James Pemberton (abt. 1608 - 1662)

Born about 1608 in England

Husband of Margaret (Unknown) Pemberton — married before 1651 in Malden, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 5 Feb 1662 at about age 54 in Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

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James Pemberton migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 3, p. 1419) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

James was born in England by the year 1608, he could have been born much earlier, we just don't know. The estimated birth year is based on his marriage by 1633. He would have been at a minimum 21 years old by then.

James came to Massachusetts with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He applied for Freemanship in the fall of that year. He disappears from the records until 1633 when he appears in Charlestown with his wife Alice. She is obviously a good puritan woman who was made a full member of the church. James was not, there is no record of him taking the Freeman's Oath or becoming a full church member.

He was admitted as an inhabitant of Charlestown in Dec. 1633. He had a grant of two acres of planting ground in Charlestown on 10 Jan. 1634/5 and a hay ground allotment of one in 1635 which was then increased to two. On 10 Feb. 1634/5 he signed the agreement that established the office of selectman.^[1] In 1637 he had 2 ½ cow commons and five acres of land on the Mystic side. ^[2] By the following year he owned eight parcels of land including half a rood of ground, two acres of arable land in the East Field, two acres of arable land in the Line Field, two and a half cow commons, five acres of woodland in the Mystic Field, one acre of meadow in the Mystic Field, five acres of woodland in the Mystic Field and thirty-two acres of land in the Water Field.^[3]

It appears that James and his family moved to Hull for a short period of time as on 12 Mar 1637/8 “James Pemberton is referred to the committee of the next Court about the ground which he had at Nantascot” and on 2 May 1638 “There is ten acres of land granted to James Pemberton, part of it the land formerly planted by him, & the rest joining to it at Nantascot”.^[4]

James, along with Prudence Wilkinson and others, in 1640 petitioned that having been inhabitants of Charlestown and now were planters on the Mystic side, were of the opinion that the town meeting had passed rules prejudicial and unreasonable to the detriment of the planters and they were looking for redress from the court. ^[5]

On 12 May 1648 James sold one stinted cow common to Robert Hale of Charlestown.^[6]

On 19 Oct. 1652 the court ruled that the island claimed by James and called by his name, didn’t belong to him… oops.^[7]

James and Alice had four children, three of whom, outlived him. Alice died before October 1651, when James is known to have had a new wife, Margaret.

In the Middlesex County Court on 9 Jan. 1653/4 “whereas James Pemberton wyth Marget his wife, Edward Barton ye son-in-law on the one part and Richard Exter with Bridget his wife and daur Elizabeth on the other part have agreed that wee Capt Robert Keane Tho Marshall, Will Serjeant and Joseph Hills shall determine case of Dispute” ^[8]

James died in 1662, leaving a very modest estate. ^[9]

"I James Pemberton of Maldon… doe make this my Last Will and Testament…

I give unto my Son Edward Barlow all that my upland ground he now is resident upon; Containing fower Acres more or less; and to my daughter Mary his wife…

Allso I give unto my Son Edward Barlow his wife my daughter and their children as aforesaid my Orchard Lott and the fresh meadow thereunto Adjoyning Containing Once Acre more or less… reseaving onely one half part of the grass for hay for my wife during her Life.

Item I give unto my daughter Sara Ten pounds to be payd within Twelve months After my decease.

Item my dwelling house with all the land belonging to it being ten Acres more or less; five Acres of Land in the great Swamp. All my Salt marsh lying betwixt William Dandeys and Richard Dexter’s Marsh; with all other my estate whatsoever not before particularly disposed of I give one half part unto my son John… the other half part I give unto my Beloved wife Margit pemberton during her life; and after her decease to my son John… And I make my wife and my son John Executors of this my Last Will and Testament. And I desire my friend Joseph Hills senior to be Overseer… the 23 of the first Month 1659/60…
Signam
James X pemberton
In presence of
Thomas Skinner
Joseph Hills Ser

The Inventorie of the lands and goods of James pemberton who deceased the 5th of ye 12: 1661

Inprimis one dwelling house.........................12-00-00
Item 10 Ackers of upland & 5 of Swamp .....30-00-00
Item one cow and calfe..................................05-10-00
Item 3 young swine..........................................01-16-00
Item one flock bed and bedding and yarne for
blankits..............................................................03-00-00
Item one chest and a box...............................00-10-00
Item one brass cettle & Iron pott with pott
hangers & [ ]...................................................00-12-00
Item 3 cines.......................................................00-03-00
Item 2 palls a barrill trayse and other lumber.00-03-00
Item 2 wheeles and cands..............................00-10-00
Item one frying pann.......................................00-02-00
Item one spade mortasing axe and other
tooles.................................................................00-06-00
Item 4 Ackers of upland more and one Acke of
orchard & meddoe...........................................18-00-00
Item 4 Ackers of meddoe more......................12-00-00
sum totall..........................................................84-12-00
Prized by us
William Brakenbury"^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Charlestown Town Records- pp. 9, 10, 12, 19, 20
2. ↑ Charlestown Town Records- pp. 27, 36, 42
3. ↑ Charlestown Book of Possessions- p. 14
4. ↑ Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England , 1628–1686- Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Ed., Boston, 1853- Vol. I, pp. 226, 229
5. ↑ Note-book Kept by Thomas Lechford, Esq., Lawyer, in Boston, Massachusetts Bay, from June 27, 1638, to July 29, 1641- Edward Everett Hale, Jr., Ed., Cambridge, 1885- p. 365
6. ↑ Charlestown Book of Possessions- p. 104
7. ↑ Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England , 1628–1686- Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Ed., Boston, 1853- Vol. III, p. 291
8. ↑ Middlesex County Court Records- Vol. I, p. 28, database at NEHGS
9. ↑ http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2015/11/james-pemberton-1608-1662-england-to.html
10. ↑ Middlesex County Registry of Probate- Docket No. 17117

• http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2015/11/james-pemberton-1608-1662-england-to.html
• Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to N. E. 1620-1633, Vols. 1-3, (Boston: The New England Historic and Genealogical Society, 1995) p. 1419-1420. American Ancestors (subscription).