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John Bridges |
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Sarah Howe |
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John Bridges (Edmond, Elizabeth) was probably born in Essex County, Massachusetts, sometime between 1642 and 1645. John, along with his father and his brother, Edmond Bridges, Jr., received a summons dated June 24, 1664, instructing them to appear at the Salem Quarterly Court regarding the case against him by Nehemiah Abbott, who alleged that John took away his horse, spoiled him, and did not return him DO14. Nehemiah Abbott would eventually be his brother-in-law, because he was the husband of Sarah How’s sister, Mary How. James Howe, Sr. testified on June 14, 1664 at the Salem Court that John Bridges had assured Nehemiah Abbott that, should Nehemiah lend him his horse, John would travel only to his uncle’s residence in Lynn, Essex County, and that none but himself would ride the horse, and he would ride gently, but he did ask Nehemiah if he would allow him to at least ride as fast as the others in his party DO14. James Howe added that John also promised to give the horse corn DO14. Nehemiah instructed John to ride no faster than a “gentle, false gallop”, and John Bridges pledged to return the horse to Nehemiah the following Wednesday, January 6 DO14.
The testimony of Daniel Warner, Jr. and John Warner, Jr. on June 27, 1664, stated that they happened across Goodman Bridges and his sons at Lynn on January 7, and noted that John Bridges was quite cautious with the horse he was riding, and after they had secured their horses in the barn and provided them with hay, John’s horse began to eat DO14. About an hour later, “they all came away and when they were about thirty or forty rods from the barn, the said horse fell down” DO14, which seems to indicate that the Bridges brothers and their father had mounted their horses again, and had just left, when John’s horse collapsed. The Warners continued their deposition by stating that Edmond Bridges, Jr. called to the others, who were ahead of them, “Johns horse is falne downe & will not rise” DO14. The horse had died, and after the space of approximately an hour, Edmond Bridges dissected the horse, “and the maw taken out near the gullet’s mouth was full of red worms and there were many holes in the maw, which had been eaten by the worms” DO14. His father and brother were allowed the costs of the court on June 28, 1664, as Nehemiah Abbott did not appear at court to prosecute the case DO14.
John, who was a blacksmith FR16, FR17, married Sarah Howe (How) in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts on December 5, 1666 MA26, VI24, AN6. The record of their marriage stated, “John Bridges & Sarah How, maryed the 5th of Decembar. 1666.” MA26. At a court held on September 24, 1667 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, John Bridges and Obadiah Bridges testified in the case of their brother, Hackaliah Bridges, against Richard Haven of Lynn DO14. They stated that they were travelling from Ipswich to Boston with their brother, Hackaliah Bridges when the constable arrested them DO14. John Bridges was about twenty-two years old when he and Abraham How were deposed in a court held in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts on September 28, 1669 in the case of Tobiah Colman (the plaintiff) vs. Allen Perly (the defendant) DO15. This case also involved a horse DO15.
He was probably the John Bridges who appraised several horses, according to records from Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, from 1673 until 1676 SA21. A record entered on March 13, 1673 stated that he and Samuell Martin appraised a three-year-old black stone horse owned by Nathan Steevens at forty shillings SA21. A record entered on July 8, 1674 stated that he and Ephraim Steeven appraised a bay horse owned by Thomas Abbot of Andover at forty shillings SA21. Two records which were entered on March 3, 1675/6 stated that he and Steephen Barnet appraised a one-year-old iron gray mare and a dark brown mare colt which were owned by Ephraim Steevens of Andover at twenty shillings, and that they appraised a sorrel mare with a flaxen mane and tail which was owned by Joseph Steevens of Andover at thirteen shillings SA21. He was involved in another case concerning a horse, for on February 9, 1676, Daniel Denision signed a warrant for the apprehension of John Bridges, Joseph Stephens, and Ephraim Foster, to answer the complaint of Nathaniel Roper, who alleged that these men had abused his horse six weeks beforehand by cutting off its hair DO17. Testimony given by Ephraim Roper and John and Mary Sparke seemed to indicate that John Bridges was not actually involved, in any way, with the trimming of the horse’s hair DO17.
After Sarah died, he married a widow named Mary (Tyler) Post on March 1, 1677/8 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts MA22, BE7, AN6 and had four more children, Mary, Samuel, Elizabeth, and Mehitabell MA26, CU13, who were born in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts VI2.
Mary Bridges was born on January 27, 1678/9 VI2, MA26, CU13.
Samuel Bridges was born on July 19, 1681 VI2, MA26, CU13.
Elizabeth Bridges was born on June 5, 1683 VI2, MA26, CU13.
Mehitabell Bridges was born in April 20, 28, or 29, 1688 VI2, MA26, CU13.
