First Generation

JOHN BIGELOW (1617 - 1703) of Watertown

Parents: In his will, Francis Beagley als [alias] Rawley, a blacksmith of Suffolk county, England, left £5 to his brother John Beasley in New England, if he came to claim it. It has been suggested that John Beasley is John Bigelow. According to a version of the will, Francis is from Wrentham in Suffolk, making it possible that John is the son of Randle Beageley and that he was baptised there on 16 Feb 1616/7. [Ref] However Bigelow [Ref] argues that the John who was baptised in 1616 died in 1626. He suggests that the Elizabeth Bigelow who married Dea. Richard Butler of Hartford might be John's sister.

John Bigelow was born about 1617. He died on 14 Jul 1703, age 86. [Ref] He married first Mary Warren on 30 Oct 1642 in Watertown. [Ref, entry for John Warren][Ref][Ref does not give the date or location][Ref says 8 (8) 1642 and cites Watertown records] He married second Sarah, the daughter of Joseph Bemis, on 2 Oct 1694. [Ref]

John was a blacksmith. [Ref] He was a soldier in the Pequot War of 1637-8. [Ref] He took the oath of fidelity in Watertown in 1652. [Ref] He was surveyor of highways in 1652 and 1660. [Ref] He was constable in 1668. [Ref] He was a selectman in 1665, 1670 and 1671. [Ref]

John Bigelow, Sr. and his brother-in-law Daniel Warren, Sr. were impressed from Watertown in Nov/Dec 1675 to serve in King Philip's War. [Ref] They were credited for service under Capt. John Cutler on 24 Jul 1676. [Ref] They were credited again as soldiers from Watertown on 24 Aug 1676. [Ref]

John Bigelow, Sr. was a freeman on 18 Apr 1690 in Watertown. [Ref]

John's will was signed with his mark on 4 Jan 1708 and proved on 28 Jul 1708. He mentions his wife Sarah; his eldest son John; his other sons Jonathan, Daniel, Samuel, Joshua, James; his daughter Mary Flagg; daughter Elizabeth Stearn's children; his daughter Sarah Learned; his daughter Martha Wood's children; his daughter Abigail Herrington; his son-in-law Isaac Learned. He left 20 gallons of wine for his funeral and asked Isaac and Sarah Learned of Sherbourne and Isaac Stearn of Billerica to attend. [Ref]

Children of John Bigelow and Mary Warren, all born in Watertown:

1. John Bigelow was born on 16 (8) 1643. [Ref] He married Rebecca, the daughter of Capt. Nicholas and Sarah (Loomis) Olmstead. [Ref] They lived in Hartford. [Ref]
2. Jonathan Bigelow was born on 11 Dec 1646. [Ref] He died on 9 Jan 1711. [Ref] He married Rebecca, the daughter of Sgt. John and Rebecca (Greenhill) Shepherd. [Ref] She was born in 1650 in Hartford. [Ref] He married second Mary, the daughter of Samuel Olcott. [Ref] She died on 7 Mar 1697. [Ref] He married third Mary Benton. [Ref] Mary died on 23 Dec 1752. [Ref] She married second Dea. John Shepherd, the brother of Jonathan's first wife, on 19 Mar 1718. [Ref] Jonathan had a large family. [Ref]
3. Mary Bigelow was born on 14 Mar 1648. [Ref] She married Michael Flagg on 3 Jun 1674. [Ref] Michael was the brother of Mary's sister-in-law Mary Flagg. Her grandfather John Warren mentioned her in his will. [Ref]
4. Daniel Bigelow was born on 1 Dec 1650. [Ref] He married Abigail, the daughter of Thomas Pratt. [Ref] They had two sons. He lived in Framingham. [Ref] Daniel was a tailor. [Ref]
   some descendants of Daniel Bigelow
   
