Rebecca, married Nathaniel Patten, who was a Scotchman. That there was a John, brother of Thomas of Chelmsford, would seem probably from the record: Jan. 1, 1654 [County Records, Book I., pp. 129, 167] Thomas of Concord and wife Mary conveyed to Samuel Stratton two parcels of land - 20 acres and 4 acres - including “the house lately called the house of John Adams, last inhabited by William Howe, a weaver,” also barn and orchard, in the part of Concord set off to Sudbury. Oct. 6, 1656, [Book I., p. 193], “John of Chelmsford,” for £34 deeded to Samuel Stratton, planter, of Concord, dwelling house occupied by Stratton, barn and orchard, with 24 acres of land, 4 acres being situated in Fair Haven, Mass.
No wife’s signature appears to the deed. He (John) was “of Chelmsford” in 1656. Was he “John of Cambridge,” whose wife was Anne, and whose children were born and baptized in Menotomy between 1650 and 1656? Thayer says John was in Chelmsford, 1654, after which he (Thayer) was not able to trace him.
Considering the conflict, or contrariety of opinion, and the doubt which naturally attaches to absence of direct evidence, the writer [Andrew Adams] has decided to give what he has been able to gather of the records and history of “John of Cambridge” and his many worthy descendants, numbering from him as a first comer, and leaving it to every reader to form his own belief as to the identity of John of Cambridge with the son of Henry of Braintree.
John Adams of Cambridge was a millwright, and was resident in Menotomy about 1650, with his wife, “Anne,” and his eldest daughter “Rebecca,” who was born before coming to America. He was admitted as a freeman in 1666. He made his will June 1, 1705-6, and died not long thereafter at an advanced age. In his will he mentions his wife Anne and his sons John and Joseph, his grandson William, his granddaughter Martha Smith, and granddaughter Rebecca. His widow was living in October, 1714, when as executor, with her son “John of Sudbury,” of the will of her husband, the first John, she appended her mark to a deed of 4 acres in Charlestown to the grandson Joseph of Cambridge.
[Note: I've transcribed Generations 1 through 10. The above file reflects everything I've transcribed. It is 439 pages, so it may take a minute or so to download. I take responsibility for any typo's or errors. Feel free to email me at adamsgen@comcast.net if you have any changes or additions to this report. You may also find this information on my other website at tribalpages.com. Paste the following into your browser. https://johnadamsofcambridge.tribalpages.com]
John Adams of Cambridge
John Adams was an early comer and first settler in the west part of Cambridge, long called "Menotomy (Cambridge)," but later West Cambridge, and now Arlington.
By many persons, he is believed to be the sixth son of Henry Adams of Braintree; that he came to America with his parents when he was young and returned with his mother to England coming again with wife and daughter at a later date. Elisha Thayer in his “Memorial of Thayer and Adams Families” (1835), says John, son of the first Henry, went with his brothers Thomas and Samuel to Concord and Chelmsford where he was in 1654. [After this period I (Andrew Adams) have not been able to trace him.
Shattuck, in the History of Concord, Mass, says John came to Concord removing thence to Cambridge where he was in 1650. Dr. James Savage, author of the Genealogical Dictionary, which was designed to give an account of all the earliest or first comers, and which embodied what was known or to be found on the subject, wrote as follows: “That he was the son of Henry, an amiable credulity would assume, is highly improbable, since he came 20 years or a little less after that great progenitor, and so long outlived him, dying between June and October 1705-6.” Dr. Bond, the historian of Watertown, Mass., says he was “probably the eldest son of George of Watertown.”
President John Quincy Adams [see his letter in Genealogical Register, Vol. XXXIV., p.67] says the 10 persons in Henry Adams’ family for whom the land grant was made in 1640 were, himself, wife, daughter and seven sons.
An aged descendent has written the author that his Ancestor, John of Cambridge, was a Scotchman. Numbers of Scotch people settled in West Cambridge, and John’s eldest daughter, Rebecca, married Nathaniel Patten, who was a Scotchman. That there was a John, brother of Thomas of Chelmsford, would seem probably from the record: Jan. 1, 1654 [County Records, Book I., pp. 129, 167] Thomas of Concord and wife Mary conveyed to Samuel Stratton two parcels of land - 20 acres and 4 acres - including “the house lately called the house of John Adams, last inhabited by William Howe, a weaver,” also barn and orchard, in the part of Concord set off to Sudbury. Oct. 6, 1656, [Book I., p. 193], “John of Chelmsford,” for £34 deeded to Samuel Stratton, planter, of Concord, dwelling house occupied by Stratton, barn and orchard, with 24 acres of land, 4 acres being situated in Fair Haven, Mass.
No wife’s signature appears to the deed. He (John) was “of Chelmsford” in 1656. Was he “John of Cambridge,” whose wife was Anne, and whose children were born and baptized in Menotomy between 1650 and 1656? Thayer says John was in Chelmsford, 1654, after which he (Thayer) was not able to trace him.
Considering the conflict, or contrariety of opinion, and the doubt which naturally attaches to absence of direct evidence, the writer [Andrew Adams] has decided to give what he has been able to gather of the records and history of “John of Cambridge” and his many worthy descendants, numbering from him as a first comer, and leaving it to every reader to form his own belief as to the identity of John of Cambridge with the son of Henry of Braintree.
John Adams of Cambridge was a millwright, and was resident in Menotomy about 1650, with his wife, “Anne,” and his eldest daughter “Rebecca,” who was born before coming to America. He was admitted as a freeman in 1666. He made his will June 1, 1705-6, and died not long thereafter at an advanced age. In his will he mentions his wife Anne and his sons John and Joseph, his grandson William, his granddaughter Martha Smith, and granddaughter Rebecca. His widow was living in October, 1714, when as executor, with her son “John of Sudbury,” of the will of her husband, the first John, she appended her mark to a deed of 4 acres in Charlestown to the grandson Joseph of Cambridge.