Zachary Bicknell, immigrant ancestor of the Bicknell family in America, came from England early in the spring of 1635, and landed at Wassaguscus, now Weymouth, Mass., within the limits of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He came with the Rev. Joseph Hull, and one hundred and one others, mostly from Somerset and Dorset, in the southwest part of England. The ship's record is as follows:
"Zachary Bicknell, aged 45 yeare, Agnis Bicknell, his wife, aged 27 yeare, Jno. Bicknell, his sonne, aged 11 yeare. Jno. Kitchin, his servant, 23 yeare." From this little family has sprung a numerous progeny, scattered over all parts of the country.
Zachary Bicknell built a house upon land granted by the town, and died the year following his arrival, before March 9, 1636-37. The house and land was sold the next year to William Reed. The general court under date of March, 1636-37, ordered "that William Reade, having bought the house and twenty acres of land at Wymouth, unfenced, which was Zachary's Bicknell's, for seven pounds, thirteen shillings, and four pence, of Richard Rocket and wife, is to have the sale confirmed by the child when he cometh of age, or else the child to allow such costs as the court shall think meet."
(Taken from the records).
Zachary Bicknell's widow married (second), soon after her husband's death. She was probably the second wife of Mr. Bicknell, and the mother of his son John, mentioned below.

(II) John, son of Zachary Bicknell, was born in England about 1623. He came to New England with his parents and settled in Weymouth, Mass. He was selectman many years and member of the general court in 1677-78. In 1661 he was one of a committee to repair the old North Church.
He married (first) about 1650, Mary ____, who died March 25, 1657-58. He married (second) Dec. 2, 1658, Mary, daughter of Richard Porter, of Weymouth. She died in 1679. His will was dated Nov. 6, 1678, proved Jan. 20, 1678-79. He bequeaths all the real estate to his wife, except twenty acres and one and one-half acres of salt meadow, which he gives to his son John, so long as she shall remain his widow to bring up the children to the age of twenty-one. He bequeaths to his daughters fifteen pounds, and to the three children of John Dyer; John, Thomas and Benjamin, his grandchildren, five pounds each.
Children of his first wife:
1. John, born 1653-54.
2. Mary, married John Dyer, died 1677-78.
3. Naomi, born June 21, 1657.
Children of second wife:
4. Ruth, born Oct. 26, 1660; married James Richards, died Feb. 12, 1728.
5. Joanna, March 2, 1663.
6. Experience, Oct. 20, 1665.
7. Zachary, Feb. 7, 1668, mentioned below.
8. Thomas, Aug. 27, 1670, died Feb. 17, 1718; married Feb. 16, 1696, Ann Turner, of Hingham, and removed to Middleborough, Mass.
9. Elizabeth, April 29, 1673.
10. Hannah, Nov. 15, 1675.
11. Mary, March 15, 1678; married Maurice Truphant; died Oct. 13, 1764.
12. child, Aprl 10, 1682, died young.

(III) Zachary (2), son of John Bicknell, was born in Weymouth, Feb. 7, 1668. He removed to Swansea, Mass., and perhaps later to Ashford, Conn. He moved to Swansea in 1705 and bought land on the west bank of the Barrington river, north of Prince's Hill, and his house was north of the present (1910) parsonage, fronting the river. He was influential in establishing the Congregational church and in effecting the separation of Barrington from Swansea.
He married Hannah Smith.
Children:
1. Zachariah, mentioned below.
2. Joshua, 1696.
3. Hannah.
4. James, 1702.
5. Peter, 1705-06.
6. Mary.

(IV) Zachary, son of Zachary (2) Bicknell, was born in Swansea, Mass., 1695. He lived at Rehoboth, Mass., and Ashford, Conn. He married at Rehoboth, March 9, 1718-19, Katharine Giffany, of Taunton.
Children:
1. Zachariah, born 1723, mentioned below.
2. John, 1725.
3. Samuel, 1729.
4. Ebenezer, 1732.
5. Timothy, 1733.
6. William, 1735.
7. Nathan, 1736.

(V) Zachariah (2), son of Zachariah (1) Bicknell, was born in 1723, and was living in Ashford in 1790. A Zacheriah Bicknell joined the Ashford church in 1792. He died there April 6, 1796, in his "seventy fifth" year.

(VI) Thomas, son or nephew of Zachariah (2) Bicknell, was born in Ashford about 1750-60. His son Ralph is mentioned below.

(VII) Ralph, son of Thomas Bicknell, was born in Ashford, according to the family record, Oct. 14, 1790. He became a lumberman on the Connecticut and was occupied in log-diving many years. When he was twenty-five years old he removed to Vermont and later to West Parishville, New York, about 1830. He took up a tract of wild land, came with his goods and family on an ox cart and built his cabin there. He cleared the land and followed farmikng until his death Sept., 1866.
He married, in Vermont, Parna Hibbard.
Children:
Parna, Ralph A., Maria, Hibbard A., Josiah D., Adeline, Laura, married Morris McDonald; Eliza, Carlos and Marshaline.

(VIII) Ralph A., son of Ralph Bicknell was born at Norwich, Windsor county, Vermont, Oct. 14, 1815, died in 1884. He came with his parents to Parishville when a boy of fifteen and worked for his father during his boyhood. He had a common school education. For some years he was employed in the copperas works at Canton, N.Y., later with a general merchant at Parishville, and for a time was in the distillery business in partnership with his brother, Josiah D., at Parishville. He finally removed to Howard City, Michigan, and owned a mill there and bought and sold timber lands. He was in active business to the time of his death.
In politics he was a Republican.
He married (first) Barbara Ann Taylor; (second) Emily Irish.
Children of first wife:
Marrietta, Melvina, John and George S., mentioned below.
Children of second wife:
Blanchard, Cora, Frank and Willis.

(IX) George S., son of Ralph A. Bicknell, was born at Colton, N.Y., May 22, 1845. He attended the district schools of his native town and at Malone, N.Y., and studied his profession in the Law School of Michigan University at Ann Arbor, graduating in 1869. He enlisted in the Eleventh New York Cavalry in the civil war and was one of the famous "Scott's 900." He fought at Culpepper and in 1864 went with his regiment, under General Thomas, to New Orleans and took part in the battle of Tippidou, Louisiana; in the battle at Baton Rouge, at Vicksburg, at Memphis, Tennesee; at Chattanooga and Germantown, Tennessee. He was in the Red River Expedition, and on scouting duty most of the time. He was wounded at Germantown, May 22, 1865, in a fight with guerillas and sent to the hospital. He was mustered out, with the rank of corporal, in Sept., 1865.
From 1872 to 1878 he was a general merchant at Parishville, N.Y., and also conducted a farm there. After the death of his father he went to Howard City to settle the estate and whle there took the law course at Ann Arbor.
In 1890 he returned to Colton and engaged in the lumber business, in which he ha met with signal success. He has a saw mill and manufactures lumber. In addition to his business interests he has also practiced law. He has been a justice of the peace since 1890 and is an influential Republican. He is a member of Colton Lodge, No. 428, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Marsh Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Potsdam.
He married (first) in 1866, Amelia, daughter of Newman Anderson, of Pierrepont, N.Y. He married (second) Ida McCabe.
Children of first wife:
1. Henry, born Feb. 1868, a farmer of Colton; married Nora Donahue; children: Francis, Marion and Ella.
2. Burton N., Oct. 19, 1870, proprietor of a butter factory and creamery at Colton; unmarried.
3. Lorena, married John Champney; children: Bessie and Herbert Champney.
4. Melvina, married a Mr. Robinson; he resides at Edwardsville, St. Lawrence county, N.Y.

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