Bio of EDWARD-1 GARFIELD (d 1672) ENG>MA
This is the information I have collected on Edawrd-1 Garfield of Massachusetts, the immigrant ancestor, and his son Samuel-2 Garfield. Each factual statement is footnotedwith the source from which I acquired the material, but GenForum does not support footnotes so if you have a question about sources please e-mail me and I'll be happy to provide them to you. Of course, I also welcome corrections or additions to any of
the information which I do have.
Edward Garfield, the immigrant ancestor, was born around 1575 in England; exactly where he was born and who his parents were are unknown.Sources asserting that he was from Wales or near the Welsh border or Northamptonshire, and/or that he came with Gov. Winthrop in 1630, are completely unsubstantiated by any proof.
He married REBECCA ------ ; she was born in England around 1606.Because of their differences in age, and the large gap between the birth of Samuel and the other children, it is probable that she was not his first wife.Edward, and his wife or wives, had at least five children:
i Samuel b.a. 1625 m. (1) ------ ------
m. (2) Mary Benfield
ii Joseph b. 11 Septemebr 1637 m. Sarah Gale
iii Rebecca b. 10 March 1640 m. Isaac Mixter
iv Abigail b. 29 June 1646 m. ------ ------
v Benjamin b.c. 1643 m. (1) Mehitabel Hawkins
m. (2) Elizabeth Bridge
While it is unclear exactly when he came to New England, it is known that he was fairly old for such an undertaking; he must have been around fifty-five.He became a freeman of Watertown, _____ County, Massachusetts, on 6 May 1635.
He received 30 acres of land on 25 July 1636; 7 acres on 28 February 1636/7; and 5 acres on 26 June 1637.Eight later deeds for purchases of tracts of land in Watertown totalling 100 acres are shown in the records from 1651 to 1662.The first inventory of Watertown lands in 1637 lists his lands as:
" 1.An Homestall of Six Acres bounded the South & West with the highway the East with Miles Ives & the North with Thomas Arnold
2.Two Acres of Meddow bounded the Southwest with the River the Northeast with Gregory Taylor & the Southwest with John Smith.
3.Six Acres of Meddow in Pondmeddow bounded with his great Divident.
4.Seven Acres of Plowland in the further Plaine & the 105 Lott.
5.Foure Acres of Plowland in the hither Plaine & the 33 Lott.
6.Five Acres of Meddow in the remote Meddowes & the 84 Lott.
7.Foure Acres of Meddow in the remote Meddowes & the 109 Lott.
8.Thirty Acres of upland being a great Divident in the 2 Division & the 2 Lott.
9.A Farme of One Hundred Acres of upland bounded the East with John Whitney & the West with Edmond Lewis."
The second inventory of lands showed:
" 1.An Homestall of Six Acres by estimation bounded the South & West with the highway the East with Miles Ives & the North wth Thomas Arnold granted to him.
2.Two Acres of Marsh by estimation bounded the South with the river the Northeast with Gregory Taylor & the South West with John Smith granted to him.
3.Seven Acres of Plowland by estimation in the further Plaine bounded the East with Michael Barstow the West wth Hugh Mason the North wth the highway & the South wth the river granted to him.
4.Five Acres of remote Meddow by estimation being the Eighty foure lott granted to him.
5.Thirty Acres of upland by estimation being a great Divident in the second Division & the second lott granted to him.
6.An Homestall of one Acre & halfe by estimation bounded the West wth the highway the East wth his owne the North wth Gregory Taylor granted to him.
7.Seven Acres of upland by estimation bounded the Northwest wth the addition line the Northeast & the Southeast wth the highway & the Southwest wth John Smith granted to him."
Finally, the third inventory in 1647 listed:
" 1.Foure Acres of Plowland by estimation in the hither Plaine bounded the East wth John Trane the West wth Nicholas Knap the North wth the highway & the South wth the river in his Possession.
2.Six Acres of Meddow by estimation in Pond Meddow bounded with his great Divident in his Possession.
3.Foure Acres of remote Meddow by estimation & the Hundred & Ninth lott in his Possession.
4.Foure Acres of Meddow in Pond Meddow by estimation bounded wth the great Dividdent of John Smith in his Possession. "
His name appears often in the town records.He served as a Selectman for 1638 on 30 December 1637, and for 1655 on 4 December 1654.On 20 November 1655, the meeting of the selectmen was held at his house, and that year he was paid £1.07.06 for his services.On 15 December 1657, "Ould Garfield" was credited with the sum of four shillings due to him for "keeping of the order of the hogs;" and again on 8 January 1660/1.On 12 November 1660, "Ould Garfield" was chosen Constable for 1661.
