John RAYMOND

Notes:

Name:
John Raymond, born about 1622, and his younger brother William from both of whom were descend, were early residents of Salem. the will of their father, George Rayment, of St. John's Parish, in Glaston, co. Somerset, England, was dated June 26, 1651, and proved October 30, following. therein he gave one shilling to his son John, in New England, L6 to his son William, there, "if ever he doth come to Glaston to demand it" and twenty shillings to his daughter Elizabeth, also there, under the same conditions."

It is not yet known when John came to America. He is first definitely found in Salem on March 2, 1653, when fifty acres of land were granted him, yet he had been in new England before his father's will was made in 1651, and, from the tone of that document, probably some tine previous.

He served many times in minor ways, such as on trial juries in 1657, 1661, 1662, 1664 and 1666, as a "surveyor of fences" to see that they were kept in repair in 1657-8 and 1662, as constable, collector of taxes and one of a committee to mend the highway and bridge between Frost Fish River and Wenham in 1659 and as grand juryman in 1668. In 1670 and 1676 he was a selectman, in 1672 was chosen to estimate a highway and in 1679 to go in "perambulation" with his brother William and others on the bounds between Salem and Beverly. About 1671 he and two others who built a gallery in the meeting house were "to have each of them a seat in the fore-seat for their trouble.

The wife of John was the object of language both strong and unladylike used by the wife of William Ellet, and the offender was presented at court in 1659 and required to pay a fine of ten shillings and costs or make acknowledgement at the next lecture at Salem. Presumably to avoid embarrassment she paid the fine. john was frequently called upon throughout his life to take inventories of estates.

In 1682 he deposed in regard to a lawsuit between Benjamin Balch and William Dodge over a sixteen-acre portion of the 200 acre farm granted to john Balch in 1635 when "1000 acres" were given to the five "old planters".

During the course of the suit referred to, it was shown that the whole grant was originally held in common and, therefore, undivided. John Raymond, aged about sixty years, and Peter Woodbury, about forty, testified that they "were proprietors in part, of those farms which were equal in grant with old John Balch's farm and in common lump together, about forty-three, deposed that for twenty or thirty years Benjamin Balch had acted as owner in the division of the farms which were at first laid out in common.

In 1654 John Raymond entered into an agreement with Margery (?) Scruggs, his wife's mother, whereby he became possessed of all the lands and goods of the late Thomas Scruggs, her husband, "in consideration of payment to her of L5 in hand to be given her directly and L5 at the hour of her death to be freely at her disposal; she was to have L20 a year paid quarterly as long as she lived and to have the use of necessary household effects."

John married, certainly before 1654, and probably as early as 1647-8, Rachel Scruggs. Three of the children died within two weeks. The baptism of the three youngest took place on November 13, 1670, at the Beverly Church after their mother's death, which occurred on may 2, 1666. he married secondly, on August 20, 1668, Judith (?) Woodbury, widow of William Woodbury. Judith died at Beverly, October 31, 1702, aged 75 years.

In 1697 John "came to the Lords supper" so he was evidently then a church member. He deposed in 1657 that he was aged thirty-eight, and, in 1682, that he was aged sixty years, and his death at Beverly, January 18, 1702-3, occurred when he was said to have been "about 87".

John married Rachel SCRUGGS before 1654. Rachel died on 2 May 1666. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Judith ? on 20 Aug 1668. Judith was born about 1627; died on 31 Oct 1702 in Beverly, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
Thomas, son of John, was in the Narragansett fight, 1675, and living in 1735. He was among the grantees of the seven Narragansett Townships, confirmed by General Court April 18, 1735.

Jonathan married Sarah WOODBURY on 20 Feb 1689. Sarah was born about 1671; died on 17 Feb 1747. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Rebecca CONANT. Rebecca was born on 31 Jan 1671; died on 5 Dec 1760. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]