John Waterman (1642-1718) and Ann Sturtevant (1647-1720) of Marshfield and Plympton

John Waterman was born 19 April 1642 in Marshfield, Mass. (Marshfield VR). He was the son of Robert 1 and Elizabeth (Bourne) Waterman.

Map of Plymouth County

John married Ann Sturtevant on 7 December 1665 in Plymouth. (Plymouth VR) Her birth was recorded as December 7 with no year recorded, but Mayflower Descendant lists it as probably 1647. She was the daughter of Samuel and Ann (____) Sturtevant. (Plymouth VR) Her name is also seen as Anna.

Thomas Bourne, John’s maternal grandfather, left John two pounds in cattle, corn or goods in his 2 June 1664 will, although he does not name him as a grandchild in the will. His brothers Thomas, Joseph and Robert Waterman also received bequests.

On 29 July 1669, John Waterman and Stephen Bryant were appointed in Plymouth to view land and report to the town.

Samuel Sturtevant of Plymouth wrote his will 1 August 1669. He names his son-in-law John Sturtevant, bequesting him one half of his share of land he bought of Edward Gray called Major’s Purchase, near Namassakeesett Pond. Namasakeesett was an early name for Duxbury.

Thomas Little’s 17 May 1671 will mentions Plymouth land he bought of John Waterman.

John Waterman was a witness to the will of Thomas Little Sr., on 19 February 1675.

John witnessed a Marshfield land transaction between his grandfather Thomas Bourne and Josiah Snow on 22 July 1687. He also witnessed a Dartmouth land transaction between John Cooke (son of Francis) and Arthur Hathway on 24 March 1670 before Gov. Thomas Prence.

One 1 April 1689 Joseph Waterman of Marshfield deeded land to Samuel Little, “Always excepting out of sd fifty acres of land which I sold to John Waterman lying between the high way and the sd brooke …and is now in the tenure and occupation of Samuel Holmes.”

Ann and John had six children, all births recorded Marshfield:

Samuel born 16 October 1666

Elizabeth born 15 January 1669

Anna born 18 October 1671

Lydia born 9 May 1678

Robert born 9 February 1681

John born 23 September 1685

I descend from their son Samuel who married Mercy Ransome.

John was a Deacon in the church. William Cutter wrote that he moved to Warwick, Rhode Island between 1685-1692. He gives them six more children born there, with the last born in 1703, but that seems unlikely that Ann would still be bearing children. I would imagine this is another John Waterman.

On 19 December, 1687, "John Waterman of Marshfeld," for £30, sold to "John Carver of Marshfeild .... all that my Dwelling house barn upland & Marsh or meadow which I now have within the Township of Marshfeild .... more perticulerly My house barn & field .... bounded as followeth. viz Northward with the land of John Sawyer Eastward by a brook of Water Southward with a marked birch tree standing by said brooke thence Runing Eastward on a Straight line to a great oake Stump with a head of Stones about it being the Southermost Corner of said field near the Town Road or high way & bounded eastward by the said High Way & also that my two acres of marsh or salt meadow .... in Said township & bounded Southward by a ditch that adjoynes to the marsh of John Barker & westward by the upland of Said barker & extends northward about twelve Rods or Perches according as the same is taked forth & bounded & to extend eastward to a ditch there Cast up or made.  And also that my Small percell of Marsh which I had of Thomas Tilden lying neare to a Certaine Island formerly Called Hatches Island & is bounded easterly by the North River & northerly by the Middle of a ditch & thence on [p. 66] On a straight line to a stake that is a Corner bounds standing near the upland & westerly as it is staked forth being nine Rods in width & Southerly by Certain stakes till it Come to said River & is about twenty Rods in length"

The deed was signed by John Waterman, and witnessed by Thomas Delano and Samuel Sprague.

On 10 February, 1688, John Waterman acknowledged the deed, "And Ann his Wife Acknoleged her Consent to the sale", before Nathaniel Thomas, Justice of the Peace, and Nathaniel Thomas, Clerk of the Peace.  It was recorded 14 February, 1688.

In 1688 and 1689, John Waterman served on a grand jury. He served on a petit jury in 1698 and the regular jury in 1700. In 1704 he was surety for Thankful Bearse, daughter of James, who was found guilty of having a bastard child.

At a Plymouth church meeting in 1698, John and Anna Waterman were among a group of congregants dismissed from the church. Perhaps this was to worship in Plympton?

First Congregational Church in Plympton, across from the cemetery

John died 14 September 1718 at Plympton. Plympton Vital Records list his death as: Deacon John Waterman deceast Sept 14 1718 on Sabth at 12 o’clock at night (in the 77^th year of his age; buried near the northwest corner of the burying place at Plympton was added to the transcription).

Ann is buried at Old Cemetery in Plympton. Her stone reads: Here Lyes ye body of Anna Watterman, wife of Deacon John Watterman, dc’d  February ye 9, 1719/20, in the 71st yr of her age. This isn’t an exact match with a 1647 birth year, but she may have been born in 1648.

Sources Not Listed Above:

Genealogical Dictionary of New England by Savage

Davis' Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families

William Richard Cutter, New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Volume 2, 1913

Plymouth court, church and land records