Rebecca died on 16 April 1661 in Watertown; her age was given as fifty-five.He married second Joanna (------) Buckmaster, the widow of Thomas Buckmaster of Brookline.He was eighty-six at the time of this marriage.
He was chosen Selectman again on 6 January 1661/2On 25 June 1663, Joanna and Edward conveyed land to her son Joseph Buckmaster (which no doubt she brought to the marriage with her from her previous marriage).
The last entry of his name in the town records appears to be when he was ninety.On 23 May 1665, he and several others were ordered to appear before the next town meeting "to answer for not attendinge ther seats in the meetinghous apoynted them by the Towne."
He died in Watertown on 14 June 1672; he was ninety-seven years old.His will, dated 30 December 1668 and probated on 11 July 1672, provided:
" I Edward Garfield of Watertowne being sick in body yet through gods goodness sound in memory doe declare this to be my last will and testiment as followeth:
Imprm I give and bequeath unto my son Samuell Garfield tenn pounds to be payd in corne or catle within one year after my Decease: and forty akers of my land: lieing on the [word smudged] side of prospect hill: and a pece of meddow [word smudged] being aboute two akers and a halfe and being on the East side of Stony brooke the same piece of meddow which ye sd Samuell have made use of allready diverse years with my allowance [?] did ye sd Samuell alows a cart way through ye sd peece of meddow: to my meddow on the other side of stony brook: allso I give unto ye sd Samuell all my wearing cloaths and my great bible: now the reason why I give no more to my son Samuell is because he marieing many years agoe I have formerly given him both land and other Estate.
2dly I give unto my son Joseph Garfield yt house and land which he now lives in: ye land containeing aboute nine and twenty akers: allso I give unto ye sd Joseph ten akers of meddow lieing on the farther side of Chesters brook westward comainely called plaine meddow allso I give unto ye sd Joseph my farme as allso a [?] colt of about a year old.
3dly I give unto my daughter Rebecka Mixter twenty pounds to be paid her in corne or catle within two years after my decease as allso [two?] pewter platters.
4thly I give unto my daughter Abigall Garfield twenty pounds tenn pound to be paid at the time of her mariage and tenn pounds to be paid two yeares after: but if ye sd Abigall shall die unmarried then my will is yt ye sd twenty pound be eaqually devided to Samuell Garfield my son and Joseph garfield my son and Beniamen Garfield my son and Rebecka Mixter my daughter and if ye sd Abigall doe live unmarried yt then my will is she shall be allowed five and twenty shillings a yeare so long as she lives unmarried allso I give unto ye sd Abigall a fether bed and boulster with a rugg and two blankets and one pewter plater.
5thly I give unto my granchild Sara Parkhust one ewe sheepe and an [word smudged] lamb.
6thly I give unto Sara [name smudged] my grandchild seven pounds provided [words smudged] her time: but if she [?] not [?] her [word smudged] then my will is yt she shall have but fifty [shilling?] onely.
7thly I give unto Ephraim Garfield my grandchild two cows to be paid within three yeares after my decease.
8thly I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife a cow which my sd wife shall have liberty to chose among all mi catle allso I allow unto my sd wife five pound a year gor as long as she lives which my wife had a bond of mee before marriage: ye sd five pound to be paid in wheet and pease and ry and indian by eaquell proportion: (if my executorhave them growing at [conny?] price at such place in cambridg as my sd wife shall apoynt: allso my will is that my sd wife shall if shee please continow in my house she shall have ye new bed chamber: for her use with all ye furnature in it for ye space of seven months: as allso a sufficiency of fire wood for her owne particular burning allso my will is yt my beloved wife above sd and my daughter Abigall afore sd and my maid Ann should enjoy the benefit of what flax or hemp or wooll there shall be in my house at my decease: and allso yt they are to [dies?] at ye charge of my estate for ye space of seven months as abovesd.
As an adition to my beloved wives legace my will is yt she shall injoy a fetherbed and boulster and two little pillows which were of hir owne makeing: allso a woolin wheale and a linin wheele.
Allso I do nominate and apoynt my loveing sonn Beniamin Garfield [words smudged] Executor to this my will and testiment to [words smudged] and to pay all my just debts.Thus [my soule to God] yt gave it and my body to ye dust from whence it was taken: I declare this to be my last will and testiment and doe hereunto set my hand this: thirtyeth day of decem: one thousand six hundred sixtyy and eight confirming my loveing friends Nathan Fisk: Senior and William Bond Senior to see yt this will be performed.
