William Moody II (abt. 1611 - 1673)

Born about 16 Jan 1611 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Pierce) Moody — married about 1636 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 25 Oct 1673 at about age 62 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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William Moody II migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 5, p. 135) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

He emigrated from Southampton, England in the ship 'Mary and John' 10 April 1634. William, Sarah, and their two preschool sons, Samuel and Joshua, sailed out of Southampton, England in the ship "Mary and John" on 4/10/1634. There were at least 14 families whom they knew from England who sailed on the same ship with them. That first winter they spent in Ipswich, Mass. while they looked around and applied to the court for grants of land to found a new town of Newbury, Mass. 1.1 On 5 Jan. 1634/5 he was one of seven people granted “to each of them 4 acres of meadow and marsh ground” in Ipswich.^[1]

He, along with 100 others, moved to Newbury in 1635 where he took the freeman's oath 6 May 1635 and received a grant of 92 acres of land.^[2] William was, by family tradition, a blacksmith and was the first person in New England to shoe oxen to enable them to walk on ice.^[3]

On 24 Feb. 1637 it was agreed that "William Moody, James Browne, Nic. Holt, Francis Plummer, Na Noyse, shall lay out all the general fences in the towne, that are to be made, as likewise tenn rod between man & man for garden plotts this is to be done by the 5th of March on the penalty of 5s apiece." ^[4]

At the town meeting 27 Apr. 1648 William Moody and John Bartlett were chosen way wardens.^[5] He was on the grand jury in 1650, 1656, 1663 and 1668.^[6]

On 1 Mar. 1651 a committee was chosen to settle all claims arising from the sale or purchase of freehold rights. The committee reported that: "These persons heer under mentioned are acknowledged to be ffreeholders and to have an interest in all comons belonging to the Towne as having lawfully purchased theyr priviledges from such as had the priviledges estated on them by the Towne... William Moody hath John Gofts" ^[7]

Richard Kenty sued William for “cutting down his wood and timber on the ten acres of land granted to him by the town” on 28 Sept. 1652, however, the suit was withdrawn on 28 Mar. 1654.^[8]

On 18 Oct. 1654 William was licensed to sell liquor to the Indians.^[9] Also in 1654 William signed the petition in favor of Lt. Robert Pike but was one of 13 people who “acknowledged that they were sorry” to have done so. ^[10]

William was one of 41 men who signed “the act suspending Mr. Parker” as minister in Newbury on 16 Mar. 1670/1. ^[11]

"I William Moody of the Town of Newbury… do… give… to my beloved son Caleb Moody of Newbury… all the lands bought of John Pemerton with the freehold, and all other the privideges… belonging… with the division of dividend lands & the division of meadow on the neck laid out to that freehold, also ten acres of marsh near the sandy beach bought of Wm Tittcombe and four acres of land bought of Robert Rogers as appears by a bill of sale, and the Malthouse built thereupon, with all other housing thereunto belonging, as also that land, bought of Tristram Coffin Senior near Salsberry ferry being forty acres specified in a bill of sale from said Coffin, together with the dividend land laid out to the freehold of me the said Wm Moody, all which premises are already in the possession of the said Caleb Moody”, dated 3 June 1673. ^[12]

"I William Moody of the town of Newbury… do… give… to my beloved son Samuell Moody of Newbury… all my land both upland & meadow ground, together with all the… privileges thereunto belonging, also I give unto my said son Samuell my house with my bed and all the furnitugre in the said house, together with three cows & my horse beast and all my sheep all which premises are already in the ppossession of the said Samuell Moody, furthermore I give and bequeath unto my said son Samuell all that is due to me from Thomas Macye of the Island of Nantuckett”, dated 8 Sept. 1673.^[13]

Research Notes

His wife was Sarah ____ according to Anderson.^[14] I have found no records of his marriage to either Sarah Dudah or Sarah Pierce.

Whether his son Samuel was with him on the Mary and John or was born in Massachusetts is questionable. Anderson says that Samuel was born about 1635, which would mean that he was born in Massachusetts. The passenger list of the Mary and John does not list Samuel, only Joshua.^[15] Chadwick-1021 19:29, 25 July 2016 (EDT)

Sources

1. ↑ Ipswich Town Records
2. ↑ A Sketch of the History of Newbury, Neburyport and West Newbury- Joshua Coffin, Samuel Drake, Boston, 1845- p.287
3. ↑ Biographical Sketches of the Moody Family- Charles C.P. Moody, Samuel Drake, Boston, 1847- pp.8-10
4. ↑ New England Families- Genealogical and Memorial- William Richard Cutter, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1915- Vol. IV, p. 2333
5. ↑ History of Newbury- John James Currier, Damrell & Upham, Boston, 1902- p. 109
6. ↑ Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County:1636-1686- Salem, 1911-Vol. I, p. 197; Vol. 2, p. 1; Vol. III, p. 84; Vol. IV, p. 46
7. ↑ History of Newbury- John James Currier, Damrell & Upham, Boston, 1902- p. 93
8. ↑ Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County:1636-1686- Salem, 1911- Vol. I. pp. 262-3, 302, 334
9. ↑ Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: 1628–1686- Nathaniel Shurtleff, Ed., Boston, 1853- Vol. III, p. 369; Vol. IV, pt. 1, pp. 201-2
10. ↑ Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County:1636-1686- Salem, 1911- Vol. I. pp. 366-7
11. ↑ Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County:1636-1686- Salem, 1911- Vol. IV, p. 359
12. ↑ Ipswich Land Records- Vol. III, p. 312
13. ↑ Ipswich Land Records- Vol. III, p. 285
14. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, M-P. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007, pages 135-137. [Great Migration 1634-1635, M-P. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. NEHGS]
15. ↑ Category: Mary and John sailed Abt Mar 26 1634

See also:

• "Chuck Hanson's Genealogy Page: Descendants of William Moody" [http://www.geocities.ws/ckhansgw/hp2.htm#WilliamMoody Link
• New England Marriages prior to 170; page 515 (Sarah Unknown in England 1630)
• Pope, Charles Henry: "Pioneers of Massachusetts"; page 316 (Moody)
• Savage. James: "Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England"; Volume 3, page 190 (Moodee)