Mark SYMONDS (1584 – 1659) was Alex’s  11th Great Grandfather, one of 4,096 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Mark Symonds - Coat of Arms

Mark Symonds was born in 1584 in Birch Great, Essex, England.  His parents were William SYMONDS and  Alice ROSEBLADE.  He married Susan Edgar on 24 Apr 1609 in Birch Great, Essex, England. He married second Joanna [__?__] in 1619 in Essex, England. He appeared first in Ipswich about the year 1634.   Mark died on 28 Apr 1659 in Ipswich,  Essex, Mass.

Nothing can be found to prove or disprove that this Mark Symonds is the man of that name who married at Great Birch, county Essex, England, on 24 Apr 1609, Susan Edgar.

Joanna [__?__] was born about 1598 in Essex, England. She died on 29 Apr 1666 in Ipswich,  MA.   Joanna, the last wife of Mark Symonds stated in her will “God having given me two daughters,” Priscilla and Abigail. This indicates Joanna was not the mother of the older children, and that there was at least one earlier wife of Mark Symonds.

Children of Mark and Joanna:

Mark may possibly have been a very distant relative of the noted Samuel Symonds, of Yeldham, co. Essex, and Ipswich, Mass., though there were several families of the name in New England not known to be connected.

2 May 1638 – Made freeman in Ipswich

26: 7: 1648: – Court Held at Ipswich found Marke Symonds being sixty four years of age, discharged from ordinary training (source of date of birth)

1641 – Robert Andrews, George Giddings, Mark Symonds and Thomas Treadwell are chosen surveyors for this year.

2 Feb 1641 – On  the Jury in Court held at Salem. He was also on the Jury of Trials 4 Nov 1645, and 30 Mar 1647.

1647 – Appointed admr. of the Estate of George Abott, late of Rowley.

24 Sep 1650 – On  Grand Jury

His house and twelve acres of land lay on ye common fields on ye north side ye river, and a planting lot at Reedy Marsh.

16 Sep 1658 – (Ipswich Deed IV : 340) . . . Marke Symonds of Ipswich . . . for . . . fifty pounds . . . Have Granted . . . unto John PICKARD of Rowley … his pcell of ground . . . lyeing on the North Syd of the North River … at the end of his farme formarly sold to John Crose containeing seaven acres . . . with about halfe an acre bought of Robert Lord . . . having the land of Twyford WEST toward the Southwest …  . . . Rec. June 9, 1680.

Ipswich Deed 16 Sep 1658

28 Apr 1659 – Marke’s will proved in Ipswich Court.  After the death of Mary Chapman, his daughter, he left by will certain pieces of land for the benefit of his grandchildren, which caused their father, Edward Chapman, a great deal of trouble in his efforts to keep it and divide it equally among them in connection with his own property.

The last will & testam* of Marke Symons … I doe appoynt my beloved wieffe Johannah Symons to be sole executrix … I bequethe to my Daughter Susannah Ayres a fether bed & bo ulster w”* was her mothers wth y8 worst rugg. I bequeathe to Abigaill Pierce a fether bed … I bequeathe to John Warner junior one ewe lamb . . . after ye decease of my said wieffe my estate to be equally devided amongst our three daughters & y* children of my daughter Mary Chapman deceased . . . Also I apoynt my lo* bretheren Moses Pengrie & Edward Browne to be overseers of this my last will & testament. Dated 25 (2) 1659. Signed in ye prsence of George Smith, Aaron Pengry.

16 May 1659 – Inventory taken by Robert Lord and Robert Day. Mentions ” his dwelling house & bame with the ground about it. 18 acres of Land, 2 acres of meddow at Mr wintrips farme & 1 acre of salt marsh.”

Amount of estate £257.6.9.

9 May 1666 – Joanna’s will proven in Ipswich Court

I Joana Symonds of Ipswich . . . doe make and ordaine this my last will and Testament . . . And for my outward estate I . . . dispose God haueing given me two daughters which are maryed both and have children my will is equally to dispose of what estate I leave behind . . . unto my said two daughters and there children, i. e., namely unto my daughter Prisilla the wife of John Warner and to her children after her decease the one halfe of my estate And to my daughter Abigaill the wife of Robert Pearce the other halfe equally devided … I doe apoynt my loueing Sons in law John warner & Robert Pearce to be my executors . . . and doe declare this to be my last will and testament this sixt day of Aprill 1666. In presents of us William Goodhue, Robert Lord. Joana Symonds.

24 Nov 1659 – Ipswich Deed

wheras ther was an estate left by Marke Symonds unto his children after the death of his wife. And by agreem* mutually betweene the widdow & them to alow the widdow a certeine Sum yearly dureing her life and for to devyde the estate presently, and by agreement betweene themselves, the lands with some other small things fell to Edward Chapman (who maryed one of Marke Symonds his daughters) for his part of the estate, And the house being by the consent of all hands put into the hands of John Ayres to make sale of . . . This therfore wittnesseth that I John Ayres for . . . four score pounds . . . sell vnto my Brother Edward Chapman of Ipswich the dwelling house, barne & land about it . . . three acres be it more or less . . . wch was lately Marke Symonds … In wittness whereof … 24 November 1659 . . . John Ayers and John Baker

Recorded 1st of Aprill 1673. by Robert Lord

Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony … By Thomas Franklin Waters, Sarah Goodhue, John Wise, Ipswich Historical Society 1927

