Back to Main Page

---

Dane, John
d. 14 SEP 1658 Roxbury, MA
Family:

Spouse: Bowyer, Frances
Parents:

Father: Bowyer, Thomas
Mother: Margaret

Family History:

In a deed dated 1630, John mentioned his mother-in-law Margaret, wife of Thomas Bowyer. In 1635 "Granted to Henry Wilkinson by the company of freeman three acres of planting ground on the south syde the Towne River. Also hee is possessed of three acres adjoyning unto the same, the which latter three acres hee bought of Robert Hayes, and was granted unto ye sayde Robert Hayes at the same tyme the whole six acres, having a planting lott of Robert Cross on the East, and a house lott of John Dayne's on the West, also on the same syde a planting lott of William Wildes, buting upon the North end upon the river. Also three acres of planting ground lying upon Sogamore Hill, having Andrew Story's lott on the Southeast, and Michaell Williamson's lott on the Northeast." In 1639 John Dane was granted a house lot in Ipswich. On April 9 1639 a one acre house-lot lying in the street called the West end, on the north side of the Ipswich River and adjoining the lot of Robert Muzzey, 6 acres of planting ground beyond the reedy Marsh, and four more acres of planting ground within the common fence in Ipswich was granted to "John Deane the elder". In October 1639 John petitioned the General Court that the house and lands which had belonged to William Chandler might be made over to him for he had paid more debts of Chandlrs than ye house and land was worth, & also brought up ye children of Chandler wch have been chargeable to him." Two days later "In ansr to the peticon of John Dayne ffor the setling the howse and lands of Wm Chandler (whose wyddow he marryed & children brought vp) on him, the said John Dayne, his request was graunted; & ye said howse and lands confirmed on him by this Courte." On June 2 1641 he was admitted freeman. In February 1642 John and his sons all had rights in the Ipswich commons. In 1645 he was a proprieter at Ipswich. In 1649 "granted to…Wm. Lamson 6 acres of salt marsh neare Hog Island by John Dane his Island." On October 17 1649 "the petition of John Dayne that the house and lands that was Wm. Chandlers" be settled upon "ye said Dayne, he having paid more debts of Chanlrs than the house and land was worth & and also brought up the children of said Chandler w'ch have been chargable to him" was made to the General Court, which granted it two days later. In October 1650 he witnessed " John Mills sold one-third part of the ship "Jane". On November 3, 1651 "ten acres and a halfe sold by Joseph Patchin of Rocksbury to John Dane of the same town." On February 2, 1652 John Dane made a deed of gift to his "dear and loving wife Annis Dane..." of all the housing and lands that had belonged to her first husband "reserving the vse of it in my owne hands vntill my death...Provided that vpon the death of the sajd Annid or vpon the dispossal of the sajd housing & land shall stand bound for the payment of tenn pounds..." which sum he made over to his son John Dane. On December 26 1656 he was assessed "one pound seauen shills &…pence" in Country rate towne rate & County rate. "Vpon the sevth day of the seveth month (September) in 1658" John Dane prepared his will "in his own hand" "- To son John Dane, ten pounds out of my now dwelling house, which will appear in deed, dated 2d. feberi in fift one - To son Francis my wood lot, about two & twentie ackers, mor or les, as it doth appeer in Town-book. - To dafter Elizabeth How, a black cow now att Andiver in the hand of Georg Abet to he deliuered to her after me deseas emediately. - To son John Dane, on feather bede & on feather boster & two fether pillows & a yellow rugg, & also a pewter platter. - To son Francis, on great ketle, also on flaxen sheet & a saser. - To Dafter Elizabeth How, a litl kittle, & on pewter candlestick. - To son Frances, my old black cow, now at Roxburie, & my bible. - To louing wiff Anie, whom I mak sooll exceekitrix all my moveable goods that is not expresed. In witness herr vnto I hav set my hand this seueth day of the seveth month 58. By me /signed John Dane/ At a county court held at Boston 16 Oct 1658, Mr John Johnson deposed that he saw Jno Dane sign & publish it as his last will, &c, Edward Rawson Recordr. On September 14, 1658 John "was buried" in Roxbury. On October 16, 1659 John’s will was proved. On August 9, 1660 Mrs. "Annice" Dane married John Parmenter, Sr., of Sudbury, MA. In November 1672 Annis prepared her will and bequeathed "to my sons and daughters by my former husbands…John, Thomas and William Chandler and married daughters, Hannah Abbot and Sarah Cleaves…the estate left me by my husband, John Dane." On March 17, 1683 "Old Mother Parminter, a blessed saint, died" at Roxbury.
In 1682 John Dane, Jr wrote in a small volume three and a half inches wide by six inches long "A Declaration of Remarkabell Prouedenses in the Corse of My Lyfe."

