General Notes

* Emigration: Abt. Jun 1637 To New England - Salem MA on 'ROSE' from Greater Yarmouth, ENGLAND
* Event: Moved Unknown Abt. 1652 Topsfield, Essex Co., MA
* Will: 24 Apr 1673 Administered by Joanna Towne
*
- THE PIONEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS,
William, gardiner, Salem, frm. April 18, 1637. Rem. to Topsfield. With wife Joanna deeded land to son Joseph in 1663, when he was about to marry Phebe, dau. of Thomas Perkins. Joanna was recd. from Sal. chh. to that of Tops. 19 (4) 1664. She deposed in 1670, ae. 70 years; he deposed in 1660, ae. about 60 years.
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Perley in his 'History of Salem' states that William Towne was the son of John and Elizabeth Towne of Yarmouth, and that he was baptized in the Saint Nicholas Parish Church there on March 18, 1598/9. William1 Towne and his wife remained at Yarmouth, and six children were born to them there, but in or about 1640 they emigrated to New England, and settled at Salem, Massachusetts. At Salem, on October 11, 1640, the town "Graunted to William Townde a little neck of land right over against his howse on the other side of the riuer to be sett out by the towne." In June and July, 1640, he had brought an action of debt against John Cook, at Salem.  He and Francis Nurse asked the town for a grant of land on March 20, 1647, and it was then ordered that the land be surveyed before a decision should be made as to granting it. In 1652 he removed to Topsfield, Massachusetts, where he purchased forty acres of land, and made further purchases in 1656. In 1652 he sold his land at Salem. He was listed among those to share in the common lands at Topsfield in 1661. In 1663 he gave his son, Joseph Towne, two-thirds of his property at Topsfield, reserving only a third share for himself. He died at Topsfield in 1673, and administration on his estate was granted to his widow, June 24, - 1673.  His widow died in or about 1682, and on January 17, 1682, the six children signed a petition for the settlement of her estate.

According to "The Four Blessing Sisters", by Walter Goodwin Davis, an article in the American Genealogists, Vol 33 pages 199 - 206; "Although William is first recorded at Salem in 1640, it is possible that the family emigrated a few years earlier, with the Buffums and the Firmages. The eldest son, Edmund, who was apprenticed to Henry Skerry in Great Yarmouth, sailed with his master in 1637, either on the Rose of Great Yarmouth, or the Henry and Dorothy of Ipswich, two vessels commanded by Wm. and William Andrews Jr., arriving in Boston in June. Skerry and his family settled in Salem."

- "Upon the east coast of England, 120 miles northeast from London is the old town of Yarmouth. Among its venerable buildings is St. Nicholas Church (founded A.D. 1123). In which on 25 March, 1620, William Towne and Joanna Blessing were m. They were the grandparents of John, the leading man in the English settlement at Oxford. Twenty years after this m. six of their ch. had been baptized in that Church and the family joined the emigrants to America. They resided first at "Northfields," Salem, removed 1652 to Topsfield, there they settled (History of Oxford - page 720) - 1637; Came to America on ship Rose from Great Yarmouth, leaving Ipswich and arriving 6/1637 with wife and 5 or 6 children. (Currents of Malice - McMillen)

- 4/18/1637; "Towne, William, gardiner, Salem, freeman 4/18/1637. (George Towne book)
- 5/1/1640; Plaintiff against Jonathan Cook, defendant in an action of debt, Jury found for the plaintiff "some to be deputed to measure John
Cook's land and what is remaining to make up Goodman Town's land and if it be fyve acres to pay Towne fyve marks and ___ is wanting of fyve acres to abate 13s, 4d. p. acre; and costs 4s, : 0 " (NEHGS, Vol. 21, p. 15) - 8/11/164