Mark Symonds' Ipswich Lot

The remainder of the land in this square was owned originally by Mark Symonds. Hisexecutor, John Aires, sold a house and three acres, to Edward Chapman, son in law of Symonds, Nov. 24, 1659 (Ips. Deeds 3: 351). Chapman sold his son, John, a house and 10 rods on the corner, bounded by his land on two sides, Sept. 1677 (Ips. Deeds 4: 153). Samuel Chapman acquired the balance of the estate. Samuel sold an acre on the northeast side to his neighbor, Abraham Perkins, to enlarge his property, June 23, 1687 (7:152); an acre and house, fronting on the Street, to Samuel Wood, Dec. 2, 1687 (12: 119); and an acre and a quarter of land in the rear, to Thomas Lull Jr., Dec. 6, 1687 (8: 100). John Chapman sold his corner and house,his land increased now to 40 rods,to Caleb and John Kimball, April 6, 1719 (36: 22) and they sold the same to John Wood, on April 8, 1719 (35: 156). By this purchase John became next neighborto his father, Samuel Wood, and inherited his property (50: 253). John Wood’s widow, Martha, was allotted the northeast part of his estate, bounded by the Capt. Stephen Perkins’ land, and measuring 4} rods on High St., Nov. 19, 1752 (Pro. Rec. 331:126). Retire Bacon and his wife Margaret acquired possession, and sold a house and one and a half acres, the whole of the John Wood estate probably,to Isaac Martin,Aug. 7,1765(117:29). Martin sold to John Lakeman,Oct. 31, 1765(126: 43),the northeast corner of the property abutting on Nathaniel Foster, and another piece on April 19, 1773 (160: 159). It was owned by Nathaniel Lord, and by his son, Abraham, and the northwest part is still in possession of his heirs.

Children

1. Mary Symonds

Mary’s husband Edward Chapman was born in 1617 in Nr Hull, Yorkshire, England. His parents were Robert Chapman and Rebecca [__?__]. After Mary died, he married 10 Jun 1658 in Rowley, Essex, Mass to Dorothy Swan (b. 16 May 1635 in Boston, Mass – d. 21 Oct 1710 in Rowley, Mass.) Edward died 18 Apr 1678 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass.

2. Susanna Symonds

There were two John Ayres in early Massachusetts.  One married Sarah Williams and Mary Wooddam and the other married Susannah Symonds.  Genealogies show both the Williams and Symonds marriages with a date of 5 May 1646 in Haverhill, but I think the Ayres/Williams connection is correct.

The other John Ayres was born in 1623 in Lavenham, Suffolk. His parents were John Ayer and Hannah Evered. He married Sarah Williams, daughter of our ancestor John WILLIAMS, 5 May 1646 in Haverhill, Mass.  After Sarah died, her John Ayre married 26 Mar 1663 in Haverhill, Essex, Mass to Mary Wooddam (b. 1634 in Salisbury, Essex, Mass; d. 1694 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass.) This John died between 1694 and 1711 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass.

Susannah’s John Ayres was born about 1621 in England. He married 5 May 1646 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass to Susannah Symonds (b. 1617 d. 2 Feb 1682 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass.)  This other John was killed by Indians 2 Aug 1675 in Northfield, Franklin, Mass. with seven others, at the fight at Brookfield.. Though he had received large grants of land at Brookfield, some 2,000 acres, his family undoubtedly returned to Ipswich and its vicinity, the settlement having been broken up, and rendered unsafe.  His widow presented an inventory of his estate, now recorded at Salem, on which she wrote, “I have seven sons and one daughter.”

John’s parentage is unknown,  but it seems highly probable that he was accompanied to New England by two of his brothers-in-law, William LAMSON and William Fellows.   The ground for the conjecture is this. William Lamson died at Ipswich in 1659, leaving eight children. His widow Sarah wished to marry one Thomas Hartshorn, but was opposed by her brothers William Fellows and John Ayres. Now as Ayres married a Symonds, and there is no record of any sisters of his wife who married Lamson and Fellows, it is fair to conclude that their wives were own sisters of John Ayres.

We learn from deeds at Salem, that this other John Ayres lived at Ipswich 1648, and as a tenant on Mr. John Norton’s farm. In Nov 1672, he seems to have sold out all his rights in the town, including those derived from his father-in-law, Mark Symonds.

3. Priscilla Symonds

Priscilla’s husband John Warner was born 9 Sep 1616 Boxted, Essex, England.  His parents were William WARNER and Abigail BAKER.  John died 17 May 1692 Hadley, Hampshire, Mass.

John and Priscilla’s children were Joseph Warner (1657), Mehitable Warner (1659), Daniel Warner (1661), Eleazar Warner (1662), and Priscilla Warner Cummings (married Thomas Cummings).

John removed from Ipswich to Brookfield in 1670, was one of three men there who took the Indian deed for the town of Brookfield, December 19, 1673, and was one of the principal inhabitants there. When the town was destroyed by the Indians in 1675 he retreated with his younger children to Hadley, Massachusetts, whither Mark Warner, an elder son, and other children had gone to settle. He probably died at the home of some of his children, 1692.

On May 17, 1692, he gave his property to his sons, Mark, Nathaniel, and Eleazar. His property included the right of two commons in and land in a Hadley and Swampfield. He also gave them 3 beds, 3 coverlets, 3 pairs of sheets, a bolster, 6 pillows, 2 brass kettles, 3 skillets, a frying pan, an iron pot, a pair tongs, an iron peale, an iron trammel, a box of iron, 2 pewter platters, a pewter basin, 2 catechisms, 2 bibles, 6 sermon books, 2 woman’s coats, 2 waistcoats, a large apron, a silk handkerchief, a silk hood, a silk cap, and a hat.

4. Abigail Symonds (See Robert PEARCE‘s  page)

Sources:

http://www.lynngallup.org/genfam/pafg139.htm

The history of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles of Roxbury, Mass. and their … By John William Linzee 1913

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nanc/nanorman/aqwg32.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arlene/

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/19451550/person/804357402