|
Edward was baptized at Ansley,
Warwickshire, May 22, 1645. He was bequeathed _13/13/4 by his father "when
he shall reach the age of four and twenty years." Edward's marriage to
Mary was not recorded at Ansley or any nearby parish, however their marriage
license and bond have now been unearthed among the unindexed Episcopal
records for the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry. By license and bond dated
April 11, 1668, Edward Farmer of Ansley, husbandman, "aged 21 years or
more," contracted to marry Mary Moore, aged "27 at least," of
"Yarnesford," which is surely Ernesford, a non-parochial hamlet
lying then just outside Coventry and now part of the city. The marriage was
to be solemnized within the month at Ansley. While the Ansley parish register
does not record the marriage, we may assume that Edward Farmer's known wife
Mary is the same as his intended bride in the license. On July 16, 1669,
Edward Farmer deposed concerning payment of their father's bequest to his
sister, Mary (Farmer) Pollard, before a Coventry magistrate. Edward and Mary Farmer and daughter
Sarah came to New England in or about 1671. They settled at Billerica, MA
where the birth of their next child was recorded. Perhaps Edward's mother,
brother Thomas, and sister Isabel arrived in Billerica at the same time, but
there is no record of them until later. Edward was admitted to town rights
and privileges in Billerica 24 Mar 1672/3, and granted five acres there for
payment of twenty shillings. In Billerica he was chosen to several of the
most important town offices, and was employed in public service, until he was
quite advanced in life. He had 8 children, 4 sons and 4 daughters. To his
youngest son, Oliver, he gave the farm on which he resided. On this farm
resided 6 successive generations in the space of 154 years. After living over fifty years in
Billerica (with brief sojourns in Woburn and elsewhere), Edward died at
Billerica on 27 May 1726, "aged 87" (which is a five years'
exaggeration, if his baptism was as an infant). He was buried in the Old
Corner Burying Ground at Billerica. The registers of the Church of the Holy
Trinity at Coventry show the baptism on May 12, 1640 of Mary, daughter of
"Mister Doctor Joseph Moore," a physician. She would have been 27
in April 1668, matching the stated ages of Mary Moore in the marriage bond
and Mrs. Mary Farmer at her death in Massachusetts. Mary predeceased her
husband, dying in Billerica on March 26, 1719, age 77. The house of Edward Farmer (which stood
until after 1728) was fortified as a garrison for a number of years. While
occupied as such, the following incident occurred, which has been handed down
by tradition in the family. During King William's War, and probably
about the year 1692, when the first depredations were committed in the town
of Billerica, the Indians mediated an attack on this garrison. For some days
they had been lurking in the neighborhood of it without being discovered.
Early before noon on a summer's day, Mary Farmer and her daughter went into
the field to gather peas or beans for dinner. Several of her sons, who were
young boys, went along as a guard to protect them. They had been out but a
short time before Mary Farmer discovered that a number of Indians were
concealed behind the fences, so near that she could almost reach them. Had she given any alarm, they would
probably have rushed from their lurking-places, seized the party and fled;
although their object was to get possession of the garrison, which offered
more plunder and a greater number of captives. But with admirable presence of
mind, and without making known the discovery she had made to her sons_who
might, with more foolhardiness than prudence, have attacked the Indians_she
said in a loud tone of voice, "Boys, guard us well to the garrison, and
then you may come back and hunt Indians." The Indians, supposing they
were not discovered, remained in their hiding places while the other party
soon left the field for the garrison, which they reached in safety. Then the
alarm was given, the people collected, and the Indians fled with
recklessness. After the return of peace, the Indians declared that had it not
been for that "one white squaw" they should have been able to carry
out their mission. I'd be happy to exchange
family information. See
lineage of Farmer Family Read
the Biography of Edwards's great grandfather, John Farmer
Read
the Biography of Edward's grandfather, John Farmer
Read
the Biography of Edward's father, John Farmer
Return
to Story Page Return
to Home Page |