"And first of a famely prouedens. In my infansy, and yet I neary well Remember it, my fatther Remoud his habetation from barcumstid to Starford. Thare he bout a house, and brout his famely theather; and he went back againe to finesh matters with him he had sould his two, and my mother and hur children ware at Storford. Not being among anie aquaintans, and my fatther staying longer than she thout he would, or himself other, my mother met with sum wants and was trobeled and weapt. I doubt not but she layd open her wants to god, for she was a serious woman. And my Sister How, she was but a lettell gurle, she went into the yard and sot doune in the sun under the window; and laying hur hand on the ground to Rise up, thare lae a shilling under hur hand. She brout it in. I, being a lettell boy, askt hur where she found it. She shewed me. I went and scrabled with my fingers in the place and found a notther. It being in the nick of time in hur wants, she toke great notis of it and I doubt not but made good improuement thareof, with great acknouledgment of gods marsie at that time. I shall menshon one more consurning my Mother. When she liued in starford, one nyte, in her slepe, she fell into a dream, and waking she was mutch taken with it. She tould my father, and could not cepe it out of hur mind. And it was, that sutch a minester, I haue forget his name, should preach sutch a weke and sutch a day at elsuam on sutch a text. The thouts of it did so take with hur that she inquiered, and as she dreamed, so it was; the same man, the same day, the same text. She and my brother How herd him. I, then being so young, cannot Remember euery thing; but I doubt not but that she made good improuement of that sarmon. Consarning my self; when I was but a lettell boy, being edicated under godly parents, my Conshans was ueary apt to tell me of euells that I should not doe. Being now about aight yers ould, I was giuen mutch to play and to run out without my fathers Consent and againe his command. One a time, I haueing gone out most parte of the day, when my father saw me cum home, he toke me and basted me. I then cept home, and followed my busenes two or thre dase. My father and mother Comended me, and tould me that god would bles me if I obeyed my parents, and what the contrary would ishew in. I then thout in my harte, o that my fatther would beat me more when I did amis. I fard, if he did not, I should not be good. Not long after, I being alone on the shopbord Repping open a payer of bretches of a Gintilmans who had had a hole in his pocut and sewed up againe, thorow which hold he had lost or dropt into his knes of his linings a pese of gould, which, when I say, I thought I myt haue it, for I thout nobody knew of it, nor could know of it. I toke the Gould and hed it, and sat upon the shopboard to worke; but, thinking of it, I thout it is none of myne. I fetcht it againe, but upone more pondring I went and hed it againe. When I had dun so, I could not be quiet in my mynd, but fetcht it againe, and thout thow nobody could know of it, yet god, he knew of it. So I gaue it to my fatther, hoe gaue it to the gintelman. I cant but take notes of gods goodness in then giving me Restrayning grace to presarue from sutch a tempation, though then I slytly passed ouer many sutch prouedenses. I did think myself in a good condishon. I was conuinsed that I should pray and durst doe no other, and Red and here sarmons and durst due no other; yet I was giuen to pastime and to dansing, and that I thout lawful. Now uppone a time, when I was groune 18 yers of age or thare abouts, I went to a dansing scoll to larne to dans. My father hering of it, when I cam home tould me, if I went agayne, he would bast me. I tould him, if he did he should neuer bast me againe. With that, my father toke a stick and basted me. I toke it patiently, and said nothing for a day or to, but on morning betimes I res and toke 2 shurts on my back and the best sute I had, and a bybell in my pocket, and set the dores open and went to my fathers chamber