Robert BULLARD (1599 – 1639) was Alex’s 11th Grandfather; one of 4,096 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Robert Bullard - Coat of Arms

Robert Bullard was born about 1598/99 at Barnham, Suffolk, England.  His parents were William BALLARD (Buller) and Grace BIGNETTE. He  married Anne MARTYN about  1624/25 at Barnham, Suffolk, England.  Robert died 24 Apr 1639 at Watertown, Mass. His death was accidental, the result of “the overthrow of a cart,” according to the early records of Medfield.

Anne Martyn was born in 1600 in Barnham, Suffolk, England.  Her parents were John MARTYN and Agnes [__?__].  After Robert died she married Henry Thorpe before 25 Nov 1639. Anne died before 15 Oct 1660 in Watertown, Mass.

Henry Thorpe was born 1600 in Barnham, Suffolk, England. His parents were John Thorpe and Alice Chandler.  Henry died 21 May 1672 in Watertown, Middlesex, Mass.

One source say William Thorpe, born at England, 1615, died at New Haven, New Haven, 1679 was the son of Henry Thorpe and Anne Martyn. That would mean this Ann was a different woman from the one who married Robert Bullard.

Children of Robert and Anne:

.
Child of Ann and Henry Thorpe

Robert settled in Watertown before 1639, the year of his death.

Two of Robert’s brothers and one of Anne’s sister also emigrated.

Vol. 2, Worcester society of Antiquity wrote out, The Pioneers of Massachusetts:
nah b. 1 (12) 1645, Michael b. 21 (1) 1648. Robert, Watertown, before 1639. “Robert Bullard, the husband of Anne Bullard, bur. 29 (4) 1639, 40 years old.” The widow m. 2, Henry Thorp; she had grant of land in 1644. Ch. Benjamin, (m. in Ded-ham 5 (2) 1659, Martha, dau. of Thomas

Children

2. Anne BULLARD (See Richard DANA‘s page)

3. Maudlin Bullard

Maudlin’s husband John Pearson was born 1615 in Yorkshire England. His parents were John Personne and [__?__]. John died 17 Apr 1679 in Redding, Fairfield, CT

4. Benjamin Bullard

Benjamin’s first wife Sarah [__?__]

Benjamin’s second wife Martha Pidge was born 12 Jan 1642 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Mass. Her parents were Thomas Pidge and Mary Sothy. (Fairbanks)  Martha died 4 Jan 1676 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Mass.

Martha’s mother Mary Sothy Pigge (Pidge) was born about 1599 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England. She was the widow of Thomas Pigge of Roxbury, Mass. Thomas died of Dec 30, 1643 in Roxbury of dropsy, a godly Christian man. He had a fall & a bruise on his back, which hurt his kidneys & not carefully cured they utterly wasted away & many other of his entrails. Mary Pigge the wife of Thomas Pigge was admitted to Roxbury church as member #85.” She married as his second wife [our ancestor thru his 1st wife] Michael METCALF on 13 Aug 1645 in Dedham, Mass. Because the combined Metcalf/Pidge family now had 19 children, Martha was adopted by Jonathan FAIRBANKS. Jonathan’s daugther Mary had married Michael Metcalf’s son Michael METCALF Jr. a couple of years earlier.

Benjamin’s third wife Elizabeth Ellis was born 23 May 1651 in Dedham, Norfolk, Mass. Many sources say that her maiden name was Thorpe and her parents were Henry Thorpe and Ann [__?__], but that would mean she was Benjamin’s half sister and her mother was 51 years old when she was born.  Elizabeth died 1 Dec 1719 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Mass.

Upon the premature death of his father, Robert Bullard of Watertown, his mother, Anne Martyn Bullard (who soon remarried and lived out her life in Watertown) sent Benjamin to Dedham to be brought up by Robert’s brother John Bullard and his wife Madgalen Martyn Bullard (Benjamin’s mother’s sister). Except for its greater genetic closeness, Benjamin thus entered a foster relationship similar to that of Martha in the Fairbanks’ household.

5. James Thorpe

James’ wife Hannah Newcomb was born 15 Oct 1637 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Mass. Her parents were Francis Newcomb and Rachel Brackett. Hannah died 6 Dec 1710 in Dedham, Norfolk Co., Mass.

Peter, the son of James and Hana Thorp was borne 30: 11 mo: 62 [which then
translates to 30 Jan 1763, at least I hope I have done this conversion
correctly]

Sources:

http://www.ourfamiliesroots.org/pedigree/york/pafg32.htm#2984

http://www.bobandelsa.com/Publishable07Apr08-o/p72.htm

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/h/o/Kathleen-Choi-HI/GENE3-0045.html#CHILD117966083

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=6204474&st=1

http://www.gurganus.org/ourfamily/browse.cfm/Ann-Martyn/f200965

Plummer, John. The Martyn Wives of Robert and John Bullard. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (1992), 146:280.  ‘Anne, b. say 1604; d. before 15 Oct. 1660 (Edgar J. Bullard, Other Bullards [Port Austin, Mich., 1928], 7); m. probably ca. 1625, Robert Bullard, b. probably in Barnham ca. 1600; d. at Watertown, Mass., 24 April 1639, aged 40, son of William and Grace (Bignette) Ballard (Bullard and Allied Families, 12-13). Anne (Martyn) Bullard married (2) before November 1639 Henry Thorpe.