Those expresions which are enterlined as in page ye first and line ye thirteenth which expresion is: son; as allso in page ye second and line ye nineteenth which expresion is: [conny?] price; as allso in page ye second and line ye one and twentieth which expresion is: she shall have; ye sd expresions weare enterlined before any subscription was to this will as witnesseth
William Bond
Nathan Fisk"
An inventory of his estate, dtaed 26 June, listed the following:
" This is A true Inventory of the houses Lands and all the moveables of the Estate of Edward Garfield of Watertowne who deceased ye 14 June 1672
Impr An homestall containing aboute six akers wth A dwelling house
and out houses belonging to it and A small orchard 80.00.00
Sixteene Akers of Meaddow comonly called pond meddow 40.00.00
A lott called A devident aboute thirty two Akers neare pond meaddow 21.10.00
fortty two akers of upland upon the Litle plaine neare Sudbury roade 60.00.00
eight akers of upland 10.00.00
twenty nine akers of upland wth A dwelling house upon it on the further plaine 40.00.00
ten akers of meaddow Lying in the meaddow called [?] meaddow 15.00.00
five akers of meaddow Lying upon Stony brooke 10.00.00
fowrescore and thirteen akers of upland Lying on thewest side of broad hill 30.00.00
A farme by town grant containing aboute A hundred Akers 12.00.00
A mare and A young horse 7.00.00
three oxen 12.00.00
six cowes 18.00.00
A steere of 3 yeare old A heifer of 2 yeare 5.00.00
two calves of [?] yeare 1.05.00
nineteene Sheep and ten Lambs 10.00.00
thirteen Swine 7.00.00
In the parler
one fether bed and fether bolster and two fether pillows and pillow beere wth A
bed stead & 3 blankets 1 ruge curtaines & bolsters 6.00.00
another fether bed A fether bolster wth two fether pillows apaire of sheets and two
blankets one old blanket and A trundle bed Steed 4.10.00
A small table two old chaires eight old cushens and A smale chest 1.00.00
three sheets fower pillow beers 1.01.00
two smale board clothes and nine napkins fowre corse towells one wallet one basket 1.02.00
forty skines of cotten yarne 0.16.00
nineteen skines of wollan yarne 0.10.00
In the chamber over the hale
A fether bed A fether bolster and one fether pillow 2 blankets 1 sheet 1 [?] 3.10.00
hopes 0.09.00
In the parler chamber
three linin wheels two wollin wheels and A weele 1.00.00
two baskets An old Sheet 0.05.00
A fowleing peece A sword and belt powder and bullets 1.08.00
three augers 3 old sickles 1 shane 1 ades 1fro 1 handsaw 0.10.00
old Iron and other Lumber 0.10.00
In the hall
five pewter platters one bason one wine quart one chamber pott one
beker onepint pott one poringer one wine cup one old
candle stick one lutten candle stick 1.05.00
three brass Ketles one skillet 1.10.00
one Iron pott and pott hooks one tramell one Gridiron A paire of tongs
A litle [trivet?] two frying pans one spitt 1.03.00
A table leefe and forme two chaires 0.05.00
eight trayes 4 payles six chees moots 0.13.00
one Indian boule eight dishes A ladle 0.02.00
ten earthen potts and three earthen panes 0.02.06
In the cheese roome
A fether bed a fether bolster A sheet A blankett A Coverlead An old bed Steed 2.13.00
A chest A cheese prese A [laan] scive and two haire scives A cheese tub 0.12.00
In the seller
fowre beere barrells 2 churns one powdering tub one brewing Keeler two smale
[keelers?] one botle A meashing tub A salting trough 1.10.00
Salt porke and A bushell of salt 0.13.00
A parcell of Cheeses 0.15.00
ground mault Indian meale & rye meale 0.16.00
five baggs 0.08.00
In the Corne roome
one panell 2 collers 2 paire crasses A blind halter A blind halter A whiple
tree chaine A cart rope 1.10.00
on half bush. A halfe pecke 4 old hogsheads two paire of scales and weights 0.09.00
sixty pound of sheeps wooll 3.00.00
nine pound of Cotton wooll 0.06.00
A fane 2 Corne [?] A basket 0.10.00
[utensels?] for husbandry
one Iron crow 4 axes 5 hooks A dung fork and crows A [crole?] tub [words
smudged] one spade and two shovels 1.13.00
A [sieth?]some pitch [?] A paire of fetters 0.10.00
A cart and trumbrill wth ther wheels 5.10.00
two yoaks two chaines one plow and plow Irons for another plow 1.12.00
About eight bush of rye and 28 of Indian 5.00.00
About fourteen akers of Corne upon the ground of Indian and English 12.00.00
his wearing aparrell and his bible 4.00.00
debts dew to the estate 7.10.00
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457.03.06"