Essex County, Massachusetts was created on May 10, 1643 by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, when it ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires."
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.
Priscilla Grafton Gardner was born about 1626 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Her father was Joseph Grafton.
John Gardner (1653, married Susannah Green),
Joseph Gardner (1655),
Priscilla Gardner (1656, married John Arthur),
George Gardner (1656, married Eunice Starbuck),
Benjamin Gardner (1658),
Rachell Gardner (1661, married John Browne and Jonathan Pinkham),
Benjamin Gardner (1664),
Ann Gardner (1667, married Edward Coffin),
Nathaniel Gardner (1668),
Mary Gardner (1670, married Jethro Coffin),
Mehitable Gardner Dawes (1674, married Ambrose Dawes, Jr), and
Ruth Gardner (1676, married James Coffin, Jr.).
In 1639 the General Court at Boston's
treasurer was ordered to pay John Gardner 20s. for witness charge & carrying Goodman Woodward, his instruments to Ipswich.
In 1642 he and his brother Richard were each granted ten acre lots in Salem
nere Mackrell Cove next to Mr. Thorndiks playne to be laid by the towne.
John Gardner, mariner of Salem,
sold unto John Putnam, husbandman for forty shillings tooe acres of medow lying nere Ipswich River as by deed dated 6th day of Februarie 1653 apeth
On May 27, 1659 John Gardner, mariner, bought property from Hannah Shattuck. The property included a house with a shop and a quarter acre, bounded
with ye broad streete ye comes from ye meeting house on ye north, with ye dwelling of Richard Prince on ye east, & som ground of Nathanyell Pitman on ye south & adjoining to the dwelling of Richard Gardner on ye west, to have & to hold.
In 1663, John and Samuel Gardner and others were granted permission to build a mill over the South river, provided it be built in two years.
The family moved to Nantucket. A grant was made on August 5, 1672 by the town
to Mr. John Gardner of Salem, mariner, a seamans accommodation, with all appurtinances, etc. upon condition that he com to Inhabit and set up the Trade of fishing with a sufficient vessel fit for the taking of Codfish
and that any of the Ingabitants shall have liberty to jiyne in such a vessall with him and that the aforesayd John Gardner shall use his best endeavor to prosecute the fishing trade effect in the fit season of the year
and if he see casue to depart from the Island within Three years after the time that he shall com to Inhabit that then the land shal return into the hands of the aforesayd grantters, they paying for al necessary building or fencing that are upon it, as it shal be judged worth,
also the said John Gardner is to be here with his family at or before the last day of April 1674 or else this grant to be voyd.
In 1676 Nantucket residents resolved that John Gardener should not
medal at all hence forward in any of the towns Consernes ether at Yorcke or elce whare under any colour or pretence what so ever.
The town issued a warrant for John Gardner's arrest. During the proceedings Tristram Coffin said to him,
I am sorry you do behave yourself as a Delinquent.
To which John Gardner replied,
I know my business; and it may be that some of those that have meddled with me had better have eaten fire.
On June 5, 1677 John was fined 10 pounds and appealed to the Governor. Governor Andros decided that the court proceedings were illegal and beyond their authority.
On November 10, 1680, 1682 and 1684, John was commissioned Chief Magistrate of the Island.
When her father, Joseph, died in 1681, the Gardner children were left a fourth part.
John Gardner died in 1706, at the age of eighty-two. He was buried on "Forefather's Hill."
Salem is in Essex County, Massachusetts and was a significant seaport in early America. John Endicott obtained a patent from England and arrived there in 1628. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of Beverly, Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
The town common (commons) was a small, open field at the center of the town which was jointly owned. It was used as a marketplace, a place for the militia to drill, or for grazing livestock.
Early European settlers in the American colonies were mostly farmers and craftsmen. They had to work hard to provide daily neccesities for themselves.