dore and said, god by father, god by mother. Why, whether are you going? To seke my fortin, I answared. Then said my mother, goe whare you will, god he will find you out. This word, the point of it, stuck in my brest, and afterwards god struck it home to its head. Allthough I thout my fatther was two Strict, I thout Soloman said, be not holy ouer mutch, and daued was a man after gods oun harte, and he was a danser; but yet I went my Journey, and was from him half a yere before he hard whare I was. I first settled in barcumsted, and thare Rought on a shobord that had bene improud that waie. On a nyte, when most folke was a bead, a mayd cam into the shopbord and sat with me, and we Jested together; but at the last she cared it so, and put huself in sutch a poster, as that I made as If I had sum speshall ocashon abrod and went out; for a fared, If I had not, I should haue comitted foley with hur. But I ofen thout that it was the prayers of my parents that preuailed with god to kepe me. I then gaue my self mutch to dansing and staying out and heatting myself and lying in haymowes, the pepell being a bed whare I abod that I lost my culler and neuer Recufered it a gaine. I then went and wrought at harford and went to an in for my lodging. The next day I went and got worke in the toune. It was nere the time of the sises at harford, and my m' had mainie sargants Cotes to make; and I sat up three nights to work, and then I went to my In to lodg. The dore was lockt, and I knockt hard. I hard one of the mayds say, thare is one at the dore. I heard one sa, tis no matter, it is none but the tayler. So they opend the dore, and the ostis sat in a chare by the fyer, in hur naked shift, houlding hur brests open. She said to me, a chare being by hur, she houlding out hur hand, Cum let us drink a pot, and seuerall times Reetrated hur words. I said I was so slepey that I could not stay with her now, but I would drink a cup with hur in the morning; and so I hastend awaie to my Chamber. Here I toke no notes of the goodnes of god in Restrayning me, but Ratther ascribed it to my self; all though I had as Retched a natter, as I haue bene sens more sensable on then before. Awhile after thare was a Cockpit bult, to fite Cockes in, and many Knits and Lords meat thare; and thare folowed to the toune a manie braue Lases. And upone a day, as I Remember, thare came on from Starford that I was sonderfull glad to see, that I myt inquier of my frinds thare. I inuited him to this in to drink; and thare was one of theas braue lases thare which dind at the table I dind at, and it is lykly that I mut drink to hur and she to me; but this I know, I neuer toucht hur. The nite after, I came to goe to bead and askt for a lite. My ostes sayd, we are busey, you may goe up without, the mone shines. And so I did. And when I cam in the camber, I went to my bed side and puld of all my Clothes and went in, and thare was this fine lase in the bead. I slipt on my Clothes agayne, and went doune and askt my ost, why she would sarue me so. I, sayd she, thars nobody would hurt you. I tould her, if I hired a Rome, I would haue it to myself; and shoud myself mutch angrey. So she gaue me a lite into another Chamber, and thare I lae; but in the morning, I went to that chamber I used to ly in, for I had left a lettell bandell of things on the beds tester. I cam to the dore and gave the dore a shuf, and this fine Mistres Reacht out hur hand out of the bead and opend the dore. So I went in. I doubt mis I am troblsom to you. No, sayd she, you are welcum to me. I tould hur, I had left a small trifell on the tester of the bead, and I toke it and went my waie. For all this, and manie other of the lyke, I thank god I neuer yet knew any but thos two wifes that god gaue me. But when I conseder my Retched hart, and what I myt with shame and blushing speke that waie, I cannot but sa, O, wonderfull, unspeakable, unsarchabl marseys of a god that taketh care of us when we take no Care of ourseluese. I now being at harford, Mr Goodin preacht thare, and he