Sisters & so accounted of in ye place where they lived, Viz in Rowley, where I was born & brought up.

Taken upon Oath July 20 1698 before me

Nath Saltonstall Justice of ye Peace

NOTE. This John Grant and three sisters were children of Thomas and Jane Grant, and came from England with others who settled in Rowley. At this time Hannah was the wife of Capt. Geo. Browne, of Haverhill, who left no issue, but she had children by Hazen, her former husband. Frances was the wife of Solomon Keyes, of Chelmsford; and Ann was then a widow in Haverhill, but was drowned June 25, 1718. Her husband was Robert Emerson, by whom had a family of sons and daughters.-A. P.

WILLIAM FISKE, OF WENHAM, MASS.,

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE LINE OF HIS DESCENDANTS THROUGH HIS GRANDSON THEOPHILUS; WHICH INCLUDES ALL HIS POSTERITY OF THE NAME, WHO

ARE NOW RESIDENTS OF THIS COUNTY AND VICINITY.

BY ALFRED POOR,

Genealogist of Essex County. Office at the Court House, Salem, Mass.

FROM probable authentic information, Mr. Fiske descended from a Robert Fiske who deceased in 1602, who, as some say, was son of Richard, who was son of William and Sarah (Lynne) Fiske, and greatgrandson of Symond, or Simon, lord of the manor of Stradhaugh, in the parish of Laxfield, county of Suffolk, England, whose wife was a Sarah Smyth, and lived in the reign of Henry IV, V, and VI. Another account which we find in the Heraldic Journal for July, 1867, says he descended through Simon's son William (as above), who married Joan Lynne, by whom had for his eldest son Simon, whose eldest son was Simon, and that he was father of Robert." But several agree, that Robert married Sybil (Gould) Barber, a widow, and died in 1602; that their sons were William, Jeffrey, and Thomas; also, that each of these sons had descendants who settled in America.

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William, son of Robert and Sybil Fiske, married Anne, daughter of William Austye for his first wife, by whom had three sons, John, Nathaniel, and Eleazer; and three daughters, one of which was Hannah, who married William Candler, by whom had a son who was the Rev. Matthias Candler, author of the manuscript numbered 6,071 of the Harleian Collection in the British Museum. He died, 1623, in Dutchingham, Norfolk.

John, the eldest son of William and Anue Fiske, married Anne,

daughter of Robert Lanterce, and had three sons, who were Rev. John, Nathan, and William, Esq., the subject of our research; and two daughters, Ann, who married a Chickering, and Martha, who married a Thompson. He was of St. James' Church, South Elmham, and died in 1633. About three years after his decease his widow, and some or all their children, set sail for America; she died on the passage, but we find that some of the children subsequently were living in this country; namely, Rev. John Fiske, who was a physician as well as preacher of the gospel, and resided a short time in Salem, in Wenham about a dozen years, when he removed, with most of the church for whom he preached, to Chelmsford, Mass., where he deceased in 1677. His wife, who was an Anne Gipps, and to whom he was married in Old England, bore him several children; one of whom was the Rev. Moses Fiske, who was settled over the church in Braintree, who had, for one of his sons, the Rev. Samuel Fiske, who came to Salem and settled over the church here; and some of his descendants still reside here now, bearing the names of Allen, Putnam, &c. Martha, who resided in Salem, and deceased previous to June 18, 1674, to whose daughters, Martha Burton and Anna Thompson, her brother, Rev. John, bequeathed in his will of that date; and William, Esq.

Among the cousins or near relations of Rev. John and William, Esq., who came to Massachusetts, besides those who settled in Watertown, Mass., were Phineas and his brother James Fiske, who came to Salem. The former soon settling in Wenham, and the latter going to Haverhill, where several of his children were born; then removed to Groton, and deceased in 1689. Phineas had a nephew named Samuel when he made his will in 1673. And a Thomas Fiske, who called himself about forty years of age in 1670, when he testified in regard to a legacy given to a Joseph Fiske by a James Axey, of Lynn.

