John Child1

M, #93, b. 1636, d. 15 October 1676
  • Birth*: 1636; St. Ethelburga parish (probably), London, England; 1636 (supposedly)2
  • Immigration*: 1648; Ephraim child traveled from New England to England in 1647, returning in 1648. It is thought that on his return he brought with him his nephews Richard, John and Joseph Child (age about 12), children of his brother Joshua who died in 1638.3,2
  • Marriage*: circa 1662; Spouse=Mary (?)2
  • Marriage*: 29 May 1668; Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; Watertown record: "John Child & Mary warrin Joyned in Marryage the 29th 3mo [1668]"; Spouse=Mary Warren4
  • Death*: 15 October 1676; Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; Watertown records: "John Child the husband of Mary Child deceased the 15 day of october [1676]"5
  • Note*: Parentage of John Child: It is fairly well proven that John Child was a nephew of Ephram Child of Watertown, and so a grandson of Wolstone Child (d. 1600/1) and his wife Ellen Empson (d. 1616). (TAG 63).

    Author Paul Child, who did extensive research on this Child family in London, further asserts that John Child of Watertown was the son of Joshua Child and his wife Mary Sadler, and that Joshua was the son of Wolstone Childe and his wife Ellen Empson. Joshua Child died in England in 1638. Paul Child asserts that uncle Ephraim Child brought John Child and his brothers Richard and Joseph to Watertown in 1648 (as well as four other of his nephews). Baptism records are unavailable for this period in the London parish, St. Ethelburga, where Joshua Child lived. (Childe of England)

    Author Elias Child in his "Genealogy of the Child, Childs and Childe Families..." asserted that John and Richard Childs were the sons of a William Child who was in Watertown in 1634. This assertion has been disproved by TAG editor Robert Charles Anderson, who wrote: "William Child...of Watertown...did not exist. He was apparently conjured up out of whole cloth by Elias Child in his 'Genealogy of the Child, Childs and Childe Families...' ... There is...no record of a freeman named William Child in 1634 or at any other time. ... Very few births are on record for Watertown in the early 1630s, and certainly none for members of the Child family. And finally, the will of Elizabeth Child, does not mention a sister-in-law...Richard and John Child did exist and...were mentioned in the will of Ephraim Child, but there is nothing to suggest that their father was ever in New England or that his name was William." (Tag 62).6,2,7,8
  • Note: Birth year: Various authors assert that John Child was born in 1636. This compiler has found no supporting contemporary evidence; any help would be appreciated.8,2,9
  • Note: John Child's uncle Ephraim Child of Watertown, by his will written 20 Nov 1662, left to "Richard Child & unto John Child" all the rest of his land, after a bequeath of forty acres to "Will Bond". Ephraim's wife Elizabeth Child, by her will written 11 June 1664, left bequests of the children of "Ric Child" and others.10
  • Note: "The third son John Child was born in 1636 in London immigrated in 1648 with uncle Ephraim to Watertown. John married in 1662 to Mary ______ and died in 1676 leaving a will probated 15 Oct 1676 with sons and daughters. John Sr. married 2nd to Mary Warren granddaughter of John Warren. John Child Sr. took prominent part in the affairs of the colony, and was chosen representative to the General Court of Mass. John and Mary's children were born in Watertown: Mary b. 8 Jan 1663; John b. 25 Apr 1669 md 5 Oct 1693 Hannah French; Eliza b. 24 July 1670, and Daniel b. 5 June 1677, md 29 Jan 1702 Beriah Bemis (History of Watertown & Watertown Vital Records Vol 1&2)"11
  • Note: Nuncupative will of John Child of Watertown: On 19 October 1676 Daniel Warren Junior, Richard Child and Wm. Goddard appeared and swore that it was John Child's will that: His son John Child was to have his dwelling house and house lot and certain meadow bought of Henry Spring and land rights. His son Daniel was to have the farm land and meadow bought of Thomas Smith junior and certain meadow and other land. His wife was to have all his "moveabley both within doors and without". And his wife was appointed sole executrix. An inventory was made 15 October 1676 itemizing houses, land and goods, totaling £128.09.10, with additional items appraised 10 Nov 1676 bringing the total to £142.00.10. (Viewed on AmericanAncestors.org)12
Last Edited: 18 Sep 2015

Family 1:

Mary (?) b. c 1637, d. bt 1663 - 1668

Child:

Mary Child13 b. 8 Jan 1663

Family 2:

Mary Warren b. 29 Dec 1651

Children:

John Child+ 14,15 b. 25 Apr 1669, d. bt 6 Apr 1742 - 14 Dec 1747
Elizabeth Child16 b. 24 Jul 1670
Daniel Child12 b. 5 Jun 1677

Citations

  1. [S147] Watertown records : comprising the first and second books of town proceedings, with the lands, grants and possessions, also the proprietors' book, and the first book and supplement of births, deaths and marriages. by Historical Society. publ. Watertown 1894. [viewed on https://archive.org/details/watertownrecords00hist and viewed on AmericanAncestors Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 "Watertown - V1"] Vol. 1, p. 25, 41.
  2. [S27] Child, Paul L., Childe of England (monograph, 1988. FHL microfilm #1598468, Item 5, ), #47-48 John Child.   Child--Childe-of-England--1598468-It-5.pdf
  3. [S7] Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins : Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), p. 349, Ephraim Child.   Great-Migration-Begins--Stephen-Bachiler.pdf
  4. [S147] Watertown records, Vol. 1, p. 30.
  5. [S147] Watertown records, Vol. 1, p. 41.
  6. [S64] Hyde, Myrtle Stevens and Paul L. Child, "Child-Foote-Goddard Connections", The American Genealogist Vol. 63 (Jan 1988) p. 17-28. Viewed on AmericanAncestors.org.   Hyde-and-Child--Child-Foote-Goddard-Connections-TAG-63.pdf
  7. [S5] Anderson, Robert Charles Assoc. Editor, ""The Non-Existent William Child of Watertown", note", The American Genealogist Vol. 62 No. 1 (Jan 1987) p. 29.
  8. [S26] Child, Elias, Genealogy of the Child, Childs and Childe Families, Of the Past and Present in the United States and the Canadas, from 1630 to 1881 (Published for the author by Curtiss & Childs, Printers, Utica, N.Y. 1881. Viewed at https://archive.org/details/genealogyofchild00chil [& Sutro Lib., call number G3G1178], ), p. 506, John Child, no. 4544.   Child--Childs.pdf
  9. [S17] Bond, Henry, Family memorials. Genealogies of the families and descendants of the early settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, including Waltham and Weston; to which is appended the early history of the town (Published 1855 by Little, Brown & Co. in Boston. [viewed on archive.org url https://archive.org/stream/familymemorialsg00bond#page/n3/…], ), p. 153.
  10. [S7] Anderson, Robert Charles, Great Migration Begins, p. 351-2, Ephraim Child.
  11. [S27] Child, Paul L., Childe of England, p. 25.
  12. [S84] Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871. url:www.americanancestors.org #4407, 4 pages; John Child, 1676..   MA-Middlesex-Co-Probate-File-4407--John-Child-1676.pdf
  13. [S147] Watertown records, Vol. 1, p. 25.
  14. [S147] Watertown records, Vol. 1, p. 31.
  15. [S27] Child, Paul L., Childe of England, #25, #47-48 John Child.
  16. [S147] Watertown records, Vol. 1, p. 32.