preacht consarning prayer. But on saboth day, not being in that trim that i would haue been in (I had a great band that cam ouer my shoulders that was not clene, and sum other things that I would haue had,) I would not goe to meeting but walkt in the filds close by a meadow sid. Thare was, whether fly, wasp or hornet, I cannot tell, but it struck my finger, and watter and blod cam out of it and paind me mutch. I went up to a hous and shoud it, but thay knew not what a sting I had at my harte. Now I thout of my mothers words, that god would find me out. I hastend home to the Camber I lay in, at my masters house; and when i cam thare I toke my bybell and lokt ouer sum instructions my father had Ret, and I weapt sorly. The payne and swelling increast & sweld up to my shoulder. I prayd ernistly to god that he would pardon my sinn and heall my arme. I went to a surgin and askt him what it was. He said it was "the take". I askt him what he meant. He said it was taken by the prouedens of god. This knoct home on my hart what my mother said, god will find you out. Now I made great promises that if god would here me this time I would Reforme. It pleased god in a short time to ease my and I did Reforme, and stod in aw of gods Judgements, though I had a linkring mind after my former pastime. I then Rout with m' Tead, that liues at Charlstoune. He was a young man then. He and I was going to a dansing on nite, and it began to thunder, and I tould him I doubted we ware not in our waie; and he and I went back againe. But about a munth or six wekes after, I had a mynd to uisit a frind of a saboth day foure myle out of harford; but I tok a good whyle pondring whether I myt or no. I knew m' gooding was a good man, and that the other was naught; but, to quiet my mynd, I thought that Christ said consarning the phareses, thay set in moises chare, here them. I thought he myt preach good matter. Aud thus I blynded my eyse, and went. And when I cam thare, thay ware gone to metting; and I flattred myself, it may be I shall mete them cuming home. And so I went in to an orched, and sat soume in an arbore; and, as before, on the same finger and on the same place, I was strucken as before. And as it struck my hand so it struck my harte, for I sudingly Rose up and went into a wood; and thare I cryd bitterly, and now concluded that god, god had found me out. I was not utterly forlorn in my spiret, and knew not what to du, thinking that god now had upperly forsaken me, and that he would here me no more. And when I had cryd so long that I could cry no longer, I Rose up in a forlorne condishon, and went home to harford. I then in a Restles condishon knew not what to du. I was thinking what to do to throw of this troble; and at this time, awhile after, thare was on master scurfeld who was a minester and my godfather, that had a sonn that was bound to saint Christifars, and he was at me to goe with him. I Readily agred. And when the time was cum that we should goe, thare came nuse that saint Christifars was taken by the spanyard.

At this point it must have been early in 1630 as St. Christophers was captured by a Spanish fleet under Don Frederick de Toledo, in October 1629. This document was 137 pages and The remainder is printed in full in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. VIII. After this he mentions that he settled down at "wood Roe hatfield," where he succeeded so well that he "lived in the chief place in the towne, and toke a prentis and kept a gurniman." But in spite of his prosperity, he was dissatisfied, having a strong desire to "come to nu ingland, thinking I should be more fre here then thare from temptations." "My first cumin was to Roxburey. My father and mother hasten after me as sone as they could."

Children:

Dane, Elizabeth

Dane, John

Dane, Francis

Family:

Marriage:2 JUL 1643 Roxbury, MA
Spouse:Bayford, Annis [aka: Widow Chandler]

Children by previous marriage to William Chandler:

Chandler, William

Chandler, Hannah

Back to Main Page

Copyright 2001 Richard Joseph Bucknum