Family/Spouse: John HITCHCOCK. John (son of John HITCHCOCK and Mary BALL) was born on 14 Dec 1692. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Abigail HITCHCOCK was born on 1 Jun 1718.
2. Miriam HITCHCOCK was born on 14 Jul 1720; died on 19 Nov 1793.
3. John HITCHCOCK was born on 21 Apr 1722; died on 11 Oct 1807.
4. Reuben HITCHCOCK was born on 20 Dec 1723; died in 1745.
5. Josiah HITCHCOCK was born on 29 Nov 1726 in Springfield, Hampden, MA; died on 6 Jan 1819 in Springfield, Hampden, MA.
6. Simeon HITCHCOCK was born on 22 Jul 1728.
7. Benjamin HITCHCOCK was born on 2 Sep 1730; died on 5 Jan 1780.
8. Isaac HITCHCOCK was born on 7 Jun 1732; died on 30 Jul 1781.
9. Levi HITCHCOCK was born on 20 Mar 1734/35; died on 6 Dec 1777.

Samuel married Abagail BROOKS on 10 Dec 1685 in Springfield, Hampden, MA. Abagail (daughter of William BROOKS and Mary BURT) was born on 25 Jan 1665; died on 24 Nov 1746 in Springfield, Hampden, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: 5 Sep 1683

Notes:

Death:
Alternate death date.

Lt. married Hannah WRIGHT on 16 Nov 1645 in Springfield, Hampden, MA. Hannah was born in Aug 1626 in Springfield, Hampden, MA; died on 16 Oct 1660. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: 26 Oct 1660, Springfield, Hampden, MA

Notes:

Note:
Ellen Baker forwarded your query about the references for Deacon Samuel Wright and his children. Unfortunately, we have yet to find any vital statistic records for any of the Deacon's children except James, Judah and the infant Helped who died shortly after birth. The births of these last three children are recorded in the early Agawam (Springfield) MA. records which are located at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum's Archive library in the Quadrangle area of downtown Springfield.

That Samuel Wright Jr. (or Sgt. Samuel Wright as he was known) was the Deacon's son there can also be no doubt. The Deacon was forced to acknowledge this son in official documents to the Springfield courts of those days for some misdeeds. (See Pynchon Court Records in "Families of the Pioneer Valley," Regional Publications, West Springfield, MA 2000).

Evidence of the relationship to the Deacon for the girls, Margaret, Hester (Ester), Lydia, and Mary is most strongly established by the wills left by the Deacon and his wife. All are named in both wills. And, although for Margaret and Lydia there are also Springfield VR for their marriages (Lydia married four times!) and other records for Margaret (See NEHGR Vol IX, p. 200), there is nothing for Hester or Mary in the official records,and we know of their marriages via mention in wills and death records.

So I source the wills first. The original handwritten wills, or shall I say officially transcribed wills, for the Deacon and Margaret are in the First Records Book of the Town of Northampton, MA. This record book is very fragile and is currently archived in the Hampshire County Clerk's office in Northampton, MA. It may be viewed by special request made to the County Clerk at the time of your visit. With their kind assistance, I have made a copy of all the pertinent Wright ancestry documents in it, including the two wills. I translated and transcribed both wills in their entirety for my publication.

In these wills, the Deacon makes mention of each of his children, Samuel, Margaret, Hester, Lydia, Mary, James and Judah. Margaret, his wife, does much the same in her will mentioning also Hester's husband, Samuel Marshfield, and son James' daughter, Helped, to whom she bequeathed her bed.

What is notable about these two wills is that neither the Deacon nor Margaret mention anything about Benjamin Wright or Hannah (Wright) Stebbins of Springfield who have been often assigned by previous researchers as his eldest children. What I think is most important is that there is no mention made of any of the children of Benjamin or Hannah (Wright) Stebbins, either. It is true that Hannah had died in 1661, prior to the Deacon (1665), and might not have been mentioned in his will (prepared 1663) for that reason. But Hannah's children were alive and husband, Thomas Stebbins, did not remarry until 7 years after the Deacon's death. So, if the Deacon was so diligent in bequeathing to each of his other children, and since he would have known at the time of making his will in 1663 that Hannah was dead, he would have known he had to make provisions for Hannah's portion to go to her children. Therefore, I think it is certain he would have named them in his will if they were his grandchildren. On the basis that neither he nor Margaret mention these potential grandchildren in their wills, I believe Benjamin and Hannah were not his children.

Nevertheless, Benjamin and Hannah have often been assigned as the eldest children of the Deacon, and thought I do not believe this is the case, I do believe they may have been niece and nephew to the Deacon or some other relation. Certainly I believe they were some member of the large Wright clan to which the Deacon belonged (originating from Sir John Wright of Kelvedon Hatch, Co. Essex, England).

Died:
Alternate death date.

William married Mary BURT on 18 Oct 1654 in Springfield, Hampden, MA. Mary (daughter of Henry BURT and Ulalia MARCHE) was christened on 13 Apr 1635 in Harberton, Co. Devon, ENGLAND; died on 30 Aug 1689 in Deerfield, Franklin, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigratn: 1634, Bocking, Essex, ENGLAND

Notes:

Immigratn:
Rowland Stebbins immigrated aboard the "Francis" from Bocking, Essex, ENGLAND.

Rowland married Sarah WHITING on 30 Nov 1618 in St. Mary's Church, Bocking, Essex, ENGLAND. Sarah was born in 1591 in ENGLAND; died on 4 Oct 1649. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Clerk of Writs
• Immigratn: 1638/39, Roxbury, Suffolk, MA
• Note: Nov 1639
• Note: 1644, Springfield, Hampden, MA

Notes:

DNA:
MKM

Immigratn:
Emigrated from England to Roxbury, Mass., and then removed to Springfield, Mass in 1640

Note:
Lost house to fire in Roxbury, MA in 1639. Received compensation for fire November 1639 at Roxbury, MA, recorded in Massachusetts Bay Colony records. Moved to Springfield, MA in 1640, of which town he may be regarded as one of the founding fathers and chief citizens, though he did not arrive with the earliest settlers.

Note:
With Henry Smith, Thomas Cooper, Samuel Chapin and Richard Sikes, he was a member of the first board of Selectmen, 1644, serving continuously through 1652 and again in 1654. Shortly thereafter, the family was represented on the board by his eldest son Jonathan. Henry Burt was the first to hold, in Springfield, the Office of Clerk of Writs, being elected 29 May 1649 and serving until his death in 1662. The vital statistics for that period are in his handwriting. After Rev. George Moxon left Springfield, the town for some time was without a settled minister and got along with what may be termed lay readers as a substitute. It was voted 18 Feb 1665/6, that Mr. Holyoke and Henry Burt should carry on the work of the Sabbath, and recompense was voted to Deacon Wright, Deacon Chapin, Mr. Holyoke and Henry Burt for their labors in that work the previous summer. On 9 Nov 1657, Mr. Holyoke, Mr. Pynchon, Deacon Chapin, and Henry Burt were appointed to continue this work. Although there were attempts to secure a settled minister, none remained long until the Rev. Pelatiah Glover commenced his pastorate in 1660.

Buried:
Find A Grave e-Memorial

Henry married Ulalia MARCHE on 28 Dec 1619 in Dean Prior, Co. Devon, ENGLAND. Ulalia (daughter of Richard MARCHE and Joanne MARTYN) was born about 1598 in Sherford, Devon, ENGLAND; died on 19 Aug 1690 in Springfield, Hampden, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigratn: 1638/39, Roxbury, Suffolk, MA

Notes:

Note:
A story is told of Eulalia Marche Burt, that in England she apparently died, was put in her coffin for interment when signs of life were seen and she was resuscitated and recovered, came to New England and lived to a great age.

DNA:
MKM

Immigratn:
Emigrated from England to Roxbury, Mass., and then removed to Springfield, Mass in 1640