From these early emigrants to America have sprung, says a writer who has devoted much time on the history of the family, "a numerous, widely scattered, and generally very respectable posterity. Above one hundred of their number, bearing the family name, are on the roll of college graduates, while many of them have variously attained distinction as divines, authors, scholars, and public men in the States where they have resided."

The Fiskes, who have resided in Wenham, occupied farms situated in the western part of the town, and probably seldom or never lived in

any other portion of the place; and when they left to settle in the adjoining towns, it was in the immediate vicinity of the original settlement; namely, in the north-east corner of Danvers and south-east side of Topsfield. On the right hand of the street, leading from the centre village to Topsfield, is a lane which leads down to the great swamp, where there is a site of an old residence (tradition says) that a family of Fiskes once occupied; and on the southern side of and some distance from the street, and nearly opposite this lane, in a small cemetery, where some of the Fairfields are buried, is an ancient tomb which has always been called the Fiske tomb.

The following account of William Fiske and his posterity has been compiled from county, town, and church records, monuments in cemeteries, and recollections of the elder members of several branches of the family, unless other sources are noticed.

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(1) William, published accounts say, married a Bridget Muskett, in Pelham, England, and had five children, but only one of whom I find any identified record of birth or baptism, though probably the sons, if not the daughter, were all born in Wenham; as Rev. John Fiske, in his will, makes a small bequest to this brother's eldest son William, and to his brothers. Mr. Fiske died intestate, probably, about September, 1654, as an inventory of his estate was taken 16th 7 mo., 1654; and his widow afterward married a Rix, and was alive in 1674, as Rev. John made her a legatee, also calling her the mother of his brother William's children, but does not mention the Christian name of her or her Rix husband.

Mr. Fiske joined the church in Salem, 2d 5 mo., 1642, and the next year, probably after the month of May, he, it is said, was made freeman of Wenhamn. He was the first town clerk, and several times was chosen by the town to represent the town in the legislature of the colony, and held other trusts, but died in prime of life. His children

were,

2. William, baptized in Salem, 4th 4 mo., 1643.

3. Samuel.

4. Joseph.
5. Benjamin.

6. Martha.

(2) Dea. William," the eldest son of William, Esq., and Bridget (Muskett) Fiske, married Sarah Kilham, Jan. 15, 1662-3; settled in Wenham, was a weaver by trade; where he died on the 4th or 5th day

of Feb., 1727-8, and his widow deceased Jan. 26, 1737-8, in the ninety-eighth year of her age. He was also a leading man of his place and generation; was deacon of the church from 1679, and representative to General Court. His children, whose births were found among the private papers of his grandson, William Fiske, who settled in Amherst, N. H., many of whom were alive when he made his will, May 15, 1725, were,

7. William, b. Jan. 31, 1663, whose wife was Marah, settled in Andover, and survived his father.

8. Sarah, b. Feb. 5, 1664, who married John Cook, a legatee in her father's will. 9. Ruth, b. March 2, 1666, was deceased in 1725, but left heirs.

10. Samuel, b. March 2, 1667; died young.

11. Martha, b. May 15, 1668, a legatee in her father's will.

12. Joseph, b. Feb. 10, 1669; died young.

13. Samuel, b. Feb. 16, 1670; m. Elizabeth Browne, 1699; was living, it is said, in Rehoboth, in 1718, and was a legatee in will of his father.

14. Joseph, b. April 14, 1672; m. Susan Warner, of Ipswich, where he settled and posterity lived.

15. Benjamin, b. April 6, 1674; m. Mary Quarles, 1699. A man in public business, Wenham.

16. Theophilus, b. July 28, 1676; m. Phebe Lampson, 1700.

17. Ebenezer, b. Feb. 10, 1677, who died young.

18. Ebenezer, b. March 22, 1679; m. Elizabeth Fuller in 1710; was a deacon of the church in Wenham; had a family of nine children, among whose descendants have been many men of note; and one of his descendants is Albert A. Fiske, of Chicago, Ill., at present a student of theology, who has issued a full account of his line, and collected much matter relating to other branches of the Fiskes, and intends, if encouragement is given, to pursue it farther and complete a full genealogy of the families in America. 19. Jonathan, b. July 22, 1681; d. Feb. 14, 1705.

