John Heald ★took the oath of fidelity and was made a freeman on June 2, 1641 inMassachusetts PA23. Lemuel Shattuck believed that John Heald mayhave been from Berwick, England SH23. John Brooks Threlfall believedthat John Heald married Dorothy Royle on December 3, 1636 in Alderley,Cheshire, England TH46. He also cited a baptismal record for John,the son of John and Dorothy Heald, in Alderley, Cheshire, England on March 26,1637 TH46. John Heald and Unica Blackeburne married sometime in 1631in the “Parishe of Sandall Magna”, Yorkshire, England CH27. Randy A.West located three baptismal records at All Saints Church in Wakefield, WestYorkshire, England which would correspond to the three oldest known children ofJohn Heald of Concord (John, Timothy, and Hanah Heald) WE34. SandalMagna is about three miles south of Wakefield. Randy West noted that the age ofJohn Heald (the son of John Heald) in his deposition given in Concord,Massachusetts in 1681 would indicate that he was born about 1633 or 1634, andthis matched the baptismal record for John Heald, son of John Heald, in the AllSaints, Wakefield, Yorkshire registry WE34. He stated that anestimated age of about twenty at the time of Hanah Heald’s marriage to JohnSpalding in 1658 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts would make sense for the baptismof Anna Heald in 1639 in Wakefield, Yorkshire WE34. Additionally, hepointed out that the uncommon name of Eunice (“Unica”, which he transcribed as“Vnica”), the individual who married John Heald in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire,England in 1631, was also the name of daughters of both John Heald (theyounger) and Hanah (Heald) Spalding WE34. John Heald’s marriagerecord to “Vnica” (Eunice) Blackeburne did not include the month or day; itoccurred in 1631 in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England WE34. The deathof Eunice probably occurred sometime between 1639 and 1645, because by 1645,John was married to an individual named Dorothy. John and Dorothie Held werethe parents of Dorcas, Gershum, Dorithy, and Isarel Held MA26. Theywere also probably the parents of Isaac Heald TH46, WE34.
Dorcas Held, the daughter of John andDorothie (or Dorithy) Held, was born on May 22, 1645 and died on May 1, 1650 inConcord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26.
GershumHeld, the son of John and Dorithy Held, was born on March 23, 1647/8in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26. Gershom Heldmarried Ann Vinton on May 6, 1673 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26.Ann Vinton was the daughter of John and Ann Vinton who was baptized on April 4,1656 in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts TH46. Gershom and HannaHeld were the parents of Dority Held, who was born on March 9, 1673/4 inConcord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26. Gershom and Anna Heldwere the parents of John Held, born on March 24, 1675/6 in Concord, MiddlesexCounty, Massachusetts MA26. Gershom Held (or Heald) was the fatherof Dorcas Held, born on April 14, 1679, Ann Heald, born on January 5, 1681(probably 1681/2), and Gershom Heald, born on February 5, 1684 in Concord,Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26. Gersham and Anna Heale werethe parents of Ruth Heale, who was born in Stow, Middlesex County,Massachusetts on December 19, 1687 MA26. Gershom may have been thefather of Susannah Hale, who may have been born about 1693, and Samuel Hale,who may have been born about 1695; Susannah and Samuel Hale each marriedindividuals from West Haven, Connecticut JA12. Gershom and Ann Halewere the parents of Benjamin Hale, born on August 17, 1698 in Springfield,Hampshire County (now Hampden County), Massachusetts MA26. “An halethe wife of Gershom hale”, died on September 4, 1698 in Springfield, HampshireCounty (now Hampden County), Massachusetts MA26.
