Person:James Blood (5)

Yeoman, Sergeant James BLOOD was born between 1642 and 1648 in Groton, Middlesex, MA.(870) It is not clear whether James was born in England or Massachusetts. According to Worcester County history, he was probably born about 1640 in England (400).

He died on 13 Sep 1692 in Groton, Middlesex, MA.(871) James was killed by Indians 13 Sep 1692, leaving Abigail 8 months pregnant with Martha. He had an estate probated in 1694 in Groton, Middlesex, MA. (872) Two years after James was killed, his estate of £148 was divided between Abigail, her daughters, and Jonathan KEMP, uncle and guardian of Abigail's three children. I suspect that when she was about 29, Abigail's children were taken away from her because she was unmarried and starting to show. Parents: Richard BLOOD and Isabel WILKINSON. He married to Elizabeth LONGLEY on 7 Sep 1669 in Groton, Middlesex, MA.(873) (874) Children were: Richard BLOOD, Mary BLOOD, Elizabeth BLOOD, Hannah BLOOD. He married to Abigal KEMP on 20 Dec 1686 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA.(875) After his wife Elizabeth died in the "beginning of" December 1676, James married Abigail KEMP within just a couple of weeks. [An obvious math error here, it was 10 years plus a couple of weeks.] Why the rush? Less than eight months after the marriage, Abigail gave birth to their first child. Was this a musket wedding? Of the children born to James and Abigail, BOTH James AND John are direct line ancestors! Children were: James BLOOD, John BLOOD , Martha BLOOD.

1. ↑ Shattuck, Lemuel. Memorials of the Descendants of William Shattuck: The Progenitor of the Families in America that have borne his name. (Boston: The Author, 1855)
   79.

   Oct. 13, 1692, James Blood "'was killed', says the record, 'by the French and Indian enemy'".

2. ↑ Green, Samuel A. Groton during the Indian wars. (Groton, Mass.: unknown, 1883)
   63.

   [Suggesting Shattuck is off by a month, apparently unable to locate the record Shattuck quoted.]
   Letter from David Jeffries to Lt. Gov. John Usher, dated 16 Sep 1692: "ye 14th Inst at night a Post came to towne fro[m] Majo'r Hincksman w'ch gave an acc'tt of about 80 or 100 Indians, ... ye Indians had killd two men at Groton...."