John Babocck

1644 - 1684  (40 years)

• Name	John Babocck
  Birth	1644	Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island
  Gender	Male
  Military Service	1675	Stonington, New London County, Connecticut
  	King Philip's War
  Death	31 Dec 1684	Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island
  Burial	James Babcock Ground, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island
  Notes	John Babcock was born about 1644 in Newport County, Rhode Island, the son of James Babcock and Sarah Brown. John's father made a deposition in 1670 in which he stated he was 58, his son James was 29 and son John was 26 years old. Tradition and family records say that John Babcock, after failing to get her father's consent to marriage, eloped with Mary Lawton in 1658. She was the daughter of George Lawton and Elizabeth Hazzard of Newport. It is said that the couple went into the wilderness, one night by boat from Newport, and coasting along the shore, landed on the present site of the town of Westerly. They were welcomed by friendly Indians, and he was the first white man who settled in Westerly. Unfortunately, history doesn't seem to support this romantic tale. John Babcock and his father actually were members of the Misquamicut Company and went to the site of Westerly with the first permanent settlers in about 1660. At that time John was about eighteen years of age. He received an apportionment of land, the same as other settlers. He settled on the banks of the Pawcatuck River, near what is now Avondale, Rhode Island. Some of the original homesteaded land was still in the possession of descendants in 1903. John was admitted freeman at Westerly on October 28, 1668. In 1675, when King Philip's War broke out, most of the settlers in Westerly fled to Rhode Island for safety. John and his family stayed. He joined the Stonington, Connecticut Militia. Tradition says he fought in the Great Swamp Fight on December 19, 1675 and that his son Elihu was born that day. Connecticut then controlled Westerly, but after the war control passed back to Rhode Island. Westerly was claimed by both Connecticut and Rhode Island, and it wasn't until 1728 that Connecticut gave up its claim. After the war, the settlers began to return to their homes. On June 12, 1678, he was chosen by the Rhode Island Assembly as Conservator of the Peace for Westerly. On September 17, 1679 he took the oath of allegiance. From 1682-84 he was deputy from Westerly to the Rhode Island Colonial Legislature. John died in Westerly on December 31, 1684 without leaving a will, and the town council disposed of his estate. The inventory of his estate, 790 Pounds, made on June 25, 1685, was the largest estate in the town for many years. The most unusual entries appear near the end of the inventory, "one negger boy valued at 20 pounds, and two injin men and Indian girls valued at 30 pounds." John is buried in the James Babcock Ground in Westerly. Information for this biography from "The Slade-Babcock Genealogy" by Carl Boyer; "The Babcock Genealogy" by Stephen Babcock; "The Ancestry of the Babcock Family" by Gwen Babcock
  Person ID	I18180	OurNorthernRoots | Andrew's Ancestor
  Last Modified	10 Oct 2020

  
  

  Father	James Babcock,   b. 12 Jun 1612, Wivenhoe, Essex, England d. 12 Jun 1679, Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island (Age 67 years)
  Mother	Sarah Brown,   b. 1616, Essex, England d. 1665, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 49 years)
  Family ID	F4816	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Lawton,   b. 1646, Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island d. 8 Nov 1711, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 65 years)
  Marriage	1662	Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island
  Children	1. Captain James Babocck,   b. Jul 1663, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. 17 Jan 1736, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age ~ 72 years)   2. Susannah Babocck,   b. Abt 1664, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island   3. Mary Babocck,   b. 1667, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island   4. John Babocck,   b. 10 Feb 1670, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. Bef 1755, South Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 84 years)   5. George Babocck,   b. 1673, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. 1 May 1766, South Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 93 years)   6. Elihu Babocck,   b. 19 Dec 1675, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. Abt 1745, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 69 years) + 7. Robert Babcock,   b. 1678, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. 27 Aug 1719, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 41 years)   8. Joseph Babocck,   b. Abt 1681, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. Feb 1741, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age ~ 60 years)   9. Colonel Oliver Babocck,   b. 31 Aug 1683, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island d. 7 Oct 1773, Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island (Age 90 years)
  Family ID	F4814	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Mar 2013

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 1644 - Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island Marriage - 1662 - Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island Military Service - King Philip's War - 1675 - Stonington, New London County, Connecticut Death - 31 Dec 1684 - Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island Burial - - James Babcock Ground, Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set