Generation 1

SAMUEL SCRIPTURE (m. 1674) f Groton

Parents: Unknown

Samuel Scripture married first Elizabeth Knapp on 11 Sep 1674 [Ref] in Cambridge. [Ref][Ref, p. 114] She was born in 1655. [Ref] He married second Sarah Unknown.

Samuel first appears in the Groton records in Jan 1673; there is no prior record of him or anyone with his surname in New England. [Ref, p. 114] "His position at Groton was modest from the start." [Ref, p. 114]

Samuel was on a 24 Aug 1676 list of soldiers in King Philip's War. [Ref]

Children of Samuel Scripture and Elizabeth Knapp:

1. Samuel Scripture was born on 1 Oct 1675 in Groton. [Ref][Ref, p. 434] He married Mary Green of Watertown on 8 Feb 1699/1700 in Watertown. [Ref] Four members of Samuel's family died of a fever in Sep 1723 in Groton. Samuel (probably the father, but possibly the son) died on the 28th, Mary died on the 25th, a son died on the 28th and a daughter on the 30th. [Ref 4;325][Ref, p. 434] There was a smallpox epidemic in New England at the time.
2. Mary Scripture was born on 7 Feb 1680 in Groton. She died on 29 Jun 1761. She married Maj. Eleazer Lawrence.
3. Sarah Scripture was born on 8 Feb 1682 in Groton. [Ref 1;10]
4. Abigail Scripture was born on 28 Jan 1686/7 in Groton. [Ref][Ref 1;11][Ref, p. 434] She died on 4 Feb (between 1723 and 1729) in Groton. [Ref] She married Phinehas Parker. [Ref]
5. Ruth Scripture was born on 2 Feb 1696 in Groton. [Ref, p. 434]
6. Lydia Scripture was born on 28 Jul 1700 in Groton. [Ref][Ref, p. 434]

Children of Samuel Scripture and Sarah Unknown:

1. Jacob Scripture was baptised on 13 Mar 1707 in Groton. [Ref]
2. Eunice Scripture was baptised on 22 May 1709 in Groton. [Ref]

Generation 2

MARY SCRIPTURE (1680 - 1761)

Parents: Samuel Scripture [Ref] and Elizabeth Knapp

Mary Scripture was born on 7 Feb 1680 [Ref] in Groton. [Ref 1;10][Ref, p. 434] She died on 29 Jun 1761, age 82. [Ref] She married Maj. Eleazer Lawrence [Ref] about 1698. [Ref]

Mary was granted letters of administration on her husband's estate on 13 Jan 1755. [Ref]

References

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

Butler, Caleb,. History of the Town of Groton, including Pepperell and Shirley: From the first grant of Groton Plantation in 1655: with appendices containing family registers, town and state officers, population, and other statistics, Boston, Press of T.R. Marvin, 1848.

Demos, John Putnam, Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England, New York, Oxford University Press, 1982.

Green, Samuel A., Groton Historical Series: a collection of papers relating to the history of the town of Groton, Massachusetts, Groton, unknown, 1887-1899.

Hill, Frank Alden, The Mystery Solved: facts relating to the "Lawrence-Townley," "Chase-Townley," marriage and estate question: with genealogical information concerning the families of Townley, Chase, Lawrence, Stephens, Stevens, and other families of America, Boston, Rand Avery Co., 1888.

Lawrence, John, The Genealogy of the Family of John Lawrence of Wisset, in Suffolk, England, and of Watertown and Groton, Massachusetts, Boston, Nichols and Noyes, 1869.

Loop, Kate Lawrence, Descendents of John Lawrence and Lydia Sweet, Belvidere, IL, unknown, 1990.

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

Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700, (Online database. NewEnglandAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)