GENERATION 12

GENERATION 11

Biography

JOHN FRIEND was a Founder of the Saybrook Colony, CT, and was a resident of the Fort there as early as 1635/36, having come from Boston with John Winthrop. He was a carpenter and helped in the construction of the Fort. By 1637, he was in Salem, Essex, MA, and in 1640, he requested and was granted permission to remove to Boston.

In the "Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England", JOHN FRIEND is referred to as a "carpenter" of Salem, whose family in 1637 consisted of 11 persons, admitted a townsman in Boston, Mar. 30, 1640, and was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts the same year.

He is mentioned among a group of early settlers in the "Rial Side" area of northern Salem. It was bounded by the Bass and Danver Rivers, and is now part of the towns of Beverly and Danvers, having been annexed by Beverly in 1753, and then the western part was annex by Danvers in 1857 . JOHN had a cornmill on the Bass River as early as 1647, and built a dwelling house on a two-acre lot at the junction of McKay and Elliott Streets, on what was once the property of William King. The house was the most easterly one of the settlement.

The cornmill was just across the way from his house. The river was dammed for a source of power, and as a result, the landing place of the Salem ferry was changed from the head of the Bass River to Draper's Point, as authorized by the General Court, May 2, 1649.

About 1650, JOHN sold his mill and property to Lawrence Leach, but for some reason title did not transfer. The house was later purchased by son, John Leach in 1662. And on Sep. 7, 1665, title to the mill was transferred from Samuel Friend to Lawrence Leach, who continued to operate the mill. After the sale of the mill in 1650, JOHN was granted one hundred acres in Manchester, Essex, MA, and lived until his death.

The will of JOHN FRIEND "of Salem 1638" was written Jan. 4, 1655/56 and proved Mar. 27, 1656. In it he mentions his daughter, ELIZABETH PECKER. The estate was administer by his son, Samuel. MARY married, second, Capt. James Oliver, a successful Boston Merchant.

JOHN FRIEND was mentioned by Winthrop, i. Hist N.E. 391.