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William Crocker

William Crocker

Male 1615 - 1692  (77 years)    Has 4 ancestors and more than 100 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name William Crocker 
    Birth 11 Feb 1615  Modbury, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death Sep 1692  Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Siblings 3 Siblings 
    Person ID I51016  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 29 Aug 2000 

    Father Hugh Crocker   d. Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Thomasine Michell   d. 1 Apr 1628 
    Marriage 14 Jan 1610  Ermington, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F29606  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Alice Foster   bur. 4 May 1684, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage Bef 1636  Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Sgt. Joseph Crocker,   b. 1654, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1721, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 67 years)
    +2. John Crocker,   b. 1 May 1637, Scituate, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     3. Elizabeth Crocker,   b. 22 Sep 1639, Scituate, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 May 1658, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 18 years)
     4. Samuel Crocker,   b. 3 Jul 1642, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1681 (Age 38 years)
     5. Job Crocker,   b. 19 Sep 1644, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1718, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 73 years)
    +6. Josiah Crocker,   b. 19 Sep 1647, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Feb 1698, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 50 years)
    +7. Eleazer Crocker,   b. 21 Jul 1650, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 17 Sep 1723, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 73 years)
    Family ID F20783  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 29 Aug 2000 

    Family 2 Patience Cobb,   b. Bef 13 Mar 1641, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 23 Oct 1727, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 86 years) 
    Marriage Aft 1684  Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F20784  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 29 Aug 2000 

  • Notes 
    • Two brothers John and William Crocker, were among the first settlers in Barnstable, Willaim came with Mr. Lothrop and his church Oct. 21, 1639 and John the following Spring. John Crocker, the elder brother left no family; but William's posterity are very numerous. Perhaps no one of the first comers, has more descendants now living. A large majority of all in the United States, and in the British Provinces of the name, trace their descent from him.

      It is said he most likely came over in 1634, either in the same ship with Rev. Mr. Lothrop, or in another that sailed about the same time, and that they stopped in Roxbury before the settled in Scituate. They did not remain long in Roxbury, for their names do not appear on the Massaachusetts Colony Records.

      WILLIAM CROCKER, joined Mr. Lothrop's church in Scituate Dec. 25, 1636. He came to Barnstable Oct.21 1639, and his daughter Elizabeth, baptized Dec. 22, 1639, is the fourth on the list, showing that he was among the first who came. He built a frame house in Scituate in 1636; the forty-fourth built in that town. June 3,1644 he was propounded a freeman, but does not appear to have been admitted till after 1652. He was constable of Barnstable, in 1644, on the grand jury in 1654,55,57,61,and 75; selectman in 1668; deputy to the Colony Court in 1670, 71, and 74; and surveyor of the highways in 1673. In the year of 1675 he was on the jury which condemened the murders of John Sassamon, secretary of King Phillip. He was one of the leading men in early times and was often employed in the business of the town and in settling the estates of deceased persons.
      He probably settled first in the easterly part of the town, and removed to West Barnstable about the year 1643.
      The loss of the early records makes it difficult to decide, but it is probable that his first house in Barnstable was on the lot next west of Henry Bourne's. He had a large landed estate, and for many years was perhaps the RICHEST MAN IN TOWN. His
      sons were all men of wealth. In 1703 his son Joseph was the owner of the largest estate in Barnstable.
      In 1655, Dea.. William Crocker owned one hundred and twenty-six acres of upland, and twenty-two acres of meadow at West Barnstable, and forty acres of upland at the Indian ponds. (Indian ponds are three in number, and from the head waters of the stream now known as Marston's Mill river.) The West Barnstable farm was bounded easterly by the farm of John Smith, now known as the Otis farm, and by the farm of Samuel Hinckley, now owned by Levi L. Goodspeed, southerly it extended into the woods. The southerly part of the farm, in 1654, was bounded on the west by the commons, and the northerly part by lands then owned by Governor Bodfish, and afterwards by Lieut. John Howland. He afterwards added largely to his West Barnstable farm, and to the farm at the Indian pond, the latter containing one hundred acres at his death. The West Barnstable farm was two miles in length from north to south, extending from the salt meadows on the waters at Barnstable harbor to the neighborhood of the West Barnstable meeting house. The lands he first occupied were the south-easterly part of the farm, the old stone house which, according to tradition, was the first residence, was about a fourth of mile easterly from the West
      Barnstable Church. This stone fortification house was taken down many years ago. A few aged persons remember to have seen it in a ruinous state. This part of the farm his son Josiah afterwards owned. There was another stone house on the south-westerly part of the farm owned by the descendants of Eleazer. This was taken down about the year 1815. It was called the old Stone Fort, and stood where Capt. Josiah Fish's house now stands. It was about 25 feet in front and 20 feet on the rear. The walls of the lower story were built of rough stones laid in clay mortar, and nearly three feet in thickness. The upper story was of wood and projected over the lower on the front about three feet. In this projection were a number of loop holes about six inches square, closed by small trap doors. The windows in the lower story were high and narrow. These and the loop holes in the projection, were intended to be used as portholes, should the building be assaulted by hostile Indians. The earliest know occupant, to any now living, was Mr. Benoni Crocker, a great-grand-son of Dea.. William. He made a two story addition on the south-side, which was occupied by his son Barnabas.