20. Elizabeth, b. Dec. 12, 1684, who married Eliezer Foster, 1704, and was a legatee in her father's will of 1725.

(16) Theophilus,10 son of Dea. William and Sarah (Kilham) Fiske, married about August, 1700, as their intention of marriage was recorded in that month. She deceased May 23, 1753, and he married Mehitable Wilkins, of Topsfield, July 26, 1756, who survived him; and probably about October, 1762, she married to Hobert Rust, of Ipswich. He settled in Wenham, where he made his will June 8, 1757, and died Sept. 6, 1759, and his brother, Dea. Ebenezer Fiske, settled his estate. Of his real estate in the inventory, besides his homestead, was twentyfour acres of meadow in Wenham, two acres salt marsh in Ipswich, and three lots in Wenham Swamp; and the homestead was bounded by a Thomas Fiske, John Friend, and Josiah Fairfield. His children were,

21. Phebe, b. Jan. 4, 1701-2, who m. Jesse Mainard, of Westborough, Sept. 27, 1737, and she received her portion of her father's estate in 1760.

22. Jerusha, b. Oct. 23, 1704, who m. Caleb Moulton, of Ipswich, Nov. 8, 1734, and Jerusha, her first child, was b. Aug. 1, 1735.

23. Thomas, bap. Aug. 24, 1707; received his portion previous to his father's will, receiving by deed, April 2, 1757, half the homestead and the westerly half of the house. 24. Theophilus, b. May 31, 1709, and bap. July 3, that year, who m. Jemima Goldsmith, Jan. 11, 1737-8.

25. Martha, b. Oct. 25, 1711, who m. George Dodge, of Ipswich; was living when her father made his will.

26. Mary, b. Sept. 29, 1713, who m. John Perkins, of Topsfield, Feb. 20, 1750-1; was also mentioned as living in 1757.

27. Benjamin, who deceased Aug. 25, 1751.

(24) Theophilus, jr.," son of Theophilus and Phebe Fiske, married Jemima Goldsmith. She was admitted to full communion with the church in Wenham, August, after they were married. She died in Topsfield, Jan. 23, 1784, aged sixty-nine years. Their first two children were born in Wenham, but in 1742 and 1750, at the time he bought lands of his father, their residence was in the northern point of Salem (soon after Danvers). He was there as late as 1765; and in 1771 was in Topsfield (a short distance from the borders of Danvers and Wenham), where he was when his will was made, Nov. 4, 1775, which was proved March 5, 1781; the day after an inventory of his estate was taken. The real estate consisted of homestead 90 acres, land in Boxford 82 acres, and salt marsh in Ipswich, 4 acres. Whole amount of inventory, £1,058 4s. 4d. $1,481 of old continental money, valued £5 18s. 5d., and a four dollar bill, new money, valued at 12s. 10d. 28. Benjamin, b. Oct. 30, 1738, who m., when residing in Topsfield, to Sarah Towne, of that town.

29. Nathaniel, b. March, 1740-1, while a resident of Danvers, to Lydia Gould, Feb. 27, 1764.

30. Tabitha, who was admitted to full communion in the church in Topsfield, July 3, 1785, where she deceased, Oct. 22, 1823, aged seventy-nine, but never married.

31. Jemima, admitted to the church July 2, 1786; also never was married, but died March 2, 1795, aged forty-six years.

32.

Samuel, b.

1747, who married Sarah Perkins, of Topsfield, June 2, 1772.

(28) Benjamin,12 son of Theophilus, jr., and Jemima Fiske, who married Sarah, dau. of Joshua Towne; deceased May 1, 1772, but his widow ever after lived a widow until her decease, Dec. 27, 1831, aged eighty-four; a cloth weaver, leaving a web in her loom unfinished, and we are told that those who chanced to pass her residence, early or late, always heard her weaving and singing. They had two children,

33. An infant daughter that died May 15, 1770.

34. Sarah, bap. Nov. 7, 1773, who married John, son of John and Emma (Thorndike)