Francis PARRATT (1614 – 1656) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather two times over; he one of 2,048 in this generation of the Shaw line through his daughter Martha  and one of 2,048 in this generation of the Miller line through his daughter Faith.

Francis Parratt Coat of Arms

Francis Parratt was born in 1614 in Rowley Ripplingham, Yorkshire, England. He married Elizabeth NORTHEND 1639 in Rowley, Essex, Mass. Francis died 30 Sep 1656 in Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts.  These lines didn’t come back together until 345 years after his birth when I was born.

Elizabeth Northend was born in 1618 in England. Her parents were John NORTHEND and Elizabeth COLE After Francis died, she married 24 Feb 1658 in Rowley, Essex, Mass. to Thomas Tenney.  Elizabeth died in 17 Nov 1694 in Bradford, Essex, Mass.

Thomas Tenney was born 1614 in Rowley, Yorkshire, England. Thomas died 20 Feb 1700 in Bradford, Essex, Mass.

Children of  Francis and Elizabeth:

Francis Parratt, Esquire, Deacon was born in England about 1610 and probably came from Yorkshire with the Rev. Ezekiel ROGERS in 1638, bringing his sisters Ann and Faith…Mr. Parrat, after becoming a freeman May 13, 1640, served as the Town Clerk of Rowley fourteen years from 1641. He was a man of influence and ability with a good education for the time as evidenced by his penmanship on town records. The deacon was one of those who made the first town survey and assigned houselots, and he was the first Rowley deputy to the General Court in 1640 and again in 1642. He served on the grand jury in 1641 and on the trial jury in 1648 and 1649. In 1652 he was the commissioner of Rowley and was ordained a deacon in 1655. He married Elizabeth Northend who married (2)February 24, 1658, Thomas Tenney.

10 of our ancestor families (underlined in red) had plots in Rowley in this 1642 map. Frances PARRAT's plot was on Holme Street near Richard THORLEY

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Mr. Parrat’s house-lot was on Wethersfield Street: “To Francis Parrat two acres, bounded on the south side by John Jarrat’s house Lott, the West End and the North side by the streets”. He went to England on business and there died in 1656. His will of November 18, 1655, was proved September 30, 1656:

I Francis Parratt of Rowley indending to take a journey to England…constitute and appoint this as my last will & testament in maner & forme as followeth…Ite my will is that my debts be first paid. Ite I give to my Loveing wife Elizabeth Parrat one hundred pounds (???) in land goods & cattle. I also give her my house and house-lot, after her death to be equally divided amonge my children. The rest of my lands goods & Chattles, I give to my Six daughters to be equally divided amongst them and each of them to have their equall share paid unto them at the age of twenty one years or the day of their marriage. I constitute my wife as sole executris of this my last will & testament and I appoint my loving brethren, Maximilian Jewett & Ezekiel Northend as overseers of this my last will and testament in witness hereof I hereunto set my hand this 18th day of November 1655. Francis Parrat Witnesses: Ezekiel Northend, John Palmer

Children

1. Elizabeth Parratt

Elizabeth’s first husband Samuel Worcester was born 20 Nov 1629 in England.  His parents were William Worchester and Sarah Blake.   Samuel died 20 Feb 1681 in Lynn, Essex, Mass.

Elizabeth’s second husband Onesiphorus Marsh was born 1630 in Hingham, Norfolk, England. His parents were George Marsh and Elizabeth Key. He first married 6 Feb 1655 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass to Hannah Cutler (b. 1635 in Bingham, Norfolk, England – d. 17 Mar 1686 in Haverhill, Essex, Mass.)  After Elizabeth died, he married 18 May 1691 in Bradford, Essex, Mass to Sarah Travers (b. 1636 in Newbury, Mass. d. 10 May 1682 in Newbury, Mass.)  Onesiphorus died 15 May 1713 in Haverhill, Essex, Mass.

In May, 1662, Samuel Worchester bought of Samuel Sewall of Newbury … for three score and ten pounds … 300 acres of upland, … 4 acres of meadow,” etc, “being within the bounds and precincts of Rowley … 200 acres of said upland bordering on Merrimac river,” – in other words, a tract of land in that part of Rowley which in 1675, was incorporated under the name of Bradford, and in 1850 was separated from Bradford and incorporated under the name of Groveland. On this purchase he must have settled in the course of a few months, as the Rowley records make mention of the birth of one of his sons in March, 1663.

At the first recorded meeting of the “Merrimac people,” Feb. 20, 1668/69, he was chosen an overseer. He became a freeman Oct. 11, 1670. He was the first Representative from Bradford to the General Court, and took his seat as a member of that body Jan 1679/80. He left home for Boston on foot to attend an adjourned meeting of the Court to be held on Feb. 22, and on the evening of Feb. 20, reached that part of Lynn which is now called Saugus. Failing to obtain accommodations at the inn, he started for the house of a friend, and in the morning was found dead in the middle of the road in the attitude of kneeling. He was a man of distinguished piety, and shared largely in every effort to advance the interests of his adopted town. The gift of “one acre of meadow land, to be improved in general for the use of the ministry, or bestowed upon some able, faithful, minister for his encouragement to settle amongst them,” is one of several recorded instances of his liberality.

2. Faith Parrat (See Ezekiel JEWETT ‘s page)

3. Sarah Parratt

Sarah’s husband [__?__] Pickard was born

4. Mercy Parrat

Mercy’s husband John Tenney was born 14 Dec 1640. His parents were Thomas Tenney and Ann Mighill. After Mercy died he married 2 Dec 1668 in Merrimack Village, Mass to Susanna Woodbury (b. 4 Feb 1648 in Beverly, Mass – d. 9 Apr 1716 in Bradford Ancient Burying Ground, Mass.) John died 13 Apr 1722.

John Tenney Bio -- Source: Worcester County, Massachusetts Memoirs Volume I-II

5. Mary Parrat

Mary’s husband John Sawyer was born 4 Aug 1648 in Rowley, Essex, Mass. His parents were Edward Sawyer and Mary Peasley. John died 7 Apr 1722 in Rowley, Essex, Mass.

6. Martha PARRATT (See Isaac COLBY‘s page)

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=20297953

http://home.comcast.net/~ronfrye/aqwg157.htm#5568