Person:John Washburn (18)

John Washburn was in Plymouth Colony at least as early as 2 January 1632/33, when he sued Edward Doty (PCR l-,6). He came from Bengeworth, near Evesham, County Worcester, where he was baptized 2 July 1596, the son of John and Martha (Timbrell) (Stephens) Washburn; he maried 23 November 1618 Margery Moore (parish records, p. 47-48 of James Davenport, The Washburne Family of Little Washburne & Wichenford in the County of Worcester [London, 19071). John's family later joined him in Plymouth, and they are shown by Hotten, p. 57, to have sailed on the Elizabeth, which left England for New England on 13 April 1635 with certificates from the mayor of Evesham: Margerie Washborn, age forty-nine, and her two sons John Washbome, age fourteen, and Philip Washborne, age eleven. Margery (Moore) Washburn was baptized at Bengeworth 3 November 1588, the daughter of Robert and Ellen (Taylor) Moore (Davenport, p. 51), Davenport supports the claim of some American Washburn descendants that John Washburn is a descendant of the Washburns of Wichenford, who have a proven royal line; however, he offers no valid evidence, and the claim must be considered unproven and probably false, E. A. B. Barnard, Some Notes on the Evesharn Branch of the Washbourne Family (Evesham, 1914), points out that there were Washburns in the neighborhood of Evesham centuries before a descendant of the Wichenford family is claimed to have moved there. Numerous errors have appeared on the Washburn family, such as the claim that the immigrant John Washburn was identical with the John Washburn who was the secretary in England of the Plymouth (England) Company until 1628, which Davenport denies, pointing to handwriting specimens of each, and noting that the Plymouth immigrant was a churchwarden in Bengeworth as recently as 1625. It is, however, possible that William Washburn, who died on Long Island in 1659, might have been either a brother or cousin to the immigrant John Washburn; see Davenport, p. 54, and John G. Hunt, "Clues to Origin of Washburne ... of Hempstead, L.I., etc.," TAG 36:62-64. In Plymouth Colony John Washburn moved from Plymouth to Duxbury and became a freeman on 2 June 1646. He and his two sons were in the 1643 ATBA list from Duxbury. He served in various minor capacities, as shown in PCR volumes. On 3 June 1662 he was granted what appears to be a double portion of land at Saconnet (Little Compton) by virtue of his being both an ancient freeman and a former servant, though the records do not indicate to whom he was a servant (PCR 4:18; this would certainly seem to refute any claim that he had been secretary of the Plymouth Company). There is no record that he lived in Saconnet, but he moved from Duxbury to Bridgewater sometime after 26 May 1666. George E. Bowman, "Washburn Notes," MD 15:247-53, 16:248-53, helps sort out some of the misconceptions about the early Washburns, and he shows (16:248) that John, Sr. must have died shortly before 17 March 1670/71. Inasmuch as John's son John had all his children by his first wife, a Mayflower descendant, and john's son Philip's only son, John 3, married as his only wife a Mayflower descendant, there is a strong presumption that thereafter all Washburns in colonial Plymouth are probably Mayflower descendants. Source: Plymouth Colony Its History & People 1620-1691 by Eugene Aubrey Stratton __________________________________________________________________________ ______ Origin: Bengeworth, Worcestershire, England Migration: 1632 (Wife and children came in 1635) First Residence: Plymouth Removes: Duxbury bef 1643 and to Bridgewater after 5/26/1666. Return Trips: Possibly to England and back in 1634 Occupation: Tailor Freeman: 1639 Duxbury Education: Signed name Offices: Grand jury, Appointed to view bounds, Coroner's jury, Duxbury Surveyor of Highways, able to bear arms2 Daughter Mary not listed in the Great Migration. John was a tailor in England and immigrated to America as early as January 2, 1632/33, arriving in Plymouth. His wife and 2 sons, John and Philip came in 1635 on the ship Elizabeth. From the Plymouth records, John purchased land in March 1634/35 from Edward Bompass. John was on the 1633/34 tax list at Plymouth. He was one of the founders of Duxbury, MA in 1646. He became a freeman in Duxbury on June 2, 1646 and served in various minor capacities. On March 5, 1638/39, the Court ordered John Washburn, among others, to survey and repair the "heigh ways" in the colony. On March 4, 1650, he was before the Court for neglecting to mend these highways. Shortly after that, John moved to Bridgewater.