John Briggs (ca 1679-1728) and His Wife Ruth Barrow of Plymouth, Sandwich and Rochester, Massachusetts

John Briggs was born about 1679 [based on age at death] at Sandwich on Cape Cod, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Ellis) Briggs. I wrote about Samuel and Elizabeth here.

John “Brigs” of Rochester married Ruth Barrow on 23 December 1701 at Plymouth [Plymouth VR p. 88]. Her maiden name is recorded as Barnes but the will of her husband as well as a deed prove her to have been Ruth Barrow/Barrows. Some sources have the year of marriage as 1703 but I believe that is a misreading of the record which has an unusual style “1.”

Ruth was born about 1677, the daughter of Robert and Ruth (Bonham) Barrow of Plymouth. Ruth and John are my 8th great-grandparents on my Grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family. I wrote about Ruth's parents here.

Children of John and Ruth (Barrow) Briggs, all born Rochester [Hannibal]:

1. Keziah born 6 Sept 1702; married 11 Jan 1727/8 John Jenne/Jenney 
2. Sarah born 12 March 1703
3. Cornelius born 16 Nov 1705
4. Silas born 8 Sept 1708
5. John born 7 July 1711
6. Samuel born 5 June 1718, twin, died young/not named father’s will
7. Elizabeth born 5 June 1718; married Rochester 25 Oct 1733 David Nye

I descend from Elizabeth who I wrote about here.

John was a large landowner and both he and Ruth were involved in multiple land transactions.

John Briggs received 20 acres next to house lots 3 and 4 from the share of Elizabeth Ellis on 25 May 1701. [Rochester Proprietor Records 1:109]

Samuel Briggs, grantor, to “dutiful son John,” grantee 1/2 upland meadows on 11 Feb 1714. [Ply Co LR 11:94]

John and Ruth Briggs (in her name) grantors to George Barrow, grantee, two parcels of land, one in Plymouth by the name of Newfield and one in Plympton beside Southern Brook on 19 July 1723. Witnesses: Arthur Hathaway, Sarah Briggs, Ruth Barrow. [Plym Co LR 30:168]

Samuel Barrow, Ruth Briggs, children of Ruth Barrow, wife of Robert, and the children of her eldest son John (Barrow), deceased, George, Mehitable and Samuel Barrow, grantors, to Robert Barrow of Mansfield, grantee, house, barn, house lot and corn grist mill on 3 Dec 1725. [Ply Co LR 26:55]

John Briggs received 37 acres at Sippican Great Neck (part of his father’s 200-acre share) on 28 Jan 1726/7. [Rochester Prop Rec 1:179]

John Briggs died Rochester 2 March 1727/8, age 49 years. [Rochester Vital Records p 355 citing grave record) He is buried at Little Neck Cemetery in Marion. [Find A Grave ID No. 126487224] 

Source: Find A Grave

John was well-to-do. His will and inventory are quite lengthy, and his bequests included a good deal of land, farm animals, and money. His inventory is four pages long and his real estate alone was valued at £2,420. 

John Briggs, yeoman of Rochester, wrote his will on 28 September 1727 and named his son Cornelius and brother-in-law Samuel Barrow of Middleborough executors. Witnessed by Dorothy Wing, Ichabod Nye, and Timothy Ruggles. It was proved 16 March 1727/8 when Ichabod Nye and Timothy Ruggles made oath to Judge of Probate Isaac Winslow; Dorothy Wing didn’t appear until 2 May 1728.

Bequests:

• Wife Ruth third part of the income of his homestead or for his son to maintain her “according to her rank” all things needful for her comfort while she is his widow.
• Eldest son Cornelius westerly side of his homestead at the Great Brook in the Calves Pastime Neck; one-third cedar & spruce swamps;  three quarters of a share of common right in Rochester being half of what belonged to his father Samuell Briggs; all remaining stock of cattle and other living creatures and building tools; he was to provide for his mother in her widowhood and for his sister Elizabeth until she comes to age of 14. 
• Son Silas remainder of his homestead on the Easterly side down tot he Great Neck at Joseph Benson’s land; salt meadow owned in partnership with Joseph Benson; one half of his Calf Island; 20 acres of the two hundred acre grant of his Honored Father Samuel Briggs; one-third cedar & spruce swamps; two oxen, two cows, three young cattle of one year, fifteen sheep and his young horse.  
• Youngest son John all his lands and meadow at Charles Neck, other land and marsh, half of Calves Island, half common undivided land, one-third cedar & spruce swamps,  £220 of money within a year of his decease, two oxen, two cows, ten sheep and colt for Cornelius to keep for him until he comes of age
• Daughter Keziah £120—half money and half in moveables within three months of his decease to be paid in full amount; chest of drawers valued at about  £6. 
• Daughter Sarah £120 —half money and half in moveables within six months of his decease; chest of drawers valued at about  £6.
• Daughter Elizabeth £8 money to b e put to interest for her within one year of his decease; chest of drawers valued at about  £6.
• Brother Samuel Briggs fresh meadow in Rochester he bought of James Winslow on condition he let his three sons’ cattle feed there each spring; land he bought of Capt Seth Pope Esqr of Dartmouth with all the housing and buildings upon it in Rochester; 14 acres of additional land he bought of John Mumford; one quarter of a share of undivided & common right in Rochester being part of John Perry’s share. I don’t recall seeing an ancestor with children leaving land to a sibling.
• Kinswoman Ruth Barrow unmarried and living with her grandmother Briggs shall continue to live there until her grandmother’s death or her own marriage; also a chest of drawers. [This would be John’s niece Ruth daughter of his sister Hannah Briggs and her husband John Barrows living with her grandmother Elizabeth (Ellis) Briggs]
• His three sons were to evenly divided any further land. 
• Any money and moveables remaining after his funeral expenses and debts should be equally divided between his six children.

He gives his executors permission to sell and buy land, if they see a good opportunity, on behalf of his minor son John until he comes of lawful age. 

John Briggs' signature

Benjamin Hammond and Timothy Ruggles swore to John Briggs of Rochester’s inventory on 30 April 1728.  

Some items in his inventory that indicate wealth: a looking glass, three Bibles, silver spoons, and a gilded trunk. 

I am by no means an expert on colonial occupations, but John’s inventory sheds light on how he made a living. He or his wife/daughters created fabric, presumably to sell. They owned a loom, three linen wheels, some 232 yards of cloth, and twenty double skeins of yarn. He also owned some leather for shoe making. 

Twenty gallons of molasses listed in his inventory perhaps indicates he imported this large quantity to sell. That he was involved in commerce is further supported by a pair of money scales and brass weights listed in his inventory, and that he kept more than £6 in cash in the house. 

That he farmed, and on a fairly large scale, is indicated by his owning three yoke of oxen, more than 50 bushels of corn, flax, five bushels of rye, tobacco tongs, ten cows with their calves, five other cows, 23 cattle [cattle are any bovine where cows are specifically mature female bovine], a bull, a mare and colt, two additional horses, sheep [number is smudged], ten swine, and many farming tools.

Apparently he manufactured building shingles as his inventory included 2,000 new shingles. Also included is 500 new deal boards and 22 board logs at the sawmill. 

Sadly John’s inventory also included the remaining years of indenture for an Indian boy and girl valued at 30 pounds. My understanding is that Native Americans who were captured during wars and other conflicts were sometimes entered into indentured servitude. This was against their will, so similar to slavery, but with an end date when the servants would gain freedom. 

An interesting item in the inventory is “the old house where the ancient widow lives.”  Clearly his wife is too young to be regarded as ancient and his mother-in-law was deceased by 1684. This must be his mother Elizabeth (Ellis) Briggs as in his will he mentions his niece Ruth Barrows living with her grandmother Briggs in a house that he clearly owned. So now I know his mother Elizabeth, my 10th great-grandmother, lived to the old age of at least 83. I love “aha” moments in genealogy!

On 2 May 1728 Samuel Barrow was appointed guardian of John Briggs, under 21 years, son of John Briggs, deceased, and of Elizabeth Briggs, under 14 years. [Plym Co Guardianships and Probate 5:383, no 2841]

John’s widow was likely the Ruth Briggs who married, as his 3rd wife, Samuel Winslow (son of Kenelm and Mercy (Worden) Winslow) on 15 Sept 1739. [Hannibal] I have not found Ruth’s death record, but Deacon Samuel Winslow died 9 November 1760 and is buried Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts. [Find A Grave ID No. 131898605] I should think Samuel, and perhaps Ruth, went to live with family as Samuel’s son Kenelm lived in Petersham.

Sources:

Edna Anne Hannibal, John Briggs of Sandwich, Massachusetts and His Descendants, 1962:

Martin E. Hollick, NEHGS Register, “John Barrows of Plymouth,” Volume 166, April 2012

John Briggs will and inventory: Plymouth County Probate Record 5:384, No. 2880 [available at ancestry.com “Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991”]