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First Generation

1. John1 Ramsdell was born in England 1602. John died 27 October 1688 in Topfield, Essex, MA, at 86 years of age.

He married Priscilla 1640 in Lynn, Essex, MA. Priscilla was born about 1604 in England. John was among the first settlers of Lynn, Massachusetts, arriving in Boston in the summer of 1632 with the Winthrop Fleet and going shortly to Lynn. He was an indentured servant of Captain Nathaniel Turner and was probably unmarried when he emigrated. On 30 April 1657, John Ramsdell "age 55" deposed at Salem Court that "twenty five years ago, when he was a servant of Captain Turner, his master and other inhabitants of Lynn, before it was a town, fenced in Nahant" (Records and files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County) John was a husbandman or farmer, owning property in the "Rumney Marsh" area of the part of Lynn that is now Saugus. As early as 1641, John was serving as a juror for both the General Court and on the Grand Jury. He was called as a witness in a number of cases. One of particular interest was the case against "Robert Burgis of Lin" for "bad and course grinding of both English and Indian corn". On 25 June 1650, John Ramsdell and Jenkin Davis were sworn as constables for Lynn.

From "John Ramsdell of Lynn, Massachusetts" by Roselyn Listernick E.S.O.G., page 27:

"There is no proof that Praesilla and Hanna Ramsdell were daughters of John Ramsdell of Lynn. However, their brother Isaac spent some time in Concord, Mass., where his first few children were born. The Praesilla and Hanna whose marriages were recorded in Concord were very likely Isaac's sisters who were mentioned, but unnamed, in the deed of gift cited above" [Essex Deeds, 5:295; the index gives page 63 in error - this document is on page 295, document #64]

There is no other known Ramsdell family in New England in the 1600's other than the Joseph Ramsdell (Ramsden) family of Plymouth, Mass. The descendants of Joseph are well documented and none were in or near Concord. I think that it is a fairly safe guess that Praesilla and Hanna Ramsdell were daughters of John Ramsdell of Lynn.

John Ramsdell and Priscilla had the following children:

child + 2 i. Priscillah2 Ramsdell was born about 1640.

child + 3 ii. Isaac Ramsdell was born 1641.

child + 4 iii. Hannah Ramsdell was born about 1642.

child + 5 iv. John Ramsdell was born 1647.

child + 6 v. Aquilla Ramsdell was born January 1652.

child 7 vi. Elizabeth Ramsdell was born in Lynn, Essex, MA about 1654. She married John Shaw 12 June 1674 in Malden, Worcester, MA. John was born about 1650 in MA. John was a tailor.

child 8 vii. Jonathan Ramsdell was born in Lynn, Essex, MA 31 March 1657. Jonathan died October 1658 in Lynn, Essex, MA, at 1 year of age.

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