An American Family History

Abigail Warner Dane was born in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Daniel Warner and Elizabeth Denne.

She married John Dane on December 27, 1671. John was born in 1643 and was the son of Dr. John Dane and Eleanor Clarke. Dr. John was the writer of the "Narrative." Abigail's brother Daniel Warner married John's sister, Sarah Dane.

John and Abigail's children were John Dane (November 29, 1681), Daniel Dane (1689), Susannah Dane (March 6, 1685/86), Nathaniel Dane (June 27, 1691), Abigail Dane Crackbone (December 15, 1673), Rebecca Dane (September 18, 1676) and Elizabeth Dane (March 6, 1678/79).

In 1692 John was a juror in witch cases

John died December 23, 1707. The inscription on his tombstone read

Memento mori, Fugit Hora.
Here lyes ye body of John Dane, Sen.
who departed this life December 23d, 1707
in the 65th year of his age.

In 1705, the Hamlet was granted by the town of Ipswich one acre of common land for a burial-place. This was, the next year, exchanged with John Dane for one-half acre, which is a part of the present burial-ground. This lot was described in the deed as bounded by the southeasterly side of the road leading to Wenham, fronting on said road eight rods, southerly on land of John Hubbard ten rods", and on the easterly end, eight rods, and on the northerly side, ten rods, by Dane's land.

John Dane, the grantor, died in 1707, and was buried in this lot; the stone erected to his memory bears the oldest date of any in the cemetery. The inscription is "Memento mori, Fugit Hora. Here lyes ye body of John Dane, Sen., who departed this life December 23d, 1707, in the 65th year of his age." This John was the son of a John Dane who emigrated to this country about 1635. He was born in Ipswich about 1644, and lived at the Hamlet. In 1692 he was a juror in witch cases. He married Abigail Warner, and was an ancestor of the Dane family residing in this town.

JOHN DANE'S NARRATIVE, 1682.
A small volume in the handwriting of John Dane, of Ipswich. . .The book contains 132 leaves, is 34 inches wide, and 6 inches long, and is bound in parchment, with a lappet On the inside of the cover is written in a large hand: "Philemon Warner, Junr,, his Book, given him by his grandmother Warner, Janry 20th 1741:

On the first leaf is the following memorandum: "This John Dane was from England, Doct Phillemon Dane's father, of Ipswich. I remember ye Doct. 60 or 70 years agoe, pr Phile. Warner, 1770.". . .The volume contains two narratives,—one in rhyme and the other in prose,— and some religious meditations and advice to the author's children, in rhyme. It also contains minutes of sermons by Mr. Dennison, Mr. Hubbard, and Mr.. Gerrish, in the handwriting of one who signs himself John Dane,—probably the son of the first owner. There is also some short hand. The prose narrative. . .contains all the facts found in the rhymed one, with additional particulars. It will be seen that it is deficient in dates. But it gives the places of residence of the family in England, besides other important facts and interesting descriptions. It is otherwise valuable in giving us an insight into the character and sentiments of persons in Mr. Dane's condition in life, in his day. The writer of the narrative, it seems, came to New England before his parents. He appears to have arrived here in the spring or early part of the summer,—but in what year is not known,—and after a short stay at Roxbury, to have settled in Ipswich. Mr. Felt finds him at Ipswich in 1638. His father had a house lot granted to him there, "entered 9th 2mo. 1639."

Sarah Dane, dau. of the narrator, m. 23 Sept. 1668, Daniel Warner, and was probably the "grandmother Warner" mentioned above. Her son, Philemon Warner, b. 2 Feb., 1675, m. 27 April, 1696, Abigail Tuttle, and had Philemon jr. b. 17 Jan., 1697, who " might well remember his great uncle the Doctor, who was living in 1716." Mr. Dane in his will says:—"My will is that my sons John and Philemon have my books and manuscripts, and that Philemon divide them, and John chuse. I suppose, from appearances, that this book fell to the share of John, who may afterwards have given it to his sister Sarah Warner.

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