JOHN FISKE [#964], b. England abt. 1619, d. Watertown, MA 28 Oct 1684,[7/56] m. Watertown 11 Dec 1651[7/16] SARAH WYETH (dau. of Nicholas Wyeth and Margaret Clarke), bap. Saxtead, Suffolk, England 28 Oct 1632.
According to one account, John Fiske came to America with his brother Nathan, another ancestor, and their father Nathaniel, who is suppossed to have died on the voyage over. The mother had probably died in England.[1] However, a later account has John as the first cousin twice removed from Nathan with no word on the death of John's father Nathaniel.[6/497] John took the oath of fidelity in 1652. In the third inventory of lands in Watertown, taken about 1646, John Fiske had six acres of upland bounded on the east with Henry Dow, west with Thomas Bartlett, north with Thomas Hastings, and south with Robert Vezy.[5/1:145]
On December 16, 1670, John and two others were admonished before the selectmen "for not Learning their Children to read the english toung: weer convenced did acknowlidg their neglects and did promise a mendment".[4/1:103] On January 11, 1672-3, selectmen Nathan Fiske, John Whitney, and Isaac Mixer made a return of their inquiry into the education of John Fiske's children. They found that John's children were neither taught to read nor to "caticise".[4/1:114] February 9, 1674-5 Thomas Flagg, John Whitney, and Joseph Bemis gave an account of what they had found that John Fiske was "wholy negligent of Edducating his children as to Reding or catticising the seleckt men agreed that Joseph bemus should warn him to ansur for his neglect at the next meeting of the seleckt men".[4/1:122]
Inventory of John's estate was taken Nov. 28, 1684 by John Warren, Jonathan Smith, and John Nevinson and amounted to 141.14.0.[2/6:327] Sarah, Margaret, and Mary, children of John Fiske, received at the age of 18 from Phillip Smith, surviving executor of their uncle John Clarke, late of Newport, RI, physician, deceased, legacies out of land on the island of Canonicut June 2, 1684.[9/9:43,44] George and Martha (Fiske) Adams recieved a similar legacy, each 3 pounds, 14 shillings.[9/9:42]
The ancestry of John Fiske can be found in the overseas ancestors section.
REF: [1] The Fiske and Fisk Families - Frederick Clifton Pierce,
1896
[2] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 7591)
[3] Middlesex County Deeds
[4] Watertown Records
[5] Watertown Records (Lands, Grants, Possessions)
[6] English Origins of New England Families - Gary Boyd Roberts,
1984 First Series, Vol. I
[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 (all born in Watertown):
1. Sarah, b. 1 Feb 1652[7/16] 2. John, b. 7 Nov 1653, d. 14 Feb 1653-4[7/17] 3. John, b. Watertown, MA 20 Nov 1655,[7/18] d. Watertown, MA 6 Jun 1718,[8/62] m(1) Watertown 9 Dec 1679[7/46] Abigail Parks, b. Cambridge, MA 3 Mar 1658, m(2) Watertown 19 Jan 1699[8/12] Hannah Richards, d. 1714 4. Margaret, b. 28 Nov 1658,[7/20] d. 15 Jan 1750 unmarried 5. Mary, b. 5 Jul 1661,[7/23] d. 6 Jan 1723-4,[8/73] m. 5 Feb 1684 Joseph Mason, d. bef. 6 Jan 1723-4 6. William, b. 23 Feb 1663-4,[7/25] d. bef. 29 Mar 1742 m. 25 Oct 1693 Hannah Smith (dau. John Smith and Mary Beers), b. Cambridge, MA 27 Dec 1672, d. Watertown 7 Dec 1728 7. Martha, b. 15 Dec 1666,[7/28] m. 20 Jan 1683 George Adams 8. Elizabeth, b. 11 May 1669,[7/31] m. 27 Dec 1688 Simon Mellon, b. 25 Sep 1665, d. 30 Aug 1711 9. Nathaniel, b. 11 Sep 1672[7/35] 10. Abigail, b. 8 Oct 1675,[7/40] d. 29 Apr 1759, m. Watertown 14 Jul 1699[8/6] Jonathan Sanderson
JOHN FISKE [#482], b. Watertown, MA 20 Nov 1655,[5/18] d. Watertown, MA 6 Jun (or Jan) 1718,[6/62] m(1) Watertown or Newton, MA 9 Dec 1679[5/46] ABIGAIL PARKS (dau. of Thomas Parks and Abigail Dix), b. Cambridge, MA 3 Mar 1658, m(2) Watertown 19 Jan 1699[6/12] Hannah Richards, d. 1714.
John Fiske was made a freeman on 18 Apr 1690 and was described as "husbandman", i.e. farmer, on 23 May 1697. He and his wife Abigail sold to John Ward of Newton, turner, 13 « acres in Newton for 10 pounds, 10 shillings. This is probably land that Abigail inherited from her father Thomas Parks.[1/91] John Fiske of Watertown received wages of 4.13.6 for service during King Phillip's War.[4]
Watertown records give John's death date of June 6 yet a gravestone inscription in Waltham reads: "Here lyes the Body of Mr. John Fiske who Dec'd Jan ye 6th 1718 in ye 63rd year of His age".[1] His will was dated 6 Jun 1709, proved 23 Jun 1718, and left everything to his wife Hannah.[2/15:185]
REF: [1] The Fiske and Fisk Families - Frederick Clifton Pierce,
1896
[2] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 7592)
[3] Watertown Records
[4] Soldiers in King Phillip's War - George Madison Bodge, 1906
(pg.376)
[5] Records of Births Marriages and Deaths, First Book - Watertown
Records, Vol. 1, 1894
[6] Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Second Book - Watertown Records,
Vol. 2, 1900
Children (by Abigail):
1. Abigail, b. Watertown 12 Jun 1684,[5/55] m. 24 Feb 1701-2 John Stearns, b. Watertown 25 Jun 1677,[5/43] d. Watertown 1729 2. Elizabeth, b. Watertown 20 Jan 1685-6, m. 1 Mar 1709 Benjamin Whitney, b. 31 Jan 1684, d. Oct 1736 3. John, b. Watertown 15 May 1687, m(1) Watertown 7 Jun 1711 Mary Whitney, b. Watertown 30 Sep 1689, d. Watertown 27 Feb 1726, m(2) Watertown 14 Dec 1727 Elizabeth Chinery 4. Jonathan, bap. 25 Nov 1688, d. in infancy 5. Jonathan, b. 8 Dec 1689, m. Lydia Bemis 6. Hepzibah, b. Watertown 13 Jan 1692-3, d. 26 Mar 1736, m. 8 Dec 1715 George Harrington, b. 31 Aug 1695 7. daughter, b. 19 Nov d. 21 Nov 1695 8. David, b. 13 Apr 1697, m. Elizabeth Durkee
Child (by Hannah):
9. Hannah, bap. Oct. 8, 1704, d. Watertown July 21, 1714[6/52]
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