John STAPLES Sr. (1608  – 1683) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather; one of 2,048  in this generation of the Shaw line.  He was also Alex’s 11th Great Grandfather; one of 4,096 in this generation of the Miller line.

John Staples Sr was born about Aug 1608.  It used to be thought that he was born in Chard, Somerset, England, but it now has been shown that his true origin was Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England. His parents were Jeffery STAPLES and Margery CHRISMAS.   He married Rebecca [__?__] in 1636.  He was in Weymouth Mass by 1636.   His home was on King Oak Hill in Weymouth.
Click here to see a Satellite view of King Oak Hill from Google Maps.  John died 4 Jul 1683 in Dorchester Mass.

Rebecca [__?__] was born in 1615 in Chard Parish, Somerset, England. Rebecca died in 1681 Weymouth, Suffolk, Mass.

Children of John and Rebecca:

The Staples family name is of considerable antiquity in England. The name has been variously written Staple, Stapel, Stapelle and Stapul. A number of persons are mentioned of this surname among the nobility of England and the coats-of-arms they have borne are described in various works on heraldry. The Irish family carries on its coat-of-arms a representation of an iron staple, showing perhaps the supposed origin of the name and two English branches carry similar designs on their armor. However, it is more likely that  the surname of this family was taken from the trade, stapler, meaning wool dealer.

A NEHGR article on Jeffrey Staple of Weymouth, includes, as son of Jeffery, a John Staple, baptized Aug 1608, died in Dorchester, Mass., 4 July 1683, m. ____ at age 18, had dau. Rebecca born 27 Nov 1639 in Weymouth. He left a will dated 18 March 1681/2 proved 2 Aug 1683. This article will provide some Staple ancestry, but not enough detail to prove later links, he died at Dorchester July 1683. He and his wife, thought to be named Rebecca, had 5 children, his fifth born was John Staple b abt 1647 in Weymouth, m Sarah Atkins, one of ten daughters of Thomas and Elizabeth Atkins of Plymouth and “Kennebec” in the area now known as Phippsburg, Maine.

John Staples, the immigrant ancestor, was born in England and settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, before 1636, when he had six acres of land assigned to him in the plain and three acres in the east field; also in Harris lot in the West Plain and in a second division in 1651 he drew a “great lot.” His home was at the foot of King Oak hill in North Weymouth.

“The number of acres in each person lotts in the First Division beginning on the Brauntry lyne as followeth:
#8 John Staple 6 acres

He was admitted a freeman, May 10, 1648. He and his son were active in town affairs. He died at Dorchester.

John Staple appointed Fence Viewer  in 1660, 1661 and 1662 A fence viewer in colonial times was a participant in a perambulation and arbiter of boundary disputes.

In a meeting of the Select men (of Weymouth, 14 December 1663) John and the “widdow Staple” (probably Jeffery’s widow) are given land (along with others)

His inventory was taken July 13, 1683. His will was dated March 18, 1681-82, and proved August 2, 1683, bequeathing to sons John, Abraham, Joseph and to daughters Rebecca and Sarah. Children: 1. John. 2. Rebecca, born November 2, 1639, married Samuel Sumner. 3. Abraham, born about 1640, mentioned below. 4. Joseph, born February 19, 1641-42. 5. Sarah, married Increase Sumner. 6. Joseph, born 1647, according to one authority, indicating that the first of the name died young.

(Suffolk Probate, 6: 425.)

John Staples, Sr., of Weymouth, being lame and weake, made his will 18 Mar. 1681-82, and it was proved 2 Aug. 1683. In it he mentions his son John to have a salt marsh at Braintree purchased of John Harbour, his son Abraham, his son Joseph, his son-in-law Samuel Sumner, and to his daughter Rebecca, wife of said Samuel, his son-in-law Increase Sumner and his daughter Sarah, wife of Increase, to have his estate in Weymouth; son John Staples and son-in-law Increase Sumner, executors. Witnesses: Thomas Dun and William Chard.

Children

1. Abraham Staples

Abraham’s wife Mary Randall was born 20 Mar 1642 in Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass. Her parents were Robert Randall and Mary French. Mary died 9 Mar 1712 in Mendon, Worcester, Mass.

Abraham Staples was a weaver, and when a young man lived at Dorchester where he united with the church under the Rev. Richard Mather, March 20, 1658, and from there he was dismissed to the Weymouth Church, Jan 13, 1660. He married, Jul 7, 1660, at Weymouth, Mary Randall, daughter of Robert Randall, who came from Berkshire, England. Her sister, Hannah Randall, married John Warfield. Both the families settled at Mendon. Some of the town records have been shown to err in giving the name Hannah as the wife of Abraham Staples; he was married but once.

This stone was erected on the graves of Abraham and Mary Randall Staples by descendants in 1877; it is the only stone locating the graves of the first settlers of Mendon, Massachusetts.

In 1662 Abraham Staples was associated with a number of Weymouth and Braintree men to form a new settlement. Their petition to the general court was granted, and after purchasing the tract from the Nipmuck Indians they began their settlement in Mendon, as the town was called later, in the fall of 1662 or spring of 1663, for Abraham Staples. Jr., was born in Mendon, June 14, 1663. His lot was on the Main street west of the church from a little stream across the main street and down the eastern slope of the hill to Muddy brook; the northern line cuts the present street diagonally, running through the village near the brick office of the late

2. Rebecca Staples

Rebecca’s husband Samuel Sumner was born 18 May 1638 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Mass. His parents were William Sumner and Mary West. Samuel died in 1698 in Dorchester, Mass.

4. Sarah Staples

Sarah’s husband Increase Sumner 23 Feb 1643 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Mass. His parents were William Sumner and Mary West. Increase died 3 Sep 1683 in Dorchester, Mass.

5. Joseph Staples

Joseph’s wife Mary Macomber was born 1643 in Taunton, Bristol, Mass. Her parents were John Macomber and Mary Babcock. Mary died in 1723 in East Taunton, Mass.

6. John STAPLES (See his page)

Sources:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~staples/fam_history.htm

http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/b_s.htm

Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs …, Volume 4 edited by William Richard Cutter

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dano/secondsite/p16.htm

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=25525598&st=1