Charlestown was first settled in 1628 and was the Massachusetts Bay Colony's initial seat of government. Charlestown became part of Boston in 1874.
Early European settlers in the American colonies were mostly farmers and craftsmen. They had to work hard to provide daily neccesities for themselves.
Elizabeth Davis Church was born on November 11, 1658 in Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Samuel Davis and Mary Waters.
Elizabeth married the widower, Samuel Church. Samuel was the son of Sarah and Garrett Church of Watertown and was born on June 10, 1640. Samuel had been married before to Rebecca Shattuck.
Samuel married Rebecca Shattuck on February 7, 1671. Rebecca was born in 1655 and her parents father was William Shattuck.
Samuel and Rebecca's children were born in Watertown:
Samuel Church (about 1670, married Mary Edwards)
Rebecca Church (1672)
Samuel and Elizabeth married about 1685. Their children were born in Groton:
Jonathan Church (1685/85, married Mary Edwards),
Sarah Church (1688),
Abigail Church Palmer (1689, married Jonah Palmer),
Elizabeth Church Harris
(about 1690, married Thomas Harris), and
David Church (1692).
Samuel appeared in the garrison list of Groton in 1692.
They moved to Voluntown, New London County, Connecticut before May 8, 1718 when Samuel Church and other inhabitants of Voluntown complained to the General court of
their miserable estate and condition, living in Voluntown and being at a great distance from any meeting-house and destitute of ye public worship of God and ever likely to be, land being so much broken and nothing but barren pine holes and never likely to be inhabited so as to maintain a minister (unless it be remedied by your Honors)...
Samuel died in Voluntown, New London County, Connecticut on November 27, 1724.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was settled and incorporated in 1655. During King Philip's War, indigenous warriors burned all but four of Groton's garrisons. Survivors fled, but returned two years later to rebuild the town. Groton was again threated during Queen Anne's War.
In 1688, during the Glorious Revolution, the Protestant king and queen,William and Mary, took the English throne from Catholic King James II. The bloodless revolution profoundly impacted the American colonies.