5. Samuel Bigelow was born on 28 Oct 1653. He married Mary Flagg.
6. Joshua Bigelow was born on 5 Nov 1655. [Ref][Ref gives only the year] He died on 1 Feb 1745 in Westminster. [Ref] He married Elizabeth Flagg. [Ref] Elizabeth was the sister of Joshua's sister-in-law Mary Flagg. Joshua was a soldier in King Philip's war in Capt. Ting's company. [Ref] He was wounded and given a grant of land in Westminster. [Ref] He lived in Watertown and later moved to Westminster. [Ref] He had ten sons and a daughter. [Ref]
   some descendants of Joshua Bigelow
7. Elizabeth Bigelow was born on 15 Jun 1657. [Ref][Ref, p. 455, 18 Jun] She died on 18 Apr 1694. [Ref][Ref, p. 455] She married Lieut. John Stearns. [Ref][Ref, p. 455]
   They lived in Billerica and had a large family. [Ref]
8. Sarah Bigelow was born on 29 Sep 1659. [Ref] She married Isaac Learned on 28 Jul 1679. [Ref] Isaac, the son of Isaac and Mary (Stearns) Learned was born on 5 Oct 1655. [Ref] He died on 15 Sep 1737. [Ref] Isaac and Sarah lived in Framingham, near the Sherborn line. [Ref] Isaac was a selectman in 1711 in Framingham. [Ref] They had five sons and five daughters. [Ref]
9. James Bigelow died on 20 Jan 1728 in Weston. [Ref] He married first Patience, the daughter of Jonathan Brown, on 25 Mar 1687. [Ref] He married second Elizabeth, the daughter of John or Jonathan Child, on 3 Jul 1698. [Ref] He married third Joanna Erikson of Boston on 15 Jun 1708. [Ref] She married second Adam Smith of Boston on 8 Jan 1729. [Ref] On 3 Nov 1685 James was fined for insulting Lieut. Gov. Stoughton and Dudley. [Ref, Sewell's dary]
10. Martha Bigelow was born on 1 Apr 1662. [Ref] She died by 4 Jan 1708, when her father wrote his will. She married an unknown first husband. [Ref] She married second Obadiah Woods of East Hartford. [Ref] He died on 11 Apr 1713. [Ref]
11. Abigail Bigelow was born on 4 Feb 1664. She died in 1754. [Ref] She married Benjamin Herrington on 10 Dec 1684. [Ref] Benjamin, the son of Robert and Susanna Harrington, was born on 26 Jan 1724 in Watertown. [Ref] They had two sons and two daughters. [Ref]
12. Hannah Bigelow was born on 4 Mar 1666. [Ref] She died on 8 Mar 1666. [Ref]
13. Son Bigelow was born and died on 18 Dec 1667. [Ref]

Second Generation

SAMUEL BIGELOW (1653 - 1720/1) of Watertown

Parents John Bigelow and Mary Warren [Ref]

Samuel Bigelow was born on 28 Oct 1653. [Ref][Ref] He died between 30 Sep 1720, when he signed his will, and 21 Feb 1721, when it was proved. [Ref] He married first Mary Flagg on 3 Jun 1674, the same day his sister Mary married his wife's brother Michael. [Ref only gives the name] Mary died on 7 Sep 1720, age 67 years and 8 months in Waltham. [Ref]

A Samuel Bigelow was in the Watertown sections of the 18 April and 16 May 1690 lists of freemen. [Ref] He was licensed as an innkeeper 1702 - 1716 in Watertown. [Ref] He was a representative to the General Court in 1708, 1709 and 1710. [Ref]

Samuel witnessed a 2 Jan 1709/10 deed wherein Thomas Bruce gave half of his disputed rights in Marlborough to their joint grandson David Bruce. On 3 Jan, Samuel was appointed guardian of David. On 23 Jan 1709 Samuel hired John Sherman, attorney, to represent David's case for the disputed rights. On 13 Mar a tentative settlement was reached. [Ref]

Samuel mentions his grandchildren David Bruce and Nathaniel, Isaac, Thomas and Catherine Reed in his will. He also mentions his sons John, Samuel, Thomas and Isaac; his daughters Mercy Garfield, Abigail Cutter and Deliverance Stearns; his son-in-laws Thomas Reed, Josiah Howe and Daniel Warren. [Ref]

Children of Samuel Bigelow and Mary Flagg:

