EDWARD DIX [#1934], d. Watertown, MA 9 Jul 1660,[7/23] m(1) JANE ____, d. Watertown, MA before 25 Jun 1660, m(2) Susanna ____.
It is believed that the Edward Dix of Watertown was the "Edward Deekes" who subscribed at the church gathering at Charlestown on Aug. 27, 1630 and was admitted freeman on March 4, 1634-5. If this is so, then he must have come to America in the Winthrop Fleet in 1630 or very soon afterward. One account states that at the age of 19 he embarked at Gravesend, England on Jan. 16, 1635 and that June Wilkinson, age 20 came on the same vessel and later became his wife. Since Edward was granted land in 1636 he must have been older than 19 in 1635 and thus this account is either incorrect or pertains to another Edward Dix. Banks states that Jane Deeks came to America in the Winthrop Fleet in 1630.[1]
Edward Dix's name is 49th in the list of church members in the First Church of Boston. His name is also on the earliest list of proprietors of Watertown, where he had land granted to him as early as 1636.[1] A widow Deborah Dix of Watertown moved to Wethersfield, CT at an early date.[6] What relation she was to Edward is not known.
On Dec. 10, 1649 Edward was chosen one of the seven Selectmen for the following year[3/1:19] and he had been a constable previous to April 1651, when he and others were fined 10 shillings each for not providing half bushels for standards. He had married a second time before his death in 1660.[1]
Edward owned 167 acres of land when the first inventory of grants and possessions was taken in Watertown by 1639. These included 1) a homestall of eleven acres more or less bounded on the east by Henry Bright, Sr. and Thomas Hastings, west by Stone Street, north by Benjamin Crispe, and south by Thomas Bartlett; 2) two acres of meadow in Beaverbrook meadow bounded south with upland of his own, north with the common ground, and east by George Munnings; 3) three acres of upland bounded south with the highway, west by John Flemming, and east by John Nutt; 4) thirty acres of upland being a great Divident in the third division, lot 4; 5) ten acres and a half of upland beyond the further plain, lot 36; 6) three acres of plowland in the further plain, lot 57; 7) three acres of meadow in the remote meadows, lot 62; and 8) a farm of 105 acres of upland in the fourth division.[5/1:27] Edward still held this land, minus the 105 acre farm, when the second inventory was taken in 1644. The plowland was then described as bounded south with the river, north with the highway, east by Winifred Woolcott, and west by Timothy Hawkins.[5/1:84]
Edward's will, dated June 25, 1660 and proved Oct. 2, 1660, mentioned his wife, his son John, and three daughters. Only one daughter was named. She was Abigail, wife of Thomas Parks. The will was witnessed by Hugh Mason and Thomas Hastings.[4/1:243] Inventory of the estate was taken Oct. 8, 1660 by Michael Barstow, Hugh Mason, and Thomas Hastings and amounted to 254.03.10 including a dwelling house, barn, and 14 acre homestall. There was a total of 289 acres of land.[4/1:245] John Dix, Jr. was about 20 years old in 1660 and he chose Sergt. John Wincoll as his guardian.
A Deborah Dix married Richard Barnes of Marlborough, MA. She has been attributed to the family of Edward Dix, but Bond disputes this claim on page 753.
REF: [1] The Warner-Harrington Ancestry - Frederick C. Warner,
1949 (pg.175)
[2] The History of Watertown - Henry Bond, 1860
[3] Watertown Town Records, 1894
[4] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 6296)
[5] Watertown Town Records, 1894 (Lands, Grants and Possessions)
[6] The History of Ancient Wethersfield - Henry R. Stiles, 1904
(pg.267)
[7] Records of Births Marriages and Deaths, First Book - Watertown
Records, Vol. 1, 1894
[8] Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Second Book - Watertown Records,
Vol. 2, 1900
Children[2/198]:
1. Abigail, b. Watertown, MA 2 May 1637,[7/5] d. Watertown 3 Feb 1690-1, m. 1 Dec 1653 Thomas Parks, b. Eng. abt. 1628, d. Newton, MA 11 Aug 1689 2. Mary, b. Watertown 2 May 1639,[7/7] d. 18 Jun 1675, m(1) Watertown 5 Feb 1662-3[7/24] Abraham Browne, Jr. (son of Abraham Browne and Lydia), b. Watertown 6 Mar 1639-40,[7/4] d. bef. 28 Sep 1667,[2/119] m(2) 2 Sep 1668 Samuel Rice, bap. Berkhampstead, Eng. 12 Nov 1634, d. 24 Feb 1684-5 Chil:[2/119] 1) Lydia Browne, b. 11 Nov 1663, m. 31 Dec 1686 George Woodward (son of George Woodward and Elizabeth Hammond), b. 11 Sep 1660, [2/657] d. 1696, res. Brookline, MA; 2) Abraham Browne, b. 1665, d. Marlboro, MA May 1678; 3) Mary Rice, b.1669; 4) Edward Rice, b. 1672; 5) Abigail Rice, b. 1674; 6) Joseph Rice (births 3-5 are recorded in Marlboro, MA to Samuel Rice and Elizabeth, probably the Samuel Rice who married in Sudbury 8 Nov 1655 to Elizabeth King, thus not Mary Dix's children) 3. John, b. Watertown 4 Sep 1640,[7/8] d. Watertown 7 Nov 1714,[8/53] m. Watertown 7 Jan 1670-1[7/33] Elizabeth Barnard (dau. John Barnard and Phebe Whiting) Chil.: 1) Elizabeth, b. 4 Dec 1671, m. 1694 Nathaniel Stearns; 2) John, b. Watertown 6 Mar 1672-3, m. Watertown 29 Nov 1697 Martha Lawrence, b. 1676; 3) Mary, b. 27 Feb 1674-5, d. 10 Jun 1676; 4) Abigail, b. 15 Mar 1676-7, m. 10 Dec 1701 Jonathan Grout of Sudbury; 5) Rebecca, b. 1 Mar 1678-9, d. 31 Mar 1679; 6) Deborah, b. 20 Jul 1680, m. 12 Feb 1710-1 Samuel Phillips; 7) Edward, b. 25 Sep 1682; 8) Joseph, b. 8 Sep 1686; 9) Jane, bap. 13 Oct 1689 4. Rebecca, b. Watertown 18 Feb 1641-2,[7/9] m. Watertown 18 Feb 1667-8[7/30] Thomas Flagg (son of Thomas Flagg and Mary), b. Watertown 28 Apr 1645[7/12] chil.:(see Flagg family)[2/220]
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