Cornelius Fisher (bef. 1629 - 1700)

Born before 16 Aug 1629 in Denton, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Leah (Heaton) Fisher — married 23 Feb 1653 in Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Sarah (Everard) Fisher — married 25 Jul 1665 in Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 2 Jan 1700 after age 70 in Wrentham, Suffolk, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Richard Draper [send private message] and Dean Walker [send private message]

Biography

Cornelius Fisher immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Cornelius was baptized on 16 August 1629 in Denton, Norfolk, England. He was the son of Anthony Fisher and Mary Buckingham. He passed away on 2 January 1699/1700.^[1]

Although his name has not been found in any immigration records, he arrived in Dedham in 1637 in company with his parents and siblings. He lived in the part of Dedham which became Wrentham (previously Wollonopaug) in 1673. Cornelius was a carpenter by trade and joined the Dedham church on 6 February 1648. He took the oath of Freeman on 2 May 1649 and was a representative to the General Court under the new charter in 1692; Constable in Dedham in 1668 and Poundmaster in 1672.^[1][2]

Wollonopaug was settled by families from Dedham and Cornelius was one of the 13 proprietors who signed the agreement 27 February 1662/3. It became the town of Wrentham in 1673. On 30 March 1675 the inhabitants left Wrentham "on account of the Indian war." Cornelius was one of those who agreed to go back and rebuild after the troubles.^[2]

Cornelius married Leah Heaton on 23 February 1652/3 in Dedham.^[3][4][5] He married second Sarah Everett on July 25, 1665 in Dedham. "1665 Cornelius Fisher & Sarah Eueritt was married 25 of July, 1665." ^[6][4]

On 18 July 1665, Cornelius (representing his wife Leah Heaton) along with the widow other heirs, was signatory to a deed selling property of Nathaniel Heaton in Boston after his death to Thomas Blygh. On 2 February 1665/6, he and the other heirs sold another parcel of land in Boston to Jno. Gilbert.^[7]

Death

Cornelius died at Wrentham on 2 Jan 1699/1700.^[8] His will specified that his homestead be left to eldest son, Cornelius; son Eleazer to receive one half of the meadow at Pine Plaine, and son-in-law, Benjamin Hall (husband of daughter Sarah), to receive meadow land at Stoney Brooke. The rest is left to Eleazer and his four daughters. The inventory of his estate was valued at £242 19. 8.; the homestead at £105; other land at £68.^[2] Four daughters still living and referred to in the will: Leah, Experience, Ann, and Sarah.

Children

Children of Cornelius and Leah:^[2]

1. Elizabeth Fisher, born 20 June 1654, died 14 September 1665
2. Leah Fisher, born 5 May 1656, died 10 September 1720
3. Experience Fisher, born 10 January 1657/8, died after 1699
4. Cornelius Fisher, born 8 February 1659/60, died 6 January 1743
5. Ann Fisher, born 22 August 1661
6. Eleazer Fisher, born 8 July 1663

Children of Cornelius and Sarah:^[2]

1. Dorothy Fisher, born 17 April 1667, died 10 April 1668
2. Sarah Fisher, born 1668, died 2 November 1756 (or 1751)
3. Jonathan Fisher, born 26 October 1671, died 9 November 1675

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Hurd, D. Hamilton, comp. History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884. p 35. Ancestry.com
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Fisher, Philip A. The Fisher genealogy: record of the descendants of Joshua, Anthony, and Cornelius Fisher, of Dedham, Mass., 1630-1640. Everett, Mass. pp 21-22 Ancestry.com.
3. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Torrey, Clarence Almon, New England Marriages Prior to 1700; Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1985, Seventh printing, 2004, p 267
5. ↑ Marriage date: 22 December 1652 Marriage place: Dedham, Mass. Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriages Before 1699. Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA: Biblio Co., 1926. Ancestry.com.
6. ↑ Vital Records of Dedham Massachusetts., p. 9.
7. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635; Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. pp 303,304
8. ↑ New England Historical & Genealogical Register. Vol. 3. Boston: Samuel G. Drake, Publisher, 1849; p 32

• Hill, Don Gleason. The Record of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, and intentions of marriage, in the town of Dedham. Vol. I. Dedham, Mass., Dedham Transcript Press, 1886. Digital book: The Early Records of the Town of Dedham. www.archive.org. Pages 6-12. Accessed 16 Aug 2016.
• Hyde, Myrtle Stevens & Plummer, John. The English Ancestry of New England Settlers Joshua and Anthony Fisher, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1997) Vol. 151, Page 183.
• Messinger, G. W., Deaths in Wrentham, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1849) Vol. 3, Page 32.

• "Cornelius Fisher died Jan 2 1699 being the first head of a family who died in the town in a natural way for 30 years"