GershomHeald, Sr. granted three parcels of land in Springfield, Hampshire County,Massachusetts to his son-in-law, Nathaniel Bancroft, on March 15, 1722/3, whichwas acknowledged as his own deed before Luke Hitchco*ck, Justice of the Peace,by Gershom Heald on November 1, 1723 HA30. The acknowledgement ofthat deed on November 1, 1723 stated “Know yee yt Gershom Haile ofSpringfield, In the County of Hampshire… for & in Consideration of The full& Just Sum of Twenve Pounds Currant money of New England, to him in handPaid by Nathaniel Bancraft of the sd Springfield…” HA30.In each instrument, Gershom Heald/Haile made his mark HA30. Thisindicates that Gershom may have used each surname interchangeably. He could notwrite his name, but he had to have stated his name to Luke Hitchco*ck, wholikely wrote it as he heard it. Gershom Heald died sometime after November 1,1723 when this deed was acknowledged, perhaps in Springfield, Massachusetts WE34.A transcription of most of this deed follows HA30:
GershomHeald Sen:or of Springfield In the County of Hampshire in theProvince of The Massachusetts Bay In New England; In Consideration of that lovegoodwill & Paternal affection which I have and Do bear to NathanielBancroft my Son In law & Ruth Bancroft my daughter & his wife; haveGiven granted demised bequeathed & Confirmed… all My right title IntrestPropperty Possession… to three Parcells of land In Springfield aforesd:and scituate & lying in ye south side of Agawam River: vizt:one parcell Containes four acres More or less which is the homelott, with allthe houses orchards fences & all buildings thereon; and is bounded East bya high way; west by Doct.r Samuel Coopers land, North by land ofSamuel Coopper or high way, South by land of John Heald, ye otherParcell Containes Twenty acres, and lyes In the New field, and is boundedNortherly by land of deacon Barbers heirs, Southerly by land of SamuelBodurthas, Easterly the hill, west by land of John White; the third Parcel isall his meadow North by land of Nathaniel Bancrafts, Southerly by a high way ytsd Gershom Heald Gave Up for a high way, East by the Upland, west bythe Upland… In Witness hereof I have hereunto Set My hand & Seale thisfifteenth day of March: 1722/3
SignedSealed & delivered In Presence:
JosephColton
LambertonCooper
Natlldowning
DorithyHeld, the daughter of John and Dorithy Held, was born on October 16,1649 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26. John BrooksThrelfall stated that Dorathy Heald married Jonathan Prescott on August 3, 1670in Lancaster, Massachusetts and had three children. The second wife of JonathanPrescott was Elizabeth Hoare, then he married a widow named Rebecca (Wheeler)Bulkeley, and his fourth wife was Ruth Brown TH46. The marriagerecord dated “3. 6. 70” (May 6, 1670) in Lancaster, Middlesex County (nowWorcester County), Massachusetts stated “Jonath. Prescott & Dorathy hiswife, 3. 6. 70” NO19. The group of fourteen marriage records inwhich this record appeared did not include the surnames of any of the women NO19.Therefore, it is not possible to definitively state that Dorothy Heald marriedJonathan Prescott. The Lancaster records state that a child of Jonathan andDorathy Prescott was born and died on May 2, 1671 NO19. Also inLancaster, Jonathan, the son of Jonathan and Dorathy Prescott was born on April10, 1672 but died on May 4, 1672 NO19. Dorothy Prescott, the wife ofJonathan, died in 1674 at Lancaster, Middlesex County (now Worcester County),Massachusetts NO19.
IsaacHeald may have been born about 1657 and married by the year 1682 WE34.He married Elizabeth and had three children in Stow TH46. Isaac andElizabeth Heales (or Heale) were the parents of three children whose birthswere recorded in Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26. Thesewere Hannah Heales, born on October 27, 1682, Elizabeth Heales, born on March27, 1684, and Mary Heale, born on November 24, 1686 MA26. BothIsrael Heald and Isaac Heald were granted land in Stow, Middlesex County,Massachusetts; Isaac received his land on January 13, 1682 SH23. Henamed his wife, Elizabeth, eldest son, Joseph Heald, another son, JonathanHeald, and only daughter, Mary Snow, in his will AM1. Isaac Healddied on June 1, 1717 in Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts TH46.He wrote his will on June 1, 1717, which was proved on July 9, 1717 AM1:
Inthe name of God AMene : This first day of June 1717: I: Isaac Heeld ofthe Town of Stow in the county of Mid[dlesex] [a blotch has obscured the word“Middlesex”] in New England Hasban[d]man: beeing aged sick and weak in body:yet of good and right understanding and minde as God hath been pleased to give formerlyto me: and in order [the previous word is uncertain] to my death and departurethis life: I do make and ordain this my last will and Testament: That is to sayprinciply and first of all I do recommend my soul to God that gave it me: andmy body after death to be decently buried with Christian burial at thediscrescion of my Executors: and as for my worldly subestence [substance] whichGod hath given me: I demise and dispose of the same in manner and form asfoloweth viz: Imprimis I give and beequeath to Elizebeth my dearly beloved wifeall my personalle [the previous word may have stated “personable”] Estatetogether with all my housall [household] goods debtes and moveable Effectes forher Life time for her use and comfort the cattell only Excepted which is to befor her particuler sole and unacountable dispose: allso the use and dispose ofone third of all my lands massuages and Tenemants not yet disposed of: for herlifetime and after her death to return to my son Jonathan Heald and his heirsand asigns for, Ever Item I have given to my beloved and Eldist Son JosephHeald near [the previous word is uncertain] one half of my liveing in Stow withall rights belonging to sd half as may appear by a deed of gift under my handand seal which was for his portion and I do in this will give him Twentyshillings to be paid by my Executors after my death and the death of my wifeItem I give and bequeath to my only Daughter Mary Snow all my movabel Estat aftermy death and the death of my wife our leagell debts and funaral charges firstpaid and what is given to my wives dispose: to her and heirs for ever Item Igive and bequeath to my son Jonathan Heald his heres and assigns for Ever allmy lands massuages and tenements in Stow with all the rights and common agestwo third parts after my deseas and the other third part after my wives deseaseand my will and desire is that Jonathan and his mother if they out live andcarry on to gather as they shall se cause and can best agree and I do likwiseconstitut make and or dain my beloved wife Elizabeth Heald Executrix and my sonJonathan with his mother Executor of this my last will and Testement andratifying and confirming this to be my last will and Testement In witnes hereof I have put too my hand and seal the day and year above writen
IsaacHeald
Signedsealed published pronounced and declared by the said Isaac Heald as his Lastwill and testement in presence of us the subscribers
Thomswhitney
JonathanFoster
JohnEveleth
IsarelHeld, the son of John and Dority Held, was born on July 30, 1660 inConcord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26. Both Israel Heald andIsaac Heald were granted land in Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; Israelreceived his land on March 13, 1682 SH23. He married Martha Wrightsometime before 1686 TH46, WE34. Martha Wright, the daughter ofEdward and Elizabeth (Mellowes) (Barrett) Wright, was born on June 18, 1659 inConcord TH46. Israel and Martha Heale were the parents of twochildren whose births occurred in Stow, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26.These were Oliver Heale, born on September 8, 1686, and Israel Heale, born onDecember 2, 1687 MA26. Israel and Marthah Heald were also theparents of Mary Heald, who was born on April 27, 1698 in Concord, MiddlesexCounty, Massachusetts MA26. Additionally, his will appears to statethat he had a younger son named Benjamin AM1. He was said to havebeen injured during an expedition to Canada in 1690 TH46. IsraelHaeld wrote his will on September 7, 1738 AM1:
In yeName of God amen this seventh Day of September Anno Domini one Thousand sevenHundred and thirty and Eight I Israel Haeld of Stow In the County of Midd.xIn ye Province of ye Massachusets Bay In New EnglandBlacksmith being to my own apprehension Very Near My End Do make this to be myLast will and Testament first of all I Give my soul to God trusting in him formercy and My Body to ye Earth to be buried In Christian Burial at yeExpese [the previous word has been abbreviated and may state “expense”] of myyoungest son Benj. Haled according to ye Contract mad[e] with himallready Having Disposed of ye Most of My Estate In my life to mySeveral Children who have been Ever Dutifull to me beside the provision I havemade for my Dear Wife Martha I Give her all my Chattils and Movable Estatebeing ye Most of it hers by Heirship [the previous word isuncertain]
2. Igive to My Eldest Son Oliver Haeld all my Land Lying on yesouthwardly side of Esubott [Assabet] River in sd Stow to him hisHeirs and assigns he paying the sum of ten pounds Six Shills of credit oldTenour to my Grandson Joseph Davis Sen [possibly “son”] My Daughter Dorothy
3. IGive to my sd Grandson Joseph Davis ten pounds Bills of credit oldtener to paid within a year after my Deceas by my sd son oliverHaeld whom I appoint[t] the sole Exer. Of this my Last will and Testament. andRevoking all other as for my other children I hop[e] and advise them to becontent with what I have Given ym [them] In ye day, of myHealth and Revoking all other Wills by me at any time mad[e] I appoint this andno Other to be My Last Will and Testament Signed Sealed pronounced and Declaredby him the sd Israel Haeld to be his Last Will and Testament Inp[re]sence of us ye subscribers
JohnGardner
SamuelHayward
MaryWhitney
Israel Heald, the husband ofMartha, died at about age seventy-eight on September 8, 1738 in Stow, MiddlesexCounty, Massachusetts MA26. Martha Heald, the widow of Israel, diedat about age eighty-seven on June 14, 1746 in Stow, Middlesex County,Massachusetts MA26.
Itseems that not only did John Heald write his will on April 19, 1662, but heliterally wrote it, as opposed to dictating it to a solicitor or lawyer AM1.He signed his own name to this document, which has been transcribed below AM1:
IJohn Heald of Concord in the County of Middlesex in Massachusets Collony beingsick in body butt of perfect mind and memory doe make this my Last will andTestament in man[n]er and forme following; first I Comitt my soule into thehands of the Lord my gracious God in Jesus Christ resting upon his free gracethat hee will receave it to his mercy; and my bodye to the Earth to beedecently buryed therein; beleeving the resurection there of at the Last day andhopeing that both soule and body shall bee gloryfied to gather with my blessedredemer for ever; Also for the outward estate which God hath given mee; my threeldest children that is to say John my eldest son and Timothy and my daughterHanah having receaved their portions of my estate; I doe herby give andbequeath to my five yonger Children: to each of them the sume of thirten poundssix shillings and eight pence to be payed unto the said children by my lovingwife Dorothe or hir assignes when the foresaid children shall come to the ageof twenty and one years or at their mariage; and the rest of my estate be itmore or lesse I doe herby give it to my said wife to dispose of it as she shallthink good, Exepting one shute of cloaths which I give to my eldest son Johnand my great Coat to my son Timothey; and a wastcoat to my daughter Hanah; AlsoI doe hereby appoynt and Constitute my said beloved wife Dorothy the soleExecutrix of this my last will and Testament In wittnes wher of I doe herto setmy hand and seale this nintenth day of aprill on thousand six hundred sixty andtwo
JohnHeald
Wittnesseshere of
JohnFlint
EphraimFlynt
ThomasBrown
John Held, the husband ofDority, died on May 24, 1662 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26.His will was proved under oath before Simon Willard by Ephraim Flint and ThomasBrown on June 16, 1662, and it was recorded at court in Cambridge on June 18,1662 AM1. The inventory of his estate was conducted on May 31, 1662by Robert Meriam, Thomas Brooke, and “Georg” Wheeler AM1:
31 ·of may · 1662 ·
Aprisall of the goods and Estat of John helld sen. lat desesed, by us hose namesar are under writen. as foloweth;
inhousing. upland & medow and archerd [orchard] with the Crape [crop] uponthe ground… 3 Cowes, 2 · two yearolds & two yearlings… in 3 · swine with 3peiges… in Inden · Corne 16 · bushells… 1 · bushell of peese… in beeding[bedding]… two sheetes & · 2 · bedhelings… · 1 · peece of liney wolcy:[probably linsey-woolsey] & wolan yearne; [woolen yarn] & tow yearne…in shipes wole [sheeps wool], & 3 bages & on bage of flaxce tiare… onbushill of salte, & two tines & on faa… on muskit. & soord: [onemusket and sword] & 3 · bushells of rie mele [rye meal] a cradell [cradle]& bedstill… in linnan. [linen] & wearing apparill hose & shoose& hat… 4 · Coushings [cushions] · 1· Iron pot · 3· skilits 1 · warmingpan · 2 · kettelles… 1 · paier of tongs · & · 1 · paier of bellowes · 3 ·old ecces [perhaps “axes”] · 3 wedges… in peauter & tinne, & Cooppryweare [pewter & tin & copper ware], & books… in Chaiers stooles · 1Cheesepres & wolan Coards · 1 · lanthorne… in linsiwoley [this line hasbeen rubbed away by a crease in the document and the next word is too faded toread]... 1 · Iron crow [this word is unclear] & on spad [spade]… and indebts to be paied out of this [one pound] so the hole estate is on hundred andforty pounds and on shilling
Dorothy was probably the ““WidowHeald” who owned 161 acres of land which were distributed across six differentparcels south of the land owned by John Heald in the north quarter of Concord,Middlesex County SH23 on December 26, 1666 CO43. Thedescription of these parcels referred to John Heald as her son; a transcriptionfollows CO43:
26:10: 1666
WidowHeald Imp[rimis] Her house lot seven acres bounded upon the west and north bythe highway; upon the east by John Flint; upon the south by the river andWilliam Butrick his medow as also upon sour [the word may have meant to state“some”] part of the west by the said William Butri[ck]s
It[em]twelve acres of first devision and two acres of second devision. bounded uponthe southwest by William Hunt, and all other sides by that tract of land caledthe twenty score
It[em]foure acres of medow part of which is within the land caled the twenty scoreand bounded upon the south by John Flint; the residue of the foure acres isneare Chelmsford path and within her own second devision land
It[em]one hundred acres bounded upon the west by William Hunt; upon the south yHumphrey Bannat; upon the north by James Bllood, upon the east by James Bloodand undevided Land; of which hundred acres her son John Heald is to have
It[em]thirty three acres and a halfe [the bounds were not provided]
It[em]five acres of medow in the great medow bounded upon the west by John Flint uponthe north by Humphrey Bannat upon the south by upland upon the east [theremainder of this line, at the bottom of the page, was too faded to read]
Eunice Blackeburne wasprobably the mother of John, Timothy, and Hanah (or Anna) Heald WE34.
JohnHeald was baptized on January 18, 1633 at All Saints Church inWakefield, West Yorkshire, England (“Johanes filius John Heald baptizat xviijJanuarii”) WE27.
TymotheyHeald was baptized on April 9, 1636 at All Saints Church inWakefield, West Yorkshire, England (“Tymothey filius Johnis Healde baptizat ixdie”) WE27. Timothy Heald was called the son (it is impliedthat he was the second son) of John Heald in his will, written on April 29,1662 AM1. John Brooks Threlfall stated that Timothy married SarahBarber, the daughter of Thomas and Jane Barber who was baptized on July 19,1646 TH46. They settled in Windsor, Connecticut, and then inSuffield, Connecticut and were the parents of five sons and three daughters TH46.Timothy “Halle” and Sara Barber were married by Mr. Alyen in Windsor,Connecticut on November 26, 1663 WE32. Timothy Hall was the fatherof Sara, born on August 9, 1665 in Windsor, Connecticut WE32. ThisTimothy Halle/Hall may or may not have been Timothy Heald, the son of JohnHeald JA12. He could have been the son of Thomas Hale of Hartford,Norwalk, and Charlestown, or he could have been Timothy, the son of John Heald JA12.In addition to Sarah, the other children of Timothy and Sarah (Barber) Hale ofWindsor and Suffield were Timothy, born on December 12, 1667, John, born onAugust 24, 1670, Thomas, born on August 26, 1672, Samuel, born on January 3,1673/4, an unidentified daughter who was born on November 28, 1675 but diedsoon after, Josiah, born on September 22, 1678, and Hannah, born on September14, 1680 JA12. This Timothy Halle/Hall/Hale died on July 26, 1689 inSuffield, Connecticut TH46. To reiterate, the parentage of TimothyHalle/Hall/Hale of Windsor and Suffield, Connecticut is unknown and the eventsof the life of Timothy Heald after his mention in the will of John Heald inApril 1662 are uncertain.
Anna Heald was baptized on May 18,1639 at All Saints Church in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England WE27.Hanah was called the daughter (it is implied that she was the eldest daughter)of John Heald in his April 1662 will, but her surname was not mentioned AM1.Hannah married John Spalding TH46, WE34. Hannah “Halle” married John“Spalden” on May 18, 1658, according to the records of Chelmsford, MiddlesexCounty, Massachusetts VI21. John Spalding was the son of Edward andMargaret (Elliott) Spalding who was baptized on April 13, 1633 in Dickleburgh,Norfolk, England WE34. John Brooks Threfall stated that Hanah andJohn were the parents of eight children TH46. Hanah (or Hanna) andJohn Spalden (or Spalding, Spaldyng, or Spaulding) were the parents of sevenchildren whose births were recorded in Chelmsford, Middlesex County,Massachusetts VI21. These were John Spalding, born on February 15,1659 (probably 1659/60), Unis Spalden, born on July 27, 1661, Edward Spalden,born on September 16, 1663, Hanah Spalden, born on April 28, 1666, SamuellSpaldyng, born on March 6, 1668 (probably 1668/9), Deborah Spalding, born onNovember 12, 1670, and Joseph Spaulding, born on October 22, 1673 VI21.Hanah Spaulding, the wife of John, died on August 14, 1689 in Chelmsford,Middlesex County, Massachusetts VI21. Her widower may have been theJohn Spauldyng who married Mary Fletcher, a widow, on November 18, 1700 inChelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts VI21.
Eunicelikely died sometime before 1645, when John and Dorothie Held were named as theparents of Dorcas Held in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts MA26.