      The last will and testament of Deacon William Crocker of Barnstable, in New England.

      The 6th day of September Anno Dom. 1692 I, William Crocker of Barnstable, being sick and weak in body but through ye mercy of God of disposing mind and memory, and knowing ye uncertainty of this life on earth, and being desirous to settle things in order, do make this my last will and testament in manner and for me following, viz:
      first and principally, I give and committ my soul to God in Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer throw whose pretious death and merrits I hope to find ye free pardon and remition of all my sinnes, and everlasting salvation, and my body to ye earth from whence it was taken, to be burried in such decent manner as to my Executor hereafter named, shall seem meet and convenient, and as touching my wordly estate which god hath in mercy lent unto me, my will is to bestow ye same as hereafter is expressed, and I do hereby revoke and make void all wills by me formerly made and declared and appoint this be by my last will and testament.
      Imprimus my will is that all those debts and duties which I owe in right or conscience to any person or persons whatsoever, shall be will and truly contented and paid when convenient by my Executor.
      Itt. I give and bequeath unto Patience my loving wift besides ye liberty to dispose of all ye estate which she brought with her or had at ye time of our intermarriage, and besides ye forty pounds I then promised to give her. incase she should survive me, I give unto her my gest bedd and bedstead with all ye furniture thereto belonging.
      Itt. I give and bequeath to my eldest son John Crocker, my now dwelling house and lands both upland and fresh meadows adjoyning and belonging thereunto now and of late under my occupation and improvement to have and to hold to him his heirs and assignes forever he or they paying to ye s'd Patience my wife twenty pounds of ye fores'd forty pounds she is to receive, and I do also hereby confirm to him my son John his heirs and assignes forever all those parcels of land I heretofore gave unto him and are well known to have been in his quiet possession for sundry years; I further also give and bequeath to him my son John my two oxen which he hath had in his posession some years.
      Itt. I give and bequeath unto my son Job Crocker besides ye land I heretofore gave him and know to be in his possession, twenty acres of that fifty acres at ye ponds which I purchased of John Coggin to have and to hold to him my son Job his heirs and assignes forever and that he chuse it on which side of s'd land he please.
      Itt. I will and bequeath to my sons Josiah and Eliazer Crocker besides those lands I heretofore gave to each of them and are in their particular knowne possession, all my upland at the marsh together with all ye marsh adjoining thereunto, (except such particular parcel or parcels thereof as I have heretofore given and is possest of late by any other or is in these presents hereafter mentioned,) to be equally divided between them ye s's Josiah and Eliazer to have and to hold to them their heirs and assignes forever: Each of them ye s'd Josiah and Eliazer paying seven pounds and ten shillings apiece to ye s'd Patience in paying of ye forty pounds above mentioned. And I further will and bequeath to my sons Josiah and Eliazer to each one cow.
      Itt. I will and bequeath unto my son Joseph Crocker (besides ye two parcels of upland and one parcel of marsh which I heretofore gave him and is know to be in his possession ye house and land which he hired of me and now lives on) that is to say, so much of my s'd land as he hath now fenced in; together with that parcel of marsh which he hath from year to year of late hired of me; to have and to hold to him ye s'd Joseph his heir and assignes forever: he or they paying five pounds to ye s'd Patience to make up ye full of s'd forty pounds I promised to her as above s'd.
      Itt. I vie and bequeath all ye rest of my lands att ye ponds to my grandsons, viz: to Nathaniel, ye son of John Crocker, Samuel, ye son of Job Crocker, and Thomas, ye son of Josiah Crocker to be equally divided between them and to their and each of their heirs and assignes forever.
      Itt. my will is and I do hereby constitute and appoint my trusty and will beloved son Job Crocker to be my sole executor to see this my last will and testament to be performed, with whom I leave all ye residue of my estate in whatsoever it be, to be equally distributed amongst all my children unless I shall signifie my minde to have such part or
      parts thereof to be disposed to any in particular.
      In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal.
      On my further consideration I signifie my mind before ye ensealing hereof and it is my will that Mr. Russell shall have my tow steers which are att Isaac Howlands and that Mr Thomas Hinckly shall have my nagro boy if he please he paying fourteen pounds to my Executor for him.
      WILLIAM CROCKER ___[SEAL.]
      Signed Sealed and declared In presence of
      SAMUEL CHIPMAN MERCY CHIPMAN
      Samuel Chipman and Mercy Chipman whose hands are sett as witnesses to this will made oath in Court October ye 19: 1692, that they did see the above said William Crocker now deceased sign seal and declare this above written to be his last will and testament.
      JOSEPH LOTHROP: cl.
      Examined and duly compared with ye original will and entered October ye 22, 1692.
      Attest: JOSEPH LOTHROP. Recorder.



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