John Churchill

Sergeant, of Plymouth. His father’s spoken will (1662) gave him 50 acres at “Mannonnett ponds” (Manomet). Constable 1686; freeman 1689. He married his first cousin Rebecca Delano on 28 Dec 1686: both were grandchildren of William Pontus. Their children’s births are in the Plymouth records (Book 1 p. 9).

A deed of 1 Jan 1693/4 calls him “John Churchell, of Plymouth, weaver.” By it his brother-in-law Samuel Delano sold him, for £14, his half of “one whole share of land at Namasket alias Middleborough” that had belonged to their grandfather William Pontus and had been settled by the court on 3 May 1664 on “Mary Delano and hannah Churchell the daughters of ye said deceased” (Plym. Co. Deeds 1:312; MD 11:251-252).

At a town meeting of 2 March, among entries of about 1710, the town chose “serjant John Churchell” one of its grand jurors for the year (Records of the Town of Plymouth 2:43-44). On 14 Dec 1719 “Serjeant John Churchill” and his neighbours, among them his brother Eleazer, met “in order to The renewing and settling of the Bounds of our severall lands at obery” (Oberry) in Plymouth. They marked the corners with stakes, a stump, “heape[s] of stones” and a white oak “marked on : 4 : sides,” and he signed and sealed the agreement (2:199-200).

His wife Rebecca died in 1709, and on 4 Mar 1715 he married the widow Hannah Bartlett, who died on 29 Apr 1723, aged 61. In 1722 “John Churchell of the Town of Plymouth” sold his son-in-law “Joel Ellis of the Town of Middle[borough]” a 20-acre house lot in the Twenty-six Men’s Purchase. He died on 13 June 1723, “in 66th year of his age.”

Open questions

• His birth and death dates are compiled; look for his gravestone and probate.
• The grand-juror entry (Records of the Town of Plymouth 2:43-44): the colonial tree dates it March 1704/5, but vol. 2 begins after May 1705 and the entry stands among those of 1710; the year is unclear in the archive.org text (probably 1710/11). Check the page image.
• The second marriage (4 Mar 1715) is compiled here; the colonial tree treats it as documented, quoting “Sgt. John CHURCHILL married the widow Hanna BARTLET.” Find the record (probably the Plymouth vital records) and cite it.