John Bourne immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
Parentage; Date and Place of Birth
John Bourne was the son of Thomas Bourne and Elizabeth (Unknown) Bourne. As discussed in his father's profile, the origin of the family has not been determined and, as a result, no birth or baptismal record has been definitively associated with him. His parentage is established by several records that show him as the son of Thomas Bourne, including (i) the record of a Plymouth Colony grant in 1637 to John Burne, on behalf of his father, Mr. Thomas Burne[1] and (ii) Thomas Bourne's will in which he declares his son John Bourne as his heir and sole executor.[2][3]
The fact that John received a grant of land on behalf of his father in 1637 could be read to suggest that he was already 21 at that time and thus born in or before 1616. However, he would not have needed to have been 21 to receive a grant of land on behalf of his father. [4] In addition, the fact that he was not propounded to become a freeman until 1642,[1] did not get married until 1645, and seems to have had little involvement with civil affairs until 1651,[1] all suggest that he may have been born somewhat later and perhaps as late as 1621. Therefore, a reasonable estimated range for John's date of birth would be sometime in 1615-1621, with 1618 as a midpoint.
Per the discussion in the profile for John's father, the theory that the family originated in Kent was based on a misreading of his father's will. and their place of origin is unknown, although presumably in England.
Immigration
As discussed in his father's profile, John's father probably immigrated to the Plymouth Colony with his family sometime in 1636-1637. The first record of either John or his father in the Plymouth Colony is in January 1636/7.[1]
Marriage
John married Alice Besbeech on 18 July 1645 at Marshfield.[5][6][7]
Children
John and Alice had the following children, all born in Marshfield:
John was propounded as a freeman in 1642 and is included on a list of freeman of Marshfield in 1643 (although oddly, there is also a record of him being propounded as a freeman again in 1646 and being admitted as a freeman until 1651).[1] John became prominent in Marshfield affairs after his father's death in 1664 and served as selectman at least 11 times and as constable at least once during 1666-1684.[1] In his later years, he was sometimes referred to in the records by the honorific "Mr.", indicating that he held a relatively high status in the colony.[1]
Will; Death; Estate
John Bourne was buried on December 8, 1684 and therefore probably either died on that date or a day or two before.[15][16] Plymouth Colony court records show that John made a will in which he left the greatest part of his goods and chattels to his wife and made her sole executrix,[17] but no copy of the will has been found in any on-line source.
After the death of John's wife, Alice, in 1686,[18] administration of the remainder of John's goods and chattels was granted to his son Thomas, with bonds from Joseph Waterman and John Rowse.[19] The inventory of the remainder of John's goods and chattels was taken on May 12, 1686 by Anthony Snow, Nathaniel Thomas and Nathaniel Winston and sworn to in court by Thomas Bourn on September 21, 1686. The inventory totalled £112:12:8 and included £40 for 6 oxen, 10 cows, 1 bull and 2 calves and £5 for the remainder of time of an Indian servant. On the same day, the probate court ordered that John's remaining goods and chattels be equally divided up among the orphans of daughter Elizabeth and among John's other daughters (not named), giving account to what they had previously received.[20][21]
Chronology of Records
1637. Seven acres apiece granted to Josiah Winslow, Richard Bourne, and to John Burne, on behalf of his father, Mr. Thomas Burne, & to James Coale for their dwelling houses on January 2, 1636/7.[22]
1642. Mr William Hanbury, Thomas Southwood, John Burne, Robert Waterman, and Mathew Fuller propounded on September 7, 1642 to be freeman the next Court. James Mathews, John Tisdall.[23]
1643. John Bourne listed among the freemen of Marshfield[24]
1646. William Brett, George Partrich, John Vobes, John Washborne, Robert Carver, John Bourne, John Allen propounded on March 3, 1645/6 to take up their freedom the next Court[25]
1651. Richard Bowin, Edward Sturgis, Robert Vixon, Mr. Josia Winslow, William Paybody, John Churchill, William WIlls, John Smith, Roger Goodspeed, Anthony Snow, John Burne, WIlliam Hedgis, Mr. Thomas Gilbert and Peter Hunger sworne and admitted as freemen of the Plymouth Colony at the General Court of Election held at New Plymouth on June 5, 1651.[26]
1652. John Bourne among the members of the jury that determined on December 14, 1652 that John Barker and John Browing "came by their death by casualty of the day, and by noe otherway."[27]
1655. John Bourne among the members of the jury that determined on January 31, 1654/5 that John Walker, servant to Robert Latham, died from the cruelty and hard usage of his master.[28]
1658. John Bourne listed among the freemen of Marshfield[29]
1664. John Bourne nominated on June 8, 1664 to take up the excise in the township of Marshfield and also to take notice of what liquors are brought into the Plymouth Colony[30]
1665. John Bourne appointed on June 7, 1665 as a member of the Grand Enquest for the Plymouth Colony[31]
1665. Major Winslow, Anthony Snow, John Bourne and William Paybody appointed on August 1, 1665 to rectify a difference between Moses Simons and Samuel Chandler in referenced to the bounds of their lands in Duxbury[32]
