Lancaster was first settled as "Nashaway" in 1643. It was officially incorporated as "Lancaster on the Nashua" in 1653. It originally included many current towns in central Massachusetts. It was the home of Mary Rowlandson. During King Philip's War the town suffered several massacres. It was abandoned in 1680 and resettled several years later.
John Whitcomb was born in 1588 in England.
He married Frances Coggan.
Catherine Whitcomb (1624 married, Rodolphus Ellmes),
John Whitcomb, Jr. (1626)
Jonathan Whitcomb (1628)
Robert Whitcomb (1629),
James Whitcomb (1632),
Joan Whitcomb (1634)
Job Whitcomb ( 1636) Josiah Whitcomb (1638, married Rebecca Waters),
Abigail Whitcomb (1642)
Mary Whitcomb (1647)
The family emmigrated to New England.
By 1636 he was a proprietor of Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
About 1640 they moved to Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
In 1652 John admitted as freeman.
They moved to Lancaster, Massachusetts. The Lancaster inhabitants adopted a covenant on November 28, 1653. Among the signers were John Whitcomb.
John died on September 24, 1662.
Frances died on May 17, 1671.
John Whitcomb was drowned on April 7, 1683 in Lancaster.
Upon y 7th of April 1683 Lancaster A Jury of Inquest was Caled to give in their virdict concerning ye untimely death of John Whitcomb, we whose names are underwriten doe by what we understand by ye brother of ye deceased by name Jonathan Whitcomb and one more by name George huse who was standing on ye shore and saw how ye said John Whitcomb felle into ye water, do here unanimously give in our virdict thus, that ye sd John Whitcomb and Jonathan Whitcomb being bringing some hay over ye river upon two canooes indeavoring to pull them over by a rope which was fastned to a bough at ye river side, but ye cannooes sinking ye said John Whitcomh falling into ye river was by a providence of god drownded in pennecuk river this instant Aprill.
Suffolk County, Massachusetts was created by the Massachusetts General Court on May 10, 1643. It initially contained Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Dedham, Braintree, Weymouth.
Jonathan Whitcomb was born in 1628 in England. He was the son of John Whitcomb.
His wife was named Hannah.
Hannah Whitcomb (1668, died as an infant),
Jonathan Whitcomb (1669, married Mary Blood),
Hannah Whitcomb (1671, married Joseph Blood),
Abigail Whitcomb (1674, married William Kelsey),
Elizabeth Whitcomb (1676, married Daniel Powers),
Katherine Whitcomb (1678),
Ruth Whitcomb (1680),
Mary Whitcomb (1682),
John Whitcomb (1684),
Jonathan died in February, 1690
On July 18, 1692 Hannah, was killed in Lancaster.
... a small band of Indians surprised the family of Peter Joslin, on the west side of the Neck, while he was absent in the field, killed Mrs. Sarah Joslin, Mrs. Hannah Whitcomb and three young children, and took away as prisoners Elizabeth Hows, the sister of' Mrs. Joslin, and Peter Joslin, aged about six years. The boy was butchered in the wilderness. Elizabeth, a girl of sixteen years, when the Indians approached the house, was singing at the spinning-wheel, and tradition says escaped the fate of her sister because of her captors’ admiration for her song. She was ransomed from Canada after four years of captivity. (from History of Worcester County, Massachusettsby Duane Hamilton Hurd)
Jonathan Whitcomb was born on February 26, 1669 in Lancaster, Massachusetts. he was the son of Jonathan Whitcomb.
He married Mary Blood.
Jonathan Whitcomb (1699, married Deliverance Nutting),
Joseph Whitcomb
Nathaniel Whitcomb
Hannah Whitcomb (married Joseph Powers),
Martha Whitcomb (1701)
Ephraim Whitcomb (1702)
Mary Whitcomb (1704, married John Cobleigh, Jr.)
He married Deborah Scripture on September 4, 1710.