1. John Bigelow was born on 9 May 1675. [Ref gives only the year] He died in 1769. [Ref] He married Jerusha Garfield on 12 Jan 1695/6 in Watertown. [Ref][Ref says 2 Jan][Ref gives only the name] Jerusha, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Gale) Garfield, was born on 6 Jun 1677 and died on 16 Jun 1758 in Marlborough. [Ref] John was of Marlborough. [Ref] On 5 Oct 1705 John was at work in Lancaster. He, Thomas Sawyer and Thomas's son were captured by the Indians and taken to Canada. John and Thomas secured their release by agreeing to build a sawmill for the French. [Ref]
2. Mary Bigelow was born on 12 Sep 1677. She died on 21 Feb 1707/8 in Sudbury. She married first David Bruce. She married second Thomas Read.
3. Samuel Bigelow was born on 18 Sep 1679. [Ref] He married first Ruth Warren. [Ref] He lived in Marlborough. [Ref] He married second Mary Gleason on 4 Dec 1716 in Sherborn. [Ref] Mary was the daughter of Joseph Gleason. [Ref][Ref, p. 38] Samuel had a large family. [Ref]
4. Sarah Bigelow was born on 1 Oct 1681. [Ref] She married Josiah Howe of Marlborough on 11 Dec 1700. [Ref] Josiah, the son of Josiah and Mary (Haynes) Howe, was born in 1678 in Marborough and died on 20 Sep 1766. [Ref] He married second Mary Marbie in 1713. [Ref, her name is blurred] They had two sons and a daughter. [Ref]
5. Lieut. Thomas Bigelow was born on 24 Oct 1683. [Ref gives only the year] He died on 6 Oct 1756 in Waltham. [Ref gives only the year] He married Mary Livermore on 12 Jul 1705. [Ref gives only the name] He was of Marlborough. [Ref] They had a large family. [Ref]
6. Mercy Bigelow was born on 4 Apr 1686. [Ref says that she appears as 'Martha' in the records, but that this is likely a mistake.] She died on 23 Feb 1745. [Ref] She married Lieut. Thomas Garfield on 2 Jan 1707. [Ref] Thomas, the son of Capt. Benjamin and Elizabeth (Bridge) Garfield, was born in Dec 1680 and died on 4 Feb 1752. [Ref] They lived in Watertown and moved to Lunenburg. [Ref] The were great-great-great grandparents of President James A. Garfield.
7. Abigail Bigelow was born on 7 May 1657. [Ref] She married John Cutler of Killingly on 1 Aug 1710. [Ref] They lived in Colchester, CT. [Ref]
8. Hannah Bigelow married David Warren on 24 May 1711. [Ref] They lived in Westborough and Shrewsbury. [Ref]
9. Sgt. Isaac Bigelow was born on 19 May 1691. [Ref] He died on 11 Sep 1751. [Ref] He married Mary Bond on 29 Dec 1709. [Ref] She died on 9 Jul 1775. [Ref] They lived in Colchester and had a large family. [Ref]
10. Deliverance Bigelow was born on 22 Sep 1695. [Ref] She married John Stearns of Lexington on 10 Aug 1715. [Ref] John was the son of John and Judith (Lawrence) Stearns. [Ref] They lived in Worcestor. [Ref]

Third Generation

MARY BIGELOW (1677 - 1708)

Parents: Samuel Bigelow and Mary Flagg

Mary Bigelow was born on 12 Sep 1677. [Ref][Ref] She died on 21 Feb 1707/8 in Sudbury. [Ref][Ref] She married first David Bruce on 26 Jan 1699. [Ref] David, the son of Thomas Bruce of Sudbury and Marlborough, was born about 1675 in Sudbury. [Ref] He died on 22 Jul 1701 in Marlborough. [Ref] Mary married second Thomas Read on 3 Dec 1701. [Ref][Ref]

Children of Mary Bigelow and David Bruce:

1. David Bruce was born on 20 Dec 1700. [Ref] He married first Mary Brigham on 20 Feb 1726/7. [Ref] Mary, the daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Fay) Brigham, was born on 27 Oct 1701. [Ref] He married second Hannah Pierce. [Ref] David and Mary had two sons and two daughters. [Ref] David and Hannah had five sons and two daughters. [Ref]

References

Ackerman, Arthur Wilmot, "Charles Sumner Bigelow," Memoirs of Deceased Members of the NEHGS section, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 81, 1927, 327.

Ballou, Hosea Starr, "Dr. Thomas Starr, Surgeon in the Pequot War and his Family Connection," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 89, 1935, 172- .

Bodge, George, "Soldiers in King Philip's War," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, many volumes.

Bond, Henry, Family Memorials: Genealogies of the Families and Descendents of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, Including Waltham and Weston; to Which Is Appended the Early History of the Town, Vol. I, Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1855.

Durrell, Harold Clark, "James Franklin Bigelow," Memoirs of Deceased Members of the NEHGS section, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 87, 1933, 193.

Editors, "Names of Persons who Took the Oath of Fidelity in 1652," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 3, 1849, 401.

French, Elizabeth, "Genealogical Research in England," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, many volumes.

Howe, Gilman Bigelow, Genealogy of the Bigelow family of America: From the marriage in 1642 of John Biglo and Mary Warren to the year 1890, unknown, unknown, 1890.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

Otis, Horatio N., "Brief Notice of the Honorable Orin Fowler, with a Sketch of the Pedigree of the Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 7, 1853, 131.

Paige, Lucius, R., "List of Freemen, " New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 3, 1849, 348-9.

Pelle, Winifred Fahey, Lindsley Reese Bailey, Winsor Bruce, Laura Lindquist Fahey, Miriam Fahey Rudd and Catherine Rose Fahey, "Thomas Bruce of Sudbury, Marlborough, Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 136, 1982, 294 - .

Pulsifer, David, trans., "Records of Boston," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, many volumes.

Vital Records of Watertown, 1630-1825. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007.