John Gurney

  General Notes:

Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England 1620-1633. Boston, New England Historical Genealogical Society, 1995. ⁴⁴⁶

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information.
Moses Payne and Peter Bracket of Braintree purchased land from the Native Americans in 1660 for twenty-four pounds. John Gurney was one of the persons listed for allotments of the land that was to be settled before the end of seven months, 1663.

~NEHGR, Origin of mendon and the Name of Medway, by Amber Morse, vol. 9, p. 51 & vol. 21, p. 380

John was a witness to the signing of the will of Bregory Baxster of Braintree on 2 Apr 1659, and he took an inventory of the goods of Gregory Baxter on 7 May 1659.
~NEHGR, vol. 9, pp. 136-137

John Gurney, Brantry 16 Mar 1663, An inventory of the Goods and Estate of John gurney, sen., deceased, taken by Gregory Belcher, Edmund Brackett, Joseph Adams, Francis Nucom, John Dassit, sr., Goodman King of Waymuth, Goodman Baly, John Mills, John Clerly, Smith, Collins at Boston &c, &c.

Mr. Sam Broadstreet and Mr. Richard Wharton depose to the Inventory given to them by the widow or friends of said Gurney and subscribed by Gregory Belcher &c. with which they have added a true inventory of that Estate to their best knowledge.

~NEHGR, Suffolk Wills, vol. 12, p. 53

Records of a town meeting dealing with building a house for the first minister of Mendon, Massachusetts:
5 Jun 1669 "The Selectmen met and ordered that the Sellor under the Minister's house be forth with digged and that Goodman Steven Cook, John Gurney And John More with Joseph Juell doe it and two worke at a tyme untill it be finished and that Gregory Cooke and Peter Alderidge doe carry stones to the Sellor which are digged."
~NEHGR, The First Minister of Mendon, Mass., by John G. Metcalf, M.D., of Mendon, vol. 29, pages 182-183

From papers found in Suffolk County files for a law case between the widow Wilson and Thomas Paxon both of Braintree, Mass, concerning Joseph Wilson son of the widow:
No. 188, 22nd paper. John Gurney of Braytree age 50 years or thereabouts Dated 17-1-[16]52/53 (this would put his birth at about 1603)
~NEHGR, Notes by Edward H. Whorf, vol. 63, pg 93-94

1661: He sold land in Braintree on 12 Feb 1661; the deed witnessed by his son, John Gurney Jr.

John married, about 1625, in Bury, St. Edmunds Parish, Suffolk, England, a woman named Mary who died 20 Sep 1661 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts. Their children were:
Sarah Gurney.
Elizabeth Gurney, b. about 1623.
Mary Gurney, between 1628-1637, in Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts.
Richard Gurney, (OR later spelled Guernsey?), 1630 in Suffolk, England (OR Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts.)
John Gurney, b: about 1639 in Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts.
Peter Gurney, b: about 1636,-1641 in Weymouth, Norfolk, England, (OR Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts).
Isaac Gurney, b: about 1643, in Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts.

There were two John Gurneys, perhaps related, in early American records. One John Gurney was the apprentice of John Newgate, and emigrated from Bury, St. Edmunds, England arriving on the ship "Handmaid". In 1636 John Gurney was brought before the constable of the court of Charlestown, Massachusetts, because he had "gotten away his indentures and was ordered to serve till he were 24 yrs. of age, viz. for 3 yrs., from the 29th of Sept. next." (Banks-151, Winthrop-II:345). Therefore, he was born about 29 Sep 1615 and could not likely have been the father of Richard, who was born about 1630. Nothing more is known of this John Gurney.

John Gurney, there is still there is no positive proof that he was the father of Richard, yet his presence in Weymouth and Braintree, Massachusetts, and his more likely age, indicate the possibility that he was the ancestor.

Sources for above not noted as from the New England Historic & Genealogical Register.
~The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England 1620-1633. Anderson, Robert Charles. Boston, New England Historical Genealogical Society, 1995.
~Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England 1620-1650, Philadelphia, PA: Elijah Ellsworth Brownell, Charles Edward Banks, 1937. LDS Film#0874196#1.
~Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793; Braintree, Massachusetts. Author Sameul A. Bates, 1886.
~Daniel Shed Genealogy, 1327-1920. Boston, Massachusetts; Shedd Family Association, 1921, Frank E. Shedd.
~Ancestry of Eva Belle Kempton 1878-1908. Boston, MA: NEHGS, 2000.
~New England Marriages prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD. Torrey, Clarence Almon, Genealogical Publishing Co, 1987.