Philip Fowler (1), the immigrant ancestor of Samuel Fowler, of Northbridge, Massachusetts, came from England in the ship John and Mary, sailing March 24, 1633. He lived in Marlboro, Wiltshire, England, where presumably he was born. The master of the ship, Captain Robert Sayres, was delayed by the king's officer but was finally allowed to sail upon his giving a bond of a hundred pounds to guarantee that service of the Church of England should be said on board ship daily, and attended by the passengers, and that his passengers should take the oath of allegiance and supremacy.
The Mary and John arrived in New England, May, 1634, and Fowler with others settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts. His home lot there was recently and may be at present owned by a lineal descendant. He was a cloth worker by trade.
He was admitted a freeman, September 3, 1634.
He deposed in court, February 28, 1671, that his age was above eighty years. Therefore he was probably born about 1585-90.
He had a grant of land, January 5, 1634/35, and more January 26, of the same year. He drew and purchased numerous lots afterward.
He served on the jury March 29, 1642
on the grand jury September 29, 1657,
was highway surveyor 1649-55-56-57,
surveyor of fences 1662.
In 1651 he adopted Philip, the son of his deceased son Joseph and wife Martha. He served on many special committees for the town of Ipswich.
His first wife Mary died August 30, 1659. She was probably Mary Winslow, sister of Samuel Winslow, a grantee with Bradstreet, Dudley and others, of Colchester, in 1638, and an early settler
of Salisbury. Winslow was admitted a freeman May 22, 1639, was deputy to the general court 164245-53- He died June 2, 1663.
Philip Fowler married (second), Mary Norton, widow of George Norton, who came with the fleet of Higginson from London, April, 1629, a carpenter, who built the old first church (preserved by the Essex Institute) at Salem, 1634, for one hundred pounds.
He died June 24, 1679, in Ipswich, and administration was granted to his grandson, Philip Fowler, September, 1679. He deeded to this Philip, house and land, December 23, 1668, and probably had no considerable amount of property to dispose of at his death. His widow died about 1694.
Children of Philip and Mary Fowler were:
1. Margaret, baptized March 25, 1615, in England, married, July 28. 1633, Christopher Osgood.
2. Mary, married William Chandler, ancestor of the Worcester county Chandlers, and lived at Newbury.
3. Samuel, .
4. Esther, married (first) Jothniel Bird, and (second) Robert Collins.
5. Joseph, born 1629, married Martha Kimball.
6. Thomas, born 1636, in Ipswich, married Hannah Jordan.