He testified at the Salem Court on June 26, 1677 regarding a transaction conducted four years earlier between his brother, Edmund, and Nathaniel Pyper, the master of the bark owned by Mr. Robert Paine DO17. Nathaniel had traveled to Topsfield to request that Edmund create an anchor which would weigh 160 pounds, which Edmund did make, and then he paid for its transport in a cart to Robert Paine DO17. John further testified that Robert Paine stated that he would pay Edmund in iron: “my brother exsepted [perhaps “accepted”] of lenard paymastar but my brother if Lenard doth payeth me the Irone I will takit but me brother deleuared [delivered] the ancors to Mr paine apone his ingagin to pay him for it in barr Irone” DO17.
John Bridges, John Faulkner, and John Marston, who were all of Andover, testified on September 27, 1678 that the road from Rowley to Andover in Rowley Village had been repaired DO18. According to a writ dated March 12, 1678/9 and signed by John Woodbridge, at that time, he was the constable of Andover DO18. John was a juror at the Ipswich Quarterly Court on September 27, 1681 DO19. John Bridges was mentioned in the 1684/5 will of his father, Edmond Bridges; Edmond Bridges named his son, John, as one of the executors to his will AM1.
John’s second wife, Mary (Tyler) Bridges, was accused of witchcraft on July 28 1692 FR16, as were three of her daughters from her first marriage, Mary, Susannah, and Hannah Post, and Mary Bridges, who was her daughter with John Bridges, and Sarah, the daughter of John and Sarah (Howe) Bridges NO7. According to Increase Mather, he visited Mary Bridges (John’s wife) while she was in prison, and they had a conversation in which she stated that she was told and made to believe that she was a witch, and because of this, she confessed to being a witch FR16.
Another woman named Mary Tyler was the wife of the brother of Mary (Tyler) Bridges, and so she was the sister-in-law of John Bridges NO7. She was also denunciated of witchcraft and was compelled to undergo a touch test at the Andover meeting house on September 7, 1692 NO7. She and other accused women were blindfolded and made to place their hands on the individuals who had accused them of inflicting grief upon them, which miraculously caused their torment to vanish NO7. After this touch test, Mary Tyler traveled to Salem, accompanied by John Bridges NO7. During their journey, John repeatedly attempted to convince Mary Tyler that she was most certainly a witch, because she had been accused by people who had been afflicted, and when Mary touched them, their torment ceased NO7. Despite Mary’s resolute insistence that she was innocent, John continuously urged her to confess her guilt NO7. When they arrived at Salem, she was sequestered with Reverend John Emerson and John Bridges, who joined forces and contended that she was definitely a witch and told her that she could see the devil in front of her very eyes NO7. Reverend Emerson went so far as to attempt to beat the devil away with his hands NO7. John Bridges expressed that God would never allow so many upstanding men to be mistaken about this and told her that she would hang unless she confessed NO7. Finally, she succumbed to these tactics, which warped her convictions and caused her to become frightened, and she admitted to being guilty of nearly everything they suggested NO7.
John and eight additional men signed a petition dated October 12, 1692 to the General Court at Boston which briefly addressed the trying conditions experienced by their wives or daughters at the Salem prison, particularly the paucity of food and the impending winter weather, and they requested that the women be released to their own homes on whatever bond the justices felt was appropriate FR17. A second petition by the same men of Andover (minus one) was brought before the governor and the council at Boston on December 6, 1692, which again requested that these women be released from prison on whatever terms dictated by the justices, but this petition stressed the urgency of their plea, and stated that the cold weather had placed the women in extreme danger of dying FR17.
On January 12, 1692/3, he and John Osgood were sureties for Mary Bridges, and their memorandum of recognizance stated that they pledged the sum of one hundred pounds to guarantee that Mary would make an appearance before the justices FR16. The next day, Hopstill (Hopestill) Tyler and John Bridges were sureties for Martha and Johanna Tyler, for the same amount and for the same reason FR17.
Sarah How (James, Elizabeth) was born about 1644 DO14. She stated that she was about twenty years old when she was deposed before Daniel Denison on June 14, 1664 for the trespass case of her brother-in-law, Nehemiah Abbott (the plaintiff) vs. John Bridges (the defendant) court held in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts on June 28, 1664 DO14. This court record did not include her sworn statement DO14. She was the mother of Sarah Bridges BE7, PR4, HO17, CU13 and James Bridges DO16, HO17.
Sarah Bridges was likely born between December 5, 1666 when her parents married in Ipswich MA26 and before March 1677/8 when her father remarried to Mary (Tyler) Post MA22.
James Bridges was born in Topsfield on January 3, 1670/1 VI10, DO16, HO17. James Bridges married Sarah Marstone on May 24, 1692 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts VI3. James and Sarah Bridges were the parents of four children whose births were recorded in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts VI2. These were Sarah, born on February 25, 1692/3, James, born on February 16, 1694/5, Bethia, born on August 9, 1696, and Hannah, born in 1702 VI2. Mr. James Bridges died at age sixty-seven on April 24, 1734 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, and Sarah, the widow of Mr. James Bridges, Sr. died on September 18, 1736 in Andover VI3.
Sarah died sometime before March 1677/8 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, when John remarried to Mary (Tyler) Post BE7, MA22.