TENTH GENERATION

904. William FORD ⁽⁸¹⁾ died in 23 or 28 Sep 1676 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA. He was born about 1604 in England. He was buried in Winslow Burying Grounds, Marshfield, Plymouth, MA. IMMIGRANT - 1621 - "FORTUNE PASSENGER?*" "About 1631 William married an Ann(a) and they lived for a while in Duxbury. A number of people had by this time moved from Plymouth to better farm and pasture lands. They could look forward to selling their excess produce to the new settlements of Massachusetts Bay Colony and becoming more prosperous. However, every Sunday they had to return to Plymouth for their church meeting. Those who lived in Duxbury probably crossed the harbor by boat when the weather permitted, because it was ten miles by land and there were no roads or horses yet in the colony (the first mention of a horse is in 1644). ... So the Duxbury people asked for permission to 'become a body of themselves.' This was rather grudgingly given in 1637 and Duxbury became the first group to separate from the Plymouth congregation. It was known as Ducksburrow then, no doubt from the great numbers of waterfowl found there. William and his brother John were among the founders of the new town. Marshfield, a few miles north of Duxbury, was another place where new grants of land were allotted, and William and Anna built a home there near Havelly Beach at Green Harbor (the name Marshfield wasn't used until March 1641/2). ... William owned land not only in these two towns, but also in Bridgewater, where he is named as one of the original proprietors. He went into partnership with a Josiah Winslow about 1640 and built a grist mill in Duxbury, said to be the first in New England. It was located on the South River and a granite monument marks the site, on the west side of the road between Duxbury and Plymouth. William later became the sole owner and was widely known as the miller. ... The mill was in operation for well over 100 years. In 1663 William was chosen deputy to the General Court and in 1665 he was appointed by the Marshfield inhabitants to lay out a tract of land. A document dated Jan. 17, 1671 shows that he deeded the balance of his property to his son Michael Ford in consideration of which Michael was to provide for his father and mother in their old age. William died about Sept. 23, 1676 and Anna Sept. 1, 1684. They are buried in unmarked graves in the old Winslow Burying Grounds near a monument erected 'In Memory of the Early Settlers at Green Harbor, Marshfield,' on which their names are inscribed." (Bonnie Hubbard)
*(According to p. 687 of R. C. Anderson's The Great Migration Begins, Vol. 1, researcher F. Barclay [TAG 42:35-42], this William Ford of Marshfield was not part of the Ford family that arrived on the Fortune.)
He was married to Ann(a) EAMES? about 1631.

905. Ann(a) EAMES?⁽⁸¹⁾ died on 1 Sep 1684 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA. She was born in England. She was buried in Winslow Burying Grounds, Marshfield, Plymouth, MA. IMMIGRANT - "FORTUNE PASSENGER" Not Proven. Children were:

i. William FORD⁽⁸¹⁾ was born in 1633 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA.
452 ii. Michael FORD.
iii. daughter #1 FORD⁽⁸¹⁾ was born in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA.
iv. daughter #2 FORD⁽⁸¹⁾ was born in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., MA.

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