John Thorndike 
John was born on July 23rd, 1603 in Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, England and his baptism took place there on February 23rd, 1611. John's father was Francis Thorndike and his mother was Alice Coleman. His maternal grandparents were Edward Coleman and Ann Cutler. He had a half-brother named Herbert. He died at the age of 65 on November 3rd, 1668 in London, England. He was buried on November 3rd, 1668 in Westminster Abbey, London, Co. Middlesex, England.General Notes
MIGRATION: 1632
REMOVES: Ipswich 1633, Salem
RETURN TRIPS: Returned shortly after 29 July 1668 when he made his will proposing "to go this year to England"
EDUCATION: Signed his will.
OFFICES: Essex grand jury, 29 November 1653, 27 June 1654 [EQC 1:313, 347].
ESTATE: In a statement written two days before he wrote his will, John Thorndike set out a detailed list of goods he had given to his daughter Mary, including "a large pewter dish given unto her by her mother" and further instructions to son Paul about caring for daughter Anne [EPR 2:208-9].
In his will, dated 29 July 1668 and proved 29 November 1670, John Thorndike, proposing "to go this year to England," bequeathed to "my eldest daughter Anne Thorndike" "deeply distempered ... hopeless ever to act in the world" and intending my estate upon which I now live unto "my son Paul Thorndike after my death" to him my house and land, meadows, barn, orchard ... also the meadow I bought of John Leach lying by Wenham Pond "in consideration that he take upon him the charge... of this my aforesaid daughter Anne Thorndike"; "if I ... should think fit to...return into this Country again I do give unto my son Paul Thorndike thirty acres of land commonly called Sawyers Plain and the meadow adjoining to the land called the Flaggy meadow as also my meadow at Topsfield, likewise D30...in cattle" and all the increase in cattle; to "my daughter Mary Thorndike" D50 in goods; to "my two youngest daughters Alice and Martha Thorndike [who] shall accompany me into England" if they return to them all my land adjoining Beaver Pond also the meadow adjoining the pond, being about one hundred acres, their brother Paul Thorndike to pay unto his two sisters D20 each; if only one of my daughters should return, my son to pay her D50 within a year of her arrival; "worthy friend Capt. Thomas Lowthorp" and "my two sons-in-law John Procter and John Low," if son Paul should die before daughter Anne Thorndike, to have full power to maintain with "tender Care" my Daughter; if "my said daughter should grow into a greater distemper either of `settichnes or prensie,' then to take care to place her with some discreet person" [EPR 2:206-8].
The inventory of "the estate of Mr. John Thorndike, which he left in New England," was appraised 29 June 1671 by Thomas Lothrop and Richard Brackenbury and totalled D577, of which D462 was real estate: "one dwelling house, barn and orchard, and sixty acres of land," D250; "fourscore acres of land at Beaver Pond and ten acres of meadow," D80; "thirty acres of land called Sawyer's plain," D60; "seven acres [and] three-quarters of meadow lying by Wenham Pond," D35; "three acres of meadow at a place called the old houses," D12; "two acres of salt marsh at home," D15; and "three acres of meadow at Topsfield," D10 [EPR 2:209].
BIRTH: Baptized Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, 23 February 1611, son of Francis and Alice (Coleman) Thorndike.
DEATH: Buried Westminster Abbey 3 November 1668 ("Mr. Thorndyke, brother to a Prebendary of this Church: in the East Cloister, near the steps" [Westminster Abbey PR 169]).
MARRIAGE: By about 1636 Elizabeth Stratton, daughter of John and Ann (Dearhaugh) Stratton [Lechford 335-36]. (See sketch of JOHN STRATTON.)
CHILDREN:
i ANNE, b. say 1636 (eldest daughter); living 29 July 1668 (named in father's will), mentally incompetent. (On 29 November 1655 Job Swinnerton Sr. was "fined for cruel and lascivious beating of Ann, daughter of Mr. Jon. Thorndike" [EQC 1:414]).
ii SARAH, b. say 1638; m. Ipswich 10 December 1661 John Low.
iii ELIZABETH, b. about 1640 (aged twenty and upward 26 November 1661 [EQC 2:324]); m. Ipswich December 1662 John Proctor.
iv PAUL, b. about 1642 (baptized 18 April 1663 at Westminster Abbey, "a young man about 20 years of age" [Westminster Abbey PR 67]; deposed aged forty-two years, 27 March 1684 [EQC 9:208]); m. Beverly 28 April 1668 Mary Patch, daughter of James and Hannah (Woodbury) Patch [NEHGR 100:72].
v MARY, b. about 1649; deposed aged about twenty-five years, 30 March 1674 [EQC 5:290]; no further record.
vi ALICE, b. about 1653 (aged about 22 at marriage); bp. Westminster Abbey 10 April 1669 "of ripe years" [Westminster Abbey PR 70]; m. St. Mary's Church, Savoy, London 17 November 1675 Francis Hale.
vii MARTHA, returned to England with her father; bp. Westminster Abbey 10 April 1669 "of ripe years" [Westminster Abbey PR 70]; named in the 1672 will of her uncle Herbert Thorndike; no further record.
