Mary Gawkroger PLATTS

Mary married John PRESCOTT on 24 Jan 1629 in Halifax Parish, Yorkshire, England. John (son of Ralph PRESCOTT and ELLEN) was born in abt. 1604 in Standish Parish, Lancashire, England; died on 20 Dec 1681 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Thomas SAWYER on 02 Jul 1648 in Lancaster, Middlesex, Mass. Thomas (son of John SAWYER and UNKNOWN) was born in 1615/6 in Of, Sowerby-Bridge, Yorkshire, England; died on 12 Sep 1706 in Lancaster, Worcester, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lydia married Jonas FAIRBANKS on 28 May 1658. Jonas (son of Jonathan FAIREBANKE and Grace ?) was born in England; died on 10 Feb 1676. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Elias BARRON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• AFN: AFN:9KS7-5R

Thomas married Hannah LEWIS on 21 Sep 1672 in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Hannah was born on 18 Mar 1648 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Mass.; died before 1718 in Lancester, Worcester, Mass.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• AFN: AFN:92DJ-6W

Joshua married Sarah WRIGHT on 02 Jan 1678. Sarah was born on 16 Feb 1652 in Woburn, Middlesex, Mass; died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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"Fairbanks Genealogy": He was one of the first four soldiers of Lancaster who went on long expeditions; and shared the hardships and misfortunes of Sir William Phip's ill-fated expedition to Canada in 1690. He was killed by the Indians, with one of his children, in the massacre of Sept. 11, 1697, and his wife was taken captive and carried to Canada, but was afterward rescued or ransomed by the government. She was received at "Cascoe Bay, ye 17 january, 1698-9, aboard the Province Gally," and returned home to her surviving children.

Jonathan married Mary HAYWARD on 24 Aug 1688. Mary was born in abt. 1667; died on 5 Jan 1734. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Born in Lancaster, 8:11:1670(?) and lived there, "died March 2, 1758, aged abou 84," according to the inscription on his tombstone, which would make his birth later than 1670.

He was a very efficient soldier and officer in the Indian wars, and was no doubt incited to heroic exploits by the massacre of his father and brother, in 1676, and of his only surviving brother in 1697. During the raid upon the town in 1697, when his brother Jonathan and one of the latter's children were slain, he was the means of saving a garrison and perhaps many lives, including that of his "little son," probably Joseph. In all, outside the garrison, twenty-one persons were killed, two wounded, and six were carried away as captives, of whom five returned. Among the captives returned was the wife of Jonathan....."See marvin's History of Lancaster"

"First in the order of time of our military heroes, in these dys of trial, " says marvin, "was Lieut. afterwards Capt. Jabez Fairbank. he was a famous scouting officer, and traversed large sections of the country to the north, east and west, in search of prowling Indians. More than sixty parties were engaged in this service. Some of names of the men under his command, between 1721 and 1724, were the following: Edward Hartwell, Ephraim Wheeler, Daniel Osgood, Isaac Farnsworth, Isaac Lancain, John Bennett, Joseph Wheelock, Ezra Sawyer, Moses Willard, John Eams."

Gov. Dummer immediately sought the services of Fairbank to enlist men. He offered him the choice of the office of sergeant, if he remained at home in Lancaster, or that of Lieutenant, if he wer willing to serve at Groton or at Turkey Hill. He chose the latter, and at once entered the service. He reported directly to the Governor during the war, and the published correspondence between them furnishes many interesting chapter of history. (See Mass. Archives and Marvin's History of Lancaster; also History of Groton)

In the year 1700 he had lands laid out to him "on both sides of danes Brook above Thomas Sawyer's Sawmill." This site became the home of the Fairbanks, and so remained for a hundred years or more."

He was elected as a representative to the General Court in 1714, 1721, 1722 and 1723.

Family/Spouse: Mary WILDER. Mary was born about 1675; died on 21 Feb 1718. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jabez married Elizabeth ? on 25 Mar 1719. Elizabeth was born about 1675; died on 11 May 1755. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• AFN: AFN:51CT-0S

William married Mary HOUGHTON in 1700 in Bolton, Mass.. Mary was born on 07 Feb 1680 in Woburn, Middlesex Co. Massachusetts; died on 01 Mar 1754 in Bolton, Worcester, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hannah married Joseph BLOOD on 15 Apr 1706 in Concord Middlesex, Mass. Joseph (son of Nathaniel BLOOD and Hannah PARKER) was born on 03 Feb 1681 in Groton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died on 16 Feb 1777 in Concord Middlesex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married Josiah BLODGETT on 16 Dec 1718 in Medford, Massachusetts. Josiah (son of Samuel BLODGETT and Huldah Hayward SIMONDS) was born on 27 Mar 1696 in Woburn, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died on 1 May 1775 in Stafford, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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At a meeting of the first church of Lancaster, held Sept 9, 1733, "the brethren present by vote Discovered ye willingness that Joseph Fairbank, Henry Willard, Peter Atherton, and Elijah Whitney, all of harvard, should joyn with others in said Town in forming of Church there." He was a selectman in harvard in 1733, '5, 1743, '5 and 1745-52, and was Town Treasurer, 1736-40.

He was in 1740 the choice of his townsmen for their first representative to the Great and General Court, but modestly declined to serve, and Peter Atherton was chosen.

He was prominently identified with the stirring events that preceded the Revolutionary War, as a leading man in all the public meetings. He served on most of the town committees that were appointed to protest against and resist the encroachments of the British parliament upon the rights and liberties of the colonies.

He was one of the Committee to whom was referred the consideration of the Form of Government sent from the General Court to the several towns and plantations in the state for their approbation.

He was a deacon of the church and one of its strongest supporters In 1750, after some additions had been made to the seating capacity of the meeting house, it became necessary to reseat the people, and a committee was appointed for this purpose, with instructions to "seat the two foremost seats below, Respecting men for Age as well as Pay, and all other seats and persons to be seated on dignity according to what they payed to the minister, real and personal estate the three last years passed." The report of the committee named ten persons to occupy the "fore seat below." Dea. Joseph Fairbank was the ninth in order. In march 1766 the people were agin reseated by a committee under similar instructions. Thirteen persons were seated in the "Fore Seat Below," Dea. Joseph Fairbank being the first in order. Capt. Joseph Fairbank, Jr., his son, was assigned to the third seat below.

The first Fairbank homestead in harvard is that now owned and occupied by Andrew Fairbank and his son. The house is very old, though most signs of its age are concealed under modern improvements. It was built, probably about 1720, by Dea. Joseph Fairbank.

Joseph married Mary BROWN on 21 Apr 1718. Mary was born about 1700; died on 14 Nov 1791. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]