Jonathan Danforth

Jonathan Danforth, known as Ensign Danforth from his rank in the town's militia company, was the eldest son of the surveyor Jonathan Danforth and his wife Elizabeth Poulter, born in Billerica on February 18, 1658-9. On June 27, 1682 he married Rebecca Parker, daughter of Jacob Parker of Chelmsford, and, as Hazen put it, "lived east of Long street, opp. his father's place," on the east side of the present Boston Road a few rods north of the Common. His house stood on his father's land. On January 5, 1708-9 Capt. Danforth gave him, "for the love and affection which I have and do bear unto my son," "all my Land that joynes to his Dwelling house," twenty acres bounded west and south by the country roads, together with the rest of his Andover meadow lot on the Shawshin, swamp at Gilson's Hill, a second division lot of 52 acres, ten acres of Heath Swamp and other outlying land. The house, a small one a single room deep when it was built, was enlarged more than once and later became the tavern of David Osgood and Solomon Pollard (see Ensign Jonathan Danforth Jr. House (original house) and Ensign Jonathan Danforth Jr. House).

He drew shares with his father in the town's division of its remaining meadows in 1685 and in the division of the common lands west of the Concord River in 1708. He died on January 17, 1710-11, aged 52, before his father, and is buried in the Old South Cemetery. He left no will. His widow and his eldest son Thomas were made administrators in March 1711, and the inventory begins with "the homestead or house lott containing 20 acres with the buildings upon it," valued at 100 pounds. At the division of December 1711 Rebecca received for her thirds "The Westerly end of the house and one third part of the barn," with six and a half acres of plowland and meadow on the country road and four acres of pasture, and the rest of the house and homestead went to Thomas, who paid the other heirs over the following years. Rebecca later became the third wife of Deacon Joseph Foster and died in March 1754, in her ninety-fourth year.

Their children were Rebecca (1683), who married Thomas Parker in 1702; Thomas (1685-6), who kept the homestead; Jonathan (1688-9); Elizabeth (1690), who married Christopher Osgood; Samuel (1692); Nicholas (1695), who died in 1748-9; Jacob (1697-8), later a captain; Sarah (1700); and John (1703). In 1715 these children, as the surveyor's grandchildren, released to Oliver Whiting Jr. their interest in "the Homestead or House Lott which belonged to our Honoured Grandfather Danforth" across the road.

References

1. Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), Genealogical Register p. 35, DANFORTH 2
2. Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), p. 208: division of the remaining meadows, 1685 (Jonathan Danforth Sen. and Jun.)
3. Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), p. 215: division of the lands west of Concord River, 1708 (Jonathan Danforth Jun.)
4. Vital Records of Billerica (1908), births p. 55: Jonathan, s. Jonathan and Elisabeth, Feb. 18, 1658-9; his children by Rebeckah
5. Vital Records of Billerica (1908), marriages p. 297: Rebecka of Chelmsford and Jonathan Danforth Jr., June 27, 1682
6. Vital Records of Billerica (1908), deaths p. 354: Jonathan, Ens., Jan. 17, 1710-11, a. 52 (gravestone, Old South Cemetery)
7. Middlesex Probate case 5890: administration, inventory and division of the estate of Jonathan Danforth Jr. of Billerica, 1711

Title References Expand all

Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.