ASSOCIATIONS: John was son of Francis and Alice (Coleman) Thorndike of Scamblesby, Lincolnshire. His brother Herbert Thorndike, prebend of Westminster, named John's two daughters, Alice and Martha, in his 1672 will [Waters 1271-72]. (Waters found other English wills relating to the Thorndikes [Waters 1262-63, 1267-72].)
On 19 July 1641 Anne Stratton of Salem in New England, widow, John Stratton of the same, gent., John Thorndike of the same, gent., and Elizabeth his wife, and Dorothy Stratton of the same, spinster, make a letter of attorney to Capt. Edward Gibons of Boston in N.E. and Robert Stileman of London, merchant, to demand ... from John Thurston of Hockston, [Suffolk], executor of the last will & testament of Mistress Mary Dearhaugh, late of Barringham in the county of Suffolk, widow, deceased, mother of the said Anne Stratton and grandmother of the said John, Elizabeth, and Dorothy, all such legacies as are now due unto them by the said last will & testament [Lechford 427].
COMMENTS: On 1 April 1633 "Mr. Thornedicke" was among the nine men who were permitted to accompany John Winthrop Jr. in settling Ipswich [MBCR 1:103].
On 9 September 1645 "Mr John Thorndik: in regard of his weakness of body and age pleaded: but must train" [EQC 1:84])
Witnessed the will of Samuel Smith who "had his senses" 27 December 1642 [EQC 1:45]. With Richard Brackenbury, took the inventory of James Patch, 27 August 1658 [EQC 2:109]. With Richard Brackenbury and Thomas Lothrop, took the inventory of Robert Sallos, June 1663 [EQC 3:78].
Servant John Adams was whipped for running away from his "m[aste]r Thorndik" 27 October 1636 [EQC p31530 1:3]. John Stone sued John Thorndike for defamation 29 October 1640 [EQC 1:22]. Sued by Frances Johnson (for William Pester) for debt 8 July 1645 [EQC 1:78]. Mr. William Brown sued him over a voyage to Barbados, June, 1650 [EQC 1:192].
BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTE: A well-presented treatment of this family appears in Morgan Hewitt Stafford, Descendants of John Thorndike of Essex County, Massachusetts [Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1960].
Sources:
Abbrev: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project
Title: RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project
Author: Rootsweb
Publication: www.worldconnect.rootsweb.com
Page: Mariana Bean Ruggles's gedcom "Our Grandparents" (pnt@chesapeake.net) updated 20 Aug 2000.
Quality: 2
Date: 27 Aug 2000
Abbrev: Great Migration 1620-33
Title: Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33
Author: Robert Charles Anderson
Publication: [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original data: Robert Charles Anderson. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, vols. 1-3. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995.
Page: John Thorndike
Quality: 3
Buried in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey, near the steps leading to the South Aisle. John Thorndike's parentage and his English ancestry, for several generations, are conclusively established by the will of his brother Herbert Thorndike, Prebendary of Westminister Abbey, London.
!Descendants of John Thorndike of Essex County, MA by Morgan Hewitt Stafford.
Buried in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey, near the step
Buried in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey, near the step
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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- b.06 Jan 1569 in Little Carlton, Lincolnshire, England d.01 Jan 1623
- b.23 Jul 1603 in Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, England d.03 Nov 1668 in London, England
- b.~ 1548 in Great Wallingfield, Suffolk, England d.1598 in Great Wallingfield, Suffolk, England
- b.~ 1574 in Wallingsfield, Suffolk, England
- b.~ 1520 in Of Sprowton & Ipswich, Suffolk, England
- b.~ 1552 in Of Sprowton & Ipswich, Suffolk, England
- b.~ 1524 in Of Sprowton & Ipswich, Suffolk, England
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John and Elizabeth were married in a religious ceremony in 1636 in Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts. They had a son and six daughters, named Paul, Alice, Anne, Elizabeth, Martha, Mary and Sarah.
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Children
Paul THORNDIKE
Paul was born in 1643 in Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts and his baptism took place on April 18th, 1663 in Westminister, Abbey, England. He died at the age of 55 on April 28th, 1698 in Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
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