1666. Lieut. Perigrine White, Ensign Mark Eames, Anthony Snow, John Bourne and William Foard, Sr appointed on February 6, 1665/6 to be the selectmen of the town of Marshfield.[33]
1666. Major Winslow, Anthony Snow, John Bourne and William Paybody agreed on March 28, 1666 as to the boundaries of the property in Duxbury of the lands of Edmond Chandler and Moses Simons[34]
1666. John Bourne ordered on May 1, 1666 to pay Marshall Nash ten shillings owed him as his salary[35]
1666. John Bourne selected as a deputy representing the various townships at the General Court of Election held at Plymouth on June 5, 1666[36]
1666. Lieutenant White, Ensign Eames, Anthony Snow, John Bourne and William Foard, Sr. approved as Select Men for the town of Marshfield on June 5, 1666.[37]
1667. John Bourne selected as a deputy representing the various townships at the General Court of Election held at Plymouth on June 5, 1667[38]
1667. Account given by the Plymouth Colony Treasurer to Cornett Robert Studson, Mr. Joseph Laythorp, Mr James Walker, Mr John Bourne & Richard Bourne[39]
1667. Ensign Eames, Anthony Snow and John Bourne appointed as Select Men for the town of Marshfield on June 6, 1667.[40]
1670. John Bourne included in list of 29 freeman of the town of Marshfield as of May 29, 1670[41]
1670. Ensign Eames, William Foard, Sr. and John Bourne named as Select Men for the town of Marshfield on June 7, 1670[42]
1670. Elisha Besbey and John Bourne appointed to take the minister's rate for Marshfield[43]
1670. Mr. Bourne, Mr. Huckens and Mr. Walker appointed by the Court to take the Treasurers account for the Plymouth Colony[43]
1671. Anthony Snow, John Bourne and Mr. Steven Paine Sr. named as Select Men for the town of Marshfield on June 5, 1671[44]
1672. Ensign Eames, John Bourne and Lieut. White named as Select Men for the town of Marshfield on June 5, 1672[45]
1674. Mr. John Bourne, William Foard, Sr and Mr. Nathaniel Thomas named as Select Men for the town of Marshfield on June 1, 1675[46]
1676. John Bourne and Samuel Sherman named as Constables for Marshfield on June 7, 1676[47]
1677. John Foster and John Bourne named as the Surveyors of the Highways for Marshfield on June 5, 1677[48]
1677. John Bourne among the jurors appointed to determine the cause of death of the child of Anne Batson[49]
1679. Anthony Snow, Ensign Mark Eames and John Bourne named as Select Men for Marshfield on June 3, 1679[50]
1680. Anthony Snow, Ensign Mark Eames and John Bourne named as Select Men for Marshfield on June 1, 1680[51]
1681. Thomas Bourne was a member of the jury that found Thomas Saddeler guilty on October 28, 1681 of buggery with a mare[52]
1682. Capt Thomas, Anthony Snow and John Bourne named as Select Men for Marshfield on June 6, 1682[53]
1682. John Bourne of Marshfield appointed on July 7, 1682 as a magistrate with the authority to grant warrants, give subpoenas, administer oaths to testimonies and solemnize marriages[54]
1683. John Bourne among those listed on June 6, 1683 as select men for towns in the Plymouth Colony[55]
1684. John Bourne among those listed on June 3, 1684 as select men for the several towns in the Plymouth Colony[56]
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This person immigrated to New England between 1621-1640 as a Minor Child (under age 21 at time of immigration) of a Puritan Great Migration immigrant who is profiled in Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration Directory (or is otherwise accepted by the Puritan Great Migration (PGM) Project).
Please feel free to improve the profile(s) by providing additional information and reliable sources. PGM encourages the Profile Managers to monitor these profiles for changes; if any problems arise, please contact the PGM Project via G2G for assistance. Please note that PGM continues to manage the parent's profile, but is happy to assist on the children when needed.
Are there any reliable sources that show that John and Alice's daughter, Sarah, is the Sarah who married Mordecai Ellis? Of all the sources I have seen, none show Mordecai's wife's last name as Bourne. The only place I have seen it is in the quite unreliable U.S. and International Marriage Records".
Everything I have seen on Sarah Bourne, daughter of John, shows no further information but her birth date in Marshfield. She was not named in John or Alice Bourne's estate documents either.
PS -- The two families of Richard Bourne and of Thomas Bourne are distinct, and though some children share the same name, their spouse's names are different, making it possible to distinguish which child is in which family by their spouse and siblings.
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Please feel free to improve the profile(s) by providing additional information and reliable sources. PGM encourages the Profile Managers to monitor these profiles for changes; if any problems arise, please contact the PGM Project via G2G for assistance. Please note that PGM continues to manage the parent's profile, but is happy to assist on the children when needed.
Everything I have seen on Sarah Bourne, daughter of John, shows no further information but her birth date in Marshfield. She was not named in John or Alice Bourne's estate documents either.
It is the John the son of Thomas Bourne who married Alice Besbeech (many alternate spellings).
Could we please discuss detaching John Bourne from Richard and Judith, and then merging him into John Bourne?
Thank you, April Dauenhauer
PS -- The two families of Richard Bourne and of Thomas Bourne are distinct, and though some children share the same name, their spouse's names are different, making it possible to distinguish which child is in which family by their spouse and siblings.