John Burgess was born about 1659 (based on his being eldest son of parents who married in December 1657), probably in Yarmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, the son of John and Mary (Worden) Burgess. I wrote about his parents here. The area of Yarmouth where the family lived later became Dennis. His name is often seen as Burge/Burg in records, but I use Burgess for consistency. He is my 8th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.
John married Sarah Nickerson about 1694 [first child born 1695], probably in Yarmouth. [Smith, Hiam] Sarah was born 1 May 1674, Yarmouth, the daughter of Nicholas and Mary (Darby) Nickerson. [Yarmouth VR p 127, as Sarath Nickerson who was 1 year old the first of May 1675] I wrote about Sarah's parents here.
The births of the eight children of “John and Sarah Burge” are recorded in Yarmouth [Yarmouth VR p 16 and MD 7:247]:
1. Mary 25 December 1695; married Elnathan Ellis [Yarmouth VR p 139]
2. Elizabeth 12 October 1697; married Prince Wixon [Yarmouth VR p 142)
3. Joseph 9 July 1699; married Desire Luce [Hiam]
4. Benjamin 3 May 1701; married Thankful Nickerson [Yarmouth VR p 144, Harwich VR p 495]
5. Samuel 3 February 1702/3; married 1st Elizabeth Burgess, 2nd Mary Taylor [Yarmouth VR 144, 148]
6. Ezekiel 19 August 1705; married 1st Catherine Oakes, 2nd Sarah Baker [Yarmouth VR p 148; 149]; removed to Maine [Clark]
7. Thankfull 7 June 1708; married Thomas Blossom [Hiam]
8. John middle of October 1710; married Alice Baker 20 February 1734[?/5] [Yarmouth VR p 148]
I descend from John.
There is a lack of records concerning John owing to fires in Yarmouth and the Barnstable Courthouse. I do not know what his occupation was other than farming, but he was a literate man as he signed his will.
John is named in his father John Burg’s 14 August 1700 will. “I give and bequeath to my eldest son John Burg all that parcel of land and meadow which I bought of John Nickerson and the house which is upon it, all which I give to my sd son and his heirs forever. Also I give and bequeath to my John Burg his heirs and assigns forever the one half of a parcel of meadow which I bought of William Nickerson which is known by the name of Blues[?] Meadows. [Barnstable County Probate Records 2:127-30]
John Senior wrote a codicil 19 February 1700/01 that mostly outlines the care he expected his sons to provide for his wife Mary. It has one mention of the younger John: “My will is and I do give to my son John Burg that cow and heifer he hath of mine in his hands.”
The inventory was taken 12 July 1701 and includes “the land and meadow which [son] John lives on and housing” valued at £100 00 00.
John Burg received 21.5 shares in the 1712 division of common lands at Yarmouth. Also receiving land in this division were his brothers Samuel, Jacob, Thomas, and Joseph Burgess. [Swift]
Sarah Burges wife of John Burges died 4 February 1722/23 at Yarmouth. She was 48 years old. [Yarmouth VR 154] I have not found evidence of John remarrying and he does not name a wife in his will.
John died between 2 March 1729/30 [will written] and 22 January 1734 [will proved], likely to the the latter date. He was likely in his early 70s.
John Burges of Yarmouth wrote his will 2 March 1729/30; proved 22 January 1734. [Barnstable County Probate Record 5:229]
He writes that he is “stricken in years and under bodily infirmity” and left the following bequests:
- son Joseph Burges ten shillings
- daughter Mary Ellis five shillings
- daughter Elizabeth Wixon five shillings
- daughter Thankful Blossom five shillings
- son Benjamin Burges five shillings
- sons Samuel and John were to pay these legacies; mentions giving Samuel one-third of his estate and son John two thirds
- son Ezekiel Burges five shillings in money to be paid to him equally by my two sons Samuel & John
- son Samuel Burges “all that my field on which his house now standeth according to the known boundaries thereof and also all that my lot of land which I bought of Jeremiah Chace which is adjoining to ye upper end of my meadow which lyeth at Swan Pond River and I do also give to my sd son Samuel his yet my one third of of sd meadow”
- son John Burges my Dwelling house barn & [—?—] together with all my lands and meadows adjoining and belonging to my homestead commonly called and known by the name of Long Neck according to ye known bounds thereof
He named sons Samuel Burges & John Burges Executors. John signed his will; witnesses were Peter Thacher, Peter Thacher Jr and Thankful Thacher. His will was proved 22 January 1734.
Sources:
E. Burgess, Burgess Genealogy, Memorial of the Family of Thomas and Dorothy Burgess and Were Settled at Sandwich in the Plymouth Colony in 1637, 1865
Katharine Hiam, Burgess Genealogy, Descendants of the Four Sons of Thomas and Dorothy (Waynes) Burgess...Whose Parents Were Settled in Sandwich in 1637, 1997
Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700
Charles Swift, History of Old Yarmouth, 1884
William C. Smith, A History of Chatham, Massachusetts, 1909
Amos Otis, Library of Cape Cod History & Genealogy, No. 46, Burgess, 1914
Bertha W. Clark, Descendants of Francis Baker of Yarmouth, 1951 (manuscript)
Ebenezer Burgess, Burgess Genealogy: Memorial of Thomas and Dorothy Burgess, who were settled at Sandwich in the Plymouth Colony in 1637, 1865
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