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Henry Herrick
b.Est 1598
d.Bet 24 Nov 1670 and 15 Mar 1670/71 Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
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m. Est 1636
Facts and Events
Before 1653 Henry Herrick of Virginia & the connection to Sir William Herrick & Lady Joan May is questionable. See Talk Page for more information.
" Henry Herrick was a husbandman, in easy circumstances, but undistinguished by wealth, or by civil rank or influence in the colony. He was a very good and honest dissenter from the established church, and the friend of Higginson, who had been a dissenting Minister in Leicester. Mr. Herrick and his wife Editha, were among the thirty who founded the first church in Salem, in 1629; and on the organization of a new parish, on 'Ryal-Syde' 1667, they, with their sons and their sons' wives, were among the founders of the first church in Beverly, also. But there are reasons to suspect that neither Henry, nor his sons were, at all times, and in all things, quite as submissive to the spiritual powers of their day, as they should have been. On the Court records of Essex County is an entry like this: 'Henerie Hericke, and Edith his wife, are fined 10S. and 11S. for costs of Coort, for aiding and comforting an excommunicated person, contrary to order.' "The sons of Henry Herrick were all farmers, and with the exception, perhaps, of Joseph, were exclusively farmers. " He married Editha, daughter of Mr. Hugh Laskin of Salem, (who was horn 1614, and living in 1674), and settled at `Cape-Ann-Syde, over against Massies.' Ile died 1671. " Out of a very numerous family (our traditions say twelve sons and several daughters), seven sons and a daughter, whose names are given below, survived their father and are named in his Will." * * * Of these, Thomas and Benjamin, the oldest and youngest of the sons, died childless. The other five sons and one daughter left issue, and are regarded as the Patriarchs of their respective branches of the posterity of Henry and Editha Herrick."S3 Herrick's son was involved in the Salem witch trials: "Their fifth son, Joseph, baptized Aug. 6, 1645, owned and occupied Cherry Hill in 1692. He married Sarah, daughter of Richard Leach, Feb. 7, 1667. He was a man of great firmness and dignity of character, and, in addition to the care and management of his large farm, was engaged in foreign commerce. As he bore the title of Governor, he had probably been at some time in command of a military post or district, or perhaps of a West-India colony. His descendants are numerous, and have occupied distinguished stations, often exhibiting a transmitted military stamp. Joseph Herrick was in the Narragansett fight. It illustrates the state of things at that time, that this eminent citizen, a large landholder, engaged in prosperous mercantile affairs, and who had been abroad, was, in 1692, when forty years of age, a corporal in the village company. He was the acting constable of the place, and, as such, concerned in the early proceedings connected with the withcraft prosecutions. For a while he was under the influence of the delusion; but his strong and enlightened mind soon led him out of it. He was one of the petitioners in behalf of an accused person, when intercession, by any for any, was highly dangerous; and he was a leader in the party that rose against the fanaticism, and vindicated the characters of its victims. He inherited a repugnance to oppression, and sympathy for the persecuted. His father and mother appear, by a record of Court, to have been fined "for aiding and comforting an excommunicated person, contrary to order." (Salem Witchcraft, p. 153-54) [edit] WillThe following is a copy of the Will of Henry Herrick, which was copied verbatim et literatim, from the records in the office of the Clerk of the Courts in Essex county, Mass., by Nathaniel J. Herrick, Esq. I, HENRY HERICK of the town of Beverley in the county of Essex in New England being in a decaying estate of body but in perfect mynd and memorye through the Lords mercy do here-by make my last will and testament whereby I commiting my body to the earth, and my Soule to the mercy of god in christ Jesus. I dispose of my estate in order following. Imps. I give unto my Deare and loving wife Edith the westward-most halfe of my now dwelling house, that is the lower roome and lean too behind it, together with free egress and ingress in and out of it, and also, the use of the cellar, well, yard and houseing and garden, these to have & enioy Dureing her naturall life, further I give to my sd wife four of my best milch cows, & 4 sheepe which she shall choose and all my house-hold stufe, these to he at her absolute free disposl, also I give unto my sd wife the sixt part of the fruits that shall be raysed from the corne lands and orchard wch I leave with my executor Henry and in the possession of my sonn Iohn. AIso I give unto my sonn Thomas all my wearing appearell except .my best great coat, & that 20 acres of land where his house standeth, with ten pounds to be payed to my sonn Iohn wn my executor seeth need to supplye his wants. And if in case he live and dye a single pson, the lands shall remaine to my sonns Ephraim & Joseph, equally devided & the ten pounds to my son Beniamin, if not make use of to supply him. Also I give my son Zachry one hundred Acres of land lying in Birch plaine wch I bought of Francis & Henry Skerry of Salem with 5 acres of meadow lying in Wenham meadow belonging to it, and 16 acres of land more or Jesse wherein his house standeth & fenced in by him. Also I give my sonns Ephraim, Joseph and John that forme I bought of Mr Allford the 20 acres jinen to Thomas being first measured out to him, the rest to be equally devided betweene them three, yet so that Ephraim and Joseph may inioy what they have improved and fenced, and Iohn what is improved by Henry, so as to pay the sixt part of the p'duce to my wife before expresst. Also I give to my sonn Iohn the two lotts I bought of Henry Rennolds of Salem & Richard Kimball of Wellborn. Also my sonn John is to have two acres of meadow in Bounkares meadow. Also the bedding he lyeth upon, and my cart and plow with the chaine thereof. Also I give Ephraim moreover one milch cow and my best great coate and unto Joseph I give moreover two ewe sheep and my timber chain. I give unto my sonn Beniamyn all that pasture land called my english pasture, wch joyneth on the east syde to Andrew Eliott, lyeing betweene the countrye highway & the mill river, I say all that land lying on the southeast syde of the sd country highway the well pasture land with the appurtenances, my will is shall remaine in the hands of my sonn Henry to improve until Beniamyn be 21 years of age and in case he dye before he be 21 years of age I give the sayd land to my sonn Henry, he paying unto my children Zachry, Ephraim, Joseph & Elizabeth four pounds apeace. Also I give to my daughter Elizabeth forty pounds, viz. 14 lbs. to be payd by my sonn Henry within three months after the confirmation of my will and the rest to be made up in 3 cows & moveables allready in her possesion, And to Iohn the youngest yoke of stears, and whatsoever I give to any of my children heerin mentioned by this my will, I give to them their heires executors administrators & assigns forever Arid for the rest of my estate not above mentioned I give it all to my sonn Henry, he paying unto his mother the sixt part of the increase of the corne land & orchard during her life, and p'viding for her the wintering of four milch cows 4 sheepe & her fire wood redy cut for fire at the dore, for all the year long, and liberty to keep 3 swine at the dore, (I give my sonn Ephraim one acre of meadow in buncars Joseph 3 acres of meadow in bun-cars) And to have the p'per use of the parlour & leantoo behind it with free egress & regress to houseing yards for her necessary occasions as is expressed during her life. I say these things premised. I give my sonn Henry my dwelling-house out-houseing orchard & tillage land meadows pasture & woodland with my stock & whatever else wthin dores & wthout, not above excepted making this my sayd sonn Henry my sole executor of this my last will. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand this 24 November 1670. HENRY HERICK Mr Iohn Hale and Capt. Thomas Lathrop chosen overseers of this will. Robert Morgan & Nehemiah Grover testified upon oath in Court held at Ipswich the 28 of March 1671 to be the last will & testament of Henry Herick to the best of their knowledge & that they know of no other. As attest. ROBERT LORD, clerk. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Essex, ss. The foregoing is a true